Amplifiers:A Keeper for Life. Do you know of one ?

I have to agree with all pf the OTL recommendations (Atma-sphere, Joule Electric, etc.)

I have a Graaf GM200 that I intend to take with me to my grave and have two replacement sets of the PL504 output tubes (64 in total) stored that I will need to get me there... A truly special amp!

CAT JL-2 signature. I admit I've thought of selling it - heavy, hot, fussy about tubes and uses lots of them, but. . . I bought it used (an earlier JL-2), had no problems for over 3 years, then a bad tube sent it back to factory for repair. I took a deep breath and had it upgraded to MK2 signature. While it was gone I had several loaner SS amps (Krell, Odyssey, Classe) and eventually bought a used one Classe CA2200. It is a very nice amp and I thought I might even be happy with it and sell the tubes until the CAT came back and I listened to it for about 10 minutes. It's not even close. I don't doubt an OTL would be wonderful, but am running modified Apogee Diva's. Never is a long time and finances may at some point dictate a sale, but I'm hoping that day doesn't come.

mbhintz

My five Emotiva XPA-1 which give a potential headroom of five kilowatts. I know it's a bit of slight of hand, but with the eleven band graphic equalizers in the UMC-1 and my poormans budget it pushes my Palladium, 27, 37, and 38 beautifully. The range of sonic adjustment is extraordinary and the amps can push it almost anywhere you want to go. I know many of you will think the X has no place in this discussion. I can't say it's a giant killer. I say its in the ballpark. Nic

Shake777...........................

You should not be embarassed having Emotiva products. They offer a lot of bang for the buck and a nice system can easily be built with their electronics. I myself own an Emotiva XDA-1 D/A converter which I use in conjunction with a Musical Fidelity usb/spdif converter. The Emotiva is highly revealing and musical. One of the best buys in all of high end audio.

You'll think I'm crazy but for me it's a 1981 Heathkit AA-1600. It's an A/B, rated at 120 wpc but probably 180 (it weighs over 40 lbs) and it's simply unbelievable. I picked this thing up in the used section of a local audio store. It's 30 years old and its performance reminds me (strongly) of the Jeff Rowland Design Group amps of the early '90s.

It's dead quiet, dead neutral, and reasonably fast (linear out to at least 150KHz). So far it has never betrayed me for resolution, inner detail, tonal balance, musicality, pace, noiselessness, reliability, or you name it. I know Heath has a great reputation and history, but I have no idea why a 1981 power amp would be so *right*.