Beyond Ayre Pass and Rowland


What would it be? Transistor or Hybrid. This is a general discussion.
I heard that Gryphon and Ypsilon qualify but I didn't audition either. Lamm hybrid does too, I believe.
inna
Yeah, I took a look, I just wanted to hear from people with firsthand experience with the amps. Looks very impressive. And they use Echole wiring and selected NOS tubes. 
It appears that it is confirmed in this thread what I have always suspected - Ayre, Pass, Rowland etc. are just the first step on the way to true high-end sound. I myself might make this step in the form of an integrated as a temporary solution but not separates, I would want to go higher as quickly as possible.
I do have firsthand experience...I listen to my friend’s system often. I’ve heard his system with Rowland, Macintosh, MBL, Bricasti M28 amps, and the Absolare. I’m as familiar with his system, as my own. To my ears nothing has come close to the Absolare amp/preamp combination. The Rowland was better than everything, except the Absolare.
What is the price of their integrated, $50k or so ?
We got quite a list for the dreamers - Gryphon, Ypsilon, FM Acoustics, Nagra, Vitus, Lamm, Absolare, maybe Symphonic Line, perhaps some other well known Swiss amps. And that's only SS or hybrid. Lamm's preamps are all tube though.
My cardinal direction within this company would most likely be Ypsilon and Lamm. If thinking only of integrated I would try Ypsilon hybrid first and the rest second except Absolar - it is too expensive any way you look at it. Gryphon, Vitus, Nagra, Symphonic Line integrateds may be best value.