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Would This Amp Be Worth The Cost?

Opinions please.
Amp for Sonus Faber Olympica III speakers.

Looking at this amp  Musical Fidelity M8s-500S Power Amplifier
Info https://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/m8series/m8-500s

Replace my Classe Sigma Amp2.
Info

AMP2

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

10 Hz – 20 kHz, -1dB into 4 Ohms

OUTPUT POWER:

200W rms into 8 Ohms, 400W rms into 4 Ohms

HARMONIC DISTORTION:

<0.018% @ 1 kHz Balanced Input

INTERMODULATION DISTORTION:

>80 dB below Fundamental into 8 Ohms Balanced

SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO:

-100 dB at Peak Output into 8 Ohms (AES17)

Would there be improvement? Worth the cost? 
Thanks
greywolf
hshifi
572 posts
 
I agree with above statement. Change the preamp first. For tubes I would go with Rouge RP5 or RP7
RP5 has phono stage
RP7 no phono but fully balanced
or
Hegel P20 or P30 for solid state. Everyone wants to change the amp but their missing the big picture. My local shop that sells both. https://holmaudio.com/
Also, 
Change you power cord on your amp from the stock to a 14 AWG or 12 AWG cable


ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,723 posts
 
Test still needs to be blind whether it takes minutes or weeks. Whether one agrees with bluemoon or not you have 0 evidence to support your statement just like everyone else making this claim

That's the beauty of it. I don't have to prove or disprove anything. I use my ears. And if it sounds better to me, it IS better.

You objective guys overthink this every time. It's not clinical science. It's AUDIO. You are supposed to E-N-J-O-Y this hobby. But you can't because of the stick up your butt. Relax and let the music wash over you, you'll be surprised at what you might hear.

Oz


jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,926 posts
 
@ozzy62

you took the bait...

...be happy, enjoy the music, and ignore the tr---...
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,723 posts
 
Yeah I know better than to engage. But sometimes............
geof3
1,130 posts
 
Geez, my wife (and she isn’t “into it”) can hear the differences between amps... trust me, I’ve had a few now. 
To the OP, I agree with what you were told by the sales guy. Current can make a significant difference, possibly very profound. A class D amp is going to sound very different from a class A amp, even A/B, different circuits. Just is what it is. Then you get into SET, FET, MOSFET, bipolar circuits within all of that. They all have sonic signatures. I also agree that a tube preamp into an SS amp can make huge differences. “Better” is in the ears of the beholder... I just put a Rogue Audio RP5 into my system with a Pass Labs XA25, so far the combo is great. The Rogue replace an XP12 SS pre. The tubes just sound a bit smoother, more “natural” to my ears. No listening fatigue at all. Anyway, this game is about experimenting and finding the best combo you can afford... it’s a lot of fun. Sometimes.
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