2. amps-preamps
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T+A's new R 2500 R integrated amp

**Not to be confused with earlier T+A products that have similar names.**

Does anybody have hands-on experience with this incredibly flexible integrated amp? It’s been shipping in the US for just a couple of months, & has not yet been reviewed in the Tier One audiophile press

It’s absolutely not possible for me to hear the R 2500 R before buying, and at nearly $19,000, I’m hesitant to pull the trigger blind. But it sure sounds impressive on paper, boasting one of T+A’s world-class DAC/streamers, several hundred Class AB wpc, 31-lb weight, discrete headphone amp, some of the most comprehensive connectivity on the market, firmware-upgradability, a friendly UI, and, of course, T+A’s reputation for impeccable sound quality. It even includes a CD transport & FM tuner, as well as HDMI w/ARC I/O for integration into a home theater. Whew.

I normally wouldn’t consider an embedded DAC/streamer, but, heck, this is T+A, the company that made its name throughout Europe for its no-holds-barred DAC technology. And I understand that the R 2500’s internal DAC is an updated (albeit "merely" 512DSD) version of the company’s highly regarded $7500 1-bit standalone model.

Given all that, I’d love to speak with anyone who managed to score one of the first batch (now sold out at many dealerships); or even to a golden ear who plans to audition this amp at AXPONA.

 

 

cundare2
cundare2 OP
209 posts
 

@mgrif104

Did you have any experience with T+A support?

mgrif104
328 posts
 

@cundare2 

no experience to share as I never needed it. 

Best,

joc3021
100 posts
 

cundare2: good points, can't disagree.  My bias and preference is to support small, committed companies (preferably American) where you can have direct contact with the principals and they know who you are and will be responsive.  The future is always uncertain, especially for the "little guys."  I have owned a lot of gear from all over the world. My experience is the bigger the company (and the further away they are) the further away from their users they are (by necessity) and they rely on third parties to provide the "touch" with their customers.  In my experience (with a few exceptions) this has generally been inefficient. unpleasant and wholly unsatisfactory, especially given the cost of the gear in question, and I'm not a difficult or especially picky customer.  For me, high end audio works better with smaller scale, local-as-possible touch points. The big guys will always have the advantage of more resources and all that brings, but owning and enjoying high performance (and expensive) audio gear entails more than that, at least for me.

cundare2 OP
209 posts
 

@joc3021

>My bias and preference is to support small, committed companies (preferably American) where you can have direct contact with the principals and they know who you are and will be responsive. 

Boy, that certainly describes Ayre.  I know the company has had its challenges since Charlie Hansen's passing, but I'm really rooting for them.

I once had a full hour on the phone with Ariel himself.  Maybe it was just his lunch hour, but you can count on one hand the # of principles who care that much about their customers to have that kind of interaction.  In my life, the list might be limited to George Merrill, Wally Liederman, Roy Hall, and, uh... Jeez, over the course of over 50 years, that's about it.

One reason I love this hobby!

 

cundare2 OP
209 posts
 

Sidelight: Over the last week, I spoke with two acquaintances who are both long-time highly placed insiders in the audiophile industry whose ears and industry knowledge I've trusted implicitly for years. 

These were short conversations, but both of them made an uncharacteristically unqualified statement along the lines of about T+A: "fantastic equipment, fantastic company, don't hesitate to purchase any model that fits your specs".

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