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Refined SS Stereo pwr amps under 10K?

I looking to upgrade from my ARC DS225. considering an Ayre VX-5, what other SS amps under 10k (list price) would provide me great harmonic detail, drive, strong tonal balance and hear deep into the music layers? Yup,I know I'm asking a lot.

The System: Bel Canto DAC3.5MKII with ref power supply and Ref USbB to Spdif converter,(3 separate chassis) via AudioQuest Diamond USB cable, Wireworld Platinum 7 XLR to ML326s Wireworld Platinum 7 XLR to Audio Research DS225, Audience AU24SE speaker cables to Magnepan 3.7i Wired with Synergistic research and Nordost power cords ran to custom power strip incorporating 3 Furutech GTX-D duplexs and one Defender conditioner to a VooDoo power cord to a wall outlet GTX-D
So where do I go to upgrade from the ARC DS225 amp?
Thanks
5560
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Gryphon Diablo (integrated, but serious SOTA quality and I am told very much in the lineage and sound qualities of their larger amps). I am biased as an owner of the Colosseum amp...but it is sensational to have all-out assault pure Class A power, filigreed highs and a purity of tone whose equal I rarely if ever come across. 11K in EU I believe...but not sure about US pricing if its even available.

CJ Premier 350SA (I know you asked for list but they're only avail 2nd hand)
mark_nz
48 posts
 
Classe CA2300 is powerful, very refined, neutral with good tonal balance and does a great job revealing layers of musical information. A couple of caveats: it doesn't quite have the inner glow that is unique to a pure Class A amplifier, and the internal fan can be sometimes be heard from close with no music playing (never noticed it with music playing).
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mattkimb96
107 posts
 
At the under 10 grand price point the Pass XA-100.5 should certainly be on the consideration set. With the new XA 100.8 series out the used pricing on these amps have dropped. Still very expensive but if I was going to allocate up to 10K for amplification these would be on my short list to audition.
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Good call.
wescoman
113 posts
 
Check out the CODA Technologies 15.0 Stereo amplifier.
http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php?view=article&id=134

From the article: Remember the old Threshold power amps? Well, Threshold is gone, and while Nelson Pass, founder of Threshold, has been producing amplifiers under his own name for some years now, other former Threshold employees are also designing and manufacturing power amps. Their company is CODA Technologies, and their amplifiers are completely up to date in terms of parts quality and circuit design, while capturing some of the all-out-assault of the hardware of years gone by.
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