Atma Sphere deserves praise

Thank you Mmike84. I've been absolutely blown away by the newer updates. I tried to write a review but it never seems to express just how good these products really sound. The new pre-amp should be at the top of anyones list looking for the "Best of the best". I haven't heard the newer amps but everyone that has feels the same as I do about the pre-amp. Ralph and his crew have hit a home run with the updates this time. Samujohn I can appreciate your resolution to never have to pack something you can't lift but you may be missing out on audio nirvana. Besides having your buddies over for the farewell is always fun. Anything that has to be shipped back is a pain in the butt . When you get a piece back from Atma-Sphere you can rest assured that they have done their best work and you will have years and years of trouble free service. There are some manufacturers of old that you would want to put goggles on and pray before you hit the power butten. In all the years I've owned Atma-Sphere products I've never sent anything back for repair but to upgrade. They're as stable as a rock. Now watch my pre die tonight! Anyway thanks for starting the thread. Atma-Sphere never seems to get the respect I think it desrves. Maybe the looks? They are like the "Smuckers" jelly of audio. "With looks that bad it has to be good".

Everybody's makes choices based on personal preference. The above referenced Atmas-phere OTL's sounded great, but I liked the ARC VT-100, and a pair the very light, solid state Bel 1001's just as well. I have a pair of 65 pound subs and some 80 pound electrostatic panels. Am I restricting my choices- you bet.

I like the looks, especially the amps, they look like they are going to sound good:)

well...so does Angelina Jolie, but since I'm not going to have either of them, it's kind of academic.

Atma Sphere deserves praise indeed. Making affordable upgrades to existing products available to owners says volumes about how a company views its customers.

Contrast Transparent Audio's brilliant marketing plan. They introduce a new cable upgrade, say MM1 to MM2 but price it the same as the previous model. That's great for new buyers of MM2 cables but it significantly depresses the resale value of the MM1 version. So if you happen to own MM1 cables and want to upgrade or change them, you have to either sell them at their reduced value or participate in Transparent's very costly upgrade program. Not so subtle coercion.

I will only purchase equipment from companies that try to enhance or sustain their product's value and not actively manipulate it to coerce another sale.