best amps?

Originally posted by JohnMak
Hi BlueMax,
I noted with interest your comment about the possibility of a Pioneer HDMI stereo amp.
Can you explain what HDMI is .... for a non-techie.

I have recently bought the new Pioneer 969 DVD/SACD/DVD-A/CD player which has and HDMI terminal (whatever that is) but I can tell you this player is a huge improvement over my Sony ES for both picture and all formats of music replay. I am really impressed with it ..... and it only cost me USD780.

I know it is almost mandatory for us music enthusiasts to rubbish the mainstream Japanese players and products generally out of hand and without listening. But I sometimes suspect that the R & D budgets of some of the big companies like Pioneer, Denon, Yamaha etc do in fact enable them to come up with some pretty remarkable products at reasonable prices.
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HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is a new industry ratified AV interface. It is a development of the FireWire/IEEE1394 based 'i-Link' developed by Pioneer.

Benefits include uncompressed digital data, a bandwidth of up to 5 gigabytes per second, one connector instead of several cables and connectors, etc. When used with matching components, HDMI avoids analogue processing along the way and the data read from the disc stay digital all the way till pixels hit the screen.

HDMI Version 2, due within a year, will extend the audio capability to full uncompressed DVD-A and SCAD.

Do a search in Google and you will find plenty of detailed info.

Big manufacturers used to make excellent audiophile products such as the legendary Pioneer A400. But these days their huge R&D budgets are channelled towards expanding mass market products.

2-channel market is small and shrinking. It is likely to be served by small niche market manufacturers.
 
Originally posted by wadia-miester
Arh another common misconspection here watts, its the pure grunt (raw current generation) that is required here, ultra fast transient responce time. slam-tastic mate :D
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It's one thing to be able to jump quickly from one dynamic level to another - it's another to also have tonnes of wattage in reserve for the occasional really loud crash. Was it GrahamN was talking a while ago about some posh power amp with LEDs showing the output level which during a playback of Hary Janos showed a jump from something like 1W to 150W between two chords?
 
Pete,

Easy that nice bank of 80-100K Uf stiffening reserve caps all ready charged and primed for action.
Example a Larvardin or Densen low watts (45) yet up to 25-30amps of current potential on demand.
Mind you have both is better, apprantely so I'm told, by those green men that visit me on a sunday afternoon :cool:
 
Best amp eh? A one that can perfectly reproduce the signal it receives with a perfectly flat frequency response (or as close as), and send that signal with as little distortion as possible to speakers, and can power those speakers to the maximum of their abilities ;)

What that amp is, I have no idea :D

Oh yeah, and having a remote control helps :MILD:
 
My BOW Technologies Pre and Power would take some beating, huge deatil and sioundstage niether boomy or toppy just seem to let the music flow oh and grunt in abundance, can drive the most difficult speaker to earbustin' levels.

But that's why I bought them.

Anyone whose heard them like to comment.
 
I used to use them in the bedroom system a few years ago, quite passable, have got some flow too, quality stuff.
I rated the ZZ REF better at what I was looking for, although only an Intergrated its quite quick and pokey, surprised a few people too.
I rate the ZZ8 cdp too :) although the wand is a pain in the arse :D .
Must be a good match for the Art's I feel :)
 
for me the bow's were the best sound of last years heathrow show - but it may have helped that they were playing music and not nora jones ;)

heard the halcro at bristol (i think it was) about as impressive as levinsons - i.e. not much.

paul, the halcro is suppsed to be the least distorting amp in the world (according to it's sales blurb) if that's the sound you want then fine but it'll turn a decent bk mix into a nora jones snoozefest in no time at all. me i'll take my nice, distorting, unrealistic naim - that's me grooving away over the horizon.....

cheers



julian
 
Originally posted by wadia-miester
although the wand is a pain in the arse :D .
Must be a good match for the Art's I feel :)
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Although the wand remote is the right shape Tony, I leave mine on the shelf, as its easier to find, and doesn't get so dirty.:D

The ART's are absolutely AMAZING!

Wizard 2 is basically same as zzeight


eight has HDCD and single ende outputs Wizard has Se and balanced, not much in it IMHO both stunning and the Walrus has the grunt that ZZone lacks and warlock pre is astounding. better INMHO than ZZone.
 
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Originally posted by julian2002
heard the halcro at bristol (i think it was) about as impressive as levinsons - i.e. not much.

paul, the halcro is suppsed to be the least distorting amp in the world (according to it's sales blurb) if that's the sound you want then fine but it'll turn a decent bk mix into a nora jones snoozefest in no time at all.
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ok, i feel pretty guilty now for even having mentioned the halcro!! in my defense i would like to make it clear that i have only had 2 mins with a halcro before my wife came and dragged me out of the demo room, and that i actually have a VAC auricle which is the before mentioned marantz 8b upgrade, but very much a tube amp.
 
Blake, don't feel guilty sir :) if you liked it, you liked it, just because some of us thought it was highly overrated, doesn't mean its bad to others.The forum here is quite diverse, so feel free to use the Halcrows are car ramps as often as you like ;)
 

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