I'm a happy owner of one of Tom's recent Mod-286 builds.
I was a bass player in early life and enjoy lots of different types of music - hard/progressive rock, jazz, folk, pop, indie, classical, etc. For the last 30+ years, I've had a mix of separates and integrated amps from Creek, Rega, Naim, Wyred4Sound, LFD, Aaron, Line Magnetic, Micromega, Rowland, Karan Acoustics and Audia Flight. Many were fabulous pieces of gear, but all had a distinct 'house' sound that fueled the mix-and-match gear churn and just didn't stick with me long-term.
Tom's Modulus-286 has changed all of that. The Mod-286 is the first amp I've heard that seemingly has no character of its own. This amp is supernaturally quiet and has tremendous clarity, without any stridency or harshness. Instrumental dynamics, pitch, timbre and nuance are easy to hear, including in the bass, which is very difficult to achieve. Every recording sounds different and the music's emotional content is easily communicated to the listener. Amazingly, there's nothing cold or clinical about this amp - Tom has managed to weave together clarity and musicality in a way I haven't heard before. To top it off, these qualities are all available at low listening levels - there's no need to turn up the amp to get this performance. For me personally, I don't see needing more in an amp.
If you're considering one of these amps, I'd highly recommend it. Tom's build is meticulous and you'll have an incredible piece of gear to enjoy long-term.
Build quality was ok, though there was a screw flying loose inside case when I received it. Also one chip was iffily attached to the heat sink. One should always inspect insides of these DIY-style amps no matter who builds them.
