The 2nd greatest power amp ever!

[mhardy6647]

In terms of sheer capability, I think that the various versions of Bose's 1800 stereo power amplifier would have to be on the list.
A hifi friend and fellow traveler/EE that I know worked on The Mountain in Framingham for quite a while. He had some amazing stories of the things they used to do with these amplifiers -- which had nothing to do with, e.g., playing More than A Feeling though 901 loudspeakers.

source: https://hifi-wiki.com/index.php/Bose_1800


In fairness, though, some of the old Mac amplifiers did some rough duty, too (besides being favorites of the Grateful Dead for touring!), e.g., as low frequency AC amplifiers to operate "shaker tables" in science and industry, as well as their more traditional application of littering the homes of doctors and lawyers.

 

[Oddball]

Thank you, @SHB, ok, 2nd Best (with meter).... what is the 1st Best?

Brystons - without the meter though, and they come with that rough look that some might not like . Rating being derived from value/price and longevity perspective.

 

[mps]

Until Amir's measurements include VU meter size, I don't see how we can really make any use of them

 

[Hindsider85]

I always viewed the McIntosh devices as very capable and refined high-end devices. The price is absurd, but it is also a show piece. A 50k Rolex does not show you a more precise time than the smartphone in your pocket. No harm done. But I would reiterate that you wont get a better sound with these devices. A chinese Class D device for under 400 $/€, will sound just as good. You are paying for all the rest, but not for better sound. If people can live with that, it is absolutely fine.

 

[Vinman]

Thank you, @SHB, ok, 2nd Best (with meter).... what is the 1st Best?

Says right there - the op believes the McIntosh is the #1 best.

 

[Vinman]

i feel that a meter should be a meter. as in, 100cm. otherwise, it is false advertising.

Interesting point, but there’s the whole “meter” in music terms, and also in poetry.

 

[Sal1950]

The best amp ever is made by McIntosh Labs:

I was considering going with these to replace my aging Adcoms, but after I got 9 of them in my listening room there be no room left for the listening chair.

 

[Johnkeizer]

I wondered why my smsl headphone amp sounded so good- it’s got power meters, sort of.

 

[Cbdb2]

Hand calibrated meters is definitely a selling point.

The guts is https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../hypex-ncx500-class-d-amplifier-review.41007/

Metric 500 (set of 2 mono's) - high-end amplifier with analog power indicator

Metric 500 mono amplifiers combine Hypex NCx500 performance with a dynamic analog power meter, delivering reference-grade sound and visible musical energy.

internetofmusic.nl

Nice markup.

Dan D'Agostino who is still in the David Hafler era of parallel output devices, I assume FETs in a Class AB design - 12 of them per side, has a new differentiator, copper heat sinks. Some may remember Revere Ware pots and pans. They have to be polished. I guess if you can afford a $100K amplifier, you can pay to have the heat sinks polished? Or maybe they will settle into some kind of steampunk green patina?

Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier - Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems, LLC

“My life’s desire is to reveal the warmth, depth, and detail of the recorded performance to the ears of dedicated music lovers.” —Dan D’Agostino, Founder & Chief Designer

www.dandagostino.com

With aluminum heat sinks, they are often extruded. It looks like with copper, they were machined. Of course the real answer is silver heat sinks.

For that kind of money they should be gold. Then they might be worth buying.
Edit: Diamond is the best heat conductor (who new, 4x better than silver) so yea they should have diamond heat sinks. Is there an audiophool market for diamond power transitor insulators, 500 times better conduction than mica, and only $200 each.

 

[Redacted]

I like VU meters, and stare at them intently, because they fix the problem of, errm, something or other that makes my cat think I must be a pro.

Joking apart, I do like the display on modern kit like mine which shows cover art, track name/number/album date, source connections, volume etc. It even does this for CDs I load into my CD player (does a look up online - but very pretty). I choose for the unit to display only for a few secs, as a kind of "old bloke" confirmation, and then go dark so as not to distract me...