What's hot? Which AMP is currently the strongest contender? (brand new, up to $1000 / 850 Euro in EU ).

[VintageFlanker]

If the "musicality" isn't coming from the things that are measured, where is it coming from?

Music itself, actually.

Don't see exactly what any Audio gear would have to do with it.

 

[delta76]

Guys, I wrote:
"If you're looking for the best measured values, then the Topping LA90.
But measured values aren't necessarily musical.
Personally, I love my Musical Fidelity David (25W Class-A) on 2-way Dynaudios, or rather the resulting overtones."

This means that best measured values (e.g., a SINAD of an incredible 120 dB! with the AL90) don't necessarily have to sound good. The Musical Fidelty A1 / David 2 I mentioned is a case in point; it has mediocre measured values but "sounds" fantastically musical. Perhaps this is a statement only people who are musical themselves understand.
The approach that a good hi-fi system should be as completely neutral as possible in your system (with regard to the usual measured values) often doesn't work in my experience. Music reproduction in a private environment is always a highly subjective matter. I can only recommend everyone to listen to a Class A amplifier, for example, and then judge what sounds "good. And of course, that doesn't mean you have to like it."

this is common mistake for audiophile. the role of the gear, or gears is to reproduce the music as close as it was originally/intentionally created. it is not to add colors to it, not warmer, not brighter, not whatever. that's what EQ is for.
audiophiles spend time and money looking for gears that distort the music genres they like to the taste they like, and call that musicality, or synergy, without ever realizing they were looking at wrong place, at wrong angle.

 

[antcollinet]

it has mediocre measured values but "sounds" fantastically musical.

Which is a nonsense statement. Electronics is not musical. Music is.

Now you can claim to prefer listening to music with added distortion - or weird frequency response. But that has nothing to do with musicality - it is just your personal preference for those things.

Note that there is nothing you can hear that can't be measured. If you think a device is more "musical" than another, you should be able to point to a measured characteristic that might be causing your perception.

But if two devices both measure audibly transparent - then it is not the sound-waves reaching your ears that is causing your perception of "musicality" - it is the wetware between them.

 

[kemmler3D]

Perhaps this is a statement only people who are musical themselves understand.

Actually, It's a statement that only people who know the effects of sighted listening, and the meaning of amp measurements understand.

 

[Kosmonaut]

I catch up with you later, have to pick up an old Rhodes EP in Hamburg. Have fun

BTW: Is the OP still around?

 

[Ropeburn]

Actually, It's a statement that only people who know the effects of sighted listening, and the meaning of amp measurements understand.

The other way around, musicians understand that gear is only important so far as it helps them express their musicality. And that's much more about actual instruments. The monitoring is much less important, a good musician can make do with what's objectively awful crap too.

 

[Mnyb]

I concur that the WiiM ultra streamer is a good enough DAC in itself , OP could shift spare change towards amps and not buy a DAC .

IMO DAC is an uninteresting product category, “DAC” should be part of a product like the WiiM with EQ room correction and streaming. Or part of an headphone amp etc or inside your active speakers.

 

[masterhw]

WiiM Vibelink being fed over toslink/coax is a steal for 2 channels of decent power & 100 dB SINAD from the speaker post (don’t forget to calculate gain staging when comparing to DAC and amp separates).

 

[terryforsythe]

Which AMP is currently the strongest contender?

Opinions vary to some extent. As for my opinion, I own the following:

Hypex Nilai500 Stereo
2 x Topping LA90 Discrete
2 x Topping B100

I am happy with all of them.

 

[Extreme_Boky]

Hello,

I wanted to ask what's hot right now in terms of amplifiers in the $1,000 price range?

You need to determine what makes you happy when listening to music. What combination/profile of harmonic distortion, that is. Some people prefer second harmonic dominant (and then, some like positive phase; some negative). Some people like equal amounts of second and third, and then a crashing amount of distortion with the remaining harmonics... Amir's graphs show this in a fairly detailed manner... but the trick is to know what you like first.

 

[kemmler3D]

The other way around, musicians understand that gear is only important so far as it helps them express their musicality. And that's much more about actual instruments. The monitoring is much less important, a good musician can make do with what's objectively awful crap too.

For sure, of course even amps can be creative tools if they have a lot of distortion...

 

[Ropeburn]

For sure, of course even amps can be creative tools if they have a lot of distortion...

One of the few occasions where transistor vs tube really matters.

 

[pinger]

No the "trick" is to understand none of that is audible amongst SS amps ( or at least cant be identified with a legit listening test) so its moot

 

[antcollinet]

No the "trick" is to understand none of that is audible amongst SS amps ( or at least cant be identified with a legit listening test) so its moot

You might want to quote what you are replying to. Just hit the reply button - or select specific text in the post, and hit reply next to the selected text.

 

[Snoopy]

Today I would take that 850€ and spend it on a vintage , refurbished amplifier from the 70/80s from Yamaha , Sony , Rotel etc.

 

[terryforsythe]

No the "trick" is to understand none of that is audible amongst SS amps ( or at least cant be identified with a legit listening test) so its moot

The caveat is modern quality solid state amps. In that regard, some of the budget class D amplifiers have load dependency that may be audible to some people, especially those that still can hear all the way to 20kHz.

 

[Multicore]

I'm actually looking for an amplifier, or possibly an amplifier with a DAC. For a small room (about 20 square meters) and bookshelf speakers. I can buy the DAC separately (I was thinking about the FiiO K13 R2R, good enough?) and the WiiM Ultra as a streamer. Could be class D.

WiiM Mini with digital optical into Yamaha A-S701 or 801. Plenty of juice for your speakers and room plus awesome features and knobs. That's an amp you can enjoy.

 

[Multicore]

Oh my god.... OP just wanted some recommendations for devices to look into and of course it devolves into the typical nihilistic ASR drivel of "nothing matters anyway you know"

You made me lol. It's like that sometimes. Besides nihilism it can also be pedantic. So thanks to you I told OP get a nice Yamaha integrated. Ah, that loudness knob – that'll be so satisfying.

 

[antcollinet]

some of the budget class D amplifiers have load dependency

To which the answer is easy. Buy one that doesn't have the load dependency. It's fairly easy - and one of the prime reasons @Amir does all the measuring - so we can make informed decisions.

 

[pinger]

You might want to quote what you are replying to. Just hit the reply button - or select specific text in the post, and hit reply next to the selected text.

You mean like this? I know i just effed that one up LOL