Which >$1000 integrated solid state amps should we be looking at?

[LTig]

[measuring PRaT] TTPM or Toe Taps Per Minute.

This means the slower the beat of the music the worse is the PRaT. Think again.

 

[Daverz]

This means the slower the beat of the music the worse is the PRaT. Think again.

TTPM * SF

where SF = Stomp Factor measures the impulse of each tap.

 

[LTig]

This means the slower the beat of the music the worse is the PRaT. Think again.

TTPM * SF

where SF = Stomp Factor measures the impulse of each tap.

Now playing music at low volume will also make PRaT worse (don't want to tap louder than the music, of course). I'm not convinced.

 

[Zog]

This means the slower the beat of the music the worse is the PRaT. Think again.

Oh dear. Don't go anywhere where there might be snakes - one may come out and bite you.

 

[Zog]

And if you do not need the usb input there is the otherwise identical AS 701 with only optical and coaxial inputs or with slightly lower power output the AS 501. The latter sells for just 339 euro in Europe and would be a perfect budget amplifier for any small to medium size room.
These three amplifiers are the updated versions with digital inputs of their otherwise identical predecessors, the AS 700 and AS 500 that also measured very well:
https://www.avhub.com.au/product-reviews/hi-fi/yamaha-a-s700-integrated-amplifier-393552
https://www.avhub.com.au/product-reviews/hi-fi/yamaha-a-s500-amplifier-review-test-395710
I am particularly impressed by their exemplary performance under a realistic speaker load. This means they are truly straight wires with gain under realistic conditions, and it suggests not only good design but also a generous power supply.

I would be interested to see measurements for those, even though I now have separates. Many years ago a dealer lent me a Yammie AS 700 for a couple of weeks while I waited for another amp to arrive. I was surprised that it sounded so good for relatively little money.

On a related matter, it seems to me we are living in a golden age of hi-fi. There are the three categories - Cheap, Midrange, and Expensive (and a fourth category, Silly Money, I suppose). The quality of the low end is staggeringly good. In fact if one is not allergic to second hand; entry into Hi-Fi costs even less.

 

[estuardo4]

I would be interested to see measurements for those, even though I now have separates. Many years ago a dealer lent me a Yammie AS 700 for a couple of weeks while I waited for another amp to arrive. I was surprised that it sounded so good for relatively little money.

On a related matter, it seems to me we are living in a golden age of hi-fi. There are the three categories - Cheap, Midrange, and Expensive (and a fourth category, Silly Money, I suppose). The quality of the low end is staggeringly good. In fact if one is not allergic to second hand; entry into Hi-Fi costs even less.

Agree. But I hope people stop calling the cheap and midrange options "low-fi (or Chi-fi) and mid-fi" when in reality, the only difference is the quality watts each amp provides before clipping and noise appears. All the good measured amps are Hi-Fi, no matter if they cost $200 or $20,000

 

[Blake Klondike]

This may be a redundant question from elsewhere on the site, but what are the audible differences between different integrateds? I understand that higher wattage means more bass and more headroom. But it seems to me that the straight dope is that all well-designed amps simply deliver the sound of the source recording with no coloration. (i.e.: there can be no difference in imaging/sound stage/resolution in mids, etc.)

 

[Daverz]

Now playing music at low volume will also make PRaT worse (don't want to tap louder than the music, of course). I'm not convinced.

Looks like my theory needs a few more epicycles.

 

[andreasmaaan]

This may be a redundant question from elsewhere on the site, but what are the audible differences between different integrateds? I understand that higher wattage means more bass and more headroom. But it seems to me that the straight dope is that all well-designed amps simply deliver the sound of the source recording with no coloration. (i.e.: there can be no difference in imaging/sound stage/resolution in mids, etc.)

Basically correct. The only aspect not quite right is about more bass. If a lower powered amp is not pushed beyond its limits, there will be no difference in the bass. The main reason higher powered amps might be thought of as being capable of more bass is simply that most energy in music is in the bass, so that’s where most of the power goes.

 

[RayDunzl]

Looks like my theory needs a few more epicycles.

Just recalcuate using Hindu Time Units.

 

[digitalfrost]

Not an integrated, but still worth a look IMHO: Musical Fidelity has recently released a new power amp, the M6s PRX https://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/m6series/m6sprx

They claim some nice performance:

• Power output: 230 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms (24 dBW)
• THD(+ noise): <0.007% typical
• Signal to Noise Ratio: >120dB
• Frequency Response: +0, –1dB, 10Hz to 100kHz

It sells for 2700 USD and would be interesting to compare against the Ncores and the Benchmark.