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Item: Nuforce Reference 9SE Rev3 Monoblocks Location: Gosford Nsw Price: 2095.00 Item Condition: Excellent Reason for selling: Retiring audiophile Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal plus fees, COD Only Extra Info: From the collection of a well known Sydney audiophile. Highly rated Audiophile monoblocks. Amazingly powerful & offer high end sound at a fraction of the size & cost of comparable linear amplifiers. Many reviews online - perfect match for Maggie’s especially, or so I’ve been told. Will ship Worldwide with packing & insurance at buyers cost. Photos: Advertisements without photos of the actual item will not be approved.

Item: Pair of Emotiva XPA-1 Gen1 monoblock amplifiers - BEASTS Location: Williamstown Victoria Price: $2100 for the pair (New model is $2399 ea!!!) Item Condition: 9 out of 10 Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: I seriously stopped and asked myself whether I wanted to sell these beasts... because really, can you ever have enough power!!! 500 watts into 8 Ohms 1000 watts into 4 Ohms - Yes the magic doubling of watts as the Ohms halve!!! Massive 1.2 KVA toroidal power transformer Completely stable into 4 Ohm loads 34kg of hulking, bruising power Fully balanced differential amplifier XLR and RCA inputs Each amp has dual speaker binding posts so you can bi wire with seperate cables if you choose Powerful enough to drive pretty much any speaker you're able to fit in your home, this amp showed that Emotiva could play with the big boys. With a fully balanced differential design, the XPA-1 has an advanced microprocessor operating system that protects it from all fault conditions. Quality build and attention to detail you'd find in amplifiers cost much more. Its truly a high quality amplifier, that isnt just about braun, and put Emotiva on the map as a creator of quality and great sounding hi-fi components. I've had these amps running off many pre-amps, into many different speakers, and they never fail to catch my breath with their power, control, finesse, subtlety and rhythm. I've been listening to them all day to test them... originally was only going to put them on for 15 minutes, but got drawn into listening to them through my Monitor Audio PL300ii speakers, they're just that good. These amps scale up really well with quality speakers, so rather than their shortcomings becoming apparent, they end up staying in your system while many other components are upgraded. The Emotiva is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. You can never get enough of having all that power in reserve - its not about playing loud, its about dynamics and effortlessness that you cant achieve any other way. If you have power hungry speakers, or you just want to be certain you have plenty of headroom when you play orchestral pieces with pipe organ, this power amplifier will do the job. Current price of $2399 per monoblock can be found at: https://vaf.com.au/products/emotiva-xpa-1-reference-mono-block These amps are in great condition - I've said 9 out of 10 only because they're not new. These amps have also just been in for a service and clean. • All binding posts have been replaced as a couple of the plastic collars had cracked due to over tightening - I think they came in a set so the tech just replaced them all • An RCA socket was also replaced as it had come loose due to a stupidly tight Chord cable I used to have The amps have never played up and have worked consistently without a hitch, so it was only these items that needed attention. The lucky buyer will have serviced and fully tested amps Yes I have the boxes and the instruction manual. These amps are really heavy, and I mean REALLY HEAVY. So if you want them couriered to you it will cost you as they are just over 40kg ea packed. I'll be really sad to see them go, but time to clear out my gear, make space for upgrades - and get some money to pay for them! Donation made to SNA on successful sale of amps. Photos: Advertisements without photos of the actual item will not be approved.

Item: Audio Note Kits (ANK) Legend Monoblocks and AN-E Speakers 03 Location: Newcastle, NSW Price: : $3690 combo price Item Condition: Very good with only few light scratch marks from normal use, only visible close up Reason for selling: need to downsize living space Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: This beautiful amplifier/speaker combination provides a perfect rendition of the famous Audio Note sound: shimmering highs, rich midrange and effortless bass; with fine instrumental textures and natural imaging. This set up provides fine Class A sound at an amazing value! The amps and speakers are offered at a discounted package price of $3690 as they are well matched for efficiency and sound quality. They are also available for sale as separates: $1950 for the monoblocks and $1950 for the speakers. Note that the original cost of these items direct from ANK Canada in 2014 was US$3500 for the monoblocks and US$4000 for the speakers. Shipment to other Australian locations can be arranged at buyer’s cost. Interested persons are welcome to arrange a no-obligation audition of these items in a high-resolution system at the house here in Newcastle. Legend Monoblocks 300B http://www.ankaudiokits.com/Legend-300B-Power-Tube-Amplifier.html Class A 300B triode output valves Parallel single-ended configuration 18W per channel 6HS7 valve input driver Assembled in 2014 AN-E Speaker Kit 03 http://www.ankaudiokits.com/newSpkr.html 98dB efficiency Two way system, rear-ported bass-reflex configuration Russian birch cabinet built by ANK in Canada Hemp cone woofer Assembled in 2014 Photos: Advertisements without photos of the actual item will not be approved.

Item: VINCENT SPT-100 HYBRID TUBE MONO AMPLIFIERS Location: MELBOURNE Price: $1500 ONO FOR THE PAIR Item Condition: EXCELLENT Reason for selling:NO LONGER REQUIRED Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only

Item: Mola Mola Kaluga Monoblocks Location: Perth Price: $9000 Item Condition: Excellent As New Reason for selling: Champagne taste Beer budget Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Bank Transfer Extra Info: In excellent condition, happy to ship interstate as these are supplied in a flight case. Will consider cash plus a media player such as NAD M50.2 or Cocktail Audio X50. I mainly use a USB stick to listen to music so looking for a reasonably hi end device. Let me know what you have. Bonus if it has hdmi out and dac. Pictures:

Item: VTL compact MB100 monoblocks Location: blue mountains NSW Price: 1500 Item Condition: very good Reason for selling: NLR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal( +3%),transfer Extra Info: the MB100s have a wide and deep sound - clear with heaps of tight punch. they will drive most loads comfortably with plenty of headroom. they are heavy and very well built- quite industrial. one mono is running the original VTL 5ohm output transformer, but the other runs a good quality but non-original 8ohm transformer..i have listened to these extensively and can say that there is no variation in sound quality between the amps . if there is a negligible difference in audible output between them then it may be ironed out by using 12AU7s in one and 12AT7s in the other or via your pre but i have generally not found it necessary. these are 240V. i have included specific photo of scratch on one transformer . i have the original VTL packaging so easy to transport Pictures:

Item: MUSICAL FIDELITY 2008 750 supercharger mono block power amps- rare and matching set with consecutive serial numbers relisted- use as mono blocks or to increase a lower powered tube amp etc. Location Perth Price $5000 then $4500 now bargain $4250 come on 750 watt twin mathing mono blocks these were $10,000.00 US new - $16000 Aus at the time now bargain at $4500---now, $4250, beasts with a few scratchea around base on floor. Are in perfect working order and only one of 500 units worldwide and now have a matching Musical Fidelity KWP pre amp for a complete Musical Fidelity pre power system- pre amp kust serviced by Liquid Audio $2000 will list seperalty . Item Condition: Very very good, very mildly scratched on tops of base plates and more on bottoms for complete transparency from sitting on floor and moving around etc are very heavy. and can only be seen close up underneath. Can be spiked as well. Reason for selling: Simplifying and remodeled listening room and system for final time...hopefully. Changing to rack mounted power amps system due to lack of space. These are big and weigh 17.2 kilos each. and sit on the floor behind or next to speakers. 2008 Models from memory, have boxes and books to transport safely. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only- Delivery or pack and send at buyers expense etc, have original boxes and manual etc. 2 nd owner bought from Simply HIFI in Perth. And i used only on and off across the last 8 years mosyly with small tube amp systems, but can add 700 watts to even a big solid state syatem for more headroom. Extra Info: Stereophile Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. The Mark Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000 US/ a pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet. Read more below or at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-page-2#i6r6GAwqwpQxVePD.99 In Perth, super rare and exclusive and hardly ever for sale, if i could turn them horizontally and rackmount would never sell but due to room reconfiguration they do not fit. Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier x2. Sidebar 1: Specifications Description: Solid-state, monoblock power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced line-level inputs and 1 pair speaker-level inputs. Maximum power output: 750W into 8 ohms (28.75dBW), 1150W into 4 ohms (24.7dBW). Maximum output voltage: 78V RMS, 20Hz–20kHz; 222V peak–peak. Maximum current: 250 amps peak–peak. Frequency response: 20Hz–30kHz, +0/–0.2dB. THD+noise: <0.01%, 20Hz–20kHz. Damping factor: 220. Input impedance: 50k ohms (line), 50 ohms (speaker). Input sensitivity for full power out into 8 ohms: 2.5V (line), 35V (speaker). Signal/noise (no reference level quoted): >120dB (line), >115dB (speaker), both figures A-weighted.Dimensions: 22" (560mm) H (including feet) by 8.5" (215mm) W by 8.75" (220mm) D (including terminals). Weight: 37.75 lbs (17.2kg)..Price: $10,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 70. Warranty: 5 years parts & labor.Manufacturer: Musical Fidelity Ltd., 24-26 Fulton Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0TF, England, UK. Tel: (44) (0)181-900-2866. Fax: (44) (0)181-900-2983. Web: www.musicalfidelity.com. US distributor: KEF America, Inc., 10 Timber Lane, Marlboro, NJ 07746. Tel: (732) 683-2356. Web: www.kefamerica.com. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-specifications#VQ5rr8YsdQZ4Cqdv.99 https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html Musical Fidelity's "Supercharger" concept is simple, which is perhaps why no one had thought of it before: If you love the sound of your low-powered amplifier but your speakers are insensitive, or you just need more loudness, you insert the high-power Supercharger amplifier between your low-powered amp and speakers. The Supercharger loads the small amplifier with an easy-to-drive 50 ohms, and, in theory, has so little sonic signature itself that it passes on the sonic signature of the small amp unchanged, but louder. image: https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/1208mf.jpg Michael Fremer reviewed Musical Fidelity's first Supercharger amplifier, the 550W 550K ($5000/pair), in September 2007. Using the 550K both as a traditional monoblock power amplifier and as a Supercharger to increase the dynamic range of his beloved Music Reference RM200 tube amp, a 1964-vintage Scott 299D integrated amplifier, and some solid-state designs, Mikey was impressed by what he heard. "Using a variety of very different-sounding amplifiers of various power outputs overwhelmingly demonstrated to me that the 550K Supercharger will retain the sonic attributes of your favorite low- or medium-powered amp (50–200Wpc), whether tubed or solid-state, while increasing its output by 10dB or more....The result will be dynamic realism and, in most cases, better overall performance. You can have your cake and make it rock, too." In my own auditioning of the same pair of 550K Superchargers, used as conventional monoblock amplifiers, I was very impressed by their effortless dynamics and iron-fisted control of the loudspeakers' bass. However, I ultimately felt that the 550Ks did have some character, sounding lean compared with my reference Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks, and with a less liquid midrange. Overall, the 550Ks sounded very similar to Musical Fidelity's flagship dual-mono kW behemoth, which Michael Fremer reviewed in January 2004, but perhaps with less delicacy (footnote 1). Of Musical Fidelity's high-powered amplifiers, I much preferred the balance of the kW750 (750Wpc into 8 ohms, $10,000). I had first encountered this stereo design when I used it to drive Wilson Sophias 2s, playing some of my high-resolution recordings at a pair of musical evenings promoted by North Carolina dealer Audio Advice in December 2005. The kW750 combined the kW's extraordinary dynamic range and control of the woofers with a warmer lower midrange and sweeter-sounding high frequencies. Mikey found it too mellow compared with his kWs, though that is perhaps a matter of taste. After using it in my system for a while, I seriously considered buying a kW750, but a cooler financial head than mine prevailed. So when MF's Antony Michaelson told me that he was introducing a Supercharger based on the 750K's circuitry, I asked for a pair for review (footnote 2). The 750K At first glance, the 750K Supercharger looks identical to the 550K: a black cylinder topped with an aluminum cap, made in Taiwan. It has the same music-sensing turn-on/off circuit and the same three LEDs at its base: red for standby, blue for operation, orange for thermal overload. However, while the new amplifier shares the 550K's 8.5" diameter, it is just over 6" taller, and its aluminum cap has a mesh-covered vent, through which two temperature-controlled fans exhaust hot air. (There are discreet inlet vents at the sides; the fans run briefly when the amplifier is first switched on, then remain off until the heatsink temperature rises above a preset threshold.) There is now a balanced XLR input jack on the rear panel in addition to the 550K's single-ended RCA. The maximum power is specified as 750W into 8 ohms or 1150W into 4 ohms, an increase of 1.75dB compared with the 550K, though the price is 6dB higher: $10,000/pair compared with $5000/pair. Sound Psychoacousticians tell us that our aural memories are reliable only in the short term (though that doesn't tie in with the fact that we instantly recognize friends' voices on the phone despite the lack of fidelity). But from the instant I powered up the 750K Superchargers in my system, using them as conventional monoblocks from their balanced inputs, I was immediately reminded of the kW750. A warmish midrange, sweet-toned high frequencies, tight, deep low frequencies, and a voluminous, stable, well-defined soundstage—all were exactly what I remembered of the sound of the kW750 in my system, back in the day. The images of the singers in Cantus's luminous performance of Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, from While You Are Alive, the recording I made with them in summer 2007 (CD, Cantus CTS-1208), were precisely positioned in space; it was very easy to perceive when the tenors turned away from the microphones to add spaciousness to their sound. And the character of the voices was as natural-sounding and as unforced as I expected, with no added hardness in the climaxes of the suite, A Sound Like This, by Edie Hill also featured on the CD. (Male voices singing close harmonies at high levels provide the perfect test signal to reveal shortcomings in amplifiers and loudspeakers.) The Musical Fidelity's enormous dynamic range and bass control got the best from Live at Merkin Hall, my recording of Stereophile reviewer Bob Reina's jazz group, Attention Screen (CD, Stereophile STPH018-2). I use as few mikes as possible when I record a drum kit: two cardioids overhead as an ORTF pair, a Shure cardioid clipped just above the snare drum's top skin, and an AKG dynamic mike in front of the kick drum's front skin. I time-align the outputs of the two spot mikes with the outputs of the cardioid pair, my goal being to capture both a natural image of the drums and their natural dynamic range. With an empathetic drummer capable of optimally tuning his kit—eg, Attention Screen's Mark Flynn—almost no equalization or compression is required in postproduction. And Mark hit the heck out of his Gretsch kit that February night in Merkin Hall. There are some snare-drum shots on "Blizzard Limbs"—the three beats at 3:40 that divide the rocking improvisation that begins the piece from the more contemplative second section, for example—that go from –60 to 0dBFS from one sample to the next. Amplifiers that can't swing as many volts as the 750K will clip those peaks, unless you play the music too quietly. With the Musical Fidelitys, I could play this track at live levels without waveform clipping. It being the end of Zeptember as I write these words, I had to get the Led out, specifically How the West Was Won (DVD-Audio, Atlantic 83587-9), recorded live at two L.A. concerts in 1972 by Eddie Kramer. Yes, suck-and-blow compression is obvious at times, but this set features great recorded drum sound, with tangible space around and between the drums. Forget "Stairway to Heaven," "Immigrant Song," "Whole Lotta Love"—the highlight of this album is the blues "Since I've Been Loving You." Even at ear-bleed levels—is there any other way to listen to Led Zeppelin?—the Superchargers allowed me to hear into the layering of the soundstage, with Bonzo's drums behind Jimmy Page's guitar and "Percy" Plant's wailing. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html#V9ZajPhOcrMpjyHV.99 Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier Page 2 Looking back at what I've written, I seem to have concentrated on the 750K's abilities to play loudly and cleanly—which they indeed did. But for all their ability to kick loudspeaker butt, the Musical Fidelity could still do delicacy with aplomb. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand (CD, Rounder 11661-9075-2) has been in heavy rotation chez Atkinson since I picked it up while killing time at a Starbucks a year ago. The double bass on this disc can be problematic with some amplifier-loudspeaker combinations, as its considerable midbass energy demands an amplifier capable of retaining control of the woofers if the sound is not to degenerate into mud, while at the same time allowing this recording's wealth of midrange detail to emerge unscathed. The bass in Gene Clark's "Polly Come Home" had the appropriate combination of weight and definition, without obscuring Plant and Krauss's mysterious-sounding harmonies as they soared over Marc Ribot's contemplative guitar figurings, all against a richly ambient backdrop. Again looking back, I see I have avoided mentioning how the Musical Fidelitys coped with complex classical music. They did very well with naturally miked recordings. They allowed, for example, the sense of space Tony Faulkner had captured with Antony Michaelson's performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, with conductor Robert Bailey and the Michaelangelo Chamber Orchestra (SACD, Musical Fidelity MFSACD017), to emerge from the speakers unscathed. And with a hi-rez, 24-bit/96kHz FLAC download of Britten's Simple Symphony, performed by the Trondheimsolistene (originally released on the SACD Divertimenti, 2L 2L50SABD), the joyous sound of the violins never became steely or hard, or too soft or mellow, while the double bass and cellos neither boomed nor sounded too lean. Only once did the amplifiers' cooling fans turn on. I was playing organist Michael Murray's thunderous performance of Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D (Telarc CD-80088) and reveling in the Revel Salon2s' apparently limitless dynamic range when driven by the Musical Fidelitys. At the end of the track, after the blower noise from the organ on the disc had faded away, I could just hear the much quieter sound of the 750Ks' fans. They never came on at normal listening levels. Comparisons While it shared many of the merits of Musical Fidelity's own 750K at half the price, the 550K Supercharger sounded lean in direct comparison with the 750K. Whereas the 750K worked well with every speaker I hooked it up to, the 550K needs to be matched with speakers balanced a little on the fuller-figured side. Significantly, after Cantus producer Erick Lichte had turned in his Follow-Up on the 550K, we spent a weekend together working on the mixes for the next Cantus CD, using the 750Ks to drive Revel Salon2s. "That," he said, pointing to a 750K, "is a very different amplifier from the 550K." Yes it is! Against my long-term reference amplifier, the Mark Levinson No.33H(150W, $19,900/pair when last available), the Musical Fidelity surprised me by having better-defined, more extended low frequencies. The Levinson sounded somewhat "puddingy" in direct comparison—not at all what I had expected. The Levinson had slightly sweeter mids and highs, but it was a close-run thing. Next up was the Parasound Halo JC 1 (450W, $7000/pair), a long-term favorite of this magazine's review team and of mine. The Parasound had low-frequency slam and definition to match the Musical Fidelity's but was cooler-balanced overall, sounding similar to the 550K, though its highs were smoother. My auditioning of the Musical Fidelity 750K was interrupted by two weeks spent with the Ayre KX-R preamplifier, reviewed last month by Wes Phillips, along with the Ayre MX-R monoblocks (300Wpc, $18,500/pair) he had used to prepare the review. In direct comparison, the Ayre matched the 750K's slam, bass definition, and soundstaging depth, and offered a slightly sweeter high end. I mean no disrespect to the 750K when I say that the MX-R could be my ultimate amplifier. But the price difference is significant, and I could happily live with the Musical Fidelitys. Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. While I still prefer the Mark Levinson No.33H for ultimate midrange sweetness, the Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000/pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet.

Item: Electrocompaniet AW 180 Monoblocks and EC 4.7 Pre Location: Mooroolbark Price: $7000 now $6500 Item Condition: Used Reason for selling: Moving to all tube setup Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Moving my Electrocompaniet gear. Currently have 95 DB efficient speakers so deciding to go to an all tube setup. The mono blocks have almost unlimited power and i can't turn the volume past 3 before the walls start to shake. Functionally the equipment is all working as it should, bar the remote which only works when it wants to. (am including a Logitech remote which operates all the functions on the preamp). Cosmetically the equipment would be a conservative 8 / 10. Feel free to ask questions and happy to Demo Pictures are in previous Ad

?Item: 2008 MONO BLOCK MUSICAL FIDELITY power amps- rare and matching set with consecutive serial numbers relisted- use as mono blocks or to increase a lower powered tube amp etc. Location: PERTH Price:$ 5000 now $4250 BARGAIN They were $10,000.00 US - 16000 Aus at the time. when new and are in perfect working order and only one of 500 units worldwide. Item Condition: Very very good, very mildly scratched on tops of base plates and more on bottoms for complete transparency from sitting on floor only but not visible as underneath. Can be spiked as well. Reason for selling: Simplifying and remodelled listening room. and system, Changing to rack mounted power amps system due to lack of space. These are big and weigh 17.2 kilos each. and sit behind or next to speakers. 2009 Models from memory, have boxes and books to transport safely. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only- Delivery or pack and send at buyers expense etc, have original boxes and manual etc. 2 nd owner bought from Simply HIFI in Perth Extra Info: Stereophile Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. While I still prefer the Mark Levinson No.33H for ultimate midrange sweetness, the Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000 US/ a pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet. Read more below or at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-page-2#i6r6GAwqwpQxVePD.99 In Perth, super rare and exclusive and hardly ever for sale, if i could turn them horizontally and rackmount would never sell but due to room reconfiguration they do not fit. Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier x2. Sidebar 1: Specifications Description: Solid-state, monoblock power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced line-level inputs and 1 pair speaker-level inputs. Maximum power output: 750W into 8 ohms (28.75dBW), 1150W into 4 ohms (24.7dBW). Maximum output voltage: 78V RMS, 20Hz–20kHz; 222V peak–peak. Maximum current: 250 amps peak–peak. Frequency response: 20Hz–30kHz, +0/–0.2dB. THD+noise: <0.01%, 20Hz–20kHz. Damping factor: 220. Input impedance: 50k ohms (line), 50 ohms (speaker). Input sensitivity for full power out into 8 ohms: 2.5V (line), 35V (speaker). Signal/noise (no reference level quoted): >120dB (line), >115dB (speaker), both figures A-weighted.Dimensions: 22" (560mm) H (including feet) by 8.5" (215mm) W by 8.75" (220mm) D (including terminals). Weight: 37.75 lbs (17.2kg)..Price: $10,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 70. Warranty: 5 years parts & labor.Manufacturer: Musical Fidelity Ltd., 24-26 Fulton Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0TF, England, UK. Tel: (44) (0)181-900-2866. Fax: (44) (0)181-900-2983. Web: www.musicalfidelity.com. US distributor: KEF America, Inc., 10 Timber Lane, Marlboro, NJ 07746. Tel: (732) 683-2356. Web: www.kefamerica.com. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-specifications#VQ5rr8YsdQZ4Cqdv.99 https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html Musical Fidelity's "Supercharger" concept is simple, which is perhaps why no one had thought of it before: If you love the sound of your low-powered amplifier but your speakers are insensitive, or you just need more loudness, you insert the high-power Supercharger amplifier between your low-powered amp and speakers. The Supercharger loads the small amplifier with an easy-to-drive 50 ohms, and, in theory, has so little sonic signature itself that it passes on the sonic signature of the small amp unchanged, but louder. image: https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/1208mf.jpg Michael Fremer reviewed Musical Fidelity's first Supercharger amplifier, the 550W 550K ($5000/pair), in September 2007. Using the 550K both as a traditional monoblock power amplifier and as a Supercharger to increase the dynamic range of his beloved Music Reference RM200 tube amp, a 1964-vintage Scott 299D integrated amplifier, and some solid-state designs, Mikey was impressed by what he heard. "Using a variety of very different-sounding amplifiers of various power outputs overwhelmingly demonstrated to me that the 550K Supercharger will retain the sonic attributes of your favorite low- or medium-powered amp (50–200Wpc), whether tubed or solid-state, while increasing its output by 10dB or more....The result will be dynamic realism and, in most cases, better overall performance. You can have your cake and make it rock, too." In my own auditioning of the same pair of 550K Superchargers, used as conventional monoblock amplifiers, I was very impressed by their effortless dynamics and iron-fisted control of the loudspeakers' bass. However, I ultimately felt that the 550Ks did have some character, sounding lean compared with my reference Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks, and with a less liquid midrange. Overall, the 550Ks sounded very similar to Musical Fidelity's flagship dual-mono kW behemoth, which Michael Fremer reviewed in January 2004, but perhaps with less delicacy (footnote 1). Of Musical Fidelity's high-powered amplifiers, I much preferred the balance of the kW750 (750Wpc into 8 ohms, $10,000). I had first encountered this stereo design when I used it to drive Wilson Sophias 2s, playing some of my high-resolution recordings at a pair of musical evenings promoted by North Carolina dealer Audio Advice in December 2005. The kW750 combined the kW's extraordinary dynamic range and control of the woofers with a warmer lower midrange and sweeter-sounding high frequencies. Mikey found it too mellow compared with his kWs, though that is perhaps a matter of taste. After using it in my system for a while, I seriously considered buying a kW750, but a cooler financial head than mine prevailed. So when MF's Antony Michaelson told me that he was introducing a Supercharger based on the 750K's circuitry, I asked for a pair for review (footnote 2). The 750K At first glance, the 750K Supercharger looks identical to the 550K: a black cylinder topped with an aluminum cap, made in Taiwan. It has the same music-sensing turn-on/off circuit and the same three LEDs at its base: red for standby, blue for operation, orange for thermal overload. However, while the new amplifier shares the 550K's 8.5" diameter, it is just over 6" taller, and its aluminum cap has a mesh-covered vent, through which two temperature-controlled fans exhaust hot air. (There are discreet inlet vents at the sides; the fans run briefly when the amplifier is first switched on, then remain off until the heatsink temperature rises above a preset threshold.) There is now a balanced XLR input jack on the rear panel in addition to the 550K's single-ended RCA. The maximum power is specified as 750W into 8 ohms or 1150W into 4 ohms, an increase of 1.75dB compared with the 550K, though the price is 6dB higher: $10,000/pair compared with $5000/pair. Sound Psychoacousticians tell us that our aural memories are reliable only in the short term (though that doesn't tie in with the fact that we instantly recognize friends' voices on the phone despite the lack of fidelity). But from the instant I powered up the 750K Superchargers in my system, using them as conventional monoblocks from their balanced inputs, I was immediately reminded of the kW750. A warmish midrange, sweet-toned high frequencies, tight, deep low frequencies, and a voluminous, stable, well-defined soundstage—all were exactly what I remembered of the sound of the kW750 in my system, back in the day. The images of the singers in Cantus's luminous performance of Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, from While You Are Alive, the recording I made with them in summer 2007 (CD, Cantus CTS-1208), were precisely positioned in space; it was very easy to perceive when the tenors turned away from the microphones to add spaciousness to their sound. And the character of the voices was as natural-sounding and as unforced as I expected, with no added hardness in the climaxes of the suite, A Sound Like This, by Edie Hill also featured on the CD. (Male voices singing close harmonies at high levels provide the perfect test signal to reveal shortcomings in amplifiers and loudspeakers.) The Musical Fidelity's enormous dynamic range and bass control got the best from Live at Merkin Hall, my recording of Stereophile reviewer Bob Reina's jazz group, Attention Screen (CD, Stereophile STPH018-2). I use as few mikes as possible when I record a drum kit: two cardioids overhead as an ORTF pair, a Shure cardioid clipped just above the snare drum's top skin, and an AKG dynamic mike in front of the kick drum's front skin. I time-align the outputs of the two spot mikes with the outputs of the cardioid pair, my goal being to capture both a natural image of the drums and their natural dynamic range. With an empathetic drummer capable of optimally tuning his kit—eg, Attention Screen's Mark Flynn—almost no equalization or compression is required in postproduction. And Mark hit the heck out of his Gretsch kit that February night in Merkin Hall. There are some snare-drum shots on "Blizzard Limbs"—the three beats at 3:40 that divide the rocking improvisation that begins the piece from the more contemplative second section, for example—that go from –60 to 0dBFS from one sample to the next. Amplifiers that can't swing as many volts as the 750K will clip those peaks, unless you play the music too quietly. With the Musical Fidelitys, I could play this track at live levels without waveform clipping. It being the end of Zeptember as I write these words, I had to get the Led out, specifically How the West Was Won (DVD-Audio, Atlantic 83587-9), recorded live at two L.A. concerts in 1972 by Eddie Kramer. Yes, suck-and-blow compression is obvious at times, but this set features great recorded drum sound, with tangible space around and between the drums. Forget "Stairway to Heaven," "Immigrant Song," "Whole Lotta Love"—the highlight of this album is the blues "Since I've Been Loving You." Even at ear-bleed levels—is there any other way to listen to Led Zeppelin?—the Superchargers allowed me to hear into the layering of the soundstage, with Bonzo's drums behind Jimmy Page's guitar and "Percy" Plant's wailing. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html#V9ZajPhOcrMpjyHV.99 Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier Page 2 Looking back at what I've written, I seem to have concentrated on the 750K's abilities to play loudly and cleanly—which they indeed did. But for all their ability to kick loudspeaker butt, the Musical Fidelity could still do delicacy with aplomb. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand (CD, Rounder 11661-9075-2) has been in heavy rotation chez Atkinson since I picked it up while killing time at a Starbucks a year ago. The double bass on this disc can be problematic with some amplifier-loudspeaker combinations, as its considerable midbass energy demands an amplifier capable of retaining control of the woofers if the sound is not to degenerate into mud, while at the same time allowing this recording's wealth of midrange detail to emerge unscathed. The bass in Gene Clark's "Polly Come Home" had the appropriate combination of weight and definition, without obscuring Plant and Krauss's mysterious-sounding harmonies as they soared over Marc Ribot's contemplative guitar figurings, all against a richly ambient backdrop. Again looking back, I see I have avoided mentioning how the Musical Fidelitys coped with complex classical music. They did very well with naturally miked recordings. They allowed, for example, the sense of space Tony Faulkner had captured with Antony Michaelson's performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, with conductor Robert Bailey and the Michaelangelo Chamber Orchestra (SACD, Musical Fidelity MFSACD017), to emerge from the speakers unscathed. And with a hi-rez, 24-bit/96kHz FLAC download of Britten's Simple Symphony, performed by the Trondheimsolistene (originally released on the SACD Divertimenti, 2L 2L50SABD), the joyous sound of the violins never became steely or hard, or too soft or mellow, while the double bass and cellos neither boomed nor sounded too lean. Only once did the amplifiers' cooling fans turn on. I was playing organist Michael Murray's thunderous performance of Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D (Telarc CD-80088) and reveling in the Revel Salon2s' apparently limitless dynamic range when driven by the Musical Fidelitys. At the end of the track, after the blower noise from the organ on the disc had faded away, I could just hear the much quieter sound of the 750Ks' fans. They never came on at normal listening levels. Comparisons While it shared many of the merits of Musical Fidelity's own 750K at half the price, the 550K Supercharger sounded lean in direct comparison with the 750K. Whereas the 750K worked well with every speaker I hooked it up to, the 550K needs to be matched with speakers balanced a little on the fuller-figured side. Significantly, after Cantus producer Erick Lichte had turned in his Follow-Up on the 550K, we spent a weekend together working on the mixes for the next Cantus CD, using the 750Ks to drive Revel Salon2s. "That," he said, pointing to a 750K, "is a very different amplifier from the 550K." Yes it is! Against my long-term reference amplifier, the Mark Levinson No.33H(150W, $19,900/pair when last available), the Musical Fidelity surprised me by having better-defined, more extended low frequencies. The Levinson sounded somewhat "puddingy" in direct comparison—not at all what I had expected. The Levinson had slightly sweeter mids and highs, but it was a close-run thing. Next up was the Parasound Halo JC 1 (450W, $7000/pair), a long-term favorite of this magazine's review team and of mine. The Parasound had low-frequency slam and definition to match the Musical Fidelity's but was cooler-balanced overall, sounding similar to the 550K, though its highs were smoother. My auditioning of the Musical Fidelity 750K was interrupted by two weeks spent with the Ayre KX-R preamplifier, reviewed last month by Wes Phillips, along with the Ayre MX-R monoblocks (300Wpc, $18,500/pair) he had used to prepare the review. In direct comparison, the Ayre matched the 750K's slam, bass definition, and soundstaging depth, and offered a slightly sweeter high end. I mean no disrespect to the 750K when I say that the MX-R could be my ultimate amplifier. But the price difference is significant, and I could happily live with the Musical Fidelitys. Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. While I still prefer the Mark Levinson No.33H for ultimate midrange sweetness, the Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000/pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet. Edited February 23 by Eagleeyes

Item: PARASOUND - JC2 BP PRE + JC1 MONOBLOCKS (with power cables) Location: PERTH Price: $SOLD Item Condition: EXCELLENT Reason for selling: UPGRADED Payment Method: PICK UP ONLY AT THIS STAGE Extra Info: Bought last year from first owner and SNA member to compliment my Dynaudio C1 MKii standmount's which they did unbelievably!, but the upgrade bug's got the better of me and I'm now moving up the audio ladder so these bad boys have to go. Pictures:

Item: Weston Acoustics Rare Black Matching Touchstone Pre Amplifier and Time Machine 300b tube mono blocks in gloss black over wood grain Perth WA Price: Price: $7000.00 .Original receipt shows over 12k including extra cables made by Earle, Upgrade to remote and Balanced with added inputs section. This amps hold their value better than almost anything and would be double or more if a European or US brand name was attached, they are stunning in everyway. They are that good and simply stunning to look at. These go or the PS audio BHK pre and power, one or the other as house to small for two systems. Item Condition: `Almost Perfect with spare tubes cannot spot any issues and all running smoothly and sweetly. Spare tubes for almost every tube on pre and mono blocks and no 6 month plus waiting list. Reason for selling: Change of direction. Extra Info: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only- prefer pick up as 3 very heavy boxes plus box of valves and chords etc. But can box and pack at buyers cost. Extra Info: Hand built to order as are all of Earle's master pieces. Earle's first set in Polished Black finish with heavy duty remote control for volume and has extra balanced inputs, very very rare 6 input Preamp. Have shots of them being built and as below. A Good Selection of spares tubes as well about an extra full set in total and supplied by Earle's own hand made RCA cables. Earle did not ever add remotes unitl i asked if possible and took 3 months to discover one good enough to be used on his beautiful products. Very regretful sale and can demonstrate in Perth. http://www.westonacoustics.com Perfect and as new without the very long wait list, 6 months or so and look awesome in black at night with the rest of the system glowing. Have instruction books and come with standard power cords as supplied by Weston Acoustics. Shipping possible at buyers expense and they would need all the tubes moved and boxed and then padded and packaged into 3 boxes each weighing 20 kilos x3 and tubes on top. `i would recommend a crate from a shipping agent that are not that much and well worth the peace of mind. Pre Amp Specifications.from website. mine are actually below in photo section and they are more powerful . 35 watts not 18. 4 x 300 tubes per mono block. Max Voltage Output ......5 volts rms. 14 volts peak. Frequency response.......6hz to >50khz Separation.......……….... >55db Signal to Noise............. >88db A Weighted Signal to Hum…….…......>68db Distortion.................…..<0.05% at 0.5 volt rms output Hum Level…………….......<0.1 millivolt Gain.............................6db Inputs………..…………......6 Outputs .............................2 Mono Block Power amp see actual SPECIFICATIONS sheets below these were from the website and did not not realise mine were so much higher. Power Output - 35 watts upgraded from 18 per channel pure class A Frequency response -3db - 6hz to >75khz Signal to Noise - >90db A Weighted Signal to Hum - >80db Distortion - <0.05% at 1 watt rms Hum Level - <3.0 millivolt Sensitivity - 500mV Input impedance - 62K Inputs 1 Speaker output 8 ohm (6 to 12 ohm is fine) Damping Factor >5 (20hz to 20khz 8 ohm) Weight ~20kg (~44lb) per monoblock. Dimensions 440mm x 370mm x 220mm (width x depth x height) per monoblock. Preamp very similar plus small box of tubes and cables. Pictures:

Item: BARGAIN One Pair of very rare seriously powerful Musical Fidelity Supercharger 750k mono power amps- matching set with consectutive serial numbers Location: PERTH Price: $5000 reduced by another 500 to $5k firm for the pair were $10,000.00 US new and are in perfect working order. Item Condition: Very very good, very mildly scratched on tops of base plates and more on bottoms for complete transparency from sitting on floor only but not visible as underneath. Can be spiked as well. Reason for selling: Remodelled listening room.Changing to rack mounted system due to lack of space. These are big and weigh 17.2 kilos each. and sit behind or next to speakers. 2009 Models from memory, have boxes and books to transport safely. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only- Delivery or pack and send at buyers expense etc, have original boxes and manual etc. 2 nd owner bought from Simply HIFI in Perth Extra Info: Stereophile Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. While I still prefer the Mark Levinson No.33H for ultimate midrange sweetness, the Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000 US/ a pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet. Read more below or at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-page-2#i6r6GAwqwpQxVePD.99 Happy to audition in Perth, super rare and exclusive and hardly ever for sale, if i could turn them horizontally and rackmountI would never sell but due to room reconfiguration they do not fit. Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier x2. Sidebar 1: Specifications Description: Solid-state, monoblock power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced line-level inputs and 1 pair speaker-level inputs. Maximum power output: 750W into 8 ohms (28.75dBW), 1150W into 4 ohms (24.7dBW). Maximum output voltage: 78V RMS, 20Hz–20kHz; 222V peak–peak. Maximum current: 250 amps peak–peak. Frequency response: 20Hz–30kHz, +0/–0.2dB. THD+noise: <0.01%, 20Hz–20kHz. Damping factor: 220. Input impedance: 50k ohms (line), 50 ohms (speaker). Input sensitivity for full power out into 8 ohms: 2.5V (line), 35V (speaker). Signal/noise (no reference level quoted): >120dB (line), >115dB (speaker), both figures A-weighted.Dimensions: 22" (560mm) H (including feet) by 8.5" (215mm) W by 8.75" (220mm) D (including terminals). Weight: 37.75 lbs (17.2kg)..Price: $10,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 70. Warranty: 5 years parts & labor.Manufacturer: Musical Fidelity Ltd., 24-26 Fulton Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0TF, England, UK. Tel: (44) (0)181-900-2866. Fax: (44) (0)181-900-2983. Web: www.musicalfidelity.com. US distributor: KEF America, Inc., 10 Timber Lane, Marlboro, NJ 07746. Tel: (732) 683-2356. Web: www.kefamerica.com. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/content/musical-fidelity-750k-supercharger-monoblock-power-amplifier-specifications#VQ5rr8YsdQZ4Cqdv.99 https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html Musical Fidelity's "Supercharger" concept is simple, which is perhaps why no one had thought of it before: If you love the sound of your low-powered amplifier but your speakers are insensitive, or you just need more loudness, you insert the high-power Supercharger amplifier between your low-powered amp and speakers. The Supercharger loads the small amplifier with an easy-to-drive 50 ohms, and, in theory, has so little sonic signature itself that it passes on the sonic signature of the small amp unchanged, but louder. image: https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/1208mf.jpg Michael Fremer reviewed Musical Fidelity's first Supercharger amplifier, the 550W 550K ($5000/pair), in September 2007. Using the 550K both as a traditional monoblock power amplifier and as a Supercharger to increase the dynamic range of his beloved Music Reference RM200 tube amp, a 1964-vintage Scott 299D integrated amplifier, and some solid-state designs, Mikey was impressed by what he heard. "Using a variety of very different-sounding amplifiers of various power outputs overwhelmingly demonstrated to me that the 550K Supercharger will retain the sonic attributes of your favorite low- or medium-powered amp (50–200Wpc), whether tubed or solid-state, while increasing its output by 10dB or more....The result will be dynamic realism and, in most cases, better overall performance. You can have your cake and make it rock, too." In my own auditioning of the same pair of 550K Superchargers, used as conventional monoblock amplifiers, I was very impressed by their effortless dynamics and iron-fisted control of the loudspeakers' bass. However, I ultimately felt that the 550Ks did have some character, sounding lean compared with my reference Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks, and with a less liquid midrange. Overall, the 550Ks sounded very similar to Musical Fidelity's flagship dual-mono kW behemoth, which Michael Fremer reviewed in January 2004, but perhaps with less delicacy (footnote 1). Of Musical Fidelity's high-powered amplifiers, I much preferred the balance of the kW750 (750Wpc into 8 ohms, $10,000). I had first encountered this stereo design when I used it to drive Wilson Sophias 2s, playing some of my high-resolution recordings at a pair of musical evenings promoted by North Carolina dealer Audio Advice in December 2005. The kW750 combined the kW's extraordinary dynamic range and control of the woofers with a warmer lower midrange and sweeter-sounding high frequencies. Mikey found it too mellow compared with his kWs, though that is perhaps a matter of taste. After using it in my system for a while, I seriously considered buying a kW750, but a cooler financial head than mine prevailed. So when MF's Antony Michaelson told me that he was introducing a Supercharger based on the 750K's circuitry, I asked for a pair for review (footnote 2). The 750K At first glance, the 750K Supercharger looks identical to the 550K: a black cylinder topped with an aluminum cap, made in Taiwan. It has the same music-sensing turn-on/off circuit and the same three LEDs at its base: red for standby, blue for operation, orange for thermal overload. However, while the new amplifier shares the 550K's 8.5" diameter, it is just over 6" taller, and its aluminum cap has a mesh-covered vent, through which two temperature-controlled fans exhaust hot air. (There are discreet inlet vents at the sides; the fans run briefly when the amplifier is first switched on, then remain off until the heatsink temperature rises above a preset threshold.) There is now a balanced XLR input jack on the rear panel in addition to the 550K's single-ended RCA. The maximum power is specified as 750W into 8 ohms or 1150W into 4 ohms, an increase of 1.75dB compared with the 550K, though the price is 6dB higher: $10,000/pair compared with $5000/pair. Sound Psychoacousticians tell us that our aural memories are reliable only in the short term (though that doesn't tie in with the fact that we instantly recognize friends' voices on the phone despite the lack of fidelity). But from the instant I powered up the 750K Superchargers in my system, using them as conventional monoblocks from their balanced inputs, I was immediately reminded of the kW750. A warmish midrange, sweet-toned high frequencies, tight, deep low frequencies, and a voluminous, stable, well-defined soundstage—all were exactly what I remembered of the sound of the kW750 in my system, back in the day. The images of the singers in Cantus's luminous performance of Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, from While You Are Alive, the recording I made with them in summer 2007 (CD, Cantus CTS-1208), were precisely positioned in space; it was very easy to perceive when the tenors turned away from the microphones to add spaciousness to their sound. And the character of the voices was as natural-sounding and as unforced as I expected, with no added hardness in the climaxes of the suite, A Sound Like This, by Edie Hill also featured on the CD. (Male voices singing close harmonies at high levels provide the perfect test signal to reveal shortcomings in amplifiers and loudspeakers.) The Musical Fidelity's enormous dynamic range and bass control got the best from Live at Merkin Hall, my recording of Stereophile reviewer Bob Reina's jazz group, Attention Screen (CD, Stereophile STPH018-2). I use as few mikes as possible when I record a drum kit: two cardioids overhead as an ORTF pair, a Shure cardioid clipped just above the snare drum's top skin, and an AKG dynamic mike in front of the kick drum's front skin. I time-align the outputs of the two spot mikes with the outputs of the cardioid pair, my goal being to capture both a natural image of the drums and their natural dynamic range. With an empathetic drummer capable of optimally tuning his kit—eg, Attention Screen's Mark Flynn—almost no equalization or compression is required in postproduction. And Mark hit the heck out of his Gretsch kit that February night in Merkin Hall. There are some snare-drum shots on "Blizzard Limbs"—the three beats at 3:40 that divide the rocking improvisation that begins the piece from the more contemplative second section, for example—that go from –60 to 0dBFS from one sample to the next. Amplifiers that can't swing as many volts as the 750K will clip those peaks, unless you play the music too quietly. With the Musical Fidelitys, I could play this track at live levels without waveform clipping. It being the end of Zeptember as I write these words, I had to get the Led out, specifically How the West Was Won (DVD-Audio, Atlantic 83587-9), recorded live at two L.A. concerts in 1972 by Eddie Kramer. Yes, suck-and-blow compression is obvious at times, but this set features great recorded drum sound, with tangible space around and between the drums. Forget "Stairway to Heaven," "Immigrant Song," "Whole Lotta Love"—the highlight of this album is the blues "Since I've Been Loving You." Even at ear-bleed levels—is there any other way to listen to Led Zeppelin?—the Superchargers allowed me to hear into the layering of the soundstage, with Bonzo's drums behind Jimmy Page's guitar and "Percy" Plant's wailing. Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1208mf/index.html#V9ZajPhOcrMpjyHV.99 Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger monoblock power amplifier Page 2 Looking back at what I've written, I seem to have concentrated on the 750K's abilities to play loudly and cleanly—which they indeed did. But for all their ability to kick loudspeaker butt, the Musical Fidelity could still do delicacy with aplomb. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand (CD, Rounder 11661-9075-2) has been in heavy rotation chez Atkinson since I picked it up while killing time at a Starbucks a year ago. The double bass on this disc can be problematic with some amplifier-loudspeaker combinations, as its considerable midbass energy demands an amplifier capable of retaining control of the woofers if the sound is not to degenerate into mud, while at the same time allowing this recording's wealth of midrange detail to emerge unscathed. The bass in Gene Clark's "Polly Come Home" had the appropriate combination of weight and definition, without obscuring Plant and Krauss's mysterious-sounding harmonies as they soared over Marc Ribot's contemplative guitar figurings, all against a richly ambient backdrop. Again looking back, I see I have avoided mentioning how the Musical Fidelitys coped with complex classical music. They did very well with naturally miked recordings. They allowed, for example, the sense of space Tony Faulkner had captured with Antony Michaelson's performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, with conductor Robert Bailey and the Michaelangelo Chamber Orchestra (SACD, Musical Fidelity MFSACD017), to emerge from the speakers unscathed. And with a hi-rez, 24-bit/96kHz FLAC download of Britten's Simple Symphony, performed by the Trondheimsolistene (originally released on the SACD Divertimenti, 2L 2L50SABD), the joyous sound of the violins never became steely or hard, or too soft or mellow, while the double bass and cellos neither boomed nor sounded too lean. Only once did the amplifiers' cooling fans turn on. I was playing organist Michael Murray's thunderous performance of Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D (Telarc CD-80088) and reveling in the Revel Salon2s' apparently limitless dynamic range when driven by the Musical Fidelitys. At the end of the track, after the blower noise from the organ on the disc had faded away, I could just hear the much quieter sound of the 750Ks' fans. They never came on at normal listening levels. Comparisons While it shared many of the merits of Musical Fidelity's own 750K at half the price, the 550K Supercharger sounded lean in direct comparison with the 750K. Whereas the 750K worked well with every speaker I hooked it up to, the 550K needs to be matched with speakers balanced a little on the fuller-figured side. Significantly, after Cantus producer Erick Lichte had turned in his Follow-Up on the 550K, we spent a weekend together working on the mixes for the next Cantus CD, using the 750Ks to drive Revel Salon2s. "That," he said, pointing to a 750K, "is a very different amplifier from the 550K." Yes it is! Against my long-term reference amplifier, the Mark Levinson No.33H(150W, $19,900/pair when last available), the Musical Fidelity surprised me by having better-defined, more extended low frequencies. The Levinson sounded somewhat "puddingy" in direct comparison—not at all what I had expected. The Levinson had slightly sweeter mids and highs, but it was a close-run thing. Next up was the Parasound Halo JC 1 (450W, $7000/pair), a long-term favorite of this magazine's review team and of mine. The Parasound had low-frequency slam and definition to match the Musical Fidelity's but was cooler-balanced overall, sounding similar to the 550K, though its highs were smoother. My auditioning of the Musical Fidelity 750K was interrupted by two weeks spent with the Ayre KX-R preamplifier, reviewed last month by Wes Phillips, along with the Ayre MX-R monoblocks (300Wpc, $18,500/pair) he had used to prepare the review. In direct comparison, the Ayre matched the 750K's slam, bass definition, and soundstaging depth, and offered a slightly sweeter high end. I mean no disrespect to the 750K when I say that the MX-R could be my ultimate amplifier. But the price difference is significant, and I could happily live with the Musical Fidelitys. Summing Up Sounding significantly less lean than both the kW and the 550K, the 750K Supercharger is, without a doubt, the best-sounding amplifier I have heard from Musical Fidelity. While I still prefer the Mark Levinson No.33H for ultimate midrange sweetness, the Levinson is outclassed by the 750K in bass solidity, control, and overall dynamics. At $10,000/pair, it is undoubtedly expensive, but its immediate competition is more expensive or less powerful, or both (eg, Ayre's MX-R). Forget the Supercharger nomenclature—this is a power amplifier that can stand on its own feet.

Item: Mingda MC300845AB (2 x mono-block) Location: Morley W.A Price: $2500. firm ( Will donate to SNA $50 once sold with transaction competed. ) Item Condition: Used but in great working condition. Reason for selling: NLR, upgraded to Gryphon AS Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal. Extra Info: I have these amps lying around for about three years now, not using since upgraded to Gryphon AS. These are beautiful amps but taking too much space hence good to see they go to good home and someone can appreciate them. Happy to demo to local member. Note - Actual amps come with standard tubes. Black Treasure tubes were on loan at the time. Hours on the vales are very low and happy for you to test them prior commitment.

Item: Xindak XA8800MN Mono Blocks Location: Perth Price: $1100 Pick up only Item Condition: 8/10 Reason for selling: upgraded Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: These monoblocks probably don't get the respect they deserve given the price. Purchased of an SNA member about a year ago and didn't have any problems at all. I did buy some nice speaker cables and found out the terminals couldn't accommodate spades Since that time I have modified the terminal posts so they could take spades, was just a matter of removing the clear plastic at the base of the terminal. Anyhow they run like a dream, just remember like all class a amps they do run quite warm. Pictures:

Item: NuForce Reference 9 Version 2 Special Edition black monoblocks Location: Perth Price: $1200 + postage if required Item Condition: Very good Reason for selling: Feel like a change Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: These were upgraded from Version 1 by Pat from W.A.R. Audio. 190W into 8 ohm and 300W into 4 ohm. There is some damage to the plastic surrounds of the speaker cable connections and screw holes on the underside from the conversion. Otherwise the case work is in excellent condition. No issues with the amps. Pictures:

Item: Image by Nelson Audio EL34 Power Amps (Mono blocks) Location: Melbourne City Price: $1300 Item Condition: Great working order Reason for selling: Space constraints /Simplifying system Payment Method: Pickup only - Cash, Paypal Extra Info: These mono-blocks made a substantial difference to my system in terms of texture, resolution, speed, attack and the general warmth (EL34) tubes are renowned for. Punching well above their weight, Image by Nelson Audio are based on the Marantz 9 power amps. 75 watts output based on 4 x EL34 tubes and each unit weighs in at about 35kg each. Since purchasing this, I have had the switches replaced and bias adjusted and although the units have some minor cosmetic blemishes, functionally they work exceptionally well. A reluctant sale, there is simply not enough space in my lounge to accommodate these heavy beasts due to some new hardware taking up limited space in my rack. These amps would be difficult to pack and post so I'm just open to local pick-up only. Any questions welcome. Thanks for looking

Item: Weston Acoustics Rare Black Matching Touchstone Pre Amplifier and Time Machine 300b tube mono blocks in gloss black over wood grain Location: Perth WA Price: $8500.00 Original receipt shows j 12k including extra cables made by Earle, Upgrade remote and Balanced with added inputs section. This amps hold their value better than almost anything an would be double or more if a European or US brand name was attached, they are stunning, if they don't sell at this reduced price i will keep forever. They are that good. Item Condition: MINT with spare tubes for almost every tube on pre and mono blocks and no 6 month plus waiting list. Reason for selling: Changing to children friendly system and change of listening room. So a few listings all at once. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only- prefer pick up as 3 very heavy boxes plus box of valves and chords etc. But can box and pack at buyers cost. Extra Info: Hand built to order as are all of Earle's master pieces. Earle's first set in Polished Black finish with heavy duty remote control for volume and has extra balanced inputs, very very rare 6 input Preamp. Have shots of them being built and as below. A Good Selection of spares tubes as well about an extra full set in total and supplied by Earle's own hand made RCA cables. Earle did not ever add remotes unitl i asked if possible and took 3 months to discover one good enough to be used on his beautiful products. Very regretful sale and can demonstrate in Perth. http://www.westonacoustics.com Perfect and as new without the very long wait list, 6 months or so and look awesome in black at night with the rest of the system glowing. Have instruction books and come with standard power cords as supplied by Weston Acoustics. Shipping possible at buyers expense and they would need all the tubes moved and boxed and then padded and packaged into 3 boxes each weighing 20 kilos x3 and tubes on top. Pre Amp Specifications.from website mine are actually below in photo section and they are more powerful . 35 watts not 18. 4 x300 tubes per mono block. Max Voltage Output ......5 volts rms. 14 volts peak. Frequency response.......6hz to >50khz Separation.......……….... >55db Signal to Noise............. >88db A Weighted Signal to Hum…….…......>68db Distortion.................…..<0.05% at 0.5 volt rms output Hum Level…………….......<0.1 millivolt Gain.............................6db Inputs………..…………......6 Outputs .............................2 Mono Block Power amp see actual SPECIFICATIONS sheets below these were from the website and did not not realize they were so much higher. Power Output - 35 watts upgraded from 18 per channel pure class A Frequency response -3db - 6hz to >75khz Signal to Noise - >90db A Weighted Signal to Hum - >80db Distortion - <0.05% at 1 watt rms Hum Level - <3.0 millivolt Sensitivity - 500mV Input impedance - 62K Inputs 1 Speaker output 8 ohm (6 to 12 ohm is fine) Damping Factor >5 (20hz to 20khz 8 ohm) Weight ~20kg (~44lb) per monoblock. Dimensions 440mm x 370mm x 220mm (width x depth x height) per monoblock. Preamp very similar plus small box of tubes and cables. Pictures:

Item: Audio Research Reference 210 monoblocks Location: Currently in Brisbane Price: $12,000 Item Condition: Very good with 1102 tube hours on the clock Payment Method: Cash, direct deposit Extra Info: Trade- in, currently still with original owner in Brisbane. Pictures:

Item: Image by Nelson Audio EL34 Power Amps (Mono blocks) Location: Melbourne City Price: $1300 Item Condition: Great working order Reason for selling: Space constraints /Simplifying system Payment Method: Pickup only - Cash, Paypal Extra Info: These mono-blocks made a substantial difference to my system in terms of texture, resolution, speed, attack and the general warmth (EL34) tubes are renowned for. Punching well above their weight, Image by Nelson Audio are based on the Marantz 9 power amps. 75 watts output based on 4 x EL34 tubes and each unit weighs in at about 35kg each. Since purchasing this, I have had the switches replaced and bias adjusted and although the units have some minor cosmetic blemishes, functionally they work exceptionally well. A reluctant sale, there is simply not enough space in my lounge to accommodate these heavy beasts due to some new hardware taking up limited space in my rack. These amps would be difficult to pack and post so I'm just open to local pick-up only. Any questions welcome. Thanks for looking Pictures:

Item: Weston Acoustics Rare Black Matching Touchstone Pre Amplifier and Time Machine 300b tube mono blocks in gloss black over wood grain. Location:Perth Price: $8500.00 Original recipe shows 12k including extra cables made by Earle, Upgrade remote and Balance section. This amps hold their value better than almost anything an would be double or more if a European or US brand name was attached, they are stunning, if they don't sell at this reduced price i will keep forever. They are that good. Item Condition: MINT Reason for selling: Change of Room and System requirements and too much equipment and need to focus direction. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash Preferred, Direect Payment Paypal plus costs 3% i believe Extra Info: Hand built to order as are all of Earle's master pieces. Earle's first set in Polished Black finish with heavy duty remote control for volume and has extra balanced inputs, very very rare 6 input Preamp. Have shots of them being built and as below. A Good Selection of spares tubes as well about an extra full set in total and supplied by Earle's own hand made RCA cables. http://www.westonacoustics.com Perfect and as new without the very long wait list, 6 months or so and look awesome in black at night with the rest of the system glowing. Have instruction books and come with standard power cords as supplied by Weston Acoustics. Shipping possible at buyers expense and they would need all the tubes moved and boxed and then padded and packaged into 3 boxes each weighing 20 kilos x3. Pre Amp Specifications. Max Voltage Output ......5 volts rms. 14 volts peak.Frequency response.......6hz to >50khz Separation.......……….... >55dbSignal to Noise............. >88db A WeightedSignal to Hum…….…......>68dbDistortion.................…..<0.05% at 0.5 volt rms outputHum Level…………….......<0.1 millivoltGain.............................6dbInputs………..…………......6 Outputs .............................2 Mono Block Power amp SPECIFICATIONS Power Output - 18 watts per channel pure class A Frequency response -3db - 6hz to >75khz Signal to Noise - >90db A Weighted Signal to Hum - >80db Distortion - <0.05% at 1 watt rms Hum Level - <3.0 millivolt Sensitivity - 500mV Input impedance - 62K Inputs 1 Speaker output 8 ohm (6 to 12 ohm is fine) Damping Factor >5 (20hz to 20khz 8 ohm) Weight ~20kg (~44lb) per monoblock. Dimensions 440mm x 370mm x 220mm (width x depth x height) per monoblock. Pictures:

Item: retro-thermionic - DIY Tripath 150W Eastern Audio TechnologiesT3 monoblocks Location: Langwarrin Price: $890 serious offers considered. Will offer a $10 donation to SNA on sale of the amp. Item Condition: New, only a few hours of play 10/10 Reason for selling: about to build another Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal (+3%), bank transfer Extra Info: Each monoblock comprises a 300VAC toroidal power transformer 10A rectifier bridge and two 22,000uf (44,000uf in total per monoblock) Mundorf MLytic high end audio grade filter caps. The rectifier bridge is soldered directly to the first capacitor for maximum current transfer. The filter caps are bypassed by a polypropylene cap to ensure a quiet PS and provide a better audio return path through the PS. The power supply is rated 420W @10A. The enclosure are steel and Al in a cool blue\grey and beige colour scheme. Silver based WBT solder is used throughout with thick copper hookup wire. The binding posts are extra heavy duty three-way, insulated and solid brass and RCAs solid copper, palladium and Teflon. Each monoblock has an EFI/RFI power filter, fused and a ferrite choke on a captive power cord. Thick rubber feet isolate the amps which can be stacked or used side-by-side. The amp is dead quiet and extremely detailed and transparent. Sounds stage is what you expect from monoblocks, wide and detailed. Distortion is better than 0.05% just below full power which is 150W into 8ohms and 300W into 4ohms. Bass is extended and articulate treble clean with sibilance well controlled. There is a warm feel to the whole musical presentation. The amp is not suitable for very low impedance speakers. ELECTRICAL DISCLAIMER This product has not been manufactured by a qualified individual or company, therefore contains electrical circuits that do not necessarily comply with Australian Standards. I understand that as the seller, I may be liable to repercussions in the event of equipment failure. By advertising and selling this product, as the seller I also agree that I am solely liable, and the publisher of this website takes no responsibility for any injury or death resulting from, whether directly or indirectly, any accident that may happen as a result of the failure of the product being sold. If in doubt, seek the services of a qualified electrician to inspect the product to ensure it is safe for use. Pictures:

Item: MFA 75B monoblocks Location: Blue mountains Price: 2000 Item Condition: i am the 2nd owner. the original owner purchased them new in the states in about 1990 - comparing them with the likes of the harman kardon citation 2. thats what he told me anyways. they have some worn writing on faceplate and the chassis sags a little under the weight of the transformers. this can all be seen in the accompanying photos. perform flawlessly Reason for selling: just too powerful for my current speakers (100 and 102 dB respectively). Payment Method: Cash, Paypal, COD , transfer etc Extra Info: MFA Systems M-75B monoblock amps (Moore-Frankland Associates), 75wpc, 1984-1989These are very nice sounding and exceptionally well built amps. They were designed by Bruce Moore (Bruce Moore Audio Designs) and Scott Frankland (Wavestream Kinetics). They use top quality parts and are hand built in the USA, using the point to point wiring method. They have unregulated power supplies (no current limiting) and run in class A up to 40 watts output, and class AB1 above that. These will ship with a set of excellent quality recently replaced (no more than 50 hrs) USA GE 6550 output tubes - two per amp. 6DJ8s are Brimars. They can also use KT88s, KT90s, and KT99s. The amps are rated at 75 watts per amp into 4,8, or 16 ohm loads. They use some of the biggest transformers of any amps in this power range and are extremely wide bandwidth (16-80khz). They sound lush and detailed but with plenty of sparkle in the highs and lots of authority and control in the bass. These are classic designs of top quality and are quite rare. The amps also have AC balance pots to fine tune them. please note the amps are 118V so a tortech stepdown transformer is included if needed pictures

Item: Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 Monoblocks (Pair) AND Wyred 4 Sound SX-500 Monoblocks (Pair) - both sets in black. Location: Canberra Price: SX-1000 Pair $2125.00, SX-500 Pair $1630.00 - plus postage and paypal, $20 donation to Stereonet per pair. Item Condition: Immaculate (see photos) Reason for selling: I'm playing - I'm very happy with my system but want to try something new. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Bank transfer. Extra Info: I am selling two sets of Wyred 4 Sound monoblock amplifiers, one set of SX-1000s, and one set of SX-500s. They sound essentially identical, but the SX-1000s are higher powered (570w into 8Ohms vs 250w into 8Ohms), so they will drive a more difficult speaker with greater headroom. Both are outstanding amplifiers, and while other amplifiers beat them in specific areas I haven't heard better all-rounders for less than $10k retail. The SX-1000 retail for $3k a pair in Australia, while the SX-500 retail for $2350 a pair in Australia. The SX-1000s have won The Absolute Sound's Editors Choice Award for four years running now, and the SX-500s are just as good. The amplifiers are in excellent condition and I have all the original packaging etc. I've included photos or one set of amplifiers, and not the others, but they look identical. There are a huge number of glowing reviews on the net - I'll let you find those on your own - but here is my own review (which is, I think, a little more realistic than some of the over-the-top reviews that can be found): Well, it hasn't been 300 hours yet (the suggested run in time for the amplifiers), but I think I can put some words down now. I'll get straight to the point: the Wyred 4 Sound Sx-1000 monoblocks are something special. They are effortlessly powerful, effortlessly controlled, and effortlessly detailed - 570 watts into 8 Ohms allows means that the amplifiers just NEVER sound strained. Yet despite the high power the SX-1000s are not hulking brutes. Unlike some high power (and high end) class A/AB amplifiers I've listened to, these class D amplifiers give an even-handed performance with no one aspect of the musical spectrum receiving undue attention or emphasis. Bass is powerful but not the overdone or mechanical; mids are astonishingly detailed but have a smoothness that prevents listener fatigue; and highs are full bodied, without unnatural hi-fi shimmer. Some reviewers have suggested that these amplifiers have a presentation towards the cold end of the musical spectrum. They don't. If anything, these amplifiers are a little warmer than neutral. Some reviewers have suggested that these amplifiers have world leading dynamics. They don't. They are dynamic enough to provide plenty of drama but they slightly soften leading edges, making them, ultimately, comfortable listening at any volume with any recording. If they excel with any type of music, it is with strings, particularly the lower registers of the cello and piano. Voices also sound amazing, and impressive detail through the upper mids provides an almost holographic sense of recording space. Speaking of space, the sound-stage is both wide and high, though not as deep as some amplifiers I've listened to. Instruments are precisely placed and have good stability, however a slight softening of the highs means that plucked strings sound more diffuse than they might. Many reviews have reported (with almost plagiaristic similarity) that the SX-1000s have an unbelievably low noise floor - comments about blacker than black backgrounds abound. I'm not sure what the technical details are here (and don't really care), but again, my experience goes against the received wisdom. The background is dark enough, very good for it's price class, but it is closer to charcoal than obsidian. What the SX-1000s are good at, is being very good at ALL things, not at being exceptional at SOME things. These amplifiers product mid to high-end sound, for a low to mid-end price. I haven't said anything about the physical aspects of the amplifiers yet (this is of secondary importance to me), but quickly: the SX-1000s are better looking (in black) than I was expecting, and very well made. By this I mean they are perfectly pleasant looking - rather than outright ugly - but if you want audio jewellery you should look elsewhere. All in all, these are great amplifiers for a great price, and they'll be staying in my system for a long time to come - or at least until I want to try something new. SX-1000 by 0lhh0, on Flickr W4S Amps Front by 0lhh0, on Flickr W4S Amps Back by 0lhh0, on Flickr

Item: VINCENT SPT-100 HYBRID TUBE MONO AMPLIFIERS Location: MELBOURNE Price: $1750 ONO FOR THE PAIR Item Condition: EXCELLENT Reason for selling:NO LONGER REQUIRED Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: ADDED SOME NEW PHOTOS Pictures: Home Audio Equipment Review March 2006 Vincent SP-T100 Mono Amplifiers by John Crossett Review Summary Sound "These hybrid amps add a very slight golden glow to any music I played through them. Was that addition unkind to the music? Hardly. It was actually very pleasant. Was it, strictly speaking, completely accurate? I doubt it." "Their purity of tone is seductive, especially with vocals." "The SP-T100s aren't small-sounding amps, despite their modest size. They filled my listening room with a big, bold impression of whatever was fed to them." Features "The 100W SP-T100s run in pure class A with zero negative feedback" and "use vacuum tubes in the input stage and for voltage rectification, and solid-state devices in the output stage." Use "The amps run warm, much warmer than most solid-state amplifiers I’ve used." "It took the full 150 hours of break-in time that Vincent recommended before the SP-T100s settled in and began to strut their stuff." Value "'Hybrid,' 'monoblock' and '$2495' are not often used it the same sentence." I’ve long considered German engineering and build quality to be among the best in the world. From cars to electric shavers to audio equipment, the Teutonic ability to design and build products that work above and beyond the call and last for years has set a benchmark by which all industries are judged. I’ve never been able to afford most of the German audio gear that has caught my eye; being well built and affordable has never been foremost in the plan. Until now. Vincent, a division of Thorens and a relative newcomer to high-end audio, has demonstrated that topflight German build quality, wonderful sound, and affordability are not mutually exclusive assets. How did they accomplish this feat? By keeping design in-house but farming out the actual building -- under close supervision, of course -- to China. Sure, many out there think that anything built by the Chinese is of lesser quality, but they’re dead-bang wrong. All it’ll take is one look at the audio gear being manufactured there to see just how proficient the Chinese have become. Vincent certainly has, and its line of audio products demonstrates this. The SP-T100 hybrid mono amplifiers I received for review certainly opened my ears to the possibilities. Nuts & bolts The $2495 USD SP-T100 hybrid monoblocks -- "hybrid" because they use vacuum tubes in the input stage and for voltage rectification, and solid-state devices in the output stage -- are unobtrusive boxes that measure a svelte 8 1/4"W x 7 3/4"H x 15 3/4"D and weigh in at 33 pounds each. "Hybrid," "monoblock" and "$2495" are not often used it the same sentence. The amps' 1/4"-thick faceplate (available in champagne gold, silver or black) is blemished by three tiny push buttons -- the larger middle one for power, the two smaller ones on each side for speaker selection. To the inside of the two speaker-selection buttons are small LEDs that glow green when the amp is powered up. The only other feature on the front panel is a large, round, retro-cool window through which you can get a glimpse of one of the tubes glowing radiantly. It’s my educated guess that this is the 6Z4 voltage-rectification tube. The remaining three 6N6s are clearly seen in the rear of the amp when looking down through the perforated top plate. Should the glow of this window bother you, there is a dimmer switch on the back of the amp that allows you to turn it down gradually or completely off. Nice touch. The circle-type transformers have a capacity of 40,000uF to supply lots of current to your speakers, allowing the amps to handle low-impedance loads with ease. This makes the SP-T100s usable with most any speaker. They certainly drove my Magnepan MG1.6/QRs with no audible problems. Speaking of the rear panel, it’s as simply laid out as the front. Centered in the middle is the gold-plated input jack. Below it is the dimmer switch, and under that is the standard three-prong IEC receptacle (a power cord is supplied, of course). On either side are the two sets of five-way speaker terminals for speakers A or B. I assume these are for biwiring, but why they are switched is a mystery not covered in the manual. The 100W SP-T100s run in pure class A with zero negative feedback. The top panel is loaded with slots to keep the tubes ventilated, and the amps have heat sinks that run their length from top to bottom on each side of the chassis. The amps run warm, much warmer than most solid-state amplifiers I’ve used. Make sure you have plenty of space above and to the sides to allow the amps to dissipate their heat. I set the two monoblock amps on the Symposium Ultra Platform that usually holds my single Bryston amp. This setup still allowed the amps to sit about 4" apart, so I wasn’t worried about any interference or heat issues. For the fun of it, I used speaker connection A for the left channel and B for the right channel. Also for fun, I kept the tube window fully lit, as I found the glow soothingly "old school." Sonics How does one go about the task of describing the sound of a component that should have none? A product whose job, theoretically, is to simply take the incoming signal and make it louder? In audio, things aren’t quite that simple. Everything -- everything -- has its own sonic signature. Take the Vincent SP-T100 amplifiers as a "for instance." How much did they affect the sound of the music? These hybrid amps add a very slight golden glow to any music I played through them. Was that addition unkind to the music? Hardly. It was actually very pleasant. Was it, strictly speaking, completely accurate? I doubt it. So what does that tell us? When you’re piecing together your audio setup system, synergy is an all-important fact of life. Associated Equipment Loudspeakers – Magnepan MG1.6/QR. Power amplifier – Bryston 4B SST. Preamplifier – Audio Research SP16. Digital – Marantz 8260 CD/SACD player. Analog – VPI HW19 Mk IV turntable, Butternut Audio-modified Rega RB300 tonearm, Clearaudio Aurum Beta S cartridge. Interconnects – Alpha Core Goertz TQ2, DH Labs BL-1, Harmonic Technology Pro Silway Mk II. Speaker cables – Alpha Core Goertz MI2. Power cords – Harmonic Technology Pro AC-11, LAT AC-2. Accessories – Target TT3 equipment rack; Symposium Ultra Platform and Svelte Shelf platforms; Symposium Precision Couplers, Roller Block Series II, Roller Block Jr., and Fat Padz footers; Monster Cable HTS 1000 power center. It took the full 150 hours of break-in time that Vincent recommended before the SP-T100s settled in and began to strut their stuff. During break-in, the amps added too much of that glow to the music. It was almost a haze, and it was a distraction. But, upon hitting that magic 150-hour total, something seemed to right the ship. One minute the Vincent amps were pleasant and inoffensive, and the next they morphed into amplifiers that offered a multitude of pleasing attributes. Once the amps were fully broken in, my initial impression of them was that they offer a vivid, three-dimensional view of the music. Their purity of tone is seductive, especially with vocals. I love Alison Krauss’s voice. It has an ethereal quality that, if reproduced correctly, just floats in the space between my speakers. Her rendition of "When I Say Nothing At All" from Now That I’ve Found You [Rounder SACD 11661-0325-6] is a case in point. This is a love song, and when Krauss unleashes that marvelous voice to sing it, it should touch the heart. Nay, it should almost bring a tear of joy to the eye of those happily married (or committed) audiophiles out there. The Vincent amps handled this very, very well. They set Krauss a bit more forward than I’m used to, but, thanks to those input tubes and the amps' class-A output, they imbued her with an angelic vocal quality that, in all honesty, touched me. However, the SP-T100s do add a bit too much muscle to the human voice. This can make some female vocals sound a tad too heavy and add a touch of chestiness to most male singers. The latter was welcome in some cases, however. The SP-T100s aren't small-sounding amps, despite their modest size. They filled my listening room with a big, bold impression of whatever was fed to them. Playing big-band jazz is not something that can be skimped on sonically if you want to cover the full dynamic spectrum. The SP-T100s, playing the new stereo SACD Gil Evan’s + 10 [Prestige PRSA-7120-6], demonstrated this in spades. The entire front of my room was suddenly turned into the recording studio. All the musicians were there, properly sized and placed, and when they let loose, whoa baby, it was "pin me to my chair" time. What I'm describing wasn’t just loudness for the sake of loudness, but it was dynamic and detailed. From the breath of the trumpet player to the snap of the drum sticks hitting the snare, all the detail I could want was there and woven into the tapestry of the music. The Gil Evans album put another strong point of the Vincent amps into high relief -- their ability to separate instrumental lines. Each of the musicians Evans used was set in his own space. Each played his own instrument, with no blurring of the line between, say, the tenor sax and the trombone. I found that I could follow whichever musician I chose to for as long as I liked. Tonal balance was another positive attribute of these amplifiers. Each instrument was clearly rendered for what it was. They demonstrated that sense of bloom that tubes do so well. I was very impressed. Something that I’ve come to seek in top-quality audio components is the ability to differentiate recordings -- something the SP-T100s do particularly well. Each album I played, whether I was wearing my reviewer's hat or just listening for the pleasure of it, was its own animal. A good recording was reproduced as such, and a poor one was exposed. The acoustic space on a live recording such as 4 Generations of Miles [Chesky SACD 243] was clearly different from that of a recorded-in-the-studio album such as Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue [Columbia SACD CS 64955], which is exactly what should happen. If it doesn’t, if a piece of equipment makes everything sound similar, I’d question the product's resolving power, and my long-term satisfaction with it. The Vincent amps had no such problem. The competition Stacked up against my reference Bryston 4B SST, the Vincent amps came off very well. Both amps cost within a few hundred dollars of each other -- the 4B SST retails for $2995. The Bryston amp has triple the power of the SP-T100s, at 300Wpc, but the Vincent amps are hybrid monoblocks, and they cost $500 less to boot. The greatest sonic difference between the Vincent and Bryston amps? Classical music was a real joy reproduced via the Vincent amps. The orchestra seemingly had a little bit of extra space between musicians. The Bryston amp came across as a bit leaner, more detailed, and sharper in focus. The Vincent amps, thanks to those input tubes, add a slight bit o' warmth to the proceedings, and that fleshes out images better. Bass depth was close, but because there’s no substitute for horsepower, the double-the-power Bryston amp went a bit deeper and with more control. That additional power also translates into a better sense of dynamic ease; the 4B SST goes from soft to loud with less apparent effort than the SP-T100s. Top-end performance was equally tight. While the Bryston amp sounded subjectively more extended, the Vincent amps offered a richer and fuller -- though slightly more subdued -- sound. In my system, the Vincent amps seemed to impose themselves on the music just a tad more than the Bryston amp. Maybe that’s those input tubes talking, or maybe the Audio Research SP16 preamp, along with the SP-T100s puts too many tubes in front of the music. Either way, the Vincent amps had the more apparent sonic signature, and probably strayed further from absolute neutrality because of it. End results If you’re the type of listener who buys strictly by country of build, then companies such as Vincent will forever remain a closed book to you. And that’ll be too bad. In this global economy, everything you buy is made of parts from the world over -- no matter where they're all finally put together. So, expanding your options can mean many things. In the case of audio, it can add up to both excellent sound as well as large savings, especially when Asian manufacturing is part of the mix. In the specific case of the Vincent SP-T100 hybrid monoblock amplifiers, globalization can mean owning gear that you may have felt was far beyond your means -- both sonically and fiscally. The ability to think globally will net you long-term satisfaction with these amps. You’ll end up with a pair of amplifiers that will bring years of enjoyable listening, and, no matter where you live, that's quite a lot. ...John Crossett johnc@soundstage.com . FOR SALE :

Dear Forum Members, Its nice to be here on this forum. I am an avid but technically challenged DIY-er from India. My interests and inspirations in DIY Audio are roughly indicated by the topic tags to this post. Looking forward eagerly to learning and sharing here. Warm Regards