Systemic Development > Bipolar System Disorders

A controversial post.....

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Rocket:
Hi Guys,

I'm testing the waters here at Audionervosa with this post.  During my time on Audiocircle i never really told the complete truth regarding different products as i never wanted to start a flame war or upset other members of the community.

A few years ago i built an aksa 100 nirvana plus amplifier from kit form.  I used the amplifier and it sounded very good in my system.  It wasn't the most transparent amplifier but it really had my foot tapping when i listened to my system.

I decided to sell it and went and bought a few different amplifiers and here are my thoughts on these amplifiers.

Ps Audio hca 2 - In its unmodded form this amplifier is a real stinker imo.  Please tell me why it received a class a stereophile rating?  I read many many professional and forum related reviews of this amplifier.  In total there was 1 negative review and this person was correct with the faults of the amplifier.  

I had to modify the amplifier to get it to sound good in my system.  Recently it was favourably compared to nuforce ref 9 se but obviously it wasn't quite as good  :) .

Odyssey Khartago - I bought a brand new amplifier from the australian distributor on the proviso if i didn't like it i could return it for a trade.  This amplifier just didn't sound any good in my system at all.  It lacked transparency which was my main concern and just didn't sound musical.  In my opinion i wouldn't have described it as an audiophile amplifier.  It didn't sound as good as my n.e.w. 20.1 ($750us rrp), aksa amplifier or modded ps audio hca - 2.

Spread Spectrum Technologies Son of Ampzilla.  This is an interesting amplifier imo.  It took me a long time to get used to its sound.  It provides transparency, excellent dynamics and bass in my system.  It isn't quite as transparent as my ps audio but sounds more enjoyable to listen to and is probably a bit more tubey sounding imo.  If i could fault this amplifier its probably not as exciting to listen to as my old aksa but is much more refined.

So after spending thousands of dollars of my hard earned money i finally found an amplifier i could live with.

The question i'm asking is as follows;  Why do so many people get these reviews wrong or am i not hearing something?  

Thanks

Rod

Carlman:
Rod,
I'm not sure... I cannot for the life me understand why 2 brands you mentioned above get the praise for sound quality that they do; Nuforce and Odyssey.  Both the Odyssey and Nuforce amps have their strengths but they aren't strengths I prefer in my system.  Specifically, the Odyssey sounds 'sterile' or 'unmusical' to me...  The Nuforce has strong bass and also didn't 'connect' with me musically.  To me, neither deserve the glowing reviews/fan base they have, though.  I can understand how good customer service can influence the 'psycho-acoustics' though and I've read many good stories of Odyssey's great CS.  

The HCA I don't understand... Could it be that they have bad QC?  Is the design at fault or the assembly and/or parts quality?  If the latter, I wonder if 2 HCA's would compare differently?

Not sure what the deal is... but what some people connect with vs. others that do not is the subjective nature of this hobby.  

Right now on Audionervosa, we have no manufacturers... Not one has a stake in Audionervosa or uses it for marketing.  I'd like Audionervosa to always be about the truth... Posting a bad review is OK here.  Maybe that's the right direction to take AN... the voice of truth! :)

I hope everyone feels free to talk about anything you want here. (other than debates on religion and politics)...

Thanks,
Carl

WEEZ:
Hi Rocket,

Opinions differ 'all over the place' over certain gear. Take the little Bryston B60, for example. Read the reviews @ AudioReview; read the professional reviews; read all the 'talk' on the forums; then go listen to one.

Depending on the speaker you match with it, you'll either agree with the positive reviews...or you'll agree with the negative ones. :)

I happen to think it's a great little amplifier with the right speaker. Maybe even the best sounding in Bryston's line (uh-oh). But don't use one with a highly damped speaker..... [-X

Read the thread about amplifiers and speakers in this 'ward' below....

WEEZ

opnly bafld:
I wish I could have experienced some of Odyssey's reputation for great CS, but in the end I am glad I took a bath on a pair of Khartago monoblocks because I ended up with some Monarchy Audio hybrid monoblocks.
IMO the Monarchy's have MUCH better synergy with MY speakers than the Odyssey's did in the short time I had them.

As far as reviewers are concerned, I have learned that some for me, no matter what they say about a product I am probably not going to believe it and there are others (very few) that if they say black is white I will probably believe it until I hear, with my own ears, otherwise.
IMO many of the glossy reviewers contradict themselves over time.
I read in review A that the product does not do this and that and reads as if they don't really like it, but it is highly recommended.
In review B to me it reads as if they really like it, but the conclusion is, it is OK.
BTW product A retails for $50,000 and product B retails for $5,000
These are all just my opinion and your opinion may be different and that is OK with me.

Lin
 :D

Bunky:
I own Odyssey extreme SE monoblocks which have been upgraded with the full warranty by Alex @ Odyssey with Nichicon Muse capacitors  and Fairchild hexfreds and wired internally with Groneberg TS premium cables and they are outstanding power Amplifiers as far as i am concerned. the standard plain vanilla Odyssey power amplifiers may not sound as good as some of the other gear out there but you cant really beat them at thier price point. if you are willing to buy Odyssey Amplifiers higher up the ladder of options you will be rewarded with much better performance. the Candela tube linestage is a great piece of gear that costs alot less than it should based on its sonics,build and parts Quality. i own a BAT VK 3i and a Anthem pre1L and my Candela tube linestage is a much better preamplifier than either the VK 3i or the Pre1L. the Candela uses parts by Sonicap,Vishay,Fairchild etc..... i also own a pair of Odyssey Lorelei's that use Scanpeak 8545 midwoofers and 9500 silk dome tweeters and a world class crossover from Symphonic Line in Germany. the Lorelei's retail for a modest $2800 dollars and are very good loudspeakers for the money. Klaus Bunge is a good business man and a even better human being and he offers entry level gear at modest prices for those who are just testing the waters or cant afford higher priced gear but he also offers options that can take a basic building block to a much higher level of performance.i respect everyones opinions but i am just pointing out that every coin has two sides to it. thanks....WCW III  :wink:

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