This review is for the Bob Latino built Dynaco ST120.
This amp is the real deal. Delivering the sound and performance of amps costing 4 times as much. The sound stage is never ending with a solid 3D imaging. I can just sit back and pick out each person and instrument on the stage. With every system and amp combo that I have used up until this one, I have always used a sub. From the moment I powered this amp up, it was very clear that I was no longer going to need a sub anymore.
The bass is very deep, powerful and TIGHT. Not a slight bit of boomyness of flabyness. This amp easily beats out the Adcom GFA 545II(fully restored and upgraded) in every way and hangs right in there with my GFA555II in terms of power output but kills it in the sound quality dept.
I ran the ST120 head to head with my dad's fully restored MC240. Me, my friend and my dad all agreed that the ST120, hands down, had a tone more head room, better bass and a much more open and dynamic sound.
The ST120 even bested the MC240 in all areas while in triode mode.
This amp is all balls in the power arena with the sound quality of the gods. It powers my Kappa 6.1's to house shacking levels while never loosing any warmth and imaging.

If you want to experience the hi-end sound and performance of the big name brand amps, well this is the only amp to choose. You will NOT find a new amp near the cost of the ST120 that will come with in a mile of the ST120's performance. At 3 times the cost, maybe but I dont think so.

What can I say? This is hands down the best amplifier ever made! The cool part is that if you want, you can even build it yourself(highly rewarding).

It is available on Ebay, Audiogon and a few other places, but no matter where you buy it, it comes from Bob Latino who hammered out the design and tweaked it to perfection.

By default this amplifier comes as a kit with really easy to follow instructions, but if you absolutely cannot see yourself cutting wires and soldering, Bob can expertly assemble it for you for a little more. In all reality, even if you pay extra to get it assembled, get all of the upgrades(highly recommended), and purchase the best tubes(Genelex Gold Lion Reissue KT-88's and Mullard NOS preamp tubes) you would have to pay at least 5 times as much to get even close to the same quality in another brand. Another thing that Bob doesn't say enough about, and he should, is the fact that every part is made in the USA. Every part. Everything from the transformers which he has custom wound right down to the variable resistors. A lot of people have a lot of opinions about the quality of products made in the USA, but I'm telling you, when it comes to high end audio, made in the USA still beats everything else.

OK, so how exactly does this amplifier sound? It sounds really great! I have been through at least a dozen amplifiers(solid state and tube) and no other can even come close to this one. If you define the perfect amplifier as having the ability to make any music sound exactly the way it was designed to sound, this amplifier is as close to perfect as you could ever hope to find. The thing that strikes me as unique about this amplifier is that it has no weaknesses. If you play Metallica, it sounds harsh and angry, Enya, smooth and full, 80's music, bright with that certain 80's bounce. It is able to sound like whatever the music needs it to sound like. I'm not sure that there are any rap fans that own tube amplifiers, but if there are, this amp "bumps" harder than most solid state amplifiers............. and that's with a tube rectifier!

I could' describe the build and sound quality until I was blue in the face and still would not know what you are missing until you see and hear it for yourself. Just get one! You what soon ditch whatever you were using before without a second thought.