Price Paid:  $0.00 from e-bay

Summary:
I bought this partly on a whim as the various amps (Sugden A21a, Audiolab 8000s, Pioneer A400, Naim 5i) I already used didn't seem able to do full justice to the PMC FB1+ speakers I was using above medium volumes.

This amp delivers; it has revealed details I had never before heard of instruments' timbral qualities, playing and studio techniques, placement in the mix, cymbal decay, dynamics, etc etc etc. It does this without losing the wholeness of the music .

What has amazed me most is how this amp reveals variations in presentation and sound reflecting how the music being played has been recorded. It can rock out, be sensual; bombastic and all ponts between. However I have yet to hear it sounding shrill even on CDs where other amps sounded like they were sometimes struggling to resolve sometimes toppy sounds.

I can understand that people looking for musical thrills may find the amp's lack of indiviual character a let down, though for me it enables me to hear something closer to what was originally recorded than other amps I have used which have tended to impose a character on recordings. In a word transparent.

Finally it is very powerful, it has never sounded even slightly strained though as yet I have not needed to turn the volume control beyond 11 o-clock.

Strengths:
Transparency
Neither adds nor subtracts from the recording.
Build quality

Weaknesses:
Personally I would prefer more understated looks & a smaller sized body

Similar Products Used:
I have only used substantially cheaper amps including: Cyrus One, Sugden A21a, Naim 5i, Pioneer A400, AR Cambridge A60, Onix OA21s; not really fair to compare the M3 with these as new it cost at least 3 times as much.

Price Paid:  $2100.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I have owned many amps over the years, but this one has me baffled. In auditioning at least five other amps in my present system, I heard pretty much what reviewers reported; I found them each engaging in their own way. Except this amp. I simply could not get enthused. It was way too laid back, uninspiring, and smooth. It was "mailed in perfection," the way some Class D amps sound (although it is not as transparent as a good Class D amp, which I also auditioned, so it doesn't even have that price/performance category nailed). Non-fatiguing? So is my radio! Transient attack was absolutely MIA in the mid to upper treble, leading to a boring, sterile sound without emotional engagement whatsoever, as good as the soundstage, etc. was.

I sold it on Audiogon to a guy who immediately reported the same conclusions to me (without my input). Basically, pretty, but boring. He had the wherewithal to be able to try different cabling, and he is reporting good results. But for me, something at this price level should be more neutral, and shouldn't require huge investments in cabling. New jumpers and umbilicals for this amp will cost you about another grand. I suppose if it leads to audio nirvana, it isn't so bad - the fellow at Revelation Audio says his umbilicals will transform the amp, and he has a 30 day return policy. He also indicated my observations about the amp were, give or take, his own. As did Frank at Signal Cable. In the end, I decided not to take the leap.

For this kind of money on the used market, you can buy a nice Melos 200 amp and Audible Illusions L1, or a Marsh 400 and Perreaux preamp (both of which combinations I've had before) and I'm sure there are others - and have, in my opinion, a much better result, both technically and emotionally. Frankly, I much prefer my blue collar NAD 372 to this thing, although, of course, it is not as refined. But it has pace, guts, tonal richness and good lead transients, and can make me dance or cry. The only thing the M3 made we want to do was turn on the TV.

I am simply reporting what I heard in my system. I was surprised to hear similar comments after my purchase, as outlined above; I think Fremer was very gentle in his review of this amp. I wish those who love it all the best, but I would never recommend this amp to anyone unless they had a the money and time to buy and futz with cables. I have to say I was disappointed. I am not writing to trash others opinions of the amp. I am simply reporting what I heard in my system.

Strengths:
Soundstage, depth of field, midband and bass accuracy, details, vocal presence on good material, uncongested presentation of larger pieces.

Weaknesses:
The Fremer "Bubble" in the treble glossed any meaningful grit in leading transients of violin strings, acoustic guitar strings, saxaphone "growl"; drum "thwack" bass viol lead plucking, etc. The bass was well defined, but a bit slow and not quite as full as I'm used to in either tube or solid state amps. Lack of "jump factor" and lack of microdynamic modulation (perhaps caused by the treble problem) similar to Class D imperfections in the same area. Sensitive to cabling. Cheap remote.

Similar Products Used:
See above, plus transcendant audio, atma-sphere, parasound, adcom, Onix, Red Wine Sig 30, others

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Stojic HiFi, Austria

Summary:
In comparision to my former used AVM A2 it was the power and the richer details.
Ad Power: its simply an experience, when you listen to a passage, where suddenly there is a little bit more power needed, its simply there.
And although there is power, theres no lack in drawing the fine details.

A bit about the rumours about the tubes: MF doesnt own them all. they are out of production, but there is lots of these 6CW4 around.

Strengths:
Authority

Weaknesses:
nothing

Similar Products Used:
Denon 1500 (years ago)
AVM A2 Evolution (was replaced by the M3)

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from HiFi Stojic

Summary:
Sure, it`s the first week with this item I ought second- hand.
It showed the AVM A2, what music is.
Simply the souverenity overall, the possibility to play "Superbass" by Ray Brown AND to hear the violent kicks was new.
Sure, the AVM is good for its price.
So the Musical Fidelity is better.

A little hint for all might be customers in future: The Tubes 6CW4 is still available and not so exclusive, Mr. Michelson wants us to tell.
But no worry, the originals still working, and for my good sleep, 2 sets of 4 pieces are on their way to my private stock.

I´m listening Ellington, Patricia Barber, Mingus, etc etc etc

Strengths:
Your are simply in it. Stage is great. A voice (were the most ingeneers put them) is now really in the middle, nailed.

Weaknesses:
Simply stupid oversized speaker- terminals.

Similar Products Used:
AVM A2
Denon 1500

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from Huddersfield hifi

Summary:
This is a big amp with a big soud. At first I was quite dissapointed with the sound considering the price. Untill i replaced the amp jumpers with Kimber Cristal Ag, the 5 pole PSU cable with RevelationAudioLabs cable and replaced the 3 pole PSU cables with Russ Andrews Reference power cords.
Now the M3 sounds fantastic, so smooth and sublime in the mid range, the bass is deep tunfull and very powerfull. Also the sterio image is much more presice and so wide it almost wraps around the room. The ambient delicasy in the trebble is so sweet now that It now truly sounds like the high end amp that it should do.

Strengths:
Power and Poise

Weaknesses:
The supplyed cables

Similar Products Used:
Myryad mcd 600 cd player
Linn Keilidh speakers

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