DAZA

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $180.00 from eBay

Summary:
Having recently getting a case of the upgrade bug I decided to upgrade my amp. The Arcam I used buzzed through a ps2 or gamecube because they were not grounded and because it takes they daft camcon plugs so I saw this amp as a bargain. As soon as I got the amp I removed the top cover to reveal two huge aluminuim heatsinks per channel also I noticed two LEDs (one per channel) to let you know if the channels are in working order .This amp is also quite heavy weighing in at 10.5kg and its big (hxwxd)it measured 150mmx430xmmx420mm .This amp is quality from start to finish from the smooth operating volume control to the quality input selector or the smooth opening panel covering up most of the controls to the remote being able to function a sony amp , tuner , cd & 2 tape decks .The sound from this amp is great it don't matter what music you like or play this amp likes every kind of music from Norah Jones to Motorhead this amp can go from very quiet , almost unhearable to pin you to the wall volumes in an instant. The best thing about this amp is the soundstage it is so clear and detailed even through the headphone socket my sennheiser and beyer dynamic headphones sounded better than ever .This amp's real talent is how amazingly it can reproduce instruments aspecially the piano and double bass also the way in which this amp produces the human voice is just superb. I just can't describe with words how amazing this amp really is , if you ever have the chance to hear or buy this amp I urge you to.This amp is just to good for it's £280 price tag (i used sony tafb-940r) I paid £100

Strengths:
Instrument reproduction and voices also the amazing depth of the sound stage.

Weaknesses:
No IEC socket as standard but I added one to my amp.

Similar Products Used:
Arcam Alpha1 , Cambridge Audio A1 MK3 & Cyrus 1

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Sydney - Hifi store

Summary:
I have a typical DD 5.1 home theatre setup, but listening to music is awful. I was looking for a clean sounding 2 channel budject amp. Sony gear are reliable and value for money imho. If price was not an issue would have gone for Parasound preamp/amp combo. I compared Rotel, Harmon Kardon and found the TAF-B940R more neutral. I think it really would matter on the speakers you run. At the moment have sony SSB-40ES bookshelf speakers which sound good, but there is loss of detail in the midrange. My future plans are to upgrade the main speakers to Dynaudio, which are very good with detail. I find this amps S/N ratio much better because of relay input switching against cmos ckts. The torriodal power supply and large solid heat sinks are good. I hope to bi-wire with my future speakers which would help with cleaner sound. My current setup is a Marantz CD player single tray and has a fairly clean output. Sony SS-B40ES bookshelf acoustically sealed (German made) . Sound wise have run stanley clarke - If only the Bass could talk. The Bass is clean and tight, not sounding boomy. The highs are nice, but could be better with a good speaker. I have listened to Bose cubes setup. This setup beats them hands down. I have auditioned them together at the hifi -shop there is no comparison. Have listened to similar spec NAD integrated and both were close Lastly in this price range US $400 this is a very good spec amp and worth a buy.

Strengths:
solid built, Mosfet transistors providing crisp and clear sound. Relay switching, Biwiring option and Direct source

Weaknesses:
No preamp output, congested inputs, No impedance switch .Subsonic and loudness button - worthless in my opinion - perhaps useful for some Rap and techno lovers. With a bad speaker may sound bright and forward.

Price Paid:  $180.00 from Richer Sounds UK

Summary:
I use this intergrated amplifier with KEF Q1's + QED Profile 4x4, and have come to find the sound is pretty horrible. Bass is lazy, lumpy, and not particularly controlled, treble is bright and harsh at high volumes, and midrange is trapped in the speakers somewhere trying to fight it's way out. It seems to deal with all music with that same sound. There is no real attack, or excitement, and crumbles under the pressure of tricky electronica, dance and rock music. The presentation of the amplifier worked better with Tannoy's laid back M3's, but though the presentation was more listenable, it's lack of the ability to play music properly is still apparent. I would not recommend this amplifier to anyone unless it was to be used with unrevealing budget speakers, and well rounded "musical" sources. Even if this was the case, I would still advise to look at other amplifiers in the same price range before trying this one.

Strengths:
It does a better job than less expensive amplifiers when partnered with the right equipment......

Weaknesses:
.....but then again maybe not. If you have to have one, stick to small scale music at low volumes.

Similar Products Used:
Rotel RA-931, Cambridge Audio A5, Arcam Alpha One, Denon PMA-250SE, Arcam Alpha 9 + 9P, Marantz PM-17 KI-Sig

Price Paid:  $295.00 from Fona Copenhagen

Summary:
I bought this to replace my old technics Amp from the 80''s, that just couldn''t go on anymore. I was looking for a good looking, no-nonsense, clean sounding amp with a reasonable pricetag, and the Sony was an okay choice. It sounds nice and neutral, but it isn''t very revealing. It tends to miss the smallest details. This can be a good thing if there are weak links in your system, but I found it to be a shame, as you won''t get the last little something when you upgrade beyond the Sony''s pricerange. The amp looks great(IMHO), feels very sturdy and the layout and design are very functional and userfriendly compared to other amps at this price range. The volume control is smooth (and motoroperated when using the remote) the Volume and Channel Selector knobs are big and sturdy and I really love the fact that it has a "Direct Source" button. The back of the amplifier is a bit cramped though, and the screw-operated speaker terminals are extremely poor if you have to use a thicker speaker cable (like my Phase 3) than the ordinary 1$ per meter one. Another strong point is that is has a built in RIAA amplifier, so you are able to use your old (or new) recordplayer without having to buy a seperate RIAA. The remote control is very simple and has everything you need, including basic function of other Sony parts, such as MD, CD and so on. So in order to sum things up: Very clean smooth amp that is a good buy if you like the looks, great for the casual listener. Although in hindsight I would have bought the NAD if I had known of it''s existence back then. My system: Rotel RC 970BX Preamp Rotel RB 970BX Power amp Sansui FR-3060 Recordplayer NAD PP-1 RIAA Amplifier Sony CD Player Sony MD Player B&W DM 602 S3 Speakers Phase 3 & Tara Labs Nexa Speaker Cables (biwired) IXOS and Tara Labs Interconnects

Strengths:
Solid "tank" feel, good clean sound (neither harsh nor booming), great userfriendly layout, "Direct Source" button, motoroperated volume control, metal front and a built-in RIAA

Weaknesses:
Horrible speaker cable terminals!, tends to cover up the small details, almost impossible to connect from the front (cramped rear panel)

Similar Products Used:
NAD C320, Rotel RC/RB 970BX, Older Class A Technics, and various integrated amps from Pioneer, Kenwood etc.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Comet

Summary:
Bought to please my wife - a matching hi-fi in the living room at last. Works well with the CDP-XB940 which I also got on clearance. This does not go loud without falling apart and has poor bass focus, but it also has detail and ambience without sounding annoying. For this price I give it 5 but think I'll need a better ES range amplifier soon to fix the bass.

Strengths:
Good control/protection system - source direct button. Very good ambience and high frequency production.

Weaknesses:
Unfocussed deep bass - bright sound balance

Similar Products Used:
Audiolab 8000A (not really in this league)