Price Paid:  $1195.00 from The Audio Alternative

Summary:
This is a musically satisfying product that plays convincing music at low and medium volume. It is transparent and dynamic, especially with microdynamics. It never sounds hard or annoying and it has worked with absolute reliability; the amp hasn't a specific character, but rather just "passes music." The build is basically solid and high quality, though it is not over-built. The steel case is a step up from the flimsy mid-fi amps I've seen and owned, being solid and free of vibration upon tapping. The surface-mound circuit bourd is of high quality and should last for years. The metal RCA jumpers between pre-amp and power-amp sections bug me a bit, but I still like this amp. This is an excellent small apartment music amp that plays everything very well musically, though it will reveal poor recording and mixing; the Vandersteen 1C's I have mated this amp with keep poor recordings from sounding annoying despite being musically transparent speakers, and I can play rock convincingly through these speakers with this amp though not real loud. This amp will satisfy music lovers who need a good small room music amp that plays everything musically. I have no complaints after owning this excellent product for over a year now. I also own a Rotel RCD-971 (no complaints here either), use Linn Analogue interconnects and four meter lengths of Linn K20 cable with excellent Audioquest "soft metal" gold plated connectors. This amp is worth auditioning.

Strengths:
Musical

Weaknesses:
Low powered

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