The $ensible Choice List: Amplifiers.

As I have written many times before, amplifiers sound largely the same. I base this claim upon my personal experience of many years and upon documented double-blind testing performed by others under carefully controlled conditions. Even when I have seemed to note subtle difference among amps, there are two mitigating factors that quickly come to mind: I have not performed rigorous double-blind, level matched testing (note that two amplifiers can sound different simply because of slight level differences between channels -- yes, these two amps might well sound different, but the difference is readily explained, not the result of circuit mumbo-jumbo), and even on those infrequent occasions where I thought I might have been able to detect a difference, the difference was of such a subtle nature that it made absolutely no difference in musical performance (and note that Tom Nousaine has shown that when audiophiles are confronted with a "comparison" of the same amplifier -- as in an ABX session where no actual switching takes place even though the selector knob is turned -- audiophiles have a tendency to report differences in sound quality).

Once you get past the too-prevalent audiophile mythology, you'll find that the most significant differences among amplifiers are in matters of power output, not in sound quality, and the reader should be more concerned that he or she purchase an amplifier with sufficient power reserves rather than be concerned about the fatuous claims of ad copy writers/audio reviewers. For some people, however, "intangibles" are important: appearance, feel, finish, construction quality, etc., so an amplifier purchase decision is often more than just a consideration of sheer watts per dollar. When it comes to choosing an integrated amplifier, personal preferences in terms of control layout, flexibility, and functionality will come to the fore.

There are still folks who swear by tube amplifiers. These amplifiers really can sound different, largely because their frequency response tends to deviate from flat with different speaker loads, but by and large, the differences are probably not worth getting excited about -- speaker placement in the room will affect the sound much more than will switching from a transistor to a tube amplifier. Although my general advice for most folks is to avoid tube designs, I have included a few tube amplifier recommendations below for those who simply must have tubes. Like transistors, tubes can play music.

Listed below are a number of amplifier models in ascending order of price. Price is given in parentheses, then there is an indication of when the amplifier was reviewed, and by whom, followed by a brief discussion of the unit's performance.

Final choices were made by and the brief comments were written by the editor, and he is the one who will shoulder the blame for any glaring sins of omission. In general, it is harder to buy a bad amplifier than it is to buy a bad speaker, so there is less cause for anxiety. And note that the amplifiers presented below are representative of units that we have actually reviewed. There are many fine amplifiers on the market that are not on the list.

Parasound ZAMP ($249) Reviewed in #70 by KWN. A small-but-potent 30 wpc amplifier that can be used in zone amplifier applications or in locations such a dorm room where space is a key consideration.

Arcam Alpha One integrated amplifier ($399). A slightly scaled down version of the Alpha 7 reviewed in #74 by KMD. For systems requiring neither remote control nor much power, a nice little integrated amplifier with a British pedigree.

Adcom GFA-5300 ($400) Reviewed in #64 by KE. 80 watts per channel. A great way to get into separates.

AVA Super 70i factory rebuild ($399 to rebuild your Dyna ST-70, also available as a kit for $199) Many folks have an old ST-70 lying around the house. AVA offers an eminently sensible rebuild of the unit that makes it into a reliable, good sounding tube amplifier that should provide years of trouble-free operation.

Parasound HCA-750 ($429) Its immediate ancestor, the HCA-600, was reviewed in #63 by KE. If 75 watts per side is sufficient for you, this is a great little amplifier.

NAD 214 ($449) Reviewed in #59 by TL. An 80 wpc amplifier with plenty of reserve power for musical peaks.

Arcam Alpha 7R integrated amplifier ($549). Latest version of the Arcam Alpha 7, reviewed in #74 by KMD. The 7R adds remote control capability and slightly more power to this elegant little British integrated.

Parasound HCA-1000A ($595) Reviewed in #70 by JTF. A nice 135 wpc unit for those who need a little more power than offered by the amplifiers listed above.

Marantz MA500 ($299 monoblock) Reviewed by KWN in #61. This compact 125 watt mono amplifier offers good musical performance and excellent flexibility for multichannel systems.

NAD 317 integrated amplifier ($749) Reviewed in #74 by KMD. An 80-wpc integrated amplifier with remote control capability and plenty of reserve for musical peaks. As an added feature, the unit can be bridged to mono (240 watts) and combined with a bridged NAD 214 power amplifier to form a 240-wpc integrated amplifier for power-hungry installations.

Golden Tube Audio SE-40 ($980) Reviewed by SGB and KWN in #60. Shy in power and lacking in control in the lowest bass, but a reasonable value for those who insist upon tubes.

Parasound HCA-1500a ($995) Reviewed in #70 by TL. A 205 wpc amplifier that can play with any of the big boys. All the power most folks will ever need, and impeccable sound quality.

Rotel RB-991 ($999) Reviewed in #74. A 200 wpc amplifier that could sell for a lot more if it had a high-end faceplate and name to go with its state-of-the-art circuit design. The choice between this and the Parasound comes down to styling, not performance.

Linn Majik-1 integrated amplifier ($1,095; $1,195 with phono stage) Reviewed in #63 by TM. Although rated at a mere 33 wpc, this handsome little integrated amp from Scotland offers sophisticated styling and control features to go along with its excellent sonic performance. Can be upgraded to a receiver -- albeit an awfully expensive one -- with the addition of an add-in tuner card (the Kudos, $1,150). This is a product, like most Linn products, that is not necessarily a good value in terms of actual sonic performance, but which offers high perceived value, which is genuinely important to many audiophiles.

AVA Omega III 440hc ($1,395) Reviewed in #56 by BWV and KWN. Those who think big (220 wpc) high-current transistor designs necessarily sound hard or zippy need to give this amplifier a listen. Very clean but very extended.

Rogue Audio Eighty-Eight ($1,395) Reviewed in #70 by TL. This 70 wpc tube amplifier features styling that is refreshingly different.

Bryston B60 integrated amp ($1,795; $1,495 w/o remote volume option) Reviewed in #70 by JTF. For those who do not need a lot of power, this 60 wpc integrated amplifier offers good performance and a 20-year warranty.

AVA Fet-Valve 550hc ($1,799) Reviewed by KWN in #65. Similar in construction to the 440hc listed above, but with a different voltage amp featuring 12AT7 vacuum tubes combined with FETs driving a MOSFET output stage capable of 270 wpc. For those who think there might be something to tubes but who want a powerful, low-impedance solid-state output stage, this hybrid design may be the perfect answer.

Sunfire Amplifier ($2,175) Reviewed in #54 and #56 by JMC and BWV. Bob Carver's innovative approach to power-supply/audio circuitry interaction gives this amp the ability to put out huge amounts of power into low-impedance loads. An eminently appropriate amplifier for power-hungry speakers and speakerettes.

Yamaha DSP-A1 ($2,600) Reviewed in #72 by HF. (Its evolutionary predecessor, the DSP-A3090, was reviewed in #65 by HF). The Yamaha is actually an integrated amplifier -- and quite an integrated amplifier at that, with five channels of 110 watts and two effects channels of 35 watts each. All this power is directed by a processor offering 42 possible programs, including Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic, and some proprietary Yamaha spatial processing. With provisions for connecting up to three subwoofers, the DSP-A1 may be the ultimate multichannel audio/video surround-sound toy available at anywhere near an affordable price.

Sunfire Signature ($2,995) Reviewed in #70 by JMC. You want power -- you got it! Six hundred watts per channel into eight ohms, and it just keeps doubling its output as load impedance halves. Probably more power than most listeners will ever need, but for those who gotta have it, the Sunfire Signature definitely brings it.