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In Reply to: RE: Sony 3100 posted by Prisoners on April 05, 2015 at 06:50:49
Hey Prisoners,
How do you like the Sony amp? Can you compare it to other amps you may have used (or heard) in the past.
Thanks
Follow Ups:
I bought the Sony amp TA-1ES on their 30 Day trial offer and despite the IMO false magazine rave reviews it sounds very artificial ,.I returned it for a full carriage paid refund. I am a Sony fan and for the past 6 years have and still use the excellent Sony combo Str-DA5400ES AVR (UK version with HATS) & the XA5400ES SACD/CD player. This latest Sony amp has several defects, the heat sinks are too small and it runs too hot,the pre can not be separated from the power amp so it will not be suitable for use in a HT or surround setup, as always you must try before you buy and ignore all magazine reviews.
Mine doesn't run hot and the lack of pre-outs is not a defect,just a feature that isn't there. I wouldn't describe it as "artificial" but I'm not claiming it's the last word in amplification either. IMO it's an amazing integrated amplifier in it's price class that would probably cost twice as much if anyone other than Sony made it. Frankly I don't see how they are making anything on this or the companion HAP-Z1ES that also sells for $2k. The two work very well together especially when using XLR cables.
Every amplifier (separates or integrated) that I thought outperformed the Sony by a real difference cost a lot more. Products from Hegel and Rogue that I took home were no doubt better sounding but only after reaching the $7-8K mark. Those that I listened to in the Sony's price range did not equal it. Bottom line is I'm very happy with this system and it's relative affordability.
I compared it to a few of the better amps that I've either owned or took home for a couple of weeks. I've owned plenty of others that weren't in the same league such as Yamaha, Integra, Adcom, and B&K.
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