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RE: I just have to point out one more thing

Hi TRE.

Merry Christmas to you and yours if I don't get back on here before that.

I decided to do a little Christmas shopping/dreaming, visit a few amps that I like to listen to-- see how their gain structures turned out.

Here's a sweet little 100-watter that I thought a lot of at RMAF-- DarTZeel NHB-108 model one-- Looks like it has 100 watts @ 8 ohms, 26 db gain.

Boulder amps turn me on-- here's the model 1050-- 500 watts @ 8 ohms, 26 db gain. Then, Boulder has the model 1060, that one is 300 watts @ 8 ohms, the same 26 db gain........ OK....

There's Nelson Pass (Labs). The XS 150 is 150 watts @ 8 ohms, 26 db gain. The XS 300-- 300 watts @ 8 ohms is still 26 db gain.

Bryston has the 2.5BSST2-- 135 watts @ 8 ohms. You can choose 23 or 29 db gain-- dealer's choice. Bryston's 14BSST-PRO has 600 watts @ 8 ohms. Again, 23 or 29 db. You choose....

Spectral's DMA-360 and 400 have 300 watts and 350 watts respectively @ 8 ohms, they say 1.5 volts in, and output is "nominal". I suspect they don't get into DB Wars.....

McIntosh weighs in at 600 watts @ 8 ohms with their MC601. It has dynamic headroom of 1.8 db. That's it. Want to argue.... I don't think they would be interested....

MBL says nothing on this subject, neither does AYON-- that I could find. Their big one sounded good driving the big SONY speakers at RMAF.

We all have different reasons for the gain structures in our amps. With me, it's the idea of having a source component that puts out 3 to 7 volts drive right into a passive attenuator into an amp that has 18-20 DB gain structure.

The "Get Better Sound" guy also likes that range-- maybe thinks it's the best. I agree and neither of us coached the other.. We're not trying to run high power amps into high-eff. speakers, or trying to match-up to older gain structure preamps, although the really great ones will work quite well into a 18 db gain amplifier, we just love lively dynamics and great detailing, low interconnect losses---- playing all the musical instruments intact. And simpler amps too!

Merry Christmas, and my best to you.

---Dennis---

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Edits: 12/16/14 12/16/14 12/16/14

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