"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
.. .

"Keith G" wrote


Arcam? No idea - I've just bought a brand new Denon PMA-655R amp in my
'SS revisited' quest for best sound from the smaller of the Firewood
Horns!! (Bloody SS seems to grip the smaller, less sensitive drive units
better!!) I am under the impresion that it's an OK amp with a
particularly good Phono Stage - anyone care to confirm or shoot that
down?

**Personally, I would spend the same Bucks (Squid) on a Rotel, as your
Denon fairly 'screams' in the HF. IOW: It's just another Asian amp, with a
pretty face. Now, if you'd dropped a few more Squid for the PMA1500AE,
then THAT is a whole 'nuther cricket match. It is a very bloody good amp,
with an excellent phono stage. And I'm here to tell you that I am not a
lover of MOSFET amps, but the PMA1500AE is pretty damned good. As usual,
with all the recent generation Denon tuners, it's matching partner is an
absolute gem. In fact, the new Denon tuners make some of the old stalwarts
(Yamaha T2, Tandberg, et al) sound pretty damned ordinary. And they don't
cost the Earth either.

So, in short, you should have spent a few more Squid for something really
nice, instead of another (ho-hum) Asian amp.



OK Trevor, thanks for that - most interesing, but 'few more'..? Bugger, the
1500AE is over *double* what I paid for the 655!!

My curiosity here was to compare the Denon with the Argos POS I have been
using (having compared CDPs) and I have reduced this stack:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/cdpcompare.JPG

To this:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/denonstack.JPG

(See how the 'spares' are created!!?? :-)

And I tell you summat - listening askance, with my back turned and eyes shut
at midnight on a foggy day and somebody else working the throttle, I
couldn't tell 'em apart!! The '30W' Argos amp weighs 5.3 kg and costs 60
quid, the '50W' Denon weighs 7.0 kg and costs 250 quid (list)!! (Where do
they get these bloody power output figures from? - I got an 8 watt 300B SET
that will blow *both* of them into the weeds!!)

Go figure (as they say)...!!

(OK, The Denon sits at 50% volume while the Argos amp is at 90% into the
stubborn little horns....)

Incidentally, I can see why SS users might not like horns - there is a
tendancy to a little 'honkiness' with them that you don't get with
valves...??!! But, contrary to what one or two here would have you believe,
us 'valvies' are not so bigotted - I love these amps and for a few weeks in
every year, it's nice to run an SS amp and soft top car!! (Well, the days of
me having a nice little soft top in the barn are long gone, but I can still
afford an SS amp or two!! :-)

Here's my last bit of Show N Tell for the day - the kid (my oldest) in this
car is 30 now!!

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/softtop.JPG

Now back to earth with a bump - I gotta go and make a start on the fascia
boards and guttering now!! :-(

(If I don't play the 'Decrepit Old Fart' card and we get someone in.....!!
;-)