Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[southall-1998]

Very nice looking amp, Jerry.

How much does it weigh?

S.

[jandl100]

Yes, a proper looking power amp, Shane. - 13.6 Kg according to the Knob - it's weighty but not massive. Easy to lug around.

[struth]

A nice looking amp that Jerry. Must be good to elbow out all the others, esp the Crown that you liked so much. They get good reps. On of these days your gonna find the mother amp and that'll be it

[jandl100]

The mother amp - like the mother load!

Hmm not sure about that, Grant.

But I guess I have the mother speakers (for me, anyway) so you might be right - but I doubt I'd be willing to spend the dosh to achieve that end.
One Big Mutha MBL amp ..... oooooo .... not that I've ever heard one in my own system.

If I could combine the astonishing midrange focus of the Tellurium Q Claymore (but without its tizzy topend), with the power and authority of the Parasound A21 (but with more rez and less smoothness), and the awesome bass definition and control of the Krell 250a .... then maybe .... I would still swap it out after a while

[jandl100]

This following post from Marco on another thread seems relevant to my ongoing system saga, so I transfer it here for convenience ...

Btw, have you ever tried an amp (or amps) at a similar price point to your MBLs, i.e. giving them some 'quality watts', more in keeping with their calibre, thus reducing your system's 'mullet status'?

For me, with the amps you've been using, unless I've missed something suitably high-end you've had, you're unlikely to have heard what those MBLs are truly capable of.......... It's not ALL about the speakers, you know!!

Marco.

Ah, mullet system - dear ol' Mark (YNWAN) - we're buddies now, btw.
It would be really good if Mark could come visit at Jerry Towers so he could hear for himself the rather fine sound that is achieved. But alas he is embedded in the Northern Wilderness.

Yes, of course amps are important, Marco - that's why I keep changing the buggers!

I think the most expensive amp I have powered the MBLs with is a £6k Chapter power with my £3 or £4k Restek pre-amp. Call it £10k of amp powering £20k of speakers - so not that huge a disparity in 'quality'.
But I do take your point that there is more for the MBLs to give - as my previous post alluded, if I could combine the best attributes of the amps I have used then ....

But in practice, the high ticket MBLs were a one-off purchase, and I am unlikely to repeat it for an amp.
I've always been a speaker-first kind of audiodweeb, so I'm just putting my money where my mouth is.

OK - I could spend the Big Moolah if I really wanted, but I had a real internal tussle with myself before buying the MBLs - I knew that my speaker boxswapping would be forever over, and the prospect did not please me.
I have just too much fun with the boxswapping, and closing down amps as well as speakers from the fun of the chase would be a step too far for me, and I can't afford to boxswap at MBL prices. I'm quite happy finding out what 'lesser' amps can do.

[jandl100]

Further amp thoughts ....

The £6k Chapter Audio power amp was not out on its own, I've owned quite a few multi-£k amps, as well as many 'lesser' amps in terms of rrp.

My conclusions are a tad unconventional - up to that price level I find little correspondence between sound quality and cost. I'd much rather live with a £100 Amptastic Mini-1 than the £6k Chapter, for example.
Whether or not that observation would extend up to the £20k price level of the MBL speakers I don't know.

[User211]

For retail price the most expensive amps Jerry has had on his system was my 211s. He seemed to prefer the T'ampon he had at the time

I didn't.

However the image got so huge with the omnis with the 211s it was rather alarming. I think the best amps with Jerry's speakers I have heard are the Graaf 50/50 and Krell KAV250A. Neither could be described as cheap at new retail.

[jandl100]

Ooo - yeah, the Graaf 5050 - nice!

... T'ampon

[User211]

I actually don't think the connection between price and amps is good in terms of system matching. You can buy some very technically competent amps for very little money. Many expensive amps can be technically terrible and sound rubbish with the wrong gear, or very good with the right gear.

All that really matters is they match your ears and system well.

[User211]

Marco - take the copper amp round to Jerry's and I'll meet you there. In other words, make him an offer he can't refuse