The least exciting discovery ever.

The least exciting discovery ever.

So, after nearly three decades of hifi geekery and many system changes over the years, my power amp (an ECS EA2, kindly loaned to me by a friend) expired last week. Some may remember this as the Mana Acoustics Stealth power amp that was produced perhaps 15 years ago and this was a more production-friendly version of it. 180wpc, oodles of current, a transformer the size of a dinner plate, blah de blah de blah. Driving my Shahinian Hawk/Elf hybrids it was doing a decent job but I was never quite happy with the bass in particular in what is a very large room, so I was using a REL sub for the lowest notes. What is one to do when replacing a very expensive power amp with something else without a decent wedge to spend?

In my case it is try an early Quad 405-2 and discover that it comfortably knocks into a cocked hat pretty much anything else I've tried to date, with the possibly exception of a very nice Audio Research VT60 I had a while back. All these years chasing round trying to improve the system and an un-serviced power amp from early 1983 provides the answer. I still just about make a living from flogging hifi and am rather disappointed with this discovery, to say the least. Pipe and slippers it certainly isn't and the REL is no longer needed. Maybe it's coz I is using a fancy mains cable, innit.

__________________
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I say Amoco Cadiz
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The least exciting discovery ever.