The Gato is the one as far as I am concerned. It has the transparency and detail I require without any harshness whatsoever. Like you said in your review, it has dynamic capabilities. Not cheap, but can’t get the right traits without putting up the money. Never whine when you find a component that delivers what it promises! This does! Cheers mate!
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
It’s defo the reason to buy this and the looks too and well made.
@truman495611 ай бұрын
One of the most beautiful HiFi kit on the market
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Couldn’t agree more
@garywilkinson192711 ай бұрын
Purchaced this amp last year and just purchased the matching cdd-1-cd player ,to me the design is great no more square boxes full of blue leds.EVEN GOT THE WIFES APPROVAL .keeep up the good work you do.thanks
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Thanks Gary, what speakers do you run with it?
@garywilkinson192711 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 at the moment wharfdale linton 85th
@ericp809411 ай бұрын
How do you like the dac in the cd player? Also have the amp150 .. was think about picking up the cd player
@martymcfly38377 ай бұрын
@@ericp8094I own CDD and Amp, and I love it... It's an very good and solid sounding CD Player/DAC. Lot better than the build in DAC in the DIA models. For me, the CDD is all I need. Endgame Player for me and the most important device in my system...
@damnedseagull61943 ай бұрын
Been using Gato preamp over 10years and very pleased with it. You’re the very few in the UK to review this stylish product. Well done.
@dxbwinenaudio9 ай бұрын
I got my 150AE earlier this month. Blown away. Also got myself the Gato FM 15 bookshelf speakers. They pair very well. Amazing sound. Such lucidity- amazing. On another note, let's say the amp I got has a connection with you Simon.
@13thnotehifireviews79 ай бұрын
It is a great amp. I personally slightly prefer my Hegel but it’s a speaker matching thing and the two are competitive to each other but it’s also slightly less money. You’ve bought with confidence.
@dxbwinenaudio8 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 just noticed and saw your review of the Buchardt i150 amp. In your opinion how do the Gato AMP 150 and the Buchardt compare?
@budgetaudiophilelife-long546111 ай бұрын
🙋♂️THANKS SIMON ,FOR DOING A GREAT JOB 🤩 MAKING THIS VIDEO AND INFORMING US 🧐 AND ENTERTAINING US ALONG THE WAY 🤗💚💚💚
@joachimmagnusson312811 ай бұрын
I have the Gato PWR 222 Monoblocks with the AVM PA5.2 Preamplifier driving my KEF Blade 2. It's a good match in my opinion.
@billywindsock959711 ай бұрын
I was one click away from buying the original, non AE version. I hesitated because I couldn’t hear or play with ne before buying. It looks fabulous.
@kleemusic54611 ай бұрын
Well, a lot of the time I haven't got a clue what Simon is talking about, but he is the knack of making it all sound so darn interesting. He would make a great teacher: guaranteed to make his students enthusiastic!
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear. Anything you want me to explain happy too. But thanks so much for the vote of confidence on being interesting. I do try and make it interesting to watch and I’m always trying to make the presentation better because the graphics and videography come easy now, but improving presentation is always something to improve on. 😀
@kleemusic54611 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 No, you have nothing to improve on. You are brilliant!
@antonelosheytanov152811 ай бұрын
I am a happy Gato customer and can confirm what Simon said is 100% true. On another note, would you post a follow up video comparing to other amps? Like the Kinki integrated for instance?
@IrenESorius11 ай бұрын
You are my nr1 hifi reviewer,, 🌟 Thank you for your work and time Simon,, 💖🙏💖
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Wow thanks so much Irene 😀🎶🔊
@IrenESorius11 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 💖
@Nick-sk1qp11 ай бұрын
I really enjoyed the review and additional information on your website, really insightful.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@petro679211 ай бұрын
I own the Gato Amp 150 and Dynaudio Contour 20i, the sound is simply sensational, I'm thrilled.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Cool, what else did you try and pit them against?
@petro679211 ай бұрын
I had a Marantz pm 14 mk2 because I had a wonderful amplifier for 21 years... it was too old then I tried the Audio Fly 3, it was good but the bass was missing and the mids were too weak.. Hegel 190 was good but The Gato 150 is in a different league and is simply awesome. The bass, mid and high everything is much better. I have remained loyal to Dynaudio for 32 years
@jos506711 ай бұрын
Great review, very useful, thanks a lot, Simon!
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Thanks very much
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Some more information on the website article including how the heating works here - www.13thnote.net/2023/10/15/gato-audios-amp-150-ae/ Subscribe to my patreon to support me and the sustainability of this channel and get more on my picks, selections and what I like best, plus buying advice www.patreon.com/user?u=20783218
@jos506711 ай бұрын
A comparison with the Sugden ANV50 would be great 👍
@hamidrezahabibi811111 ай бұрын
I truly admire GATO 🐈 AUDIO 🇩🇰 and as ever a down to earth 🌍 review from a Super Kool Simon. I have a wonderful album 💿 to suggest to listen 👂 on this gorgeous amplifier: Wally Badarou “words of a mountain”. It is a magnificent album 💿
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Thanks Hamid. Will check that one out and thanks for suggesting 🔉👍🎼😀
@carlbrown363411 ай бұрын
Great review! Thanks for sharing.
@klaverro11 ай бұрын
Nice review Simon. Stunning looking amp. Love the design. I never heard it but this amp seems to be very interesting. Some say the amp has got too much speed. Maybe that 'PRAT' could not be for everybody. But every interested buyer should trust their own ears. Perhaps the H390 follow up (2024?) will do a better job then.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Thanks very much Ron, I’ve been suggesting to Hegel to make a H390 less dac and digital inputs and streaming as it could get people onto the powerful Hegel amps for less cash. 😀
@truman495611 ай бұрын
Return policy in the States is to TN so there is not shipping penalty.
@piker300011 ай бұрын
I read Emotiva is servicing Gato audio as well. I believe Emotiva is in TN
@aceofspades666711 ай бұрын
Wow this was a surprise
@dougg107511 ай бұрын
Beautiful product. I’ve always thought the Hegel to be boring in the looks department. My jams have to look good.
@1moderntalking111 ай бұрын
Looks like a hip flask but I am sure it sounds good!
@rokodrago8 ай бұрын
I have been using separates "Denafrips Athena Preamp + Kinki EX-M7 amp" to drive my PMC Twenty5 26 speakers that are very much transparent, I would love to use an integrated instead that would outperform my combo, would the 150 pair better than my current 250 watt Kinki in your experience with these PMCs, or H390 fits better the PMCs ?, rock, electronic pop mostly
@borschec416411 ай бұрын
Hey Simon, can you please give 5 cents on this compared to ex-m1? I own that one, and was curious to know if this would be an upgrade, or more of a sidegrade? Thanks!
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
It’s part of a longer conversation on patreon about your tastes, system synergy and what the Gato might bring, then all contextualised with my thoughts about value for money and as I do further system advice on Patreon, I can’t answer on KZbin. Plus if I want to commercialise this channel I can’t say what I prefer on KZbin. I’ve done this for far too long and it means I don’t get products, I take all the risk and consumers who don’t reward me benefit. They may also have different tastes and opinions to me. No KZbinrs can give purely customer advice on KZbin as to what all their preferences are. It is going to be competitive to certain requirements as I got across but there are fine margins too. I’m sure you can understand.
@dominicg41307 ай бұрын
The comparison used here is not really a like for like, due to the AMP 150’s original price of £8000 vs the Hegel price of £5295. As an owner of the amp150 AE if the price had been 10k I would still have paid it. It is that Good. The price now is a real bargain! The Hegel is out of its league here.
@CedricRachmad11 ай бұрын
Does anyone hear a low hum in their amp-150 and coming out of the speakers? I wonder if this is a ground loop issue? No problem from listening position.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
I didn’t. You do with the h390 Hegel - from the toroid , but that’s normal
@CedricRachmad11 ай бұрын
@@13thnotehifireviews7 It sounds to me as the toroid too. The sound from the woofer is the same as the amp. Mind you I have to put my ear to the woofer and case of the amp.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
@@CedricRachmad it’s normally dc on the ac with humming toroids, or it could be a ground loop. Using a turntable and not grounded…..get a simple dc blocker if it annoys you or if drowned out by music, why worry.
@CedricRachmad11 ай бұрын
No ground loop. I guess its the DC. I’ll play around with cables and maybe a dc blocker. Not too worried but if it might affect SQ, why not fix it. Thnx for the tip!
@vitortavares575911 ай бұрын
No, my 150 AE is dead silent.
@kopeducati11 ай бұрын
Publish everything you have. Uncensored. As eisenhower ordered everything to be documented.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
I’m happy to help people who invest in me but it is not right I take all the risk,
@jirihorsky960011 ай бұрын
I always wondered whether or not Gato audio and Fyne audio share an owner or something of the sorts, since the F1 series of Fyne speakers is almost perfect visual match to the Gato gear, all the way to the available finishes.
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
Don’t know but I know the two owners did come from the hifi industry to form gato themselves
@anjovandijk979711 ай бұрын
awful design, to a large extent I choose my gear by its looks
@13thnotehifireviews711 ай бұрын
It is hard to design hifi to look good and it’s all personal , but I think Gato audio need to be congratulated on being bold enough to come up with a design that is different from the many square hifi boxes.
@alphaniner377011 ай бұрын
it is like art - if everybody likes it, it cannot be art.
@vitortavares575911 ай бұрын
I chosen the 150 AE because the sound. The good design was a bonus.