Seven(!) amplifiers around 2500 Euro - Hear the difference - Which one is right for you?

In addition to our recent livestream (27th november 2022) we sampled all amplifiers to give you an idea of the differences. That way you can determin which one is right for you.
The sampled amplifiers:
- Advance Paris A12
- Arcam SA30
- Atoll IN300
- Cyrus Classic AMP
- MOON 250i
- Rega Elicit MK5
- Yamaha A-S1200
Gear we used to record
- Grace M108 mic amp
- Grimm UC1 A/D converter and clock
- DPA4006A
- Schoeps MK8 with CMC6
- Grimm cables
- Vmix for lossless recording

[@billarmstrong5568]

If this test shows anything it's the fact that you don't have to spend a fortune to bag yourself a really good amplifier! All of them are clearly very happy to be paired with the exceptional TAD speakers and none are embarrased in the slightest. Appreciate your efforts🍻

[@Muddpuppy4real]

I like the Yamaha’s brightness and the Advanced Paris though they are all great sounding works of art.😊

[@Patryks26]

Rega sounds the most natural with the instruments and also with the voices.

[@keesvanwoerden2156]

Totally agree.

[@gerasimger15]

Agreed, i also liked the atoll

[@rodrigautier]

Yamaha and Advance Paris ❤!

[@dennishill290]

🍺👍🔈🔊... Yamaha.... !

[@dentboxhero1717]

Rega and Advance Paris are good but reside on both end of the spectrum. I can see myself enjoying both with respective genres. The Yamaha is a good solid all rounder.

[@connorduke4619]

Rega bass attack is too soft, Advanced Paris noise floor is too high. Yamaha the overall winner IMO.

[@Evolved_ue7]

Ive listend to all up close and personal, except the Moon .. The clip was ok but it's far removed from sitting there . Out of all (-moon) the Atoll would get my money well the 100 did just prefered it over the 300 . Lots of time and effort in there so thank you ..

[@dab9742]

I'm sorry to say that all too often, hi-fi vendors always recommend the most expensive model when you ask for their recommendations. I think it's their margin that influences their recommendation. Thank you for this informative comparison ! 😉

[@mcm934ify]

Cyrus the winner and close second yamaha. I like their medium and fluidity ! The others difficult to choose un order...

[@jamiecantar8727]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. To bad you didnt mix in a few vintage amplifiers. Maybe the next video. I've been saying this for years. There is no "HUGE" difference in sound between quality amplifiers, very little. The biggest difference is in the speakers. Change the speakers, change the sound. Good video.

[@josdurkstraful]

Just at the end when the Arcam goes to the Paris: listen to those handclaps, what a difference...

[@stephenbailey9969]

Personally, I miss the Focal Sopras. Would love to hear these amps on those.

[@gerasimger15]

Rega and Atoll were my favourites

[@FlatulEssence]

which Atoll?

[@janis4847]

I couldn't hear any significant difference at all. So I would just buy the one that looks and feels best 🙂

[@kattenfrederik618]

For me it's the Rega or Atoll for their more "warmer" sound, then the Yamaha. Difficult to judge through KZbin how the definitive sound of each amp is, here we just hear the difference between them.

[@FlatulEssence]

Which Atoll?

[@stuartwiner7920]

The Arcam SA30 has been discontinued and replaced. You can get the Arcam SA20, the little brother of the SA30, for @ $900 (800 Euro) on close-out.

[@nullatenaciinviaestvia8617]

Advance !! Paris🇫🇷 A12 🎶1 the Alpha for me💪🏼 met Ruitenwissers 👌🏼😁Yammie 2 Rega 3. Top test Jaap complimenten

[@JG-gg9wk]

Don't know what I'm missing. And maybe that's not a bad thing. They were all interchangeable. Meaning I could live happily with any. Tho I liked the Moon and Atoll the most

[@keesvanwoerden2156]

I apprecate very much these sample tests so the vieuwer can hear for himself. Alpha Audio is unique in this regard. Kudos to Alpha Audio!

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

thoroughly enjoyed the Rega but that Advance Paris device was off the hook

[@dpvittorio63]

Best sounding for me : Yamaha, Rega, Arcam.

[@NoName-rp6ww]

I'd choose the Rega.

[@danmarjenka6361]

The Atoll immediately sounded thin, which may work if your speakers are warm. Overall, I liked the Cyrus and the Rega.

[@vekanoid]

Paris, Rega, Cyrus, Yamaha, Arcam, Moon, Atoll

[@59seank]

I could hear some very minor differences between amplifiers, but I could not choose which I preferred. I DID enjoy the music selections though!

[@HungryEatNow]

Love the second track? Honestly I can't tell a difference

[@frederikjacob1985]

Strangely enough, the rega and mostly the advance paris are doing it for me.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

The Rega is wonderfull...

[@psi3845]

@@TheAlphaAudio i agree with you, natural and open sound, second for me the Yamaha

[@andreyvlasenko389]

so many people so many opinions, so interesting. advance paris is anothoer suprising find, it is so different and so cool

[@lukedudgeon8699]

Thanks for the effort you put into this video. Trying to decide on a sound signature. This has both helped and hindered. The one thing i really can take away is how different everyones tastes are going by the comments.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Jep... So many people, so many tastes... That's why we let you hear them.

[@juststuff5216]

Cyrus - Clear (literally) winner Arcam - Fullest sound

[@lepassantguy3520]

rega elicit !

[@porfiriooptaziano3617]

May be we are chosing the ampli that son better in the smartphone !

[@audioman6007]

Sound wise very close but to look at it has to be the yamaha for me, i would have the yamaha and never change it with those looks 👍

[@higobatman]

Top 3: Arcam, Paris, Atoll.

[@MrTim55555]

MK5 win together with Paris?....

[@Booboooru]

A little mistake in the description: first song name is "Mooie Dag"

[@edmundgil6008]

Advance Paris #1… What?? Never heard of them. Really, really great. Yamaha A-S1200 a very close 2nd. I had these two tied for first… then after 4 or 5 re-listens, viva Paris…sorry Yammy. Cyrus Classic was 3rd. Very very good tho. Balanced & open. Solid sound. Rega Elicit MK5 is a close 4th. Arcam SA30 5th, which nearly tied with Atoll IN300 which was a close 6th; both a little thin. Both great detail. Moon was horrible. Dead Last…a distant 7th. This surprised me the most, I think.

[@thepuma2012]

how can you make up anything through a youtube channel????

[@essendon72]

Advance Paris is just a rename of the old company Advance Acoustic which were a French company.

[@AnthorOne]

@@essendon72 It is, a French, family run business. Great gear, good prices.

[@AnthorOne]

I listened on cell and BT earbuds... Sooo... Everything sounded the same, exept Moon, that on vocals alone, seems thin and harsh, not something I like. Going to put it throug DAC and AMP on decent speakers tomorrow.

[@aussie8114]

My Cyrus has lots more low end grunt than I hear in this test. I had been thinking of upgrading even though really happy with the Cyrus. All these sound great to me, maybe the Moon and Yamaha get my attention. However choice for many consumers is not just sound, it’s also functionality, reliability, and where you can get them fixed if they crap themselves. Possibly Yamaha gets the 👍🏼 with all these. Plus it has tone controls 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@gerbenvandenhurk]

I added the psx-r to my cyrus. Great update and the amp played with much more ease

[@aussie8114]

@@gerbenvandenhurk Yes I’ve had that from the beginning. It improves the imaging and centres the voice better than without it.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

@@aussie8114 we have the PSU as well for review. I am curious about what it does. To be continued!

[@sc0or]

Arcam/Yamaha, Paris, and the rest

[@photorolensoman8101]

Make a comparison between amplifiers with different prices

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

What I want in an amp, is to sound exactly like my preamp. Just louder. ☺I love this video exactly what I want in a review, just A/B them. I challenge anyone to only listen to the audio and do not look at the video and if you can tell when the amps are switched.

[@dafh5280]

The Elicit 5 with 948 Focal? All genres inc hard hard rock

[@Infynyte]

Thank you very much for this comparison. I found the Moon and the Cyrus near the same sound, the same with the Arcam and the Advance Paris, these two sounds the same, of course really good all of them. Surely in a live listen those have their noticeable differences, but from this recording those pairs sounds exactly the same to me, so great amps indeed. I'm interested on buy the Atoll IN300, do you like the Atoll over some of the others amps you show here? Cheers!

[@SirMountainpass]

Surely a good choice - personally, I am looking at combining the ST300 with the AM400 (both Signature devices).

[@Infynyte]

@@SirMountainpass Thank you for your answer. Nice combination those devices that you mentioned. I already have an Eversolo DMP-A6 as a Streamer / DAC, wich I found is a fantastic device. Other option that I'm considering is the Atoll PR300 with the AM300 amplifier to close the system. I already have the Musical Fidelity M6si too, a really nice and powerful integrated, but I also really want that Atoll combination :). Cheers!

[@SirMountainpass]

@@Infynyte The 300 pre / power amp combo is definitely also a smart option since you already have the Eversolo streamer 😊

[@theobserver4078]

Alpha Audio thank you so much for the effort and the professional works you do for us! I would like to ask if there will be any chance in the future to put the musical fidelity m3i (not the m3si) in comparation with new amps from the similiar price range.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks. Musical Fidelity is kind of hard to get here.

[@ZEN_X999]

I know how great Atoll is, i may be biased cos its value for money and great stuff from France

[@CS-lz9rl]

Arcam Atoll Rega

[@markjeroendurr2626]

Moon and Atoll for me…

[@DougMen1]

At first I liked the Atoll a lot, but as we made it through all three tracks, it was eclipsed by the Rega, Yamaha, and Arcam. They gave me the most emotional connection to the music, maybe because i thought that they were the liveliest. After that came the Atoll and Cyrus, with the Advance and Moon at the bottom, with the Moon being my least favorite by far. It was very dull and bland sounding.

[@connorduke4619]

Moon also had too lean bass.

[@soundman2604]

Yamaha and Advanced Paris. Yamaha clarity and Advanced tube stage midrange.

[@Temmple]

Rega all day long.

[@jari121]

In this recording, the differences between the amplifiers were much more subtle. Moon and Advance Paris sounded better than in the 3.5 hour video. Cyrus and Arcam sounded worse here. I liked Rega the most and Atol the least. Really good quality recording.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

It depends per track. The Wende Track is very hard I noticed. The vinyl we used was much more focussed on mids...

[@psi3845]

In this test the ampli that i prefer the most are the Rega and the Yamaha, for me they are the more neutral.

[@pukasism]

With the second song for me Yamaha is clearly the winner because it portrays the piano the most natural with lots of air around it. As to the first song, here I didn't hear so much differences between the amps at all, maybe in the bass department.

[@Ssection31]

i realy don't hear any diffrence than very minute ones but even that could be imagination. Even a sound signature i can't hear it only at minute 5:29 from the rega =>Moon i hear clearly a volume difference an drop in bass. Great speakers i must say.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks!

[@kungula]

I know how good the Atoll and the Advance Paris are as I had listened to them before. For me it was impossible to judge them on youtube though

[@francisromero6300]

For me, Advance Paris.

[@luisortiz8661]

Excellent demonstration!. I don't know what to say a lot of good stuff!. I think Advance Paris cause I have one!.🤷🏽‍♂️

[@ArKaz07]

Any opinion on the Vincent SV-237 hybrid? Costs around 2.500 as well with several good reviews. I guess tonally quite different than this group of amps?

[@marc6652]

I must admit that I don't understand the concept of listening different amplifiers with the same computer. All the more so the quality of the sound manly depends on the couple "amplifier / speakers".

[@chrissinclair3136]

the amps sound different Yamaha and advance Paris can bee grouped together, Atoll Cyrus and arcam can be grouped. But without a reference it's hard to say which tonality is better or more correct. Yamaha and Paris can be described as more open or having less body depending on point of view...the other having more weight, darker or congested depending reference point. Basically these tests are bloody pointless. Add to that the colouration introduced by the microphone and monitor. Even if you owned the test monitors, do you listen through a microphone setup. I am probably going to by the amp that looks the coolest and that is hands down the Advance Paris. For these testes to be a bit more meaningful...perhaps record a reference with amplification that is unattainable and superbly matched...then play sections of the same song from the start between each so that viewers can here the percussion through each, verse through each and so forth. I commend the effort to demonstrate the impossible however

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@papabear1417]

The Yamaha. It has life whilst the others are detailed but sterile and lifeless

[@Eugeny50]

Cyrus !!!

[@luigiwhite5201]

atoll and rega far superior to yamaha and advance. in the middle arcam and moon. nice amp cyrus.

[@connorduke4619]

Any easy one to the Yamaha IMO, all other amplifiers had too obvious weaknesses such as too slow or lean bass, muddled mids, sharps highs or higher noise floor.

[@gerlachsieders4578]

I think Pascal sounds best 😊

[@Alextraz]

Hi there, I really enjoy your videos i think they are very objective and interesting to watch. I could benefit from a friendly advice if possible ;). I am having kef R3 meta that are rated at 4oms. I am considering to pare them with atoll in200 with rhe da200dac but the other amp i was thinking about was sa20 or the new a25. That being said you have mentioned in your article that arcam doesnt like 4oms. In that case do you think that the atoll might be a better match? Thank...

[@chrisvand2678]

Both the Arcam sa25 and Atoll in200 can handle a 4ohm load, but I would go with the Atoll because it's build like a tank with a big power supply and lots of headroom for most speakers on the market. Hope it helps you, sir.

[@Alextraz]

After 1 week comparison between in20se and sa20 i ended with the same conclusion and kept the atoll...much more air slightly less bass weight but not to extend to be an issue.

[@mcm934ify]

For you the two better please ? With the song like Real instruments and voice neutral

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Whatever amp you like. It is useless that we pick a winner.

[@thebestoffools]

Hi-Fi Audio isn't formula 1 where there's a car that comes in first to win the race. It's more like gymnastics or synchronized swimming where you are the judge. 😊 With that being said, the Rega is clearly the winner 🏆 😜

[@paulomontero12]

Rega all the way baby

[@user-qm2fg6bt2k]

There is no different. All the amps sound the same. 😔👆 🤔

[@neofitsolovan3882]

The Atoll sounds much punchier than the rest. I heard no difference until the Atoll kicked in.

[@remiwjuniski1808]

What was the last track? Shazam didn’t find it ;)

[@zeroone4497]

Yamaha rega

[@LS-uw5on]

Rega then Yamaha, the Cyrus sounded thin and the rest were meh ok.

[@ac81017]

What was that first song you played?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Blof, Mooie Dag

[@remiwjuniski1808]

@@TheAlphaAudioand the last one ?

[@dennishaley4443]

The Atoll was the livliest and jumped right out of the pack...Rega Worst.

[@howardskeivys4184]

This really puzzles me. If someone is happy to pay circa £2500? For an amp. They are evidently serious about the quality of music reproduction. Problem is, reproducing the sonic characteristics of any amp through a pair of loudspeakers, using microphones to record that sound, probably digitally, then broadcasting it via the compressed algorithms of KZbin, to be further processed by the listeners DAC and reproduced by that listener’s phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, streamer or, fully comprehensive hifi system, mean that what the listener hears has virtually no fidelity to the original amp. A bit like asking a blind man to judge and compare different colour tv pathologies.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

I understand your skeptisism. But you will still hear the differences... They are recorded as well.

[@howardskeivys4184]

@@TheAlphaAudio you will doubtless hear differences. But baring little fidelity to the amp being portrayed!

[@spigdon]

What was your favourite?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Check the live stream.

[@Hpr1]

in300

[@Voelkerwanderung]

There is no differens between this. I can't here it.

[@LovelyDoetje]

KZbins compression makes it very hard to have any verdict here but still some minor differences. What I can say is the first song is a disaster. Please dont play it again.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

You are very welcome

[@funcionyforma]

What??!!! Great song! Let it grow into you, don't be shy.

[@muttech16]

Brand bias aside..The slightest difference here and there are not worth the asking price..I bet my cheap marantz receiver also can compete with those amps 🤪🤪

[@andrehendrik]

something about the low end of the Atoll that's quite seductive

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Yes... Nice stuff they make.

[@rog86]

What are the speakers?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Tad evolution 2

[@r.s.7689]

#1 Yamaha A-S1200 But unfortunately it has no DAC on board.... #2 Advance Paris A12 #3 Arcan SA30 But i still like my Michi X5 the most ;-)

[@connorduke4619]

Better to buy a separate R2R Dac anyway rather than a cheap on board one.

[@iamamixurnot]

@@connorduke4619 Agree. Especially in this price range! That's a big concern I have with the Atoll IN300. Total waste of money.

[@alexg4284]

Michi wow. Would love one, absolute tank

[@seano218]

Did anyone actually close their eyes when listening? Because they all sounded the same. There was no difference.

[@user-ko8kx8vf1k]

I really wish you would play real music when doing demonstration 😢

[@milosevicbojan07]

I dont hear any difference..... Just joking 🙃 🤣

[@TheAlphaAudio]

Hahaha... that would have been the surprise of the day!

[@xstensl8823]

all same same

[@bencausey]

I hope this is taken as constructive criticism, and one man’s opinion for what it’s worth…to me this was a wasted opportunity for thousands of us to have heard your direct descriptions of all this great gear. Listening to recordings of recordings, over KZbin, on either a phone or other equipment that’s nothing like yours, in our own very different listening environments, is SO far removed from what they actually sound like. Man, I really wish you would’ve given quick descriptions of how they sound in person compared to each other. Thanks for reading.

[@villageroma]

Rega hands down the best. Yamaha the worst as always 😂

[@kesmaj]

ARCAM

[@afil3311]

А где Hegel H190? Как он?

[@TheAlphaAudio]

I dont speak Russian

[@Tima.Eldarov]

Салют!)) Hegel обязан быть в этом тесте. Выбираю между arcam sa 30, ямай и ADVANCE PARIS A12. Придётся заказывать в слепую, но не хочется расстраиваться. Какой совет можешь дать?