Posted by Wayne Parham [ 66.137.58.85 ] on April 04, 2005 at 07:42:02:
Frank, I must say you're batting 1000. You've suggested two amps and both were excellent, worth double the asking price. I've had amps in the same price range that were just nothing in comparison. These two amps are that much better in sound and in appearance. The two amps I'm refering to are the Heart Audio Stoetkit Jr MkII and the Nelson Audio Image SE8, of course.
I was able to really give the Nelson Audio SE8 a listen this morning, and it is a very nice little amp. I fell in love with the Stoetkit, and I still am but I must say the Nelson Audio amp gives it a run for its money. The bass is so tight and the mids are to die for. I'm very impressed.
This is the first SET amp I've heard at under a grand that I could live with as a main system amp. It is clean and powerful. Bass is well defined and free of distortion. When an acoustic bass is played, you can hear the strings plucked. When a bass drum is struck, you hear the impact of the hammer on the head, not just the thud. These are litmus tests for me, and the SE8 does them right. This is important, since it is where the low cost SETs always seem to fail.
Of course, the midrange is excellent. That's where SETs are praised, and the SE8 is no exception. The usual Diana Krall songs that are often overplayed make you stop and listen again, as if catching you off guard. You've heard some really nice gear, so you know what I mean. The Nelson amp does that to you - It makes you stop what you're doing and listen.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to spend time with this amp sooner. I gave it a cursory examination last month and listened to it some but not really with the right amount of attention. I took it to an audio club meeting (where everyone was impressed, by the way) but I couldn't listen as well as I like. Club meetings are really social gatherings for me, and while I am able to listen, I am not able to really sort of live with a product like I like to do. That's where the real familiarity comes from.
So this morning was the first time I was able to spend some time with the amp. The Nelson Audio SE8 just really sounds great. I'd like to try some of the other amps too sometime. This is Nelson's entry level amp, and you have it priced under a grand. It's great in that price range, really sounds nice, and I'd like to hear some of their other amps. This one will be shown at the Great Plains Audiofest, and it is sure to impress.
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