“Close your eyes and the dissonance disappears.

You are no longer listening to gear, you are listening to the artist, and the illusion of being in another space is the oldest form of virtual reality that AV technology provides. It is now perfected to a point where a great system will transport you right to the location of the performance—or for a studio album, you can explore the layers of a sophisticated mix and discover new nuances even in familiar tracks.

There is no character to describe other than the (Delta STEREO’s) transparency, no warm or cool or smoothness or harshness. Those qualities would imply the amplifier is changing the signal, which it absolutely is not, it is keeping things ruler flat and free of audible distortion way beyond the limits of human hearing.

The payoff for this clarity and neutrality is the ability to get the maximum performance out of a given system. To achieve the sublime where the components effectively vanish, leaving the music hanging in the air before you. Each element is distinct and to proper scale, with vocals especially coming through photographically. It is a tangible illusion that is only contradicted by what your eyes see, which is that you are listening to a stereo system.

It is a wise cost-no-object purchase for anyone seeking a true endgame solid-state stereo amplifier and a definitive Editor’s Choice winner for a high-end solid-state stereo amp that’s perfectly suited for traditional stereo systems and use in a home theater context.”