[Charles]

Listening impressions and brief review.The 1.25KW will I believe turn out to be a very special power amplifier. Right out of the box when I heard the tone of a cymbal I knew it was better than my previous 1.2's. The cymbal was more natural and it seemed to hang in space forever. The treble of this amp is sweeter/smoother/less intense and more refined and extended and detailed at the same time. It's a classical music lover's dream amp.

Rearview Mirror by Don McLean the vocal (midrange) of Starry Starry Night (second cut) is quite demanding. Under my previous systems even with my massive AQ cable upgrade there was still a trace of hardness at a realistic sound level (which is only a few watts) present through my Alexxes. This is now gone completely. The guitar is full bodied and his voice is simply there centered between the speakers as though he is in the room.

Bass is deeper and there is more of it. The articulation of soft hard to hear low notes is better. In other words bass detail is better. Bass drums are fuller. I believe that the distortion of the 1.25 is significantly lower than the 1.2. There is a smoothness, mellowness, and liquidity that was not present before. I don't think these amps require much breaking in.

Without writing some long review which I am not prone to do, the 1.25 is simply significantly better in every audio aspect than the 1.2. I am glad that it is. It's a great value. It is built to drive speakers like the SF Aida 2, XRT2.1K, and Wilson Alexx to their full potentials. It is built to rival or compete with the super amps from companies like Dag, Boulder, Burmester, Constellation, Accuphase, and Solution Audio. And at a fraction of their price. If you are looking for superb solid state amplification at a bargain price and looking for an upgrade or just a new amp, I suggest you take very a serious look at the 1.25.

Last thing I want to say is my impression of the build quality and aesthetics. These amps exude quality. The connections are much improved including the binding posts and AC receptacles. The amps have a compact muscular powerful look and feel about them, much more so than the 1.2. They are a true pleasure to be in the room with. And they sound as good as they look.