[skreich]

When the Rex II amps were introduced, there were a bunch of Rex I monos that hit the used market for $9000-12000. I didn't really start thinking about it until they were pretty much gone, but found another pair for sale, and I suspect they will show up from time to time.

Before I bought the 600SE, I had a pair of Nagra VPA tube monoblocks, which were the best sounding amps I'd ever owned. I sold them because I was getting concerned about their reliability and the cost of repairs and thought that my Focals could use a little more power. I regretted selling them almost immediately, and despaired of ever owning another pair of amps that sounded that good. I've been using Manley Snappers for a few years now, and although they punch way above their weight class, the Rex amps are so far superior that it's hard to even describe the differences. The bass is much improved, as I expected, but everything about their sound is better. The soundstage is wider and more precise; instruments and voices sound much more like what they're supposed to sound like. There's a realism in ordinary recordings that I never knew was there. I keep hearing things I never heard before in recordings I've listened to hundreds of times. I'd never heard the Rex amps before, and pretty much bought them on faith, although I did get to listen to them briefly at the seller's home. I can't even imagine how the Rex IIs can be better, although I'm sure they are.