canonken
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I am in no way qualified to write a professional review (or more precisely, I do not have enough experience with enough gear to be qualified to tell you this is good, bad, different, etc. from what else is out there - there is a ton of good or great gear and I have not heard most of it). For context, I am jaded and pessimistic, and always temper and water down my expectations. While I expected it to be good (the reviews from professionals I trust were too good to ignore), I was expecting it to be more of a curiosity than anything else. That said, I was expecting to buy and keep this amp indefinitely, but was not sure how I'd really end up using it.
What I will say is for the first time in my life: --I don't care about anything else when I am listening to music, eyes closed and lights dimmed --For the first time ever, I feel like I am listening to the amplifier and not the speakers --Bad recordings don't sound 'bad', I just am aware they are not good recordings --Good recordings sound great and satisfying, but that is not the main reason to listen --My mind starts to go places it has not gone before when listening to music (no, not like THAT...get your mind out of the gutter!) --I have never enjoyed listening to quiet music this loud...or loud music this quiet --I have never cared less about the 'wattage' or specs of a product (granted, not something I care about in general, I am seeking enjoyment from my audio gear above all else - this is a fun hobby and not a recording studio)
A lot of talk about this amp is around how simple it is, and how few parts are between it and the music: "Only 2 resistors and 1 capacitor are in the signal path and there is a Silver ground buss." - I can hear this, or more accurately, I cannot hear this. With this, there is a total and utter lack of annoyance with the sound - it is somehow brutally revealing and transparent without being harsh, bright, or grating. I am hearing (or not hearing) something, I am not sure exactly what, but I like it.
For comparison, I have a new McIntosh MC275. Vastly more powerful...and complex. I love it and expect to own it for the rest of my life, but the UFO2 takes everything I like about that and...amplifies it (figuratively).
I use this and all of my gear in a 2-channel system with my main and only TV. I have found myself settling down to watch a movie or YouTube videos...only to just stop in the middle of watching something, turning off the TV, switching over to music, and just getting lost for hours. This has never happened in my life before, and it is not because I am in the honeymoon phase. There is 'something' here that is pulling me in, it is addicting in the best way possible.
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