Just the fact Terry said the TS A75 can hold its own against amplifiers costing more than double the price makes me really happy! Usually an amp that cost MORE than double would destroy the other in most category but not in this case. I did try to develop a pre-amp to go with it but the final sample was not up to my standard so I decided to go back to the drawing board.
Congratulations Thomas! I can't imagine how difficult it is to bring an amp to market. There are a lot of big brand amps out there worth over twice as much that contain very cheap parts and bad circuits. Nice to see some good quality gear that doesn't rip off consumer. I also design DIY audio devices, and a preamplifier is the trickiest thing to get right, and worth spending time on. May I ask: do you use lateral mosfet's in the TS A75?
Which company designs your amps? I know you're not an electrical engineer. Do you just contribute to the final voicing by telling the engineers to boost the high end or not, etc?
Thomas, I would be interested in a solid-state balanced (differential design) Class A amplifier from your team before any pre-amp. Just giving you a customer preference data point. Thank you.
I bought one and am shocked at the performance. Very musical and soundstaging is incredible. This amp could be sold for a much larger price. Highly recommended
Very interesting! NAD sets a very high bar. “No giants killed” was funny! Thomad has certainly met the challenge while keeping the cost quite reasonable.
Clever way to frame your review of the TS A75 "Giant Killer" by bringing some comparative amplifier giants into the room to take it on. A scrapper that goes toe-to-toe for a fraction of the cost may not kill giants, but it does not murder bank accounts either. Nicely done.
Great clear, honest and personally concise review Terry, as always. Well done Thomas on creating a good product for the money in the market. Keep up the good work Terry 👍🏼🙏🏼
I'd love to put it up against my upgraded quad 405, using Audio Note Kaisei capacitor, fully silver rewired, fuse upgrades, it sounds outstanding, the upgrades come out around £700 & a used 405 can be had for around £300, so it would be a good comparison, I like Thomas he does good videos, just like you Terry👍
I enjoyed this video very much. To include the Galion Ts A 75 as a comparison is and should a tip of the hat to Thomas at Galion. These are all good things to know for a person who might be making a first purchase. I’m talking about the new person who reads and watches. It all starts from one piece of gear. I have looked at other amps. The CHoco Emei. This amp has a 400 watt toroidal transformer. But it only has 4 capacitors. 2x2200uf per side. They upgraded it to 2x 6800 microfarads per side. Head room means a bunch in reserve capacity. Thomas with his TS A 75 provides plenty. Amplifiers at this price point are a slippery slope. I think that for the price… Thomas delivers way more than you would expect.
the emotion of class A, on a long journey it often happens that I hear music in the car or in clubs, when I come home, I hear my system and it excites me, I think yes this is the music! Guitars, trumpets, drums, bass, voices, it's all so real and sweet. Hearing this makes my heart beat and I love music.
I watched this video to completion, then came back the next day to skim through the comments. The amount of vitriol and bashing is quite disappointing. This is a hobby, people! It’s about having fun during the journey and exploring along the way. Each listener has his or her preferences and priorities. That’s cool and should be respected. To dogmatically claim that A is superior to or inferior to B does nothing but make the comment author look like a cranky curmudgeon. Less hate, please, and more love for the music and the artists who brought forth the magic that we try to reproduce in our homes. As an electrical engineer, I appreciate the design process and quest for optimizing performance. There is often no “right answer” in engineering; rather multiple potential solutions (within constraints, such as budget and time) each approach yielding benefits and tradeoffs.
I’m entertained by the whiners in audiophile culture. I get out the popcorn out to read the comments. If it wasn’t for the drama, this hobby wouldn’t be so fun. Embrace it 😂
Thank you Terry for your as always excellent articulation of sonic description and insight into the character of product under your eye, and astute ear 🙏.
As Thomas might say: "Let me tell you a story about my friend Mr Giant Killer. Now, I call him Mr Giant Killer because he has all this giant-killing equipment and ..."
This is very interesting, I really like Thomas videos, he’s always come across very trustworthy. The signature of this amp is quite “analogue” some of the attributes are more in line with tube equipment, and at such a low cost, that’s quite impressive I would have thought, normally they are more of a class D “exactness” and more clinical. The price is definitely appealing.
I really appreciate the types and varieties of amps Terry reviews. This one looks very nicely conceived and executed. For the price, the components are very high quality and spec is beefy VS bigger name brands. ... Also, have to comment on how good the audio production is on these videos. May be the best on YT.
A dual mono stereo Class A/B amp is a very good thing. I am a little surprised that the 4 ohm rating isn't more like 125W/ch, though. But it is already fairly powerful, so not an issue for most of us.
Great, detailed review. It's obvious you listened very attentively to this amp. The way you describe the sound of the Galion, it sounds to me that it's designed to excel with live music on a stage, such as classical symphony orchestras or small ensembles with a singer. In my experience, those venues do not deliver pinpoint imaging, but a more diffused soundstage. Exactly the kind of music I prefer!
Seems very reasonable $ for what it is, although the stats are nothing to brag about either, such damping factor, SNR, etc. Is any of that audible? Probably not under most conditions and loads.
Good review Terry if not the best. With so much of capacitance you haven’t commented on transients. Thomas claims it sounds like a 200 watt amplifier though rated at 75 watts per channel. Expected much more information from you to make a decision about purchasing this amp which I sadly missed. Thanks for the post 😊
Maybe you can find a 200w amp where that is the case but I wouldn’t say that about it, transients are good that’s where clarity and sound stage and organisation comes from. I wouldn’t be turned on or off by that factor others are bigger ime. The gryphon has ruined me in that regard it proves watts don’t matter for that part of sound quality
There's a lot to be said for amplifiers from tiny companies owned by an enthusiast. Especially when they sell direct only and are priced on a reasonable cost plus basis. It would be interesting to get the Galion in a head to head against similar priced NVA and Avondale power amps...
I wrote a whole article about why I dont do those anymore, I have spent so much time creating videos that RUclips has later blocked due to copyright law changes, when your already working 7 days a week its not worth killing yourself creating videos that don't really help you much and you make no money from. I have a family and kids to think about and there is only so much a single person can do.
@@PursuitPerfectSystemI used to love your audio demos. One thought that occurred to me was that you could use royalty-free tracks from Epidemic Sounds like Ron at NRD and Greg at VirtualHiFi do. I disagree that they don't help much, especially when it comes to comparisons, which you used to do so well. Not chiding you, just floating the idea for your consideration.
Most of the music on Epidemic sound is not worthy of a sound demo situation - I use it for the music in all my videos but if its meaningless music I dont see the point in doing it - thats always been my take on it, there is no point doing something thats not being done 100% cant please everyone. Sound demo videos attract more hate than anything else
I'm interested in the TS-A75, so much that I contacted Thomas, he was very knowledgable and explained very well what the characteristics of his amp were. I've decided to stick with my Quad Artera Stereo as I am quite worried that whatever power amp I try, which will (maybe) improve on the Quad in some ways but, I wil lose the qualities that the Quad has which I absolutely love, which are the spacious sound and the ability to sound great even at lower volumes. Also it has tremendous load driving ability even into difficult loads. I should count myself lucky that I really like my system. The trouble with being a hifi nut though, is that you never stop looking (or listening!)
Those massive Sanken MT200 transistors are the crown jewels. Not 247's, they are literally twice the size of those. Flagship stuff. Very rare to see. My dad has a 6ch Kenwood power amp that uses them. I've only seen them used in very few amps, like a handful or less
Thomas has stated that he's not working on a dac, so I think he's more likely to bring out a pure pre amp onto the market, but you never know. I really hope you get to review his Galion Voyager TL speakers. Would be great if you still had the Galion amp to pair them with.
I wish it had a 12V Trigger 3.5mm in/out and a bridge mono capability. That bright blue LED may possibly be tamed with soldering a resistor on one of the leads to the light portion on the power button, but for the price these minor feature tradeoffs seem reasonable.
I will review it but I am not ready yet, I dont have a Grimm and you cant compare to a Grimm as its designed to work with Roon the JCAT is not for Roon its for using the JPLAY app and standing alone which means you dont need a computer to feed music to a computer :)
Wow ... after listening to what you said, it's really surprising , can have an exciting power amplifier at such a low price !!! I will buy one immediately to give it a try and feel it. It doesn't cost a lot of money anyway
Congrats on the most detailed description I've heard regarding this amp. Most helpful. You were saying the TS A75 is laid back, and reminded you of Thomas' tube amp in character. Would you say the tube-ish sound of the TS A75, when combined with a tube preamp might be too much of a good thing? and more suitable with a solid state preamp? Just wondering. And did you try it with a tube preamp? Thx.
Will be testing it with a PrimaLuna Dialogue Three shortly here, which is a very ss sounding tube preamp, to quote Thomas, ‘perfection is somewhere in the middle.’
Terry, taking your last point into consideration... (and I'm clutching at straws as I've not heard Thomas' amp) perhaps pairing with an Eversolo DMP-A8 would make a giant killer of a 2 box streaming solution (+ loudspeakers) or even going several step further can the Galion tube integrated be configured for use with this solid state power amp... You know tubes for mid/tweeter and solid state power amplification to the Bass.. It does become an altogether more expensive proposition.. But what might that sound like?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem.. Sorry mate.. I HAD to say it... Could be worth a punt if you still have the integrates with you... If not... Thomas.I know you're watching, how about it... It might be just the combination to truly propel performance, just chucking it out there... The can of worms needs opening by someone.
when I asked him dumping factor I think he told me it was 50 I have to check my comment on that but it wasn't 100. Which model is that I think he brings out to higher spec model slightly voice differently I believe like he did with the valve amp. yeah but you couldn't adjust the vocals by moving your speakers in if you want that mid-range to be a bit more full. I've always noticed that your speaker seem to be way too far apart I don't know why! what preamp did you use to drive it or just direct from a source?
the speakers are less than 2.5 metres apart and are positioned where you get the best compromise of bass response being most important and sound stage - without the right spot for bass which is always totally dictated by the room you have nothing it doesn't matter how good the speaker is as we all know. Its a hard room, all rooms are hard and most systems I hear the bass is awful imo for this reason
Can you tell us why/what, specifically, makes this amp so much better than amps costing thousands more? I'd like to buy this amp but with so many amps being reviewed on RUclips now claiming the same attributes, it has become quite difficult to understand what kinda magic makes all these different amps so special. Much thanks!
There is no magic and its not better than other amps costing thousands more as I explain in detail in the video. But it holds its own with amplifiers costing more while having some unique sonic characteristics which might make you prefer it over another.
Well, he has to start somewhere, and remember, he's a small outfit and doesn't have an army of engineers to pull from like Vincent may have. True, he's leveraging the engineering talent of Doge, but they have their own products to design, so at best, he's only getting a sliver of their talents. Going hybrid is quite complex, and requires much more time and energy to voice them properly...I.e., if you've ever tube rolled, you know what I mean. Thomas is very pragmatic, is working with a limited budget, and is going for areas he knows best and thus can make the greatest impact. He has also focused on areas where he has perceived a gap in the marketplace. Remember the old adage, Keep It Simple S@$#@# (KISS). I think Thomas is approaching this the right way. Let's see how his designs evolve over time. Trust me, the biggest gap in HiFi right now is an affordable, high-performance, balanced, preamp. The Schiit Freya plus is not bad, but you have to do a lot of tube rolling to find the perfect balance, after which one would have spent about half of its cost on tubes and power cord upgrades to achieve great sound (believe me, I know from experience). It's ludicrous what the big names are charging for a good preamp (PS Audio McIntosh, Pass Labs, etc )...if Thomas can voice it properly and price it like he has done with his amps, he will be rich enough to buy Doge and take control of the entire company. 😊
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you for reply. Ok, I understand. I'll ask differently. If I connect Galion to Audiolab 9000, will there be any significant improvement, such as a more holographic soundstage or stronger, more diverse bass?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I did, I actually wanted to try this amp, but after I saw the 1 year warranty, I think it’s safe to get something with longer warranty.
NAD is 2 years warranty from what I can see - Galion is half the price of the M23 so if it fails in 13 months you could buy another one and still have a longer warranty period if you look at it like that.
I have been waiting for someone to notice - I have a wardrobe with about 15 of the same T-shirts but I am trying to mix it up this year and add some colour :)
I’m buying this as this seems like a modern version of my Nelson Pass designed Adcom 545II which I’m using in my 2.1 bedroom system to drive Magnepan LRS+. I expected to buy a new amp to drive the LRS+ but the Adcom seems so good driving them that I haven’t bothered. But I’m too curious not to try Thomas’ amp.
Watched the video until the end, quite politically correct I thought. At the end you talk of pre amps. What did you use with the Galion? Was it passive or active? It can make a big difference as of course you are aware.
@PursuitPerfectSystem It's wonderful that you have the means to have been able to purchase such an outrageously priced amplifier that 90 percent of audiophiles will never be able to afford. For that insane cost, you are trying to compare an apple to a car, which is a laughable comparison. But again, to each his own.
Im delighted you covered this product, thank you. I have to say though, as a long time subscriber and watcher, I think this was one of your 'off' days. To compare the coils, and caps stats with a 20k amp is bizzare and completely useless to anyone, Im very confused as to what you were thinking with such a rediculous comparison. Where was the comparison, or even a mention of this amps peers! Given the claims Thomas has made, its fair to mention comparrion with some giants for a couple of sentances, but to be a useful review, we need to know where this sits with other £2k power amps. Someone considering a 2k amp doesn't want to know about a 20k amp. Thats like being interested in a small family car and being told 'of course the Lambo has a v10 engine thats4 times more powerful' So what? Given what this amp is clearly going for, surely a comparison with something like sugdans small class A power amps would have given a buyer more insight? I do hope you are well, but this review was a stinker, and I would hope you get back to your normal levels of fantstic insight soon.
I can only compare to what I have access to. If the amp can kill giants it wouldn’t matter what price the comparison is at which is what I was showing, how misleading that phrase is when you look at it. The same as when someone says best amplifier above 3k and clearly there are hundreds above that price that are better - ignore the hyperbole and concentrate on - I explained it all. My off day is I am now ill so was not well when I shot this but the show must go on
Im really sorry to hear you are not well, and I genuinely wish you speedy recovery. I support you fully, and have often remarked that you are the hardest working reviewer in the game. Its because I care so much that I offered my criticism, which is not my normal post, but no one is helped by only sycophantic feedback and it was in this spirit that I wrote my comments. One nice touch I noted whilst watching was your shooting of the internal components whilst you had nicely staged dynamic lighting. Only you would go to such trouble to get such amazing presentation values, and its just one of the reasons I value your videos highly. Get well mate and I look forward to your next review.
As a bass player, electroacoustic engineer and front of house mixer in music venues…I can tell you with 1,000,000% confidence that you can’t make butter with a toothpick. Class D amps lack heft and thickness in bass response that high-current class A/B amps deliver to bass guitar amps, club sound systems and subs. Speakers don’t maintain a static impedance when playing music. Their impedance changes with the audio signal and an amplifier capable of effortlessly driving below 2 Ohms will always win in a professional application. This also translates into consumer audiophile amps as well. Shop for a used classic power amp to learn which designs hold or increase in value. 🚜💪🎚️🎛️🔊 🤜
The speakers are *far* too close to the walls. They have no room to their outside to project. Try putting them at the halfway point from the room centre to the wall. Or you could try the 2/3rd point to the wall instead. Not only giving the sound stage more room to its outside, it should also solidify the centre
Nope and nope yes they are too close to the wall but that is the is the best compromise spot in room for bass response and overall sound staging. The room is narrow so even speakers more in the middle makes no difference to the sound staging left to right it just makes the middle worse. I have been in this room a long time. I have treated the room several times and measure it out the wasoo. I am good, when it comes to speaker setup it has to be bass first otherwise you have nothing
Hoping the giants will be defined as D'Agostino Progression, Constellation Inspiration, Gryphon Essence or Boulder 866. Ofcourse beyond Pass Labs. Maybe not kill these giants but leaving them bloodied would be enough, hehehe.Seriously if you dont play at that level youll have a good amp not really a high end one. And from tbere you can build one that is an assault on the state of the art...
@@PursuitPerfectSystem this is not extreme this is ridiculous.,extreme would be 10k maybe 15k this is pointless creates more confusion because as you know nobody from Gryphon level looks at a75 and vice versa.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem yeah you are correct just next time get gryphon apex so I can have clearer picture which one to buy gotta run to the car dealer I'm test driving Honda civic and Porsche GT not sure which one is better. Cheers.
What is it with RUclipsrs now who tip their heads back so you can see the contents of their nostrils while they look down their noses at you? As a retired cameraman, this annoys the p1ss out of me. Just look straight at the camera.
Fair criticism, I noticed that as well, but hopefully as a retired cameraman you can appreciate how much work has gone into the video with everything being done by the one man in the video so cut that man some slack. Doing it all on your own is tricky
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Of course I do. My criticism was one of style, which takes no time to fix. FWIW, it isn’t a bad video. It just needs some tweaking for presentation. That’s all.
Maybe maybe not - if the NAD M23 doesn't destroy it I doubt other amplifiers in that price region will either. I am sure it will be different which is fine
🤔???? Strangely like all things...the game is not actually about components destroying other products ...as it's far more personal and subjective than that - and is more about listening and working out what our personal / subjective hearing, tastes and sound preferences are...and then try and put together a system that matches ...or gets as close as our budget allow! So subjectively speaking ...nothing totally destroys anything really friend! So I humbly recommend it's better to go listen, compare and try things out first before making claims out of complete ignorance!. Or worse dismissing products that you have not even heard - that might actually be a perfect match for you!
I recently bought 2x XPA-2 Gen3 second hand. 1 had both channels dead. I made 2x monoblocks out of them. I can say that they sound "fine", but while distortion and noise is good in the midrange, it is, let's be kind and say "luckluster" in the top 2 octaves (aka 5k-20k) If you, like me, plan to use them for a pair of active 3 ways or something where you will not me powering a tweeter, they are alright, I don't know if I would say that the Gen3 sounds any better than a Marantz receiver like sr5003, 6004, 7005 etc, but certainly better than any Yamaha or Denon
This is an amplifier built to address the concerns of the new buyer. The new buyer has gone through RUclips. That person has learned about the basics.. toroidal transformers and “reservoir” capacitors. More must be better? Not the case! The capacitor is a very misunderstood component used in an amplifier. In this case? The bragging about capacitance tells me that the capacitors are cheap. Learn what capacitors do integrated into a very solid amplifier. A bunch of small cheap capacitors vs a very large expensive couple that will out perform the the bunch.
I have the amp (#27 made) and before receiving it, I too thought the label of the TSA 75 wouldn't look 'nice'... but it is... I, along with the 'on/off' don't find it ugly.
So you review amplifiers ,you open them up to look inside,but you say when it comes to capacitors you don't know what your looking at,don't you think you should learn.
I that is a fair cop criticism - however unless you have a lot of knowledge you have just enough to be dangerous with it. So if I bothered to put myself through the education level I would need to be able to do it properly I wouldn’t have reviewer in mind for my career path.
almost all those details described can be changed by small changes with the eq and without any problem at the digital level . i use the computer as the source and all this talk is about kind of unnecessary details .
In this video I am going to talk to you about my experiences with the Galion TS A75 power amplifier which is just a stereo power amplifier so this should be quite a short and sweet review because how much is there possibly to say about a stereo power amplifier (laugh) its never that simple is it. That is from my video script intro - what did I miss?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem well you sort really forgot, after taking time to set up "what a giant Killer is"..( I get it, you guys are all afraid of bad words) but still you could have done more than passing one or two words on the subject... again, given your title of the show. Cheers,
I think throughout the review I explained how the Galion differs from the NAD and is better in some ways worse in others - that says enough about not killing that giant and then I explained how much more the gryphon gives you in some respects to show how no giant is killed there either. I dont see what else I could have said on the subject?
Nah..!!! That's not for me. An MC-2 MC1250 would be much better, rated at 2200 Watts continuous at 2 Ohms, per channel. Or, a Crest Audio Pro 10001, rated at 7500 Watts continuous at 2 Ohms, per channel. Hi Fi amps are always underwhelming in terms of output. You can get 20000 Watt Powersoft power amps which sonically excel in a Hi Fi environment.
I have been tempted to buy in some Funktion One speakers and a suitable one of their amps to see what they can do in a home setup but it has not happened. I am from a PA DJ background so know about this type of gear, I used to have a few big QSC amps back in the day. These are different tools - no one in the pro audio world is thinking about the things audiophiles think about in their home so it’s different tools for different jobs
Just the fact Terry said the TS A75 can hold its own against amplifiers costing more than double the price makes me really happy! Usually an amp that cost MORE than double would destroy the other in most category but not in this case.
I did try to develop a pre-amp to go with it but the final sample was not up to my standard so I decided to go back to the drawing board.
Congratulations Thomas! I can't imagine how difficult it is to bring an amp to market. There are a lot of big brand amps out there worth over twice as much that contain very cheap parts and bad circuits.
Nice to see some good quality gear that doesn't rip off consumer.
I also design DIY audio devices, and a preamplifier is the trickiest thing to get right, and worth spending time on.
May I ask: do you use lateral mosfet's in the TS A75?
Which company designs your amps? I know you're not an electrical engineer. Do you just contribute to the final voicing by telling the engineers to boost the high end or not, etc?
Commendable, ie., the vision, apparent execution and bringing it to market.
Well done.
Thomas, I would be interested in a solid-state balanced (differential design) Class A amplifier from your team before any pre-amp. Just giving you a customer preference data point. Thank you.
I'd LOVE to see a pre-amp and 2 monoblocks! .. That would suit my future system very well ! =) See you in Montreal soon !
I bought one and am shocked at the performance. Very musical and soundstaging is incredible. This amp could be sold for a much larger price. Highly recommended
Very interesting! NAD sets a very high bar. “No giants killed” was funny! Thomad has certainly met the challenge while keeping the cost quite reasonable.
Clever way to frame your review of the TS A75 "Giant Killer" by bringing some comparative amplifier giants into the room to take it on. A scrapper that goes toe-to-toe for a fraction of the cost may not kill giants, but it does not murder bank accounts either. Nicely done.
I have it and it was money well spent. Not even burnt in as yet and surpasses what I had before.
Great clear, honest and personally concise review Terry, as always. Well done Thomas on creating a good product for the money in the market.
Keep up the good work Terry 👍🏼🙏🏼
I'd love to put it up against my upgraded quad 405, using Audio Note Kaisei capacitor, fully silver rewired, fuse upgrades, it sounds outstanding, the upgrades come out around £700 & a used 405 can be had for around £300, so it would be a good comparison, I like Thomas he does good videos, just like you Terry👍
Quad 405 is a timeless masterpiece. It’s just another level of the performance.
New Quads from China GBP 100 to 150.quid...ALI Express
I enjoyed this video very much.
To include the Galion Ts A 75 as a comparison is and should a tip of the hat to Thomas at Galion. These are all good things to know for a person who might be making a first purchase. I’m talking about the new person who reads and watches. It all starts from one piece of gear.
I have looked at other amps. The CHoco Emei. This amp has a 400 watt toroidal transformer. But it only has 4 capacitors.
2x2200uf per side. They upgraded it to 2x 6800 microfarads per side. Head room means a bunch in reserve capacity. Thomas with his TS A 75 provides plenty.
Amplifiers at this price point are a slippery slope. I think that for the price… Thomas delivers way more than you would expect.
Tomas is definitely on to something. I would love to build a new system with all his gear!
Sounds very humane, that "no giants were killed in the making of this video" 😊, thank for a thorough review Terry.
At least someone gets the jokes
the emotion of class A, on a long journey it often happens that I hear music in the car or in clubs, when I come home, I hear my system and it excites me, I think yes this is the music! Guitars, trumpets, drums, bass, voices, it's all so real and sweet. Hearing this makes my heart beat and I love music.
Speaking of audio sound; my Benz's system sounds remarkably like my home Kef R3 system.
I watched this video to completion, then came back the next day to skim through the comments. The amount of vitriol and bashing is quite disappointing. This is a hobby, people! It’s about having fun during the journey and exploring along the way. Each listener has his or her preferences and priorities. That’s cool and should be respected. To dogmatically claim that A is superior to or inferior to B does nothing but make the comment author look like a cranky curmudgeon. Less hate, please, and more love for the music and the artists who brought forth the magic that we try to reproduce in our homes. As an electrical engineer, I appreciate the design process and quest for optimizing performance. There is often no “right answer” in engineering; rather multiple potential solutions (within constraints, such as budget and time) each approach yielding benefits and tradeoffs.
I’m entertained by the whiners in audiophile culture. I get out the popcorn out to read the comments. If it wasn’t for the drama, this hobby wouldn’t be so fun. Embrace it 😂
We watch… we learn…
Finally a truthful review. It's good amp but no giant killer. I came to the same conclusion.
Ordered my one today. Thank you for your review
They are out of stock, bots can’t order amps. It’s that right… a naughty little bot you are.
You like it?
Congrats to Thomas for bringing another great amp to the market.
🤗 THANKS TERRY,FOR YOUR OBJECTIVE REVIEW OF THE GALION TS75 AMP 💚💚💚
Thank you Terry for your as always excellent articulation of sonic description and insight into the character of product under your eye, and astute ear 🙏.
As Thomas might say: "Let me tell you a story about my friend Mr Giant Killer. Now, I call him Mr Giant Killer because he has all this giant-killing equipment and ..."
This is very interesting, I really like Thomas videos, he’s always come across very trustworthy. The signature of this amp is quite “analogue” some of the attributes are more in line with tube equipment, and at such a low cost, that’s quite impressive I would have thought, normally they are more of a class D “exactness” and more clinical. The price is definitely appealing.
I really appreciate the types and varieties of amps Terry reviews. This one looks very nicely conceived and executed. For the price, the components are very high quality and spec is beefy VS bigger name brands. ... Also, have to comment on how good the audio production is on these videos. May be the best on YT.
I really got the sense of how this amps sounds so if I buy it, I will be in the know before it arrives-Nice work.
Hopefully yes thank you
A dual mono stereo Class A/B amp is a very good thing. I am a little surprised that the 4 ohm rating isn't more like 125W/ch, though. But it is already fairly powerful, so not an issue for most of us.
Exactly its numbers on paper it doesn't tell the full story
Great, detailed review. It's obvious you listened very attentively to this amp. The way you describe the sound of the Galion, it sounds to me that it's designed to excel with live music on a stage, such as classical symphony orchestras or small ensembles with a singer. In my experience, those venues do not deliver pinpoint imaging, but a more diffused soundstage. Exactly the kind of music I prefer!
Seems very reasonable $ for what it is, although the stats are nothing to brag about either, such damping factor, SNR, etc. Is any of that audible? Probably not under most conditions and loads.
Congrats Thomas! Will buy one in the next couple of months.
Good review Terry if not the best.
With so much of capacitance you haven’t commented on transients.
Thomas claims it sounds like a 200 watt amplifier though rated at 75 watts per channel. Expected much more information from you to make a decision about purchasing this amp which I sadly missed. Thanks for the post 😊
Maybe you can find a 200w amp where that is the case but I wouldn’t say that about it, transients are good that’s where clarity and sound stage and organisation comes from. I wouldn’t be turned on or off by that factor others are bigger ime.
The gryphon has ruined me in that regard it proves watts don’t matter for that part of sound quality
Thank You for the reply.
Interesting remarks on Gryphon Amp.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
There's a lot to be said for amplifiers from tiny companies owned by an enthusiast. Especially when they sell direct only and are priced on a reasonable cost plus basis.
It would be interesting to get the Galion in a head to head against similar priced NVA and Avondale power amps...
Is it a shame we don't have any more musical demonstrations? it's always a pleasure.
I wrote a whole article about why I dont do those anymore, I have spent so much time creating videos that RUclips has later blocked due to copyright law changes, when your already working 7 days a week its not worth killing yourself creating videos that don't really help you much and you make no money from. I have a family and kids to think about and there is only so much a single person can do.
Isn't there a way to work it out????? Sound test comparisons are the best!!!!!
@@PursuitPerfectSystemI used to love your audio demos. One thought that occurred to me was that you could use royalty-free tracks from Epidemic Sounds like Ron at NRD and Greg at VirtualHiFi do. I disagree that they don't help much, especially when it comes to comparisons, which you used to do so well. Not chiding you, just floating the idea for your consideration.
Most of the music on Epidemic sound is not worthy of a sound demo situation - I use it for the music in all my videos but if its meaningless music I dont see the point in doing it - thats always been my take on it, there is no point doing something thats not being done 100% cant please everyone.
Sound demo videos attract more hate than anything else
@@PursuitPerfectSystemI hear you bro good luck 🍀👍 and thank
Thomas loves his treble to “sparkle like no tomorrow” 😂
I'm interested in the TS-A75, so much that I contacted Thomas, he was very knowledgable and explained very well what the characteristics of his amp were. I've decided to stick with my Quad Artera Stereo as I am quite worried that whatever power amp I try, which will (maybe) improve on the Quad in some ways but, I wil lose the qualities that the Quad has which I absolutely love, which are the spacious sound and the ability to sound great even at lower volumes. Also it has tremendous load driving ability even into difficult loads. I should count myself lucky that I really like my system. The trouble with being a hifi nut though, is that you never stop looking (or listening!)
No reason why you could not enjoy both : - )
Outstanding big guy, great channel.
Thanks very much appreciate it
Those massive Sanken MT200 transistors are the crown jewels. Not 247's, they are literally twice the size of those. Flagship stuff. Very rare to see. My dad has a 6ch Kenwood power amp that uses them. I've only seen them used in very few amps, like a handful or less
Great video, thanks for sharing 🙏
Thank you, excellent last point.
I’ve met Thomas a few times ..a very nice guy ..who knows his $hit👍
Thomas has stated that he's not working on a dac, so I think he's more likely to bring out a pure pre amp onto the market, but you never know. I really hope you get to review his Galion Voyager TL speakers. Would be great if you still had the Galion amp to pair them with.
I wish it had a 12V Trigger 3.5mm in/out and a bridge mono capability. That bright blue LED may possibly be tamed with soldering a resistor on one of the leads to the light portion on the power button, but for the price these minor feature tradeoffs seem reasonable.
Bravo Thomas Stereo 💪
I saw you used the Jcat xact and can’t find you reviewing it. Would love to here what you think and compare it to Grimm mu1 😅.
I will review it but I am not ready yet, I dont have a Grimm and you cant compare to a Grimm as its designed to work with Roon the JCAT is not for Roon its for using the JPLAY app and standing alone which means you dont need a computer to feed music to a computer :)
This amp reminds of my ADCOM. Well made without the extra power that you will never use.
bass is almost everything
Agreeeeeed booooom
20.7s w 2-Rel Carbon Specials
JLA cr-1 active crossover 😊
Shunyata Research Python xlr's
Wow ... after listening to what you said, it's really surprising , can have an exciting power amplifier at such a low price !!! I will buy one immediately to give it a try and feel it. It doesn't cost a lot of money anyway
excellent review !
Way to go Thomas!
Congrats on the most detailed description I've heard regarding this amp. Most helpful. You were saying the TS A75 is laid back, and reminded you of Thomas' tube amp in character. Would you say the tube-ish sound of the TS A75, when combined with a tube preamp might be too much of a good thing? and more suitable with a solid state preamp? Just wondering. And did you try it with a tube preamp? Thx.
Will be testing it with a PrimaLuna Dialogue Three shortly here, which is a very ss sounding tube preamp, to quote Thomas, ‘perfection is somewhere in the middle.’
Very well build amp for the money
I want one
Why are the sails above the logo on the front not centered?!
Terry, taking your last point into consideration...
(and I'm clutching at straws as I've not heard Thomas' amp)
perhaps pairing with an Eversolo DMP-A8 would make a giant killer of a 2 box streaming solution
(+ loudspeakers)
or even going several step further can the Galion tube integrated be configured for use with this solid state power amp... You know tubes for mid/tweeter and solid state power amplification to the Bass..
It does become an altogether more expensive proposition.. But what might that sound like?
Thats a can of worms Marcus thanks for that
@@PursuitPerfectSystem.. Sorry mate.. I HAD to say it... Could be worth a punt if you still have the integrates with you... If not...
Thomas.I know you're watching, how about it... It might be just the combination to truly propel performance, just chucking it out there... The can of worms needs opening by someone.
I dont have an A8 for starters and I wont be buying one mate :)
I know they are not the same thing but how would you compare it Audia Flight 9 integrated that I currently own.
when I asked him dumping factor I think he told me it was 50 I have to check my comment on that but it wasn't 100.
Which model is that I think he brings out to higher spec model slightly voice differently I believe like he did with the valve amp. yeah but you couldn't adjust the vocals by moving your speakers in if you want that mid-range to be a bit more full. I've always noticed that your speaker seem to be way too far apart I don't know why!
what preamp did you use to drive it or just direct from a source?
the speakers are less than 2.5 metres apart and are positioned where you get the best compromise of bass response being most important and sound stage - without the right spot for bass which is always totally dictated by the room you have nothing it doesn't matter how good the speaker is as we all know. Its a hard room, all rooms are hard and most systems I hear the bass is awful imo for this reason
are these available to hear in the UK?
Not sure best to ask Thomas directly
Can you tell us why/what, specifically, makes this amp so much better than amps costing thousands more? I'd like to buy this amp but with so many amps being reviewed on RUclips now claiming the same attributes, it has become quite difficult to understand what kinda magic makes all these different amps so special. Much thanks!
There is no magic and its not better than other amps costing thousands more as I explain in detail in the video. But it holds its own with amplifiers costing more while having some unique sonic characteristics which might make you prefer it over another.
SCHIIT AUDIO VIDAR 2 vs This amplifier is DUE!
I know the 75 should be better ..😊 but let's find out!
Lol. What's the point. Vidar?
So all i'd need to add to this is say an Eversolo DMP A8 and speakers say... Q Acoustics 5050/c300 there's my hifi setup with streamnig?
The amplifer TS 75 needs a 12 volt trigger so as to be switched oñ with the preamp
Just FYI hyperbole isn't pronounced like tadpole, the 'e' at the end is articulated - hahy-pur-buh-lee.
You beat me to it.
Can this be bridged , to get more power..?
Cool
It's look like an old bryston 4bst power amp with more japanese parts for me ...😅Wait, Galion is a Canada company ??!!
Canadian company. Yes made in China but under strict supervision. Quality parts and solid build.
sounds like he is going for tubey ss effect.surpised he did not do a hybrid..eg vincent.
Well, he has to start somewhere, and remember, he's a small outfit and doesn't have an army of engineers to pull from like Vincent may have. True, he's leveraging the engineering talent of Doge, but they have their own products to design, so at best, he's only getting a sliver of their talents. Going hybrid is quite complex, and requires much more time and energy to voice them properly...I.e., if you've ever tube rolled, you know what I mean.
Thomas is very pragmatic, is working with a limited budget, and is going for areas he knows best and thus can make the greatest impact. He has also focused on areas where he has perceived a gap in the marketplace. Remember the old adage, Keep It Simple S@$#@# (KISS). I think Thomas is approaching this the right way. Let's see how his designs evolve over time.
Trust me, the biggest gap in HiFi right now is an affordable, high-performance, balanced, preamp. The Schiit Freya plus is not bad, but you have to do a lot of tube rolling to find the perfect balance, after which one would have spent about half of its cost on tubes and power cord upgrades to achieve great sound (believe me, I know from experience). It's ludicrous what the big names are charging for a good preamp (PS Audio McIntosh, Pass Labs, etc )...if Thomas can voice it properly and price it like he has done with his amps, he will be rich enough to buy Doge and take control of the entire company. 😊
How would you say this verse an Arcam PA240 amplifier
I have listened to the arcam power amps a lot but I would need to have one here to be able to say
Great
Schiit Vidar2 at half price or this amp?
7 amps of current?
Yeah, that must be a typo error!? I would think that 70 amps sounds more spot on, but who knows..
How does it compare to something like Audiolab 9000A?
9000a is an integrated - this is a power amp so you still need a pre amp with it and a DAC so its not a straight comparison
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you for reply. Ok, I understand.
I'll ask differently. If I connect Galion to Audiolab 9000, will there be any significant improvement, such as a more holographic soundstage or stronger, more diverse bass?
I am sorry that is very hard for me to say - possibly is the best I can do, I never tested it to be able to say for sure
Save a bit of money and buy the NAD C298. If you have more money buy the M23.
Did you watch the video, You must have missed about 80% of it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I did, I actually wanted to try this amp, but after I saw the 1 year warranty, I think it’s safe to get something with longer warranty.
NAD is 2 years warranty from what I can see - Galion is half the price of the M23 so if it fails in 13 months you could buy another one and still have a longer warranty period if you look at it like that.
is it class AB?
Assume so yes, I didnt see it mentioned anywhere and does it really matter, its not Class A and not Class D
However, you still have the option of choosing the preamplifier, which I think is also decisive.
Grtz Phil
Of course yes
Where is your famous black t-shirt?
I have been waiting for someone to notice - I have a wardrobe with about 15 of the same T-shirts but I am trying to mix it up this year and add some colour :)
I’m buying this as this seems like a modern version of my Nelson Pass designed Adcom 545II which I’m using in my 2.1 bedroom system to drive Magnepan LRS+.
I expected to buy a new amp to drive the LRS+ but the Adcom seems so good driving them that I haven’t bothered. But I’m too curious not to try Thomas’ amp.
I would buy the Nad as I like the look of the Nad and I’m sure it’s got better warranty.
Well , if it does have 200 VA transformers / channel and 100,000 microfarads / channel , the amp should easily do 150 watts/channel on 4 Ohms.
Thomas is killing smaller giants and annoying the really big ones.
Watched the video until the end, quite politically correct I thought. At the end you talk of pre amps. What did you use with the Galion? Was it passive or active? It can make a big difference as of course you are aware.
I used the Gryphon Essence Pre amplifier which is very high end so good enough for me to hear the differences clearly enough
@ Terry
How does this stand compared to a little more pricier 'mighty mouse' i.e. leema elements which you reviwed earlier ?
They are integrateds so I can’t compare to them
The NAD uses Purifi modules designed by Bruno Putzys, objectively i would be suprised if either of the others came close performance wise
Compare them yourself especially to the Gryphon and see for yourself
@PursuitPerfectSystem
It's wonderful that you have the means to have been able to purchase such an outrageously priced amplifier that 90 percent of audiophiles will never be able to afford. For that insane cost, you are trying to compare an apple to a car, which is a laughable comparison. But again, to each his own.
Im delighted you covered this product, thank you. I have to say though, as a long time subscriber and watcher, I think this was one of your 'off' days. To compare the coils, and caps stats with a 20k amp is bizzare and completely useless to anyone, Im very confused as to what you were thinking with such a rediculous comparison.
Where was the comparison, or even a mention of this amps peers! Given the claims Thomas has made, its fair to mention comparrion with some giants for a couple of sentances, but to be a useful review, we need to know where this sits with other £2k power amps. Someone considering a 2k amp doesn't want to know about a 20k amp. Thats like being interested in a small family car and being told 'of course the Lambo has a v10 engine thats4 times more powerful' So what?
Given what this amp is clearly going for, surely a comparison with something like sugdans small class A power amps would have given a buyer more insight?
I do hope you are well, but this review was a stinker, and I would hope you get back to your normal levels of fantstic insight soon.
I can only compare to what I have access to. If the amp can kill giants it wouldn’t matter what price the comparison is at which is what I was showing, how misleading that phrase is when you look at it. The same as when someone says best amplifier above 3k and clearly there are hundreds above that price that are better - ignore the hyperbole and concentrate on - I explained it all. My off day is I am now ill so was not well when I shot this but the show must go on
Im really sorry to hear you are not well, and I genuinely wish you speedy recovery.
I support you fully, and have often remarked that you are the hardest working reviewer in the game. Its because I care so much that I offered my criticism, which is not my normal post, but no one is helped by only sycophantic feedback and it was in this spirit that I wrote my comments.
One nice touch I noted whilst watching was your shooting of the internal components whilst you had nicely staged dynamic lighting. Only you would go to such trouble to get such amazing presentation values, and its just one of the reasons I value your videos highly.
Get well mate and I look forward to your next review.
Looks like much more than just 75w@8ohm
Can I ask which is the grey device with NACT logo? 😊
Sorry I don’t know what you mean here?
Under the Gryphon 😊
Oh sorry, that is the JCAT XACT S1 Music server
The 270W per channel mosfet power amplifiers I built are so heavy that if you dropped one onto a giants head it would kill him.
Very funny Jim
There's no replacement for displacement. And mass:)
As a bass player, electroacoustic engineer and front of house mixer in music venues…I can tell you with 1,000,000% confidence that you can’t make butter with a toothpick. Class D amps lack heft and thickness in bass response that high-current class A/B amps deliver to bass guitar amps, club sound systems and subs. Speakers don’t maintain a static impedance when playing music. Their impedance changes with the audio signal and an amplifier capable of effortlessly driving below 2 Ohms will always win in a professional application. This also translates into consumer audiophile amps as well. Shop for a used classic power amp to learn which designs hold or increase in value. 🚜💪🎚️🎛️🔊 🤜
The speakers are *far* too close to the walls. They have no room to their outside to project. Try putting them at the halfway point from the room centre to the wall. Or you could try the 2/3rd point to the wall instead. Not only giving the sound stage more room to its outside, it should also solidify the centre
Nope and nope yes they are too close to the wall but that is the is the best compromise spot in room for bass response and overall sound staging. The room is narrow so even speakers more in the middle makes no difference to the sound staging left to right it just makes the middle worse. I have been in this room a long time. I have treated the room several times and measure it out the wasoo. I am good, when it comes to speaker setup it has to be bass first otherwise you have nothing
Hoping the giants will be defined as D'Agostino Progression, Constellation Inspiration, Gryphon Essence or Boulder 866. Ofcourse beyond Pass Labs. Maybe not kill these giants but leaving them bloodied would be enough, hehehe.Seriously if you dont play at that level youll have a good amp not really a high end one. And from tbere you can build one that is an assault on the state of the art...
Putting A75 against the gryphon is a bit weird to me.
Gryphon sets the reference as is the epitome of a giant amplifier so I am looking at that giant killer claim at the extreme level making a point
@@PursuitPerfectSystem this is not extreme this is ridiculous.,extreme would be 10k maybe 15k this is pointless creates more confusion because as you know nobody from Gryphon level looks at a75 and vice versa.
What difference does it make when that many times the price - its also good to know how things at this level stack up to products at that level.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem yeah you are correct just next time get gryphon apex so I can have clearer picture which one to buy gotta run to the car dealer I'm test driving Honda civic and Porsche GT not sure which one is better. Cheers.
Silly comment, pointless
How do you know how big Thomas's cahunas are? 🤣🤣
Clearly they are huge, have you seen the man’s videos - glad you got the joke :)
What is it with RUclipsrs now who tip their heads back so you can see the contents of their nostrils while they look down their noses at you? As a retired cameraman, this annoys the p1ss out of me.
Just look straight at the camera.
Fair criticism, I noticed that as well, but hopefully as a retired cameraman you can appreciate how much work has gone into the video with everything being done by the one man in the video so cut that man some slack. Doing it all on your own is tricky
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Of course I do. My criticism was one of style, which takes no time to fix.
FWIW, it isn’t a bad video. It just needs some tweaking for presentation. That’s all.
for almost the same price as the Galion you can get a Emotiva XPA-2 Gen3 that will destroy it!
Maybe maybe not - if the NAD M23 doesn't destroy it I doubt other amplifiers in that price region will either. I am sure it will be different which is fine
Haha emotiva yea ok bud
🤔???? Strangely like all things...the game is not actually about components destroying other products ...as it's far more personal and subjective than that - and is more about listening and working out what our personal / subjective hearing, tastes and sound preferences are...and then try and put together a system that matches ...or gets as close as our budget allow!
So subjectively speaking ...nothing totally destroys anything really friend!
So I humbly recommend it's better to go listen, compare and try things out first before making claims out of complete ignorance!. Or worse dismissing products that you have not even heard - that might actually be a perfect match for you!
I recently bought 2x XPA-2 Gen3 second hand. 1 had both channels dead. I made 2x monoblocks out of them. I can say that they sound "fine", but while distortion and noise is good in the midrange, it is, let's be kind and say "luckluster" in the top 2 octaves (aka 5k-20k)
If you, like me, plan to use them for a pair of active 3 ways or something where you will not me powering a tweeter, they are alright, I don't know if I would say that the Gen3 sounds any better than a Marantz receiver like sr5003, 6004, 7005 etc, but certainly better than any Yamaha or Denon
This is an amplifier built to address the concerns of the new buyer. The new buyer has gone through RUclips. That person has learned about the basics..
toroidal transformers and “reservoir” capacitors. More must be better?
Not the case! The capacitor is a very misunderstood component used in an amplifier. In this case? The bragging about capacitance tells me that the capacitors are cheap. Learn what capacitors do integrated into a very solid amplifier. A bunch of small cheap capacitors vs a very large expensive couple that will out perform the the bunch.
Won't power 20.7s 😮
Coda Ts v3 800w@4ohms
3kw toroidal 80k capacitance
40 bipolar junction transistors
Stamped TSA75 label and power on/off label ruins the otherwise good looks. Im surprised Thomas doesnt feel the same way.
I have the amp (#27 made) and before receiving it, I too thought the label of the TSA 75 wouldn't look 'nice'... but it is... I, along with the 'on/off' don't find it ugly.
The white logo on the right + blue on/off light make this look very cheap 😖 and I´m still polite 😅
This or a vintage power amp from the 90’s…? Or a Marantz power amp for 800-999…
really sorry, it's pronounced hi per bol ee
So you review amplifiers ,you open them up to look inside,but you say when it comes to capacitors you don't know what your looking at,don't you think you should learn.
I that is a fair cop criticism - however unless you have a lot of knowledge you have just enough to be dangerous with it. So if I bothered to put myself through the education level I would need to be able to do it properly I wouldn’t have reviewer in mind for my career path.
Go for a used Onkyo A-9755 instead, 300-400 pounds.
Thats an integrated why would someone want that?
almost all those details described can be changed by small changes with the eq and without any problem at the digital level . i use the computer as the source and all this talk is about kind of unnecessary details .
Yes you can tweak the sound like this I am an expert at it, but its never quite the same as a technical difference.
Hifi reviewers are suddenly becoming experts in designing hifi? It just Marketing bull. They will all be at soon, watches are a prime example.
Some are HiFi design experts - I never claimed to be that once.
There are many fine restaurants in the world whose owners many are not master chefs.😅
you avoided the Main Question You stated. in your title, expect for a passing quote.
In this video I am going to talk to you about my experiences with the Galion TS A75 power amplifier which is just a stereo power amplifier so this should be quite a short and sweet review because how much is there possibly to say about a stereo power amplifier (laugh) its never that simple is it. That is from my video script intro - what did I miss?
All YT vids do this. It's necessary to get clicks. Don't take it personally.
I miss read the original comment - if the question is this amplifier a giant killer I think I answered that exactly in the video
@@PursuitPerfectSystem well you sort really forgot, after taking time to set up "what a giant Killer is"..( I get it, you guys are all afraid of bad words) but still you could have done more than passing one or two words on the subject... again, given your title of the show. Cheers,
I think throughout the review I explained how the Galion differs from the NAD and is better in some ways worse in others - that says enough about not killing that giant and then I explained how much more the gryphon gives you in some respects to show how no giant is killed there either. I dont see what else I could have said on the subject?
Nah..!!! That's not for me. An MC-2 MC1250 would be much better, rated at 2200 Watts continuous at 2 Ohms, per channel. Or, a Crest Audio Pro 10001, rated at 7500 Watts continuous at 2 Ohms, per channel. Hi Fi amps are always underwhelming in terms of output. You can get 20000 Watt Powersoft power amps which sonically excel in a Hi Fi environment.
I have been tempted to buy in some Funktion One speakers and a suitable one of their amps to see what they can do in a home setup but it has not happened. I am from a PA DJ background so know about this type of gear, I used to have a few big QSC amps back in the day.
These are different tools - no one in the pro audio world is thinking about the things audiophiles think about in their home so it’s different tools for different jobs
Can u guys get your heads outa of your arshes and do review on the Technics new SU integrated amplifiers. Talking about so called giant killers.
Technics is a big brand name so is a giant already so it doesn’t work….