Quiet heroes

"With a splash of warmth and color of tubes, the M1200's have the kind of dynamics that infuse even the most languid music with a spark of excitement. The Stellar M1200 Power Amplifiers have challenged many of the preconceived notions I have held about Class D technology." So begins Stereo Time's reviewer, Richard Willie's review of the PS Audio Stellar M1200 power amplifier which you can read here. Of course, we're ecstatic about the review (and this one from Ken Redmond). But perhaps an even more interesting aspect of these reviews comes to light when we consider the role amplifiers play in our systems. I like to think of power amplifiers as quiet heroes. There they sit apparently doing nothing. No knobs, dials, displays, or outward indications they're contributing to the system. Yet they are not only the gateway connecting the electronics to the speakers, they offer perhaps more sonic attributes than just about anything else in the stereo chain. Power amplifiers are a make or break component. There's a reason people go just a little nuts when they hear what the best of the best can do in their stereo system. These quiet heroes should never be ignored.