I do love to be surprised. I recently bought a pair of M700 monoblocks for dual duty. I’m putting together a theater room in my multi-purpose garage and as a backup, if ever needed, for my main system’s BHK 250. Opioid withdrawal pales in comparison to withdrawal from an exceptional amp.
I listen to music daily and it would be extremely hard to be without my 250 if it ever had to go in for repairs.
I also want to restart movie nights in my condo community of 114 homes. Friends and neighbors are invited weekly to see movies on my 100 inch theater screen. An older PC serves ripped movies through an Epson 5010 HD projector. It’s a great way to bond in a community like ours. I use a pair of older Focals 816S and a Music Hall 25.2 DAC in the rig.
I live in the Southern California desert. Even though the garage has an oversized air conditioner, keeping the room comfortably cool could be a challenge, particularly with a video projector blowing hot air. Combined with the heat we blow during sporting events, it could be more than the AC. can handle. A Class A amp would make us as toasty as the amp.
The hunt was actually pretty easy. Extending flagship technology into lower priced models is one of the best practices for a number of audio manufacturers. Even if that was not the case with the M700s, the amps have the unmistakably musical voicing of a PS Audio component. I’ve never had monoblocks before, but they turned out to be a great choice for my dual needs.
Plugged into my main system, the M700s proved to be the near equal of the BHK 250. They don’t have quite the superbly smooth top end, assertiveness or top and bottom extension. They are not as detailed driving Focals 1038s, but they sound so very close. At their price, they are a veritable bargain for a second system. And they run cool as cucumbers. English not being my first language, I’ve never figured out why cucumbers are said to be cool.
Anyone with limited resources should not hesitate to acquire the M700 monoblocks. They are superb amps in their own right. For me, they were the surprise of late April-early May. And at these times, I for one welcome a good surprise.