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New Crimson 880 Amplifiers (holy moly!)

Roomfrog

Member
I recently bought a pair of Crimson 640 E IV monoblock amplifiers that blew away all my previous amplifiers that I’ve owned (McIntosh, ps audio, Naim, pass labs). I absolutely loved them from the moment that I turned them on, and they were priced very reasonably considering their performance e. They are the most neutral, revealing, musical, and engaging amplifiers that I had heard.... until a few days ago.

I had the chance to go to a recording studio and hear the Crimson 710 preamplifier, and the new
880 monoblocks. The recording engineer told me these were the best power amp he has ever heard.

He is a Grammy winning writer producer recording engineer. His monitors where Tocaro
45s and it was the most musical but real system i have ever heard . I quickly put up
The Crimson E4s which sold for more then I paid . I had many emails and one client couldn’t wait for a new set and offered me my full asking price, and agreed to pay for next day air. There’s a new Crimson importer in New Hampshire named Ron, and I’ve put my deposit down for my own hand made pair. This is a big investment for me, but I’m ecstatic to get these amps into my system!

PS- Do any of you have a Reson turntable, Crimson 710, Rehdeko or Tocaro Speakers for sale/trade? I have a Linn DMS isobarik Speakers, Proac Studio 1 speakers, and other items for cash/trade!
 
Welcome Roomfrog. Interesting what you say about the Crimson amps, I haven’t heard them, but they have an excellent reputation. I have always assumed they had a similar presentation to Albarry, which I’ve been a huge fan of for the last 10 years.

Just to say, though, that the forum rules don’t allow any sale/wanted ads until you have 50 posts.
 
Hi Sue. I haven’t heard Albarry. How would you describe them? I’m not trying to sell anything on here. One amazing thing about the Crimson is the current they deliver which gives them amazing pace rhythm and timing. They also are very high resolution without being fatiguing.
 
Used to have 640Ds - they were decent and usefully compact. I replaced them with a (much less powerful) DNM PA3^S which was a big step up in most regards, but the Crimsons were good amps.
 
Welcome Roomfrog. Is this the same Crimson that was around in the 1980s? Crimson Electra rings a bell, I have seen their stuff offered rarely second hand, iirc it was one of the independent manufacturers of the time doing artisanal stuff like a lot of others with a decent following.
 
I wonder if @DGP would care to add to a teaser of a comment about Crimson amps "the size and weight of electric storage heaters" he saw at the Swiss cottage hi fi show 1983?
 
Because the website still says 2013 as the last time updated!!

The site didn't exist prior to 2013, but the US importer had info on Crimson products, as did many audio forums. It looks like 1 or 2 people have made similar posts regarding the 880 on multiple websites, but I can't find anything outside of these posts. Just looking for some info.
 
Hi. I heard about the 880’s through reaching out directly to Peter at Crimson’s site. He then put me in touch with the new US importer who has been a bit overwhelmed with Covid etc., but is putting up the new website that will contain info on the 640 e iv’s and the new 880’s. I can help if anybody needs it with reaching them. The 880’s were back ordered for a month when I got them, as they have been very well received.
 
I am curious who the new US importer is. I know Bob Neil of Amherst Audio use to(?) be a dealer for Crimson for several years. He also had Tocaro brand speakers too, not sure what is going on with that brand these days, certainly an interesting design that I had hoped to listen to at some point.
 
For a while there was some sort of alignment with the DNM/Reson/Resolution Audio axis if I recall correctly. I’d love to hear a pair of current Crimson amps but I’m not interested in making a change from the Lux....
 
I wonder if @DGP would care to add to a teaser of a comment about Crimson amps "the size and weight of electric storage heaters" he saw at the Swiss cottage hi fi show 1983?
Sorry, can't remember if these became production items and if so what. It was always great to hear prototype or experimental kit but a double-edged sword writing about it. Being first in print with news outweighing the fact it often pissed off more readers than it excited.

Best Crimson memory was the Tony Horkins special headline to the Hi-Fi Answers review of the Crimson kit amplifier written by Matt Nicholson (later to be editor of What Hi-Fi) -
In The Court of the Crimson Kit
DGP
 
Sorry, can't remember if these became production items and if so what. It was always great to hear prototype or experimental kit but a double-edged sword writing about it. Being first in print with news outweighing the fact it often pissed off more readers than it excited.
Added to which an article about an aspirational item will always attract more interest than yet another mid range standmount speakers review. I still remember an article about a new turntable that cost some ridiculous sum, I don't think it ever saw the light of day beyond the first completed item that had of course been handbuilt, nobody wanted to shell out. But there you are, we all liked hearing about the unobtainium voltage regulators, 22 a side, and the woodscrews of a particular brass alloy that had been selected for sound quality and the holes for which had to be individually tapped first with steel screws as otherwise the brass would break in the (selected) hardwood plinth.
 
Checking back in. Yes i believe it is the same Crimson. I’ve had three sets of their amps now, 640d, 640e4, and now the 880 with each iteration being a huge jump up in performance. I’ve owned many heralded amp from McIntosh to PS Audio, Luxman, Pass Labs, and several hand made single ended triode amps. These are absolutely the best power amps I have ever heard.
The most significant difference is their sheer musicality. They have superb pace and timing, and are sublimely resolving. This is especially apparent when listening to acoustic instruments, and being able to detect the subtleties of their harmonics. I do quite a bit of recording, and am able detect subtle special cues from reverbs and delays, and also hear the space of the recording environment, and the instruments placement within that space. I am finally no longer on my quest to find an amplifier that really plays music.
 


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