Sounds excellent at all volume levels - superb dynamics.

Heats the room up!

Has remote with Sony system controls on it. Sounds very detailed and extremely quiet background. Always in control. Turn it up and frighten your neighbours......

The amp sounds dry and best with a bright SONY CD player I think. Everyone who hears it enjoys the sound. I bought this second hand with a great discount on new price.

What are Sony doing making such good amplifiers? I have to say I am still in shock at the quality of this "ES" model.

Similar Products Used:

NAD C340, Audiolab 8000A, Arcam Alpha 8R

Control and power.

Boring long term quality. Smooths out the sound of different recordings.

I bought this amp on recomendations from this web site and after a few weeks I plugged my 13 year old Audiolab 8000A mark one back in. The shop is giving me a refund.

Whilst the amp is one of Sonys best integrateds it is still seductively bland to listen to over a period of time. It has a marked sonic character which comes over with ever speaker tried, I cannot match it to anything and get a precise soundstage. The better the speakers the worse the Sony sounds. I think the Arcam 8R is far better but a little rough edged compared to my old grey Audiolab.....
can I remove my previous review please?

If you want a loud amp with all the features that sounds OK this is the one - if you want subtlety and revealing details buy a traditional specialist brand instead of this mass produced consumer amp. I honesty think it would sound great if the insides were wired up with quality cables.

Similar Products Used:

NAD 340, Audilab 8000A, Arcam Alpha 8R

Build, clarity and richness of tone

Nothing worth mentioning. It gets very hot though...

I just bought a Sony Taf 30Es and I must say this little puppy simply shines. I had a Marantz PM 7000 for 9 months which I eventually sold, since I found the sound to be a bit grainy and boxed in. I then tried a Nad 340 which seemed to be a fine and musical machine. I eventually wound up with the Sony though and I'd say it's probably hard to beat in this price range. It simply oozes quality, the build is absolutely magnificient and the sound very detailed and chrystal clear. The Nad might have been just that little bit warmer in overall sound, but I find the Sony more than makes up for this in dynamics and tight crispness. It's great to have equipment that makes one want to rediscover every single cd in the collection.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz PM 7000, Nad c340