# Critical Mass Amps?



## SQplease (Jul 23, 2008)

any know if these are good amps? the 2500?


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

Ha! Ha! Ha! 

Oh man, don't get me started on this tangent again.

Seriously, I have an uber-dollar amp. It may not sound thousands of dollars better than your average Clarion amp, but at least I can see where the money went. The construction is unbelievable and the labor involved is apparent everywhere. For instance, every single FET is individually drilled and tapped into the heat sink, not a rail nor clips holding them down. It's things like that that add to the cost of an amp, not to mention the absolute best parts you can buy.

Now let's look at the Critical Mass. The construction is average at best--no better than a Clarion. It uses average parts. So why does it list for $1,000 more than a Tru Copper? I don't know, but unless you believe in fairy dust, an averagely constructed amp with average parts is going to sound average. So why does an average amp cost $3,300???

A real high dollar amp









A perfectly average Critical Mass UL2500.


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## Buzzman (Jul 26, 2007)

Even though I have never used one, held one, or inspected one myself to assess it's build quality, I *know *it's a good amp. Why, because I eat lots of carrots and take vitamins for my eyes. This allows me to look at photos like those above and tell *everything* about the construction of the amp and the parts used, even what's underneath the circuit board, and conclude that it must sound good too. :laugh: Hope you get my drift. :laugh: :laugh: 

Like all other threads that involve Critical Mass, this will quickly disintegrate into this: :bash: :whip: :z:

So, SQ Please, if you want an intelligent, meritorious response to your inquiry, I suggest you make it clear that those who have not used the amp, listened to amp, or inspected the amp, keep their opinions to themselves. You can include me in that category.  I hope you find someone who can legitimately answer your question.


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## Hispls (Mar 12, 2008)

You should have sizzerched....this has been beaten to dizzeth.


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## dkm201 (Nov 29, 2007)

In before repetitive ****storm


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## SQplease (Jul 23, 2008)

I don't know whats so hard, I can surely tell you the difference between the amps that I have test and the speakers that I have tested. and yes there is a difference, and looking at the pics I would not go as far as to say that one is better then the other although I have had a chance to own and play with a C-7, and I most definitively prefer my Arc SE over the C-7. so I maybe wrong in asking some of you about this am, i think that i will just have to try it for myself


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

Unless you believe that magic elves sprinkled pixie dust over it, any amp is no more than the sum of its parts and construction. There simply is no debate over this. Amps are not magic. The CL should sound fine, but so would an average $500 amp that uses the same parts and was constructed similarly.

I guess there must be some magic pixie dust under the board because that's the only place I can't see. I have about 8 pretty good pics of the 2500 and I can identify 60-70% of the parts and they are nothing special at all.


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## SQplease (Jul 23, 2008)

I can't make that judgment without hearing it, as far as the C-7 the wires running up and down that amp is a turn off


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## SQplease (Jul 23, 2008)

hence a great amp, one that I know to be


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## Kmanian (Apr 8, 2008)

the CM amps are very good amps that do their rated power cleanly. The are not worth the retail price. but by no means are the sub standard. Realize that the majority od guys that have opinions here have never and will never see much less listen to the products that they diss so readily. The haters don't like CM's business model, and dispise their inflated retail pricing. But the products they sell are of quality at the least, and some of their products are stellar.

If you want to audition the amp, pay the shipping and I will send it to ya.


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

SQplease said:


> I can't make that judgment without hearing it, as far as the C-7 the wires running up and down that amp is a turn off


You haven't heard me singing the praises of the C7 either; I simply pointed out that at least you could see where your money was going on the C7. It was a very expensive amp to make.

I'm just curious why anyone would assume the CL was a spectacular amp. It's the price, right? They couldn't charge so much if it weren't a great amp, right? Really, is there any other reason you would even look twice at the CM? Unfortunately my old computer was fried (documented by several posts on the board) or I could pull up the part list that I made for the UL-A2500. There is absolutely no reason this amp is anything more than average and no reason it should cost more than ca. $600. I'm really curious why someone would pay exorbitant prices for this when you could just run any decent amp off the street.

Someone please tell me, why would you consider spending this much on a run-of-the-mill Chinese subcontracted amp? 

Yes, the price is the issue with most of CM's detractors. Why, because the price is why people assume it must be good. If you take away all justification for the grossly exaggerated price, what do you have left to suggest this amp is any better than average?


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## BTA (Nov 5, 2005)

It's a status thing just like expensive wine.


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## Hispls (Mar 12, 2008)

Mooble said:


> Someone please tell me, why would you consider spending this much on a run-of-the-mill Chinese subcontracted amp?


I bet you wouldn't say that to Snoop to the D-O Double G











Sorry, total business-model/inflated price hater. I can't resist posting pics of their celebrity spokesman.


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## bigabe (May 1, 2007)

Kmanian said:


> the CM amps are very good amps that do their rated power cleanly. The are not worth the retail price. but by no means are the sub standard. Realize that the majority od guys that have opinions here have never and will never see much less listen to the products that they diss so readily. The haters don't like CM's business model, and dispise their inflated retail pricing. But the products they sell are of quality at the least, and some of their products are stellar.
> 
> If you want to audition the amp, pay the shipping and I will send it to ya.



If the CM amp is so good, and you have one... why don't you run it?? Why are you running sundown amps??

I'm not trying to talk any **** about CM... I'm just curious.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Mooble said:


> A real high dollar amp


Good god that's beautiful


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

chad said:


> Good god that's beautiful


It's not worth the list price either, but you can't deny that much more money went into the construction of this than the CL UL-A2500 which lists for considerably more. There's just no comparison.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

But, But, just look at all those final devices!


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## SQplease (Jul 23, 2008)

chad said:


> Good god that's beautiful


Why would you want wires running down the entire length of your amp? caring a signal over other components is not good. I have heard this amp and is nothing special. this is want you want if you are going to window shop


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## Hispls (Mar 12, 2008)

SQplease said:


> Why would you want wires running down the entire length of your amp?


How different is that than the current running along paths on a PC board? Over, under, what's the difference?


Ya feel me my nizzel?










Snoop sais "CM is the shizzit!"


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

SQplease said:


> Why would you want wires running down the entire length of your amp? caring a signal over other components is not good. I have heard this amp and is nothing special.


How do you think it would be better running through the board, even closer to the components? The further away you can route it, the better. This is about as far away as you can take the signal. It's harder to do it this way and care needs to be taken for both the routing of the wires and the connections, but you certainly can't say that routing the signal in the board is better. 

I wouldn't say that any amp is "special" in terms of SQ--and I'm one of the people who does hear differences in amps. The differences in amps are barely discernable. Unline CM, Trus are special in terms of parts and construction, both Coppers and Billets. At least they can justify the high price.

I'm not sure you should window shop for Macs either. McIntosh has almost as bad a rep as CM. I happen to like them, but they are ancient in terms of construction.


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## alsautoinc82 (2 mo ago)

SQplease said:


> any know if these are good amps? the 2500?


These amps are junk!!! Chinese made JUNK!! Metro holdings is a SCAM no warranty- NO returns


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## alsautoinc82 (2 mo ago)

Anyone thinking about buying critical mass equipment-- BUYER BEWARE!!! First it's made in China regardless what metro holdings claims You will get ZERO WARRANTY and ZERO RETURNS!! I have personally tried one of the amps-- it was a hotplate- gutless and very poorly built. You've been warned


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## Lou Frasier2 (Jul 17, 2012)

you know.i think people figured this out years ago, no need to bring up such an old thread


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