SS2150 by O&B Audio, My Experience

theironhorse

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Its been long I posted anything on the forum however I am a regular visitor to check what's happening these days. just one of those days I see the thread ongoing on the Class AB amplification by @adas , you go ahead and read it and forget about it. the next time I see the thread is updated by post from @amrutmhatre90 with the delivery of the amp and that it replaces the crown, specs around it and some photos.

We obsessed audiophiles even though at times don't need anything but are more of a window shoppers than the opposite sex we blame. I went through the entire post, read it twice pinged @adas asking the specs on the amp. I got a response fairly quickly and then that escalated to WhatsApp chats.

Here is the situation, you know someone is making something good, you also know its superb VFM, you know there is no space at home, you talk to yourself you already have too many amps and too many speakers and yada yada yada and then you think well just one more would be perfect as I don't have a power amp and I should have one.

That's it and the amp was ordered in November end with delivery committed in Jan 2022. I used to ping Aniket randomly just to get an update and as promised he did deliver the item on time.

Slight Twist - I ordered the 250w per channel amp ( more power doesn't hurt ) and Aniket ended up making the 150w as the model numbers changed meanwhile. Just before he shipped the amp he suggested he can make the 250w but would need more time else take the 150w right away and later change to 250w as its made, he also assured that for my usage I wont be needing 250 ( he was right indeed).

Delivery - The item was packed like its being shipped to the north pole, super nice packing. ( 100 marks here buddy). Delivered within 2 days from Pune to Hyd.

Build - Before I go to the actual purpose of it ( the audio), I would like to talk about the build. this think is bloody heavy ( makes me grin secretly). the fit and finish it impeccable. the connectors are good quality. Power cable was supplied along with the amp. the knobs, switches at the back feel sturdy, 100 marks here as well.

Note: if you ever want to DIY and want to make an amp exactly like this , you cant even make one for the same price Aniket sells it. (This is extreme VFM). the parts separately costs more, I did my research.


The Amp - I wanted to write this review pretty early but then I wanted to give the amp a good run for 15-20 hours to really make sense and tell what its really about. the initial few days I just ran it a low volumes for few days an hour or 2 everyday due to work commitments and could not do any critical listening. using my NAD 325 as a pre and Power-Amp set to low gain I started, initial impressions after a few hours were "its good" its a power amp with more power, maybe I expected more etc. etc. .

Well few days into it and it begins to shine, I am enjoying my music, the soundstage has widened up drastically, the low end is slamming harder than ever yet smooth, the separation is super nice with forward vocals. the instrument decay is longer, the cymbals sound like someone actually did hit once in my room. Vocals are warm and lush. Now I thought my ears are adjusted to it so here I pinged both my neighbors who are just getting into this rabbit hole because of me, ( they are enjoying it thoroughly), they dropped in and while they left work and came for 10 mins they only left after a few hours. same impressions as mine (singers are singing right in front of me) with loads of power in reserve, I don't ever hit 50 percent continuous power besides some peaks when bass slams hard otherwise the sig lights ( 75 watts) stays off, you could see them light up once a while. even to reach there I could wake up people around if windows are open. ( Aniket was right I don't need 250w, this is enough for my usage)

Plan to change to a tube buffer to take this to next level, NAD will resume its integrated duties with the PSB :)

( will have to hide the courier boxes and sneak in the house at night )

Equipment Chain ( Music PC > Foobar ( flacs) , Amazon Music > Topping D50s ( USB) > NAD C325BEE (Pre) > O&B ( Power) > KEF Q500/PSB B6/ Dali Zensor.


Pros:
Class AB amplification.
Build Quality.
Quality Components.
Wide Soundstage.
Very detailed as low volumes.
Drivers almost any speakers with authority.



Cons:
I would be stupid to even find one at this price.

We have folks doing good stuff in our very own country. I don't think i would be buying anything off the shelf soon from now on.
This amp can drive anything effortlessly, does not heats up, built like a tank, costs nothing like what it looks or sounds like. @adas you are a genius, making something so damn good.

Would you build me a pre-amp dude ??

Vocal for Local.

Added some pics.
 

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@theironhorse wonderful detailed impressions on this amp. Every word matches my description too.

I have been using one for over 4 months, nothing comes close to the price point and VFM. The build quality is superb and the way it sounds is addictive. There are times when I am about to go out and sit to listen one song but end up listening a dozen and get late, this happens alot.

Lot of power and quality watts, I too barely even touch 75watts!!! Handful of times I have seen the LEDs light up.

I have used this with multiple pre amps, best I ever heard is with NAD 165BEE which is a Class A amplifier, then I have a FX Audio Tube-03 which gives a bit of tubey sound, which I occasionally listen to.
Denon x3700 AVR also uses O&B, I feel Denon has come to life after adding this. Pure Direct mode and Spotify or Tidal makes late night listening enjoyable. Smooth and refined, crystal clear sound.
Like you I have used a NAD 320BEE as a pre amplifier on this, but the pre amp section was meh.

Adding a good pre amp will enhance your listening experience. I have already told @adas about pre amp and he does know how to build it and had built for his relative I suppose, but he has lot of backlog with amps.
 
@theironhorse wonderful detailed impressions on this amp. Every word matches my description too.

I have been using one for over 4 months, nothing comes close to the price point and VFM. The build quality is superb and the way it sounds is addictive. There are times when I am about to go out and sit to listen one song but end up listening a dozen and get late, this happens alot.

Lot of power and quality watts, I too barely even touch 75watts!!! Handful of times I have seen the LEDs light up.

I have used this with multiple pre amps, best I ever heard is with NAD 165BEE which is a Class A amplifier, then I have a FX Audio Tube-03 which gives a bit of tubey sound, which I occasionally listen to.
Denon x3700 AVR also uses O&B, I feel Denon has come to life after adding this. Pure Direct mode and Spotify or Tidal makes late night listening enjoyable. Smooth and refined, crystal clear sound.
Like you I have used a NAD 320BEE as a pre amplifier on this, but the pre amp section was meh.

Adding a good pre amp will enhance your listening experience. I have already told @adas about pre amp and he does know how to build it and had built for his relative I suppose, but he has lot of backlog with amps.
thank you for echoing my thoughts, even i am using NAD C325BEE as a pre-amp which has Class A pre-amp and sounds absolutely amazing.
i have few more pre-amps like ( M- Stage HPA class A, Rod Rain Tube buffer) however the lack of remote is a problem hence using NAD which turned out to be a good choice.
 
@theironhorse I experienced the same for O&B power amp with my setup without any preamp and just using LG quad dac mobile as source.
I am planning to buy tube preamp and dac in future to get most out of it.
I second that @adas is genius engineer and believe in country made products.
 
@theironhorse I experienced the same for O&B power amp with my setup without any preamp and just using LG quad dac mobile as source.
I am planning to buy tube preamp and dac in future to get most out of it.
I second that @adas is genius engineer and believe in country made products.
I too have the LG G8X (quad DAC) its a good phone for audio :)
 
are there any specifications available for SS2150 apart from wattage

The specification which I got from them as follows:-

Model​
SS2150​
Topology​
Class-AB​
Power Outputs
Single Channel 8Ω
Single Channel 4Ω
8Ω (Both Channel Driven)
4Ω (Both Channel Driven)​

110W
180W
100W
150W​
Power Bandwidth (at rated power; 4 Ohm load)​
20 Hz to 20 kHz (+ / - 0.5 dB)​
Broad Band Frequency Response​
5 Hz to 30 kHz +0/-1.8 dB​
THD + noise​
< 0.05% (A-weighted); (-3db)​

Signal to Noise Ratio (4 Ohm load)​
> 100dB; ref rated power; (A-weighted).​
> 95 dB (A-weighted).​
Minimum Recommended Load Impedance (per channel)​
4 Ohms (which equals one 4 Ohm load or two paralleled 8 Ohm loads).​
Damping Factor (4 Ohm load)​
> 200.​
Input Sensitivity (for rated power at 4 Ohm load)​
0.5 V/1.5V​
Gain​
49/16​
Input Impedance​
100 KOhms.​
Input Connections​
Unbalanced (RCA); one each per channel.​
Preamp Section
Switchable gain from 0.5​
Gain​
Switchable between 0.5V to 1.5V​
Volume Control​
Attenuation between 0-100%​
HPF​
Selectable On & Off / -3db at 20Hz​
Speaker Output Connections​
Audiophile grade 5-way binding posts.​
Power Requirements​
230 VAC @ 50 / 60 Hz​



Status LEDs​

4 per channel
Green - Lights up at 10-20W Output Power
Yellow - Lights up at 0db Output (Full Power) 150W@4ohms
Red -Lights up at Clipping -165W@4ohms
Red - Lights up to indicate a fault condition.​
AC Power switch​
Rocker switch (switches AC main power).​

Protection​
OB2150 is protected against excessive operating temperature, shorted speaker
connections, ground faults, and other common fault conditions.​

Dimensions​
17” wide x 3.5” high x 15” deep (not including connectors).

20” wide x 6” high x 20” deep (boxed).​



Weight​
15Kg (unboxed)/ 16Kg (boxed)​
 
Its been long I posted anything on the forum however I am a regular visitor to check what's happening these days. just one of those days I see the thread ongoing on the Class AB amplification by @adas , you go ahead and read it and forget about it. the next time I see the thread is updated by post from @amrutmhatre90 with the delivery of the amp and that it replaces the crown, specs around it and some photos.

We obsessed audiophiles even though at times don't need anything but are more of a window shoppers than the opposite sex we blame. I went through the entire post, read it twice pinged @adas asking the specs on the amp. I got a response fairly quickly and then that escalated to WhatsApp chats.

Here is the situation, you know someone is making something good, you also know its superb VFM, you know there is no space at home, you talk to yourself you already have too many amps and too many speakers and yada yada yada and then you think well just one more would be perfect as I don't have a power amp and I should have one.

That's it and the amp was ordered in November end with delivery committed in Jan 2022. I used to ping Aniket randomly just to get an update and as promised he did deliver the item on time.

Slight Twist - I ordered the 250w per channel amp ( more power doesn't hurt ) and Aniket ended up making the 150w as the model numbers changed meanwhile. Just before he shipped the amp he suggested he can make the 250w but would need more time else take the 150w right away and later change to 250w as its made, he also assured that for my usage I wont be needing 250 ( he was right indeed).

Delivery - The item was packed like its being shipped to the north pole, super nice packing. ( 100 marks here buddy). Delivered within 2 days from Pune to Hyd.

Build - Before I go to the actual purpose of it ( the audio), I would like to talk about the build. this think is bloody heavy ( makes me grin secretly). the fit and finish it impeccable. the connectors are good quality. Power cable was supplied along with the amp. the knobs, switches at the back feel sturdy, 100 marks here as well.

Note: if you ever want to DIY and want to make an amp exactly like this , you cant even make one for the same price Aniket sells it. (This is extreme VFM). the parts separately costs more, I did my research.


The Amp - I wanted to write this review pretty early but then I wanted to give the amp a good run for 15-20 hours to really make sense and tell what its really about. the initial few days I just ran it a low volumes for few days an hour or 2 everyday due to work commitments and could not do any critical listening. using my NAD 325 as a pre and Power-Amp set to low gain I started, initial impressions after a few hours were "its good" its a power amp with more power, maybe I expected more etc. etc. .

Well few days into it and it begins to shine, I am enjoying my music, the soundstage has widened up drastically, the low end is slamming harder than ever yet smooth, the separation is super nice with forward vocals. the instrument decay is longer, the cymbals sound like someone actually did hit once in my room. Vocals are warm and lush. Now I thought my ears are adjusted to it so here I pinged both my neighbors who are just getting into this rabbit hole because of me, ( they are enjoying it thoroughly), they dropped in and while they left work and came for 10 mins they only left after a few hours. same impressions as mine (singers are singing right in front of me) with loads of power in reserve, I don't ever hit 50 percent continuous power besides some peaks when bass slams hard otherwise the sig lights ( 75 watts) stays off, you could see them light up once a while. even to reach there I could wake up people around if windows are open. ( Aniket was right I don't need 250w, this is enough for my usage)

Plan to change to a tube buffer to take this to next level, NAD will resume its integrated duties with the PSB :)

( will have to hide the courier boxes and sneak in the house at night )

Equipment Chain ( Music PC > Foobar ( flacs) , Amazon Music > Topping D50s ( USB) > NAD C325BEE (Pre) > O&B ( Power) > KEF Q500/PSB B6/ Dali Zensor.


Pros:
Class AB amplification.
Build Quality.
Quality Components.
Wide Soundstage.
Very detailed as low volumes.
Drivers almost any speakers with authority.



Cons:
I would be stupid to even find one at this price.

We have folks doing good stuff in our very own country. I don't think i would be buying anything off the shelf soon from now on.
This amp can drive anything effortlessly, does not heats up, built like a tank, costs nothing like what it looks or sounds like. @adas you are a genius, making something so damn good.

Would you build me a pre-amp dude ??

Vocal for Local.

Added some pics.
Bought SS2150 from O&B . ss2150 amp i have paired with both a premium diy bookshelf and open baffle speakers. They are very transparent through out the frequency range. Justifies its price even 3-4 times comparing to other commercial Amps available in market. Qudos to Aniket ji for availing us a fantastic audio masterpiece at very affordable price .

@adas congratulations man.
 
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Bought SS2150 from O&B . ss2150 amp i have paired with both a premium diy bookshelf and open baffle speakers. They are very transparent through out the frequency range. Justifies its price even 3-4 times comparing to other commercial Amps available in market. Qudos to Aniket ji for availing us a fantastic audio masterpiece at very affordable price .

@adas congratulations man.
i agree on that, have heard much more expensive amps in detail over the time, this easily breaks even with amps at 5x the cost anyday.
give it another 15 days/30-40 hours of burn-in , it will settle down with much better sound. more detailed, tight controlled bass and velvety vocals.
 
Bought SS2150 from O&B . ss2150 amp i have paired with both a premium diy bookshelf and open baffle speakers. They are very transparent through out the frequency range. Justifies its price even 3-4 times comparing to other commercial Amps available in market. Qudos to Aniket ji for availing us a fantastic audio masterpiece at very affordable price .

@adas congratulations man.
How are your impressions compared to Amps you are using currently?
 
Long story in short. Have been using SS2250 for 5 months. The build quality and looks are great.

It’s truly amazing, powerful and smooth sounding amplifier. Vocals are little forward in my setup (CXN V2 --> SS2250 -->QA concept 40).

Very neutral sounding. The best amp in this price range. It can be listened for longer period. It's being used in my HT setup too for front L&R.

Finally I'm very very happy with the purchase. Thanks Aniketh for the great work.
 
Long story in short. Have been using SS2250 for 5 months. The build quality and looks are great.

It’s truly amazing, powerful and smooth sounding amplifier. Vocals are little forward in my setup (CXN V2 --> SS2250 -->QA concept 40).

Very neutral sounding. The best amp in this price range. It can be listened for longer period. It's being used in my HT setup too for front L&R.

Finally I'm very very happy with the purchase. Thanks Aniketh for the great work.
Its raining O&B amps on the forum. Very good amp. Very well built and nice features for gain and HF. Sounds great too especially the mids and highs.

MaSh
 
I recently upgraded to SS2250 amp. It's an upgraded version with audiophile capacitors and 12V trigger. I like the intial impressions, its an definitive improvement over my previous Crown XLS 1502 amp. The vocals are clearer now and my setup sounds more musical now. I will pair them with Lyrita tube preamp and hope the stereo set up improves further.
 
I recently upgraded to SS2250 amp. It's an upgraded version with audiophile capacitors and 12V trigger. I like the intial impressions, its an definitive improvement over my previous Crown XLS 1502 amp. The vocals are clearer now and my setup sounds more musical now. I will pair them with Lyrita tube preamp and hope the stereo set up improves further.
I feel that the upgraded versions with the premium parts sound better than the standard units. Even I got the upgraded 2150, well worth the slight extra cost.
Cheers,
Sid
 
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