I have multiple setups(i presently have 6 amps, I’m ashamed). I enjoy various tube types and have kindof a low powered tube system room along with other setups because I enjoy gear almost as much as music. I did not listen to the Boulder separates. I had purchased the first 866 for a tv room system. Good for music, good for tv (Im not a surround sound fan), easy to use and versatile. I knew it was good but I didnt know until I got it home and let it break in that I realized how good. Weve all had setups where our significant other walks by and never listens to music. My wife can now listen in high quality to anything on the Boulder with just her ipad. We have a 2 level home that is kind of spread out, it seemed halfway logical at the time to duplicate the original Boulder setup in another space. I have learned we tend to relax and listen in the original space more but hey, its like a belt and suspenders.
I like all of my amps, I replaced Audio Research Ref pre and amp with the 866. I dont know what Boulder did with the 866 because I had listened briefly to Boulder years ago. The isnt an evolution of the 865, the 866 is a departure from the 865 to my ears. Maybe it is heavily biased to class a, I dont know. I can tell you that it sounds great on Wilson Sashas and Im listening this morning to the 866 connected to Devore o96’s and the sound is sublime. It should not be this good and if I had to be extra picky, the o96’s bass with the 866 is a little too controlled. That woofer has probably never started and stopped with such precision! LOL. It is resting next to a 8wpc 300b amp and the Boulder has this purity of tone and manages to retain the texture we all look for.
There isn’t a $7,000 amp, $6,000 preamp, $5,000 dac, $2,000 streamer and $2,000 of interconnects I would trade for the 866. Go listen, different people may hear differently but the 866 is seriously good and seriously underpriced.
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