ME Sound (RIP)

 In my opinion, some of the very best solid state amplifiers ever made anywhere.  Much ignored after the 1980s but never surpassed in sound quality.  I still keep a couple, an ME25 preamp, and an ME50, and ME850 power amp.ME Power AmpsModular Electronics Australia (Atherton, Qld.) used to make a whole range of power and pre-amplifiers that are very capable at driving all speaker loads I have encountered. The power amps drive the original ESL with no trouble at all. This is the nearest "sound", (if you indulge in this sort of language), that I have found in a transistor amplifier to a valve amplifier - if that makes the slightest sense. Suffice to say that the ME range has prodigious current delivery capacity into highly reactive loads and sounds very smooth (liquid) and accurate. The only caveat with the pre-amplifiers (perhaps) is that you must leave them ON permanently for the best sonic performance - not too difficult with SS gear, since it runs cool and consumes negligible power. The retail price is generally quite attractive too!
        
   
ME Pre AmpsThere was a range of pre-amps, from the full featured ME 25 to the Line stage ME 24. If you have vinyl and need (therefore) a phono stage, then you need the ME 25. At about $AUD2000-00 it's a gratuity in the high end audio world. The ME 25 is likely the very best pre-amplifier in the world! That's very big talk, but I've heard 'em all (just about) and this pre-amp is so capable that it is not even worth raving on in the usual audiophile terms about it. Leave it ON always, and you wouldn't know you weren't listening to an Audio Research valve pre-amp in the mid-range, but in the bass, there is no competition - the ME beats 'em all, hands down. Find one if you can! Perfect for driving those long interconnects and keeping your power amp(s) where they belong - next to the speakers!