TS A20 Power Amplifier

I really love the A20! I'm not sure I have even broken it in yet with only about 20-30 hours of playing, but the sound is fantastic. I have it paired with a NAD M66 preamp and either some vintage Boston Acoustic Lynnfield VR975 speakers or a new set of Zu Union 6 Supremes. The BA speakers are 91 dB through 8 ohms and the Zus are 99 dB at 8 ohms, so both are well suited for the 20 watts on tap from the A20. I was concerned that the somewhat analytical M66 would be a bit too lean for the A20, but it sounds glorious. I especially love the soundstage and instrument separation that the A20 brings to the other components. I like the treble, midrange and bass control on tap. This setup really rivals the TS 120 SE in class A!

This is definitely the best class A amplifier I’ve ever heard, just straight out of the box, and it sounds great, can’t imagine how it would sound when burnt in.

I connected it to my Kudos Titan 808 loudspeakers, and used my Auralic Vega S1 as a preamp, it works flawlessly, got no problem driving my speakers, and they are 91dB in 8 ohms.

We have timbre, 3-D sound, details, punch and deep bass, didn’t miss anything, and this is coming from a guy, that have had a lot of different hi-end setups over 35 years.

MBL 101e MK II, Avantgarde Duo Omega, Estelon, JBL, Klipsch, Kudos, Bastanis OB etc with amps like MBL, Aavik, McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Krell, Accuphase, Wavac, Kondo, AN, Pass Labs and so on.

All I can say after listening to Galion for some hours now, is that this got to be a bargain and a great value for your money, so grab one while you can 😃👌🏻

I purchased the TSA 20 Class A amplifier to drive a bedroom system.
So far so good with authoritative base and tube like mid range.
The highs are opening up with bunt in.
Very enjoyable second system.
Look forward to pairing this amp with future Gallion preamp:)

I've been listening to my A20 for the past month and racked up about 250 hours with it. The best speaker amp I own right now hands down, at this point in time. If it's combined with a good recording and a preamp/speakers that don't hold it back, it will play back all the details embedded in the recording with a rich and nuanced sound. Picking other descriptors is hard, it plays music and you just sit there and don't worry about anything except selecting your next piece. There's no fatigue except when you inevitably have to get up, shut it off, and do other things.

My setup: AudioGD R27HE DAC/preamp taking coax input from a Wiim Pro and USB input from my PC, JBL Studio 580 tower speakers on SVS feet, high quality TrippLite and Worlds Best Cables interconnects throughout. I believe that interconnects do affect sound, but the point where they stop doing so is quickly reached with some common sense and good materials/build quality.

Other speaker amps in my collection: Schiit Aegir 2 and Tyrs, restored Hafler XL280, Galion TS A75

(To those that think I'm crazy pairing these speakers with this level of equipment, you severely underestimate how much potential they have. JBL could have charged double their posted MSRP when they were sold, and it still would have been reasonable.)

After 75 hours of burn-in on my Galion A20, here are my impressions.

The easiest way to put it is that it sounds just the way Thomas said it would in his Passion Project video—I am totally satisfied. Now some details.

I am a nearfield listener, with the speakers on either side of my computer monitor, and I sit about 3–4 feet from them. I noticed these:

* Very good detail across the board. I am using the word “detail” to encompass the audiophile descriptors like “revealing” and “resolution” as well as “detail.” Detail is precise and sharp but neither harsh nor biting. This was why I bought the A20. I could hear stuff on recordings I had not heard before; for example, the bass player muttering and breathing in “You Look Good To Me ” on “We Get Requests,” Oscar Peterson Trio.

* No peaks or valleys. No part of the audible spectrum is pushed too forward nor too backward. One could say it is neutral or flat, but those terms sell short the quality of sound. The treble is very clear and smooth or perhaps I could say it's pretty sounding. Combined with my REL subwoofer, I'm getting all the bass I want.

* Timbre is revealed. The sound (or “noise,” as poets might say) of voices and musical instruments strikes me as true to the real thing. Piano notes are nicely complex, plucked or fingered standing basses have what one bassist calls a nice “peanut butter” sound that comes from skin on old strings.

* Soundstage as good or better than my tube rig. Every now and then there is some sound I hear that I believe comes from outside or upstairs, and when I repeat that part of the recording or mute the sound, I can tell it's the recording and not something in the real world.

* Musicality. My other amplifier is a superbly pretty sounding and warm Decware tube amp—I describe it as “lush”—the A20 gets really close to it.

* Vocals. These are well defined and nuanced. I can hear the breathiness of Diana Krall as well as the emotive deep voices of Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash (on “American IV: The Man Comes Around”). Vocals seem a particular strength of the A20.

* Surprises: Many of the recordings I listen to sound different to me because I can hear more of what's in the recording. Overall, the A20 sounds more “tubey” than I expected.

In case it's not clear: I love the A20; by far the best amplifier I've ever had (or heard in real life).