Well, I had a fun afternoon.
A friend came over with his Quad 405-II, which we compared to a bolt-together 250 & the SMSL VMV A1 10W class A.
Started with a pair of Klipsch The Fives, which are a truly fun pair of speakers. These are active speakers with a 60W class D amp powering the mid/bass and 20W jobby powering the tweeters.
They can put out a prodigious amount of bass, with a rear facing horn bass port; in fact too much without reducing the levels using the app.
The Grahams LS3/5a are, unsurprisingly, in a class above them in terms of control and insight.
The front end was my dCS Network Bridge into a Chord Hugo TT. A Creek OBH-22 was the pre-amp.
The BT250 takes the speakers in a vice-like grip that can render the most complex of music in a transparent and controlled way.
BUT, when sitting three feet from the speakers they are, for me, just a tad too crisp in the mid-top end, where voices and electric guitars partially live. If I sat back, so I was six feet from the speakers, balance returned; the system knit together nicely. But, that is NOT where I sit when using my nearfield system.
The Quad-II was a surprise. The last time I heard one I was completely nonplussed; the Quad was a non-event that disappointed me. NOT with the Grahams. It did not have the low end control, being a bit tubby, but it was sweet and could form a lovely sound-field; which, with the right music, was beguiling.
Finally the VMV A1. Initially I used the Creek OBH-22, with the A1 turned up to max, to disable the internal pre-functionality. Well, I suspect there is no disabling. Many of the Class A virtues were on show, including some lovely shimmer on cymbals, and nice see through detailing. But, the sound-stage moved back, and leading edges were sadly reduced.
I removed the Creek from the system, plugging the Hugo TT direct into the VMV A1. This retained the noted strengths, but bought forth much more PRAT. The bass was large and present, but more akin to the Quad than the Naim.
The best of the amps with the Grahams was the Naim BT250, but, not for me in the position I use it.
The amp I would have bought, had I done a proper round of listening would have been the Quad, and I am pleasantly surprised to be typing this.
The VMV A1 is close to the Quad. It had a sweeter top end and a tad more see through insight. But, the Quad images a bit better, and has more usable power; and so has a broader range of uses.
But, at £200 on ebay, I think the VMV is a bit of a bargain. I will be using this during the summer months, when I will give my WAD6550 a bit of a holiday.
The BT250 will go back into the loft, as my emergency standby, when the 300DR has to go back to Salisbury!