I'm still living the Kinki life and loving it. As @Ghost mentioned it's a quality piece in terms of performance and looks. Even the remote.@Ghost and @mindhead1 - y’all still rocking the Kinki amps? I’m considering going back to solid state and I keep coming back to this one.
Curious what else y’all demoed and if you got to demo the Kinki or did you bite based on reviews?
I didn't have a chance to audition it prior to purchasing, I relied on reviews from the likes of Nemo Propaganda, Steve Huff, Jay's Iyagi and New Record Day. I liked the idea of a purpose built piece that didn't have a DAC or Phono Pre I wouldn't use. The EX-M1+ provides great detail and dynamics even at lower volumes. The highs and mid are smooth and rich, and bass is controlled and punchy.
Compared to my previous amps there was a marked improvement when all my sources are connected and the Kinki amp drives my speakers (Buchardt s400 II and Triangle Comet EZ) very well.
My previous amps were a Yamaha as301, Cambridge Audio CXA81, and Wilsenton R8 (still have). All of these amps are very good, IMO, but the Kinki is superior to all of them which it should be at its price point of 2x - 3x more than my previous amps. Kinki Studio gear gets a strong recommendation from me.
The only negative thing about this amp is it's gotten me curious about other high end amplification. Can it get better, or have I reached the point of diminishing returns. Only one way to find out, but that's for the future. For now, I'm very content with my Kinki amp.