Counterpoint Solid One Amplifier and Solid 8 Preamplifier – A memorable pair

For the past few years I’ve been looking for an opportunity to audition some vintage gear from Counterpoint Electronic Systems. Counterpoint’s chief designer, Michael Elliott, was well regarded, particularly for his tube designs, and many of the company’s products garnered positive reviews prior to its bankruptcy and dissolution in the late 90s. So when this combo came up on Craigslist for $400, I couldn’t resist, even though neither component is one of the tube designs for which Counterpoint was known. Fortunately, both the amp and preamp were recently recapped, so I was hopeful they would live up to Counterpoint’s strong reputation.

I was not disappointed. To the contrary, this has to be one of the best audio values out there, particularly given that so few people are familiar with the brand.

I’ve noticed recently that one of the most reliable ways for me to judge a component is by the length of time I leave it in my system, how hard it is for me to take it out, and how hard it is for me to part with it. This combo checked all three boxes.

For starters, I couldn’t stop listening to it, regardless of musical genre. It sounded great on female and male vocals, particularly John Legend, Sarah Bareilles, Adele, Billy Raffoul, and Marcus King (the latter two of which I’ve been listening to a lot lately, and I strongly recommend their latest albums). The bass was solid and well-controlled, and it had that warmish midrange feel that I absolutely love, without sounding muddied or too soft around the edges. This is a hard mix to achieve, and very few amps accomplish it. I was also impressed by how this combo was equally comfortable playing rock, jazz, blues, or even hip-hop. At no point did I feel like this was a one-trick pony. It’s also worth noting that the amp had no trouble driving my Revel Salon2s to ear-splitting volumes. It is rated for 100W per channel, but that may be conservative.

I kept this pair in my main system for about 6 months, which speaks volumes about how much I enjoyed listening to it. I’ll abandon an amp or preamp after a few weeks if I’m unsatisfied with the sound. But at no point did I consider doing that with the Counterpoint. Just the opposite: I felt like I could have lived happily with this combo for years to come. But, alas, a different component caught my eye, and eventually I decided to move on. But I did so reluctantly.

I have a stable of amps that I will never sell: my Pioneer SA-7800, my Marantz 2265, and my Yamaha M-80, among others. But given my limited funds, I sell most amps fairly quickly to fund my next purchase. I know this Counterpoint compo is special because I struggled mightily to get up the will to sell it. Indeed, I deleted the “for sale” ad at one point, only to recreate it a few days later. When the buyer came to audition it a few days later, I again reconsidered whether this was a combo I really wanted to part with. At that point, however, I wasn’t going to send the buyer home empty handed, so I said my final goodbyes to two wonderful components.

If you have the chance to buy some Counterpoint gear in the future, I suggest you jump on it quickly. If you don’t, I’ll probably grab it first.