Amplifiers Archives - The Absolute Sound https://www.theabsolutesound.com/category/reviews/amplifiers/ High-performance Audio and Music Reviews Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:18:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 WiiM Ultra streaming preamp https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/wiim-ultra-streaming-preamp/ Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:18:19 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59675 The arrival of WiiM at the lower end of the […]

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The arrival of WiiM at the lower end of the market has been a cheerfully disruptive one. For the price of a good night out (and a civilised ‘few drinks and a meal’ night out, rather than something that sees you waking up in an ice bath with a scar where your kidney used to be), the Pro and Pro+ streamers are seriously accomplished bits of kit that sound good and possess functionality that devices at many times the price do not. 

This extensive functionality does mean that WiiM has its work cut out for them in building a streamer that can surpass the capabilities of existing models. WiiM’s solution in this case is the Ultra, which broadens its functionality instead of merely trying to enhance its streaming capabilities. The result is a device that defies easy description and has the potential to be a key component in creating a completely different type of audio system.

UPnP Platform

The Ultra is a UPnP platform device that aligns more closely with the WiiM Pro than the Pro+. It utilises a pair of ESS ES9038Q2M DACs for decoding and supports PCM up to 192kHz, but not beyond that, and there is no DSD support on the streaming module. However, the WiiM app can detect DSD files and transcode them to PCM on the fly, ensuring that everything operates seamlessly. 

The WiiM platform features extensive support for streaming services—essentially everything except Apple Music—and includes a commendable internet radio function along with Chromecast compatibility. Standard WiiM highlights, such as the ability to utilise your phone’s microphone for EQ adjustments and an excellent Amazon Alexa integration, are also maintained. 

wiim ultra rear

The Ultra is only getting started, though. It is a fully functional preamp that boasts an optical and analogue input, like the Pro and Pro+. The Ultra then sets about adding to this functionality. First up is an HDMI ARC connection for straightforward TV integration. This first appeared on the WiiM Amp, but the implementation here seems considerably more responsive and stable. 

The Vinyl Frontier?

A notably unusual addition is the arrival of a phono stage. This supports both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, elevating the Ultra to a distinctive product category compared to anything else in a similar price range. In terms of pure functionality (streaming, analogue and digital inputs, on-board EQ), the closest match for the WiiM is the NAD M66, priced at over ten times more. While I won’t claim that everything they do is executed at the same level, it is nonetheless immensely impressive. 

The Ultra also benefits from enhanced casework compared to the smaller Pro and Pro+ models. It shares a similar shape with the WiiM Amp, but represents another step forward. The glossy front with a metal top plate is appealing, and the addition of a touchscreen display is genuinely useful here. It is sufficiently large to serve as a viable point of interaction with the unit, allowing you to adjust functionality on the fly. This is complemented by a physical volume knob, making the Ultra less daunting to use as a preamp than relying solely on a software volume slider. The RCA stereo output is accompanied by a dedicated sub-out, featuring adjustable crossover and EQ settings. Additionally, the Ultra can also function as a streaming transport via optical, coaxial, and USB outputs. 

This offers an extraordinary amount of functionality for the asking price. While I don’t believe the WiiM app is as appealing as some competitors for browsing and interacting with a large music collection, it has demonstrated consistent stability in testing and day-to-day use.

wiim ultra side

I initially connected the Ultra up to a Cyrus 40 AMP via the RCA outputs to get a handle on the on board decoding. Like a few pieces of affordable digital I have tested in recent times, I found myself making criticisms and then realising that they are being applied to a device that, while pricier than most nights out, has still only reached the level of ‘pleasant weekend away.’ Listening to the Ultra power its way through The Greatest Love, the latest offering from London Grammar [Ministry of Sound], the effect, more than anything else, is to question why you would ‘need’ to spend more. 

With the opening ‘House’, the Ultra showcases the drum and bass-adjacent lower registers with sufficient control, texture, and speed to keep them engaging while ensuring that Hannah Reid’s vocals above it possess the space, clarity, and tonal realism required to capture your attention and anchor the track. It’s not overly flashy; there’s no prioritisation of any part of the frequency response over another, and if you revert decoding back to the Cyrus, there is a noticeable jump in the three-dimensional space, but it remains very listenable. 

Ultra Roon

If you disconnect the RCA connection and ask the WiiM to communicate with the Cyrus via USB, the differences between it and the Roon Nucleus—previously performing the same function—fade into the long grass of subjectivity. This is particularly true once you start using the Ultra as a Roon endpoint. While listening to Hayden Thorpe’s gloriously odd Ness [Domino], one could convincingly argue that the Nucleus exhibits a slightly lower noise floor than the Ultra, which extracts a bit more nuance from this curious collection of tone poems. However, the difference is minimal. It’s unfortunate that the USB output’s addition hasn’t been accompanied by the formidable sample rate handling of the Pro+, but for most available recorded music, the Ultra will serve as an excellent means of connecting those digital input-equipped devices to the outside world. 

You can connect a turntable to it. In this case, I conducted most of the testing with a Pro-Ject Debut Evo2 that was available at the time, and listening to Labi Siffre’s Remember My Song [Mr Bongo] proves it isn’t just ‘good for a streamer digitising the signal on the fly’; it’s a genuinely enjoyable listening experience. Noise levels are impressively low, ensuring that fine details are released from the record, making it sound altogether more dynamic and believable. Connecting a Vertere MG-1 MkII and switching to the moving coil function outperforms expectations. It might be fair to say that high-end phono stage manufacturers needn’t concern themselves quite yet, but equally, if you had told me at the start of the year that I’d be testing a £350 streamer with moving coil cartridge support, I would have thought you were joking; perhaps they don’t have as long as they think they do. 

Evolutionary Leap

What the Ultra does rather well is serve as another evolutionary leap in affordable audio, achieved without burning any bridges. If you seek a line-level streamer to connect to an amplifier, it still leaves most conventional rivals appearing somewhat feature-light. As a USB transport, it operates flawlessly too, providing the type of flexible front end for DACs and digital input boards that users are likely to find extremely easy to live with. 

Finally, there’s the intriguing nature of the next step. When connected to a power amplifier or a pair of active speakers, the WiiM can collate your likely existing inputs, such as a TV and a turntable, and manage them sufficiently well to prompt more than a few people to ask if they truly need anything more. WiiM’s relentless pursuit of affordable digital has expanded into a broader challenge against the entire entry-level audio market, and given the level of performance on display here, it’s very difficult to see them being halted anytime soon. 

Specs & Pricing

Type: Streaming preamp
Analogue Inputs: RCA Stereo pair (line), RCA Stereo pair (phono)
Digital inputs: HDMI ARC, USB-B, Toslink optical S/PDIF, RJ45 Ethernet
Analogue outputs: RCA Stereo pair, subwoofer RCA, 12V trigger
Digital outputs: Coaxial and Toslink optical S/PDIF
Supported Streaming Services: Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Deezer and SoundCloud,
Smart home support: Chromecast Audio, Google, Siri and Alexa,
Internet radio support: TuneIn, iHeartRadio, vTuner and Radio Paradise
Roon Ready
Audio Codecs Supported: MP3, AAC, ALAC, APE, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AIFF, OGG
Analogue Input (ADC): Fixed 192k, 24bit
Memory: 512MB Flash + DRAM
Tone Control:  Adaptive EQ and Graphic Equaliser built-in
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5.3
DAC Chip: Dual ES9038Q2M
App Control WiiM Home
Dimensions (W x H x D): 205 x 205 x 73 mm
Weight: 1.3 kg
Price: £349, $329, €399

Manufacturer WiiM
www.wiimhome.com

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Bluesound Introduces New POWERNODE https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/bluesound-introduces-new-powernode/ Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:06:20 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59665 PICKERING, CANADA, JUNE 24, 2025 – BLUESOUND, the original hi-res […]

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PICKERING, CANADA, JUNE 24, 2025 – BLUESOUND, the original hi-res multi-room audio brand, today announces the launch of the new POWERNODE, a next-generation wireless music streaming amplifier that brings high-resolution performance and simplified AV integration into one modern component.

Building on the brand’s legacy as the first to combine hi-res, multi-room streaming with advanced Class D amplifier technology, the new POWERNODE offers 100 watts per channel of refined DirectDigitalÔ amplification for more power and lower distortion sound—whether you’re listening to music or watching movies. The POWERNODE marks a new chapter in Bluesound’s commitment to delivering high-fidelity sound without the complexity of traditional AV setups. With upgraded amplification, intuitive controls, and smarter home integration, the POWERNODE transforms everyday listening.

“The POWERNODE has always stood at the intersection of performance and simplicity,” said Morten Nielsen, Associate Product Manager, Bluesound. “This evolution expands its capabilities while staying true to our vision of delivering HiFi quality sound without compromise.”

 

Simple AV for Home

 

At the heart of Bluesound’s philosophy is a deep understanding that today’s listeners aren’t just looking for technical prowess — they’re seeking products that blend seamlessly into their daily lives. The new POWERNODE is a direct response to this shift. More than just a stereo amplifier, the POWERNODE is a complete home audio system. It’s designed for people who want powerful sound in a simple, streamlined package — a way to stream music and enjoy TV without the clutter and confusion of multiple boxes, remotes, or wires.

POWERNODE PRE-PRODUCTION BLK 3-4 Above Front with Shadow

With support for HDMI eARC and the ability to add a center channel speaker alongside left and right channels, the POWERNODE eliminates the need for bulky AV receivers. Thanks to its wireless surround capabilities, users can add Bluesound PULSE wireless speakers and a PULSE SUB+ to build a full 5.1 surround system — all without losing the minimalist aesthetic that modern homes demand.

“With the new POWERNODE, we’re not just delivering hi-res audio,” said Matt Simmonds, Product Manager, Bluesound. “We’re delivering a new way to experience music and home entertainment — one that’s powerful, flexible, and designed around how people actually live.”

 

Upgraded Power and Performance

The new POWERNODE features an updated circuitry design with signal path improvements, Bluesound’s latest DirectDigitalÔ amplification and gallium nitride (GaN) transistor technology, delivering 100 watts per channel in stereo mode and 80 watts per channel in a 3.1 system configuration. The result is pristine, dynamic sound with virtually no distortion—the kind of detailed fidelity that Bluesound customers have come to expect. This enhanced performance ensures that the POWERNODE isn’t just about convenience. It’s also about audiophile-grade sound. Whether it’s subtleties of a music track or the cinematic intensity of a film, the POWERNODE faithfully reproduces every nuance with depth, clarity, and control.

Multi-Room Music with BluOS

As with all Bluesound products, the POWERNODE is built with BluOS, the award-winning multi-room streaming platform. BluOS supports more than 20 streaming services — including TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer — and provides access to high-resolution formats up to 24-bit/192kHz, MQA, and DSD256 playback. Users can stream their personal libraries, listen to internet radio, or sync music across multiple rooms using other BluOS-enabled products. The BluOS Controller app, available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, offers a seamless and intuitive way to browse, control, and enjoy music — from anywhere in the home.

Intuitive by Design

The new POWERNODE reflects a refined industrial design with a sleek, compact form factor finished in matte black or white. A glass touch panel with proximity sensor offers responsive controls and five programmable presets, allowing users to instantly start playback without picking up a phone or tablet. Whether it’s placed on a credenza with bookshelf speakers, or integrated into a full home entertainment system, the POWERNODE is designed to look as good as it sounds.

Key Features Include:

 

  • Upgraded DirectDigital Amplification delivering 100W x 2 or 80W x 3 with center channel support for flexible system configurations. 
  • HDMI eARC and BluOS enabling easy integration and the ability to access your favorite music streaming services and apps. 
  • Full glass touch panel with proximity sensor and five programmable quick touch presets.
  • Seamless connectivity including USB-C audio input, optical and analog inputs, aptXÔ Adaptive Bluetooth and 6.3mm headphone output powered by a dedicated headphone amplifier with THX AAA, the world’s most liner headphone amplification technology.  
  • Dirac Live Ready for precise room correction and audio tuning.

 

Pricing and Availability

  • The POWERNODE will be available for pre-order starting August 12, 2025, at $1199 USD (tariff adjusted) and $1399 CAD on bluesound.com and at participating Bluesound dealers in both Black and White finishes. The POWERNODE will begin shipping to customers and available at dealer locations starting September 10, 2025.

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Best Integrated Amps Under $5k Series: Cambridge Audio Evo 150 Review https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/best-integrated-amps-under-5k-series-cambridge-audio-evo-150-review/ Sat, 14 Jun 2025 12:35:04 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59586 One of the things that I’ve discovered in life is […]

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One of the things that I’ve discovered in life is that the broader my brush, the more quickly I paint myself into a corner. 

Scouring the online forums of audiophilia has shed light on a subset of listeners who have done just this when it comes to switching amplifiers. 

While I’m certain earlier class-D amplifiers warranted this ‘band of brother’s’ rapid armament of the widest brushes they could find, they’ll now have to stay in the corner they’ve painted themselves into waiting for the paint to dry before stepping out to listen to the detailed, musical punch that the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 Streaming Amplifier has to offer. 

Unless you’re standing on the precipice contemplating which equipment in the tens of thousands of dollars, you’re going to get next, I’m not sure what more you need than this chic, efficient, well connected little compact amp has to offer. 

While certainly not cheap at $3,300 US, the bang for your buck that the Evo 150 offers is worth every penny. 

Measuring a little over 12 inches wide, just under 14 inches deep, and only about 3 inches high, this isn’t the smallest amp on the market but it’s certainly far from obtrusive. 

Given the size of this unit, it’s really quite remarkable how many features Cambridge has been able to pack into it. 

With its balanced analog input, one single-ended line-level input, and a single-ended input with phono EQ for moving magnet, the Evo 150 – while not exhaustive – is certainly not lacking in its available inputs for non-digital sources. 

As for the digital inputs, we have 2 TOSLINK optical, 1 S/PDIF coax, an HDMI ARC, Bluetooth, and USB; not to mention, the Evo 150’s integrated StreamMagic Gen 4 Module for streaming via Wi-Fi or a wired ethernet connection. 

For those of you who are more sensitive to the industrial design of your gear, included are two options for decorative side panels that are easily swapped out and held in place with magnets. 

Theres a black panel with a wave-like texture and, the option I preferred, a matte, natural wood veneer, and the fit and finish actually felt congruent with higher dollar items. 

In fact – this isn’t something I comment on often as I’m not convinced that it’s relevant when judging whether to buy a product or not, but the unboxing experience was definitely better than most by quite a margin. 

From the moment I unsealed the box, every step made this product seem like you get more for your dollar. 

Before going on to sound quality I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to share my experience with the StreamMagic app. 

I felt Cambridge knocked this out of the park. After plugging in the Evo 150, I fired up the StreamMagic app and setup was as close to effortless as one could hope for. My device immediately discovered the amp on the network and already had my Qobuz account connected. 

The creation of a queue for listening was straightforward, and files stored directly on my device were available at the swipe of a finger. 

Now, as streaming services own ‘Connect’ apps become more ubiquitous, use of an OEM’s streaming interface may begin to wane. 

If nothing else, this is simply another area where Cambridge went the extra mile when compared to others it competes with – again, making the user feel they got more for their money. 

While streaming, the LED front display shows album art and track meta data clearly and large enough to be seen from across the room. 

In addition to streaming information being displayed on-screen, from within the StreamMagic app users can rename inputs. Meaning remembering which source is connected to which input is a thing of the past. 

Switching inputs is done by simply rotating the silver ring that encompasses the units volume knob or from the selection buttons opposite the volume on the remote. 

And the remote is worth noting; it has great feel in your hands, and the volume adjustment is arranged in a way that allows the two buttons to operate similar to a rocker switch, which made for a very fluid experience when adjustments were made. 

Oh, and when switching inputs on the amp, it remembers the volume setting previously used on the input selected and readjusts – a feature I quite liked. 

If you haven’t already, go ahead and subscribe to the channel and click the bell for notifications when we release new reviews. 

Okay, how does the Evo 150 sound? For the purposes of this review, I conducted the majority of my listening from my library in Qobuz via the native StreamMagic app. 

The most noteworthy quality was how the Evo 150 just simply had its way with whatever speaker I lashed to it. From my – not so efficient – reference GoldenEar BRXs to the – soon to be reviewed – Martin Logan Motion XT F100 (with 92dB sensitivity at 4 ohms). 

This intense control over the drivers paired with an incredibly silent (or black) background meant the inter-transient silence (that quietness between notes) had a smile inducing believability. 

If I were to make one stroke with that broad brush I mentioned in the intro, it would be the absence of a musical signal past 100kHz due to the filter for removing the switching carrier signal. 

I completely understand that signals in this range are not audible, but this doesn’t mean they’re not felt or sensed. You really have to experience megahertz bandwidth equipment to get a sense of this, but after you do, trust me, you feel when that signal has been filtered out. 

Almost all amplifiers anywhere near this price point have similarly limited bandwidth. 

In the Evo 150, this filter has been so seamlessly integrated that the lack of these higher frequency signals is hardly a distraction. It’s just that it left the music feeling ever so slightly sterile. Really, this is pretty subtle stuff, but I’d regret not mentioning it. 

Alright, back to the good stuff – of which there’s a lot with this amp. Okay, imagine your components as panes of glass through which you’re viewing the music.  

I tend towards a camp that prefers the clearest possible glass for viewing and even if I would prefer my view to be ‘colored’ in any particular way, I would just as soon leave that for the final pane – the speakers. 

With a plethora of speaker options on the market, if you’re able to present the clearest image possible to the speaker of choice, certainly you could find a speaker that suits your coloring needs. 

Of course, that’s just my opinion and if you prefer to mix more complicated cocktails, who am I to stop you? 

Suffice it to say, the Evo 150 is like a top-shelf vodka, that is, its job is to pack a punch and get out of the way for whatever else is mixed with it. 

I fear I’ve begun mixing metaphors so let me get back to sharing my experience with the amp. 

With 150 watts per channel, the energetic punch offered from this polite looking little amp is anything but polite; although – tonally – the Evo does tend to mind its manners; it’s not edgy or strident.  

But dynamically, from tight punching snaps on a snare drum to solid thick whacks on the kick drum. This amp lets you have it. 

Wasted On You from Morgan Wallen’s 2021 album, Dangerous, has a hefty bass line and the energy that the Evo 150 pumped into the room was engaging and rendered the music in a way that freed me to feel the lyrics in a whole new way. 

Earlier I mentioned the black background that this amp presents, and this offered such a pleasant experience with vocals. Voices seemed to materialize out of thin air before my very eyes allowing me to forget that what I was listening to was emanating from the equipment in front of me. 

The frequency response presented by the Evo 150 was nicely balanced and relatively flat if only slightly lifted in the bottom end. 

This meant complex recordings sounded well organized and cohesive, but the Evo 150 demanded such control from the speakers that individual performers stood out as separate while the music overall remained cohesive. 

An example of this was on the recently released album from Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra – Still Blooming. On their rendition of Bye-Ya, each performer came forward in the music during their respective solos and then settles back into the background as an individual amongst its band mates. A real ‘you’re there’ moment. 

More generally, even at low levels, delicate details were rendered in full, making for quite enjoyable background listening. 

And when I wanted to crank it up, the Evo 150 never lost control. Timbral clarity and distinction remained as this authoritative little amp had its way with the transducers. 

In the introductory track to Fredrika Stahl’s album, Sweep Me Away, Fredrika whispers in the background and these whispers were rendered so clearly the hair on the back of my neck stood up – it was as if I could feel her breath in my ear. 

Additionally, on John Mayer’s cover of Everyday I Have The Blues, his Strat sings with all the warmth and bloom you’d expect. This amp is musical and engaging. 

What the engineers at Cambridge were able to extract from the incredible work of their engineering brethren at Hypex makes for a super exciting product. 

And because this amp is truly the whole package, credit must also be given to the product development team at Cambridge Audio. 

If you need a unit that packs a punch for a little listening session, looks pleasantly inconspicuous on your media console while seamlessly integrating with your television, and is a breeze to connect to for playing a little background music while hosting friends. 

Look no further than the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 Streaming Amplifier. 

Simply add speakers of your choosing and there’ll likely be years of sonic satisfaction in your future. 

Thanks for sticking with me while I shared what I heard when listening to this product and if you made it this far, you might consider subscribing to our print magazine. There’s a link in the description. 

And don’t forget to make listening fun again! 

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Small and Mighty: MXW70 Power Amp extends the half-width MX Series https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/small-and-mighty-mxw70-power-amp-extends-the-half-width-mx-series-2/ Fri, 13 Jun 2025 03:07:58 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59572 June 12, 2025 – Cambridge Audio is excited to announce […]

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June 12, 2025 – Cambridge Audio is excited to announce the launch of MXW70, a compact power amplifier that combines high-fidelity performance with a sleek footprint.

Designed and engineered in London, MXW70 is the ideal companion for our award-winning MXN10 music streamer with digital pre-amp mode. Together they form a half-width, high-performance streaming system that fits seamlessly into any space and can be fully controlled from the StreamMagic app.

MXW70 boasts an impressive 70 Watts (at 8 Ohms) of refined stereo power per channel, capable of driving even the most demanding speakers without the bulk of traditional power amplifiers. With a simple switch, users can turn the amplifier from stereo to mono mode, unlocking a staggering 250 Watts of bridgeable power.

SOUND THAT’S MADE BY MUSIC

Since the introduction of the groundbreaking P40 amplifier in 1968, Cambridge Audio has crafted iconic sound in the UK – and MXW70 is no exception. Designed, engineered and built at our London HQ, it delivers emotive sound, with exceptional clarity, resolution and musicality.

Driven by Hypex NCORE Class D amplifier technology and carefully tuned by Cambridge’s expert audio engineers, MXW70 offers high efficiency and compact size while maintaining the musical sound quality that Cambridge Audio is known for.

COMPREHENSIVE CONNECTIONS

MXW70 features both RCA stereo and studio-quality XLR inputs, giving flexibility in how it integrates into your home audio system. Whether you’re powering a stereo setup or home theatre, you can do so with the knowledge that the transmission signals will be noise-free. Standard 4mm banana plug sockets with binding posts make it easy to connect any type of speaker.

Thanks to its 12v trigger input and pass-through, MXW70 also simplifies day-to-day use by enabling automatic power switching for connected devices. A USB adapter cable is supplied for auto power on/off when using the MXN10 as a digital pre-amp – use the StreamMagic app to remotely turn your streamer on and the MXW70 will start up too.

Extending the half-width audio experience even further, MXW70 can also be partnered with the award-winning DacMagic 200M DAC to result in a system with a physical volume knob, a range of digital inputs, and a high-resolution headphone output.

However, with its compact, discreet design, MXW70 can be slotted into almost any setup – even with one MXW70 used in mono mode for each channel of a home cinema system.

TIMELESS DESIGN

Premium, all-metal casework creates a minimalist, timeless design that’s flawlessly finished in Cambridge’s trademark Lunar Grey to match MXN10 music streamer and DacMagic 200M DAC.

With all the power and features of a full-sized power amplifier but measuring just 215mm wide, MXW70 is small yet mighty. This condensed size means it can conveniently sit on your desk, in an entertainment unit or hidden away.

MXW70 redefines the possibilities of compact audio solutions, blending powerful performance, versatile connectivity, and elegant design.

Cambridge Audio MXW70 will be available from summer 2025 at cambridgeaudio.com and approved retailers, priced at £499/€599/$599.

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Small and Mighty: MXW70 Power Amp extends the half-width MX Series https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/small-and-mighty-mxw70-power-amp-extends-the-half-width-mx-series/ Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:15:20 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59532 12th JUNE 2025: British audio pioneer Cambridge Audio is excited […]

The post Small and Mighty: MXW70 Power Amp extends the half-width MX Series appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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12th JUNE 2025: British audio pioneer Cambridge Audio is excited to announce the launch of MXW70, a compact power amplifier that combines high-fidelity performance with a sleek footprint.

Designed and engineered in London, MXW70 is the ideal companion for our award-winning MXN10 music streamer with digital pre-amp mode. Together they form a half-width, high-performance streaming system that fits seamlessly into any space and can be fully controlled from the StreamMagic app.

MXW70 boasts an impressive 70 Watts (at 8 Ohms) of refined stereo power per channel, capable of driving even the most demanding speakers without the bulk of traditional power amplifiers. With a simple switch, users can turn the amplifier from stereo to mono mode, unlocking a staggering 250 Watts of bridgeable power.

SOUND THAT’S MADE BY MUSIC

Since the introduction of the groundbreaking P40 amplifier in 1968, Cambridge Audio has crafted iconic sound in the UK – and MXW70 is no exception. Designed, engineered and built at our London HQ, it delivers emotive sound, with exceptional clarity, resolution and musicality.

Driven by Hypex NCORE Class D amplifier technology and carefully tuned by Cambridge’s expert audio engineers, MXW70 offers high efficiency and compact size while maintaining the musical sound quality that Cambridge Audio is known for.

COMPREHENSIVE CONNECTIONS

MXW70 features both RCA stereo and studio-quality XLR inputs, giving flexibility in how it integrates into your home audio system. Whether you’re powering a stereo setup or home theatre, you can do so with the knowledge that the transmission signals will be noise-free. Standard 4mm banana plug sockets with binding posts make it easy to connect any type of speaker.

Thanks to its 12v trigger input and pass-through, MXW70 also simplifies day-to-day use by enabling automatic power switching for connected devices. A USB adapter cable is supplied for auto power on/off when using the MXN10 as a digital pre-amp – use the StreamMagic app to remotely turn your streamer on and the MXW70 will start up too.

Extending the half-width audio experience even further, MXW70 can also be partnered with the award-winning DacMagic 200M DAC to result in a system with a physical volume knob, a range of digital inputs, and a high-resolution headphone output.

However, with its compact, discreet design, MXW70 can be slotted into almost any setup – even with one MXW70 used in mono mode for each channel of a home cinema system.

TIMELESS DESIGN

Premium, all-metal casework creates a minimalist, timeless design that’s flawlessly finished in Cambridge’s trademark Lunar Grey to match MXN10 music streamer and DacMagic 200M DAC.

With all the power and features of a full-sized power amplifier but measuring just 215mm wide, MXW70 is small yet mighty. This condensed size means it can conveniently sit on your desk, in an entertainment unit or hidden away.

MXW70 redefines the possibilities of compact audio solutions, blending powerful performance, versatile connectivity, and elegant design.

Cambridge Audio MXW70 will be available from summer 2025 at cambridgeaudio.com and approved retailers, priced at £499/€599/$599.

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Quad 33 preamplifier and 303 power amplifier https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/quad-33-preamplifier-and-303-power-amplifier/ Thu, 12 Jun 2025 02:24:53 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59556 Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.” This aphorism has […]

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Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.” This aphorism has been circulated for as long as I can remember. However, it is only thanks to the power of the internet that I can assert, with some degree of certainty, that it is formally attributed to the American writer Peter de Vries in his 1959 novel The Tents of Wickedness. Just eight years after that publication, another Peter, Peter Walker, founder of Quad Electroacoustics, released the company’s first solid-state technology amplification system in the form of the 33/303 combination. He referred to them as a control amplifier with a matching power amplifier. 

Pictures used in advertising at the time show a couple sitting in front of a single Quad ESL electrostatic loudspeaker, the latter being launched in the same year as the amplification system. When I first saw pictures of the new Quad 33/303 combination in the later months of 2024, my first and overwhelming sensation was a wave of nostalgia, which was what it used to be. Although I was only a teenager when Quads appeared, I was already well aware that the Dansette player I was using might not be the last word in audio reproduction.

Burning a Hole

In 1981, with money from a significant commission cheque burning a hole in my pocket, I ventured into a hi-fi shop close to where I worked in Tottenham Court Road, London. After several visits and long chats with the salesman, Lee, I purchased my first ‘proper’ audio system. A Quad 44. control amp, a Quad 405 MkII stereo power amplifier, a pair of Rogers Studio One loudspeakers, a Luxman direct drive turntable and a Luxman cassette player/recorder. That system served me for over a decade until I replaced the 405 with a later Quad design, the 606, while the Rogers gave way to another British design, the Castle Howards.

So why am I dwelling so much on the past? In the intervening decades, I spent tens of thousands of pounds on audio equipment without finding anything that served me better than that original system. Only when I stepped from in front of the counter to behind it in audio retail could I start building what I now consider my ultimate system, which combines terrific sound with domestic acceptability. As a reviewer, I am privileged to hear many different components, which I enjoy hugely. Still, I usually have them here for some time, learn their strengths and occasional weaknesses, write about them, and send them back. I rarely get excited about a forthcoming “guest” component, but when I read about the new Quad33/303 combination, I was bursting with enthusiasm.

QUAD 33

Nostalgia was a factor, but so was curiosity and an enduring fondness for the Quad brand.

Enthusiasm Justified?

Before we know whether I was right or wrong to have been so enthusiastic, let me describe these brand-new, twenty-first-century versions of the pre and power amplifiers. They may strongly resemble their ancestors but are very much contemporary under the surface. Starting with the 33, my first impression when I lifted it from the box was its solidity. It feels sturdy, and the toroidal transformer within it gives it a reassuring weight. Once on the rack and wired up, the LED illumination gives off a wonderful orange glow. Looking at the front panel, on the left is a rotary control for volume, and below that, four rectangular buttons marked Aux 1.2 and 3 and XLR. To their right are two small black circles, one being the receiver for the remote control and the other a full-size headphone input. To the right are four rectangular buttons: Phono, Tone, Backlight, and Standby. Above those is the backlit LED screen, which shows how much bass adjustment has been applied, how much Tilt has been dialled in and whether or not the balance has been adjusted. These three functions are controlled via rotary controls above the LED screen.

So, what is Tilt? Peter Walker developed this idea because he felt that separate tone controls were inadequate and clumsy. Quad says, “The Tilt control differs in that it adjusts both ends of the frequency spectrum together, either attenuating the bass and lifting the treble or lifting the bass and attenuating the treble in 1dB steps.

“It rotates – or tilts – the audible frequency range on a 700Hz axis, thereby adjusting the overall sound balance with ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ hints without altering volume or adding colour to the sound. This feature is unique to QUAD and offers a subtle, precise, and consistent way to adjust your system’s performance and compensate for recordings or environments.” My old Quad 44 was equipped with a Tilt control, so this was not a new concept for me, but it may take some acclimatisation for someone new to Quad.

Switchgear

The rear panel offers an IEC input socket for mains power from the bottom left. Above that is an on/off rocker switch. The next cluster of sockets relates to output. There is a pair of XLRs and a pair of RCAs, allowing the user to choose either, and then a second pair of output RCAs marked Aux for connection, for example, of a subwoofer. The right-hand side is given over to inputs – a pair of XLRs and two pairs of RCAs, and above them, two pairs of RCAs, the right-hand ones being for access to the built-in phono stage. There is a grounding pin to the right of those. A tiny pair of sockets for the 12v trigger system is also available for powering up the 33 and the matching 303 power amplifier simultaneously. The supplied remote control is excellent, allowing access to the tone controls and the inputs while giving precise level settings for the volume.

QUAD 303

Turning to the 303 power amplifier, the designers at Quad have remained faithful to the original version in terms of size and shape but have again built a contemporary piece of engineering within the familiar exterior. At the flip of a switch on the rear panel, the 303 can be used as a singleton stereo amplifier, putting 50W per channel into an eight-ohm load or 70W into four ohms. It offers the user the choice of XLR or RCA connection to a pre-amplifier, two pairs of multiway binding posts and an IEC input socket with an on/off rocker switch above it. The front boasts just the single orange rectangular switch in the lower centre, which brings the unit out of standby mode and is illuminated when the power is on. 

I started the review using a single 303 in stereo mode. I connected the visiting Gold Note CD5 (reviewed next issue) using Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II XLR cables, and the guest turntable, a Michell Orbe SE, fitted with Michell’s own Cusis M moving coil cartridge in the Michell TechnoArm A-II was plugged into my own Gold Note PH10/PSU phono stage. This was connected with Vertere RedLine RCA cables to the 33. My pair of Harbeth Compact 7ES XD loudspeakers completed the system, connected to the 303 using Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II cables.

Listening To The 33/303 

As I do not own a standalone DAC, and the 33 is strictly an analogue-only device, I used only CD and vinyl throughout the sojourn of the Quads at Kelly Towers. I let the units warm up for a day with a selection of compact discs before starting to do any serious listening, but even cold from the box, I was struck by the engaging nature of the sound being delivered. The first CD to be loaded into the Gold Note’s drawer was Audio Fidelity gold CD issued in 2011 of Crosby Stills and Nash’s eponymous first album from 1969. As the opening notes of the first track, ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’, poured into the room, I was drawn into the music. Stephen Stills and his bandmates had wandered into my room and were positioned just ahead of the loudspeakers. Their voices were clear, well-defined and, for me at least, as lovely as ever. I had intended to play just a few tracks but could not tear myself from my chair until the last track ended. 

I played a couple more compact discs, then switched to vinyl, and was not surprised that from the outset, this sounded terrific. As I was on a Stephen Stills kick, the first album onto the Orbe SE’s platter was an original 1972 copy of Manassas on the Atlantic label. Although Stills’ name is prominent on the cover, this is truly a band effort, and all the better for it. The four sides each have a theme, and side one is titled ‘The Raven’, and starts with the rocking ‘Song Of Love’ and ends with the gorgeous ‘Both Of Us (Bound To Lose)’, on which Stills the writing credit with Chris Hillman, formerly of the Byrds, but a key member of this band. The music had real rhythmic drive, and with the volume advanced halfway through, it was an awe-inspiring performance. 

Quad 33 and 303 lifestyle

Unable to resist, I reconfigured the system, adding the second 303 I had been sent and now running a pair of them, bridged to mono. The power output was increased to 140W into eight ohms and 170W into four ohms. I cued up Manassas again and lowered the stylus onto the black disc. Oh my goodness! The same music positively leapt from the Harbeths, transporting me to the studio with the band and encouraging me to listen to their contribution while immersed in the overall sound.

Record after record followed because this system made me want to keep playing music. From modern pop à la George Ezra through 1950s jazz via rock, folk, classical and electronica, the 33/303 trio delivered. Two final system changes had to be made to complete the review process. First, the Gold Note PH10 was disconnected from the 33, and the Michell’s cables were attached to the phono input on the pre-amplifier. Setting up the Moving Coil was a straightforward process. I cued up the second side of my early 1970s pressing of Pink Floyd’s Meddle. I sat through the 20+ minutes of ‘Echoes’, absolutely absorbed in the complex music. This fine phono stage is extremely quiet when not playing and will make a fine match with many mainstream cartridges. 

Lastly, I removed the Harbeths from the system and replaced them with a pair of Wharfedale Super Lintons mounted on their dedicated stands. Again, I allowed the newcomers some time to warm up before sitting to listen more closely. What a team they make, the Quads and the Lintons. Yes, this turned the nostalgia to 11, as I had lived with a pair of original Lintons in the early 1970s. However, this modern version is a better-built and sounding device than its illustrious forebear. Modern drive units, a carefully designed crossover, and much higher quality cabinetry and internal bracing make this new version impossible to ignore at its price point. That said, I found this whole system’s visually retro appeal irresistible. 

Final Thoughts

At the end of the review period, I reluctantly dismantled this system. I liked the way it looked at the other end of our lounge, and I also had to enjoy the sound it created. If you have grown up with modern audio equipment, the Quads are slightly less analytical, perhaps a tad warmer tone than you are accustomed to. However, you will not want to hear details or musical communication.

If I were buying and had the budget, I would go for the 33 with a pair of 303s. You will own a first-class amplification system for under £4,000 here in the UK. If they were coming here, I would site each 303 close to the speaker, which it was to drive, using the ability of XLR to carry the signal the width of the listening room for the 33 and requiring much shorter runes of loudspeaker cable. I would also set up the 12V trigger system so the 303s woke up when I took the 33 off standby. More than once in the first days of their time here, I took the 33 out of standby, cued up some music, and then was momentarily puzzled by the absence of music, having forgotten to wake up the power amplifiers. They turn themselves to standby mode if they detect no signal for a period. My feeble excuse is that my amplifier is integrated, so I never have to take that extra step.

If you prefer to stream their music, remember that the 33 will require you to connect an external DAC, as it is is resolutely analogue only. I enjoyed the forced abandonment of my iPad and a full-time return to using physical media. One unexpected but welcome consequence was that I listened to whole albums, undistracted by fiddling with an app to find the next piece to play. 

It came as no surprise that the Quad/Harbeth combination worked so well. I know that Alan Shaw, who designs Harbeth loudspeakers, uses a Quad 405MkII as one of the tools in his development laboratory. However, I am sure the amplifiers will work well with many modern loudspeakers. They have enough power to stir even the most challenging loads into musical action.

When the Quads arrived, I fell for their looks. By the time they left, I had fallen for their performance. These are a first-class, carefully conceived, and brilliantly executed homage to Quad’s illustrious history but should appeal equally to those unfettered by the remembrance of times past and are highly recommended. 

Specs & Pricing

Quad 33

Type: Line and Phono Preamplifier with headphone amplifier
Inputs: 3 x RCA, 1 x Balanced XLR (pair), 1 x Phono (MM/MC switchable)
Outputs: 1 x RCA (AUX), 1 x XLR, 1 x RCA (Pre Out), 1 x Headphone, 2 x 12V Trigger Out
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz (±0.2dB)
THD: <0.0005% (1kHz, Line/XLR), <0.002% (1kHz, Phono MM / MC)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 108dB (A-weighted, Line/XLR), > 82dB (A-weighted, Phono MM), > 74dB (A-weighted, Phono MC)
Output Impedance: 120Ω
Headphone amplifier output impedance: 2.35Ω
Headphone amplifier load impedance: 20-600Ω
Dimensions (WxHxD): 25.8×8.3×16.5cm
Weight: 4kg
Price: £1,199, $1,599, €1,499

Quad 303

Type: Class AB bridgeable stereo power amplifier
Inputs: RCA stereo pair, XLR stereo pair, 12V trigger
Outputs: Loudspeaker terminals, 12V trigger
Rated power output: Stereo: 2 x 50W (8Ω, THD<1%), Bridged: 140W (8Ω, THD<1%)
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz (±0.3dB)
THD: <0.002% (1kHz)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: > 108dB (A – weighted)
Input impedance: 15kΩ (Line), 22kΩ (XLR)
Dimensions (WxHxD): 12×17.6×32.5cm
Weight: 8.4kg
Price: £1,199, $1,599, €1,499

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Schiit Audio Kara F Preamplifier, Gungnir 2 DAC, and Wotan Power Amplifier https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/schiit-audio-kara-f-preamplifier-gungnir-2-dac-and-wotan-power-amplifier/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:15:01 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59523 Back in the 60s, most stereos were bought and sold […]

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Back in the 60s, most stereos were bought and sold as complete systems. My first, purchased from NYC’s Sam Goody’s in 1967, consisted of a Garrard turntable, H. H. Scott receiver, and a pair of EPI 100 loudspeakers for the combo price of $479. The Schiit Audio GigaStack’s approach is similar, except you still have to add a source component and speakers. The GigaStack trio of components consists of the Schiit Gungnir 2 DAC, Kara F or Kara F+ preamplifier, and the Wotan power amplifier. For the review stack I chose the Kara F rather than the F+.

Using components from one manufacturer offers several advantages over mix and match. First, since that was how the components were conceived, designed, and tested, chances of a mismatch in terms of input and output impedances are eliminated. Second, if you do experience any difficulties, it’s far easier for a manufacturer to solve the problem since they are intimately familiar with the optimal way to configure all the pieces in the signal chain.

 

The Kara F Preamplifier 

The $799 Kara F is a Kara with the addition of the Forkbeard module. From the outside, the Kara appears to be basically a Freya S with headphone capabilities. But the Schiit site claims that “the Kara kills the Freya S from all outputs, in all modes.” Well, okay, then. The technical reasons for the performance improvements include higher rail voltages, boosted from ±17V to ±32V, along with the new 48V power supply to support the new higher voltages. 

Operationally the Kara F is quite similar to the Freya S. (I’m more than a little bit familiar with the Freya S, since I own two of them.) Inputs and outputs on the Kara F include two balanced and three single-ended inputs as well as one pair of balanced outputs along with two single-ended outputs. The Kara F supports three operational modes—passive, active gain 1, and active gain 5. In my system, I rarely changed from passive to active modes for additional gain. The 4-volt maximum signal level available from my reference DAC’s balanced XLR output was so robust that in my usual loud listening level the Kara F was still between 15 and 20dB down from unity gain in passive mode.

Schist Audio kara

Levels control on the Kara F, like the Freya S, consists of a 128 stepped-relay attenuator accessible via remote control. I like this stepped volume a lot. Not only is tracking between channels at all volumes consistent, but it offers an aural cue that the volume change has occurred with audible clicks. While some might find the relay’s clicks while changing levels distracting, I appreciate having a sonic confirmation that the remote control’s level commands were successfully received.

The Kara F includes one single-ended ¼” headphone output. According to Schiit Audio its maximum output is 1 watt RMS into 32–300 ohms. It supported my hardest-to-drive headphones easily. With both the Beyer-Dynamic DT990 600-ohm and the Dan Clark Stealth, I never needed to raise the volume above –20dB in passive mode. Switching to a pair of sensitive in-ears, the Empire Ears Zeus, I had to turn the levels down to –60dB. If I turned up the volume to full, without any signal I could hear a faint hiss, but at normal listening levels the Empire Zeus was as quiet as a grave.

The F in Kara F stands for Forkbeard, which is Schiit’s first foray into iOS apps. It offers all the controls available on the Kara’s physical remote. It also duplicates the controls available for the Gungnir 2 DAC and the controls on the front panel of the Wotan power amplifier. For me the primary advantage the app has over the physical remote was that it supplied numbered dB level readings, so I could know exactly what the gain level setting was instead of guessing. The Forkbeard app even offers haptic control, so when you change the volume, it vibrates by way of feedback. I wish, however, that the app’s volume control increments were more precise. Single-step adjustment of volume is available via Forkbeard—just tap the left side of the dial to decrease volume, and the right side to increase volume. The Gigastack and Forkbeard combo also enable Visual Volume, which shows where the system will exceed its limits, in the form of yellow-and red-colored bars on the volume dial.

Since I have been using the physical Schiit remote for several years, it took me a while to wean myself away from it to the app. One particular ergonomic quirk of the Karra F hastened my migration—the Kara F remote control’s eye has a limited angle of acceptance below its own horizontal plane. When I held the remote at waist level from my primary seating position, the Kara F usually did not respond. I had to raise the remote to shoulder height to achieve a consistent reaction. Yeah, boohoo, but this was never a problem with the Freya S due to the different placement of the IR eye. With the IOS app remote control, no line-of-sight is required.

One feature that I found essential on the Freya S was retained on the Kara F—the silent switching between inputs. Unlike many preamplifiers which produce a click or momentary pause, the Kara F produces no sound whatsoever when switching inputs, which makes it ideal for matched-level instantaneous A/B switching between two source components. 

During my listening sessions with the Kara F in the system, I could hear nothing to alert me that its presence was in any way altering the sound passing through it. I heard the same level of musical information without noise or distortion that I was accustomed to hearing though the Freya S. Does the Kara F sound audibly superior to the Freya S? To my ears they both produce stellar sonics…but the added functionality of headphone connections and the Forkbeard app certainly makes the Kara F a more complete component than the Freya S. 

Schist Audio gungnir 2

The Gungnir 2 DAC

Most DACs in the $1599 Gungnir 2’s price range utilize either a second-party Delta-Sigma DAC chip or an R2R DAC as their primary digital decoding device. The Gungnir 2 doesn’t go the AKM, ESS, or Crystal DAC chip route. Instead, the Gungnir 2 relies of what they call a “multi-bit” design called “Multiform,” utilizing a Texas Instruments DAC8812C x 4 with digital filtering performed by a SHARC DSP processor. Unlike many DACS, the Gungnir 2 allows for upgradability due to its replaceable DAC/analog card. Also, firmware updates can come into the Gungnir 2 via the Forkbeard dongle.

Unlike every other manufacturer’s DAC I’m familiar with, the Gungnir 2 has two USB input options. One is the Unison 384, which goes up to 384/32, while the other is for sources up to 192/32. I tried both and didn’t hear any major sonic differences between them. I suspect most users will employ the Unison 384 input, so that is what I used during subsequent listening sessions. I have made quite a few recordings using DSD, so I was disappointed to find that the Gungnir 2 does not support DSD (or MQA, for that matter). If your own library is heavily populated by DSD and MQA, and you don’t wish or have the ability to transcode into PCM (Roon does this automatically if configured to do so, which is how I addressed the issue), the Gungnir 2 would probably not be high on your list of future DACs.

Operating the Gungnir 2 via the Forkbeard app was a pleasure. It even displays the bit rate of your current music file. You can turn on and off the non-over-sampling feature, invert the phase, change the DAC’s digital input, and mute its output from the app. 

I have to admit that I hate doing matched-level A/B comparisons between DACs. The testing is time-consuming, and the results are often frustrating. I mentioned earlier that the Kara F is ideal for A/B comparisons of DACs due to its silent input switching. I gave that feature a thorough workout, comparing the sound of the Gungnir 2 with my current reference DAC, the Gustard A-26. Their prices are within $100 of each other, and the Gustard has been my primary reference DAC for the last three months.

Using Roon’s ganged feature, I could send the exact same feed to both DACs simultaneously. Each DAC was connected to my network from the same network switch via continuous runs of Ethernet cable. I employ 75 feet of CAT 8 to the Gustard, which goes directly into its built-in Ethernet port. The Gungnir 2 was connected to a Raspberry Pi4B via one meter of Audience AU24 USB cable. The Raspberry Pi was configured in Diet-PI as a Roon endpoint, and the PI was connected to the network via 60 feet of CAT 6 back to the switch. That’s the two slightly different signal chains. While I would prefer if they had been identical, the lack of a network/streaming input connection on the Gungnir 2 made that impossible.

Before I could do this listening test, I had to critically match the two DACs output levels. After accomplishing that (not easy since often the level differences between two DACS are not 0.5dB apart, while most DAC volume controls are in 0.5 increments of a dB) After that, I finally began listening. My hope, when I do a matched-level A/B comparison is that I will hear routinely noticeable sonic differences. I hate to admit that hearing any differences between the two DACS after repeated tests using my own recordings and reference commercial tracks was, for me, impossible. 

At my usual listening levels during the test, the Kara F’s volume level was set around –20dB. Add that to the S/N figures of either of these two DACs, which are both better than –120dB, and you have a noise floor that is nearly –140dB down! For me, and most humans I know, that’s in the inaudible range. Both DACs produced identical soundstages and were ferences. I hate to admit that hearing any differences between the two DACS after repeated tests using my own recordings and reference commercial tracks was, for me, impossible. 

At my usual listening levels during the test, the Kara F’s volume level was set around –20dB. Add that to the S/N figures of either of these two DACs, which are both better than –120dB, and you have a noise floor that is nearly –140dB down! For me, and most humans I know, that’s in the inaudible range. Both DACs produced identical soundstages and were equally adept at precise imaging. Bass extension and tonality between the two were also indistinguishable. When I controlled the switch-over, I kept listening for even the most subtle sonic tells that would alert me to one DAC’s presence over the other. Near the end of my testing, I had my wife make the change on the Kara F from DAC A to DAC B, while I attempted to determine blind when the switch had been made, and if a switch had been made…I got it wrong every time.

Schist Audio Wotan

The Wotan Power Amplifier 

The $1999 Wotan power amplifier ranks as the heaviest component I’ve had to install in my system since I refurbished my pair of JL Audio f112 subwoofers. At 54 pounds, it’s a beast. Its power capabilities are worthy of its moniker, with 200 watts RMS into 8 ohms, doubling to 400 watts RMS into 4 ohms. It is a dual-mono differential design that Schiit calls its High Power Nexus™ circuit. This circuit has universal feedback that can be turned off, changing its gain from 26dB to 32dB and affecting its damping factors. With feedback the damping is greater than 50 into 8 ohms, with no feedback the damping factor is reduced to greater than 30 into 8 ohms.

The Wotan has not one, but two internal fans. When the Wotan is turned on the fans spin briefly. During my listening sessions they did not come on again, which isn’t surprising given that my Spatial Audio X-2 loudspeakers are sensitive and an easy impedance load. The Wotan is not completely silent, however. I noticed a low-level continuous hum from inside the chassis. The level was so low that at my listening position I couldn’t detect it, but it was always present. At the speaker’s drivers, the Wotan was absolutely silent with no hiss or hum even when the Kara F’s volume in the passive mode was at maximum and my ear about an inch from the drivers. For those who abhor noise, I suspect it would be very hard to find a system that has less noise at full output than the Schiit Audio Kara F in passive mode/Wotan combination.

For those who wish to experience a zero-feedback amplifier design, Schiit Audio has obliged with a button on the front chassis (and in the Forkbeard app) that lets you turn feedback on and off. I tried it and almost immediately went back to the universal feedback mode. Without feedback, the Wotan was too wild and wooly for my tastes. I immediately noticed the lack of speaker driver control when feedback was eliminated. I suspect there are some systems that might benefit from the no feedback setting, but mine was not one of them.

Schiit Audio GigaStack lifestyle

GigaStack Combination Setup 

Setting up the GigaStack was easy and straight forward. First, I removed one of the two DACs connected via XLR to my Freya S preamplifier and replaced it with the Gungnir 2. After some listening, I replaced the Freya S with the Kara F. Finally, I removed one of my stacked amplifiers, the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra, and then placed the rather substantial Wotan power amplifier on top of my reference Pass X-150.8, and placed my other current reference amps, the FOSI V3 mono amplifiers with Sparkos op-amps and the GAN power supply upgrade, on top of the Wotan. This arrangement made it possible to switch between power amplifiers in about a minute. 

I realize that when most audiophiles change components they are doing so because they want or expect a change or improvement in their system’s sonic capabilities. I’m rather different. When I put a new component into my signal chain, first I listen for how it may have degraded, rather than improved, the system’s capabilities. Why? Because my room and source material have been refined and developed over many years to the point where the default sonics of my system are, for me, basically correct. And while there is always room for the possibility of incremental refinements, if I notice no audible change in the system sonic capabilities, I consider that a good thing.

Together, the GigaStack performed impeccably. Once I acclimated to the Forkbeard app, I preferred it to the supplied physical remotes. Not having to be concerned with the directionality of an RF remote is more than a little bit liberating.

The GigaStack Sound

The Schiit Audio GigaStack “house sound” is everything you would expect from a high-performance audio component, and in my system sounds like virtually nothing at all. By this I mean that every recording played through the system sounded like the recording was supposed to sound. On old mono tracks, the soundstage width was a pinpoint in space, while with my live concert recordings the soundstage had all the three-dimensionality that a carefully placed M/S microphone array can deliver. In terms of low-level detail, I had no complaints. On one of my reference field recordings, made outdoors during a Rockygrass Academy workshop, of Chris Eldridge and Bryan Sutton playing “Church Street Blues,” it was easy to listen into the mix. I could not only hear the two guitars clearly, but also the sound of the river 50 feet away, as well as the occasional tapping from the mandolin-making workshop 150 feet away. On my recording of the Boulder Philharmonic performing the Brahms Requiem, the chorus was above and behind the orchestra. Through the GigaStack system I could easily hear that the chorus was located above and behind. I could also hear the conductor Theodore Kuchar’s occasional exhalations. 

Kuchar’s additional breath emphasis reminds me of an exchange between the Boulder Philharmonic’s conductor, Ozzy Lehnert, and J. Gordon Holt. After listening to our recording of the orchestra Lehnert asked, “Can you make it sound more forgiving?” Holt responded, “Only God can forgive.”

Summary

I’ll admit to never having had much use for blingy-looking audio gear. In my personal world view, gold is of greater value inside a component rather than on knobs, buttons, or ¼”-thick faceplates. So, it should be no surprise that I find the looks of the Kara F and Gungnir 2 to be fine and dandy. Their shared basic chassis design has a unique visual appeal that’s far superior to a plain aluminum project box, without tipping over into shiny metallic excess. 

At the beginning of the review, I mentioned my first system from Sam Goody’s. It’s price, when adjusted for inflation to 2025 dollars, comes to $4593.35, which is only slightly more than the GigaStack’s current $4247 price tag.

Comparing that stereo system’s capabilities with the GigaStack is like comparing my first car, a 1970 Saab 96, to a current-generation Subaru hybrid. The GigaStack delivers a level of sonic value that far eclipses what could be had for the same money in my youth. Granted, all electronic devices have gotten less expensive, but high-performance audio has benefitted even more due to the convergence of parts quality, refinement of design, and economies of scale dictated by demand. Schiit is a prime example of high-performance audio sonics, packaged in a straight-forward manner and priced for the value-conscious music lover. So, what’s not to like?  

Specs & Pricing

Kara F solid-state preamplifier

Analog inputs: Two balanced XLR, three unbalanced RCA
Outputs: One balanced XLR and two unbalanced RCA
Dimensions: 16″ x 8″ x 2″
Weight: 12 lbs.
Price: $799

 

Gungnir 2 DAC

Inputs: Coaxial RCA SPDIF, optical SPDIF, USB
Formats supported: PCM up to 384/32
Output: balanced and unbalanced fixed output
Dimensions: 16″ by 8″ by 2″
Weight: 12 lbs.
Price: $1599

 

Wotan solid-state power amplifier

Output power: 200Wpc into 8 ohms, 400Wpc into 4 ohms
Inputs: Balanced XLR and single-ended RCA
Input impedance: 47k ohms
Dimensions: 16″ x 13″ x 3.875″
Weight: 54 lbs.
Price: $1999

 

Complete system price: $4247

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Accuphase C2900 preamplifier + A80 amplifier review https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/accuphase-c2900-preamplifier-a80-amplifier-review/ Sat, 07 Jun 2025 11:33:46 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59507 Robert Taylor duel reviews the Accuphase C2900 preamplifier and the […]

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Robert Taylor duel reviews the Accuphase C2900 preamplifier and the Accuphase A80 amplifier, noting their individual characteristics and their combined output. Tune in to hear Robert’s thoughts.

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High End Munich 2025: Electronics and Digital Sources https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/high-end-munich-2025-electronics-and-digital-sources/ Sat, 31 May 2025 02:30:51 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59414 It is bittersweet that this last High End Munich show […]

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It is bittersweet that this last High End Munich show was the biggest and best-sounding I’ve attended. After 21 years at Munich’s MOC convention hall, next year’s show will be in Vienna, a move that left many in the industry uncertain about the new venue. That’s because it’s hard to argue with the juggernaut that High End Munich has become: 10,562 trade visitors (manufacturers, dealers, distributors) from 87 countries, 11,675 consumers from 63 countries, and 581 press from 43 countries. A total of 501 exhibitors showcased nearly a thousand brands over the four-day exhibition. There’s simply nothing that compares to the Munich show.

The Absolute Sound fielded our largest Munich team ever, with Andrew Quint covering loudspeakers under $50,000, Michael Fremer on his usual analog beat, Robert Harley on electronics and digital sources, Jonathan Valin providing sonic descriptions of speakers costing more than $50k, Tom Martin on exciting technical developments, and Jacob Heilbrunn giving us his color commentary on his favorite products and systems.

RH VTL Lohengrin

VTL debuted the Lohengrin, the company’s new flagship power amplifier. The Lohengrin retains the driver stage of VTL’s Siegfried and combines it with a new eight-tube output stage. This new output stage, capable of 400W, has a lower output impedance that allows for a simpler and better-sounding output transformer. The design has zero global feedback, wide bandwidth (–1dB at 100kHz), and an adjustable damping factor. The visual design has also advanced, giving the Lohengrin a more modern look. The price is $100,000 per pair, with the first deliveries scheduled for this summer. Driving Wilson Audio Alexx V Carbon speakers with dCS digital source and Kuzma turntable with a Lyra Etna Lambda SL cartridge and Nordost cabling, the Lohengrin produced perhaps the best sound I’ve heard from the Alexx V.

RH Vitus

Vitus Audio of Denmark previewed a new power amplifier, the SM-025. It is a reimagining of the SM-011, which is being discontinued. No details are available, but it looks like an interesting design, with its output-stage boards mounted inside a milled-out section of the heatsink, massive transformer, and all-new input stage. The user can select the output mode and power, 40W in Class A or 200W in Class AB. U.S. retail price is expected to be around $65,000 per pair, with availability in late summer.

Although it made its debut a month before at the AXPONA show, Soulution’s 717 power amplifier ($119k) sounded superb driving the AlsyVox Botticelli, a three-way full-range ribbon that is one step down from the Caravaggio I reviewed last year. The system was sourced by Soulution’s ingenious new turntable in which the platter slowly moves laterally under the pivoted tonearm to eliminate radius-dependent tracking error (see Michael Fremer’s report in this issue).

RH Gryphon

No product better exemplifies the core amplifier technologies and values of the Danish brand Gryphon than the Antilionpower amplifier. This amp, which has undergone many revisions since its introduction in 1995, features a massive build for its power rating, a huge transformer, banks of high-current output transistors, oversized heatsinks, and stunning industrial design and build-quality. All this hardware is in the service of delivering Class A power without dynamic limitations. I reviewed the Antilion Evo and fell in love with the combination of Class A liquidity with an iron-fisted grip in the bass. In Munich, Gryphon introduced this amp’s successor, the Antilion Revolution that takes the performance to the next level. Everything in this fifth-generation amplifier has been upgraded based on technologies developed for Gryphon’s top-level Commander preamplifier and Apex power amplifier. The Antilion Revolution now sports 40 high-current Toshiba output transistors, the same as in Gryphon’s flagship Apex. Power supply capacitance has been increased to 335,000µF per channel, fed from dual power transformers (plus a third transformer for the control and housekeeping circuitry). As with all Gryphon power amplifiers, stereo and mono versions are available (165Wpc and 180W respectively). The price is $45,000 for the stereo model and $90k for a pair of monoblocks.

Linn Products introduced a new flagship amplifier that showcases some sophisticated design techniques. The Klimax Solo 500 is a complete redesign of the company’s highly successful Klimax Solo. Housed in a compact machined-aluminum enclosure, the Class AB amplifier outputs 250W into 8 ohms and 500W into 4 ohms. This high power in a small enclosure is made possible by a novel cooling system in which the electronics are mounted upside down in a sub-chassis structure composed of a thermally conductive block of aluminum lined with cooling fins. This natural convection system keeps the circuit cool under normal conditions, but when the amplifier is driven hard, two internal fans force air through the network of channels in the thermal plate. The fans are controlled by an FPGA that monitors the circuit temperature as well as the audio signal and sets the optimum fan speed. Another interesting technology in the Klimax Solo 500 is Adaptive Bias Control, a circuit that monitors the bias to each output transistor and adjusts it to the optimum setting. This isn’t to be confused with a dynamic biasing circuit that attempts to keep the output stage biased in Class A operation. Rather, it compensates for drift in the optimum bias caused by temperature and component aging. Price: $32,380 per pair.

RH Burmester

Burmester announced a complete redesign of its flagship Reference Line, with a new preamplifier, power amplifier, and turntable. I’ll cover just the electronics here, although details on the new products were scarce. The 249 preamplifier is a modular design that can be fitted with a phonostage, additional line input modules, and a DAC card. The power supply is external, with both chassis clad in classic Burmester mirror finish. The 259 power amplifier can be configured for stereo or mono operation and reportedly requires no warm-up time to reach its peak performance. The new products are all-new, clean-slate designs that are meant to be future proof. Their appearance can be customized far beyond specifying the chassis color, with a wide range of color options and patterns. Burmester recently acquired BCB Electronik of Berlin, one of its suppliers, which enables Burmester to expand its products’ capabilities and customization. No specs or pricing was available at press time, although the new Reference Line products are scheduled to ship in “Q3 or Q4.”

Karan Acoustics, the company founded in 1986 in Serbia, showed a system comprising its flagship LINEa preamplifier, PHONOa phonostage, and POWERa monoblock amplifiers. The products are beautifully built with many custom parts, fully balanced circuits throughout, oversized power supplies, handsome casework, and no coupling capacitors between stages. Even Karan’s stereo amplifiers are dual-mono. The products were presented by Emil Karan, son of founder Milan Karan, who passed away last year.

The Taiwanese company Telos showed a range of unusual power conditioners, grounding devices, and a music server (the latter described below). The news at Munich was the launch of the Foundation Core Series, which brings the company’s technology to lower prices (its top power conditioner is $50k, for example). The Power Core ($15k) provides five AC outlets plus a PowerCon connector to attach a Telos power strip if you need more outlets. The Ground Core offers six binding posts for connecting ground cables between the Ground Core and the chassis of your equipment. Price: $12,000. All the products are built with a solid aluminum chassis.

Robert Harley on Digital Sources

The big news from Munich on the digital audio front was the launch of Qobuz Connect. This is a new app from Qobuz that allows you to control playback on Qobuz Connect-compatible devices without the need for third-party software (Roon, for example). I have yet to listen and evaluate Qobuz Connect, but many manufacturers I spoke with thought that Qobuz Connect offers better sound quality than streaming through another app. Virtually every company making DACs has already incorporated Qobuz Connect in its products. Watch for a full review.

Lumin, maker of well-built and great-sounding digital source components, showed the P1 Mini, a streamer, DAC, and preamplifier. You can use as many of these functions as you like, or all three. The P1 Mini isn’t just a digital-input device with source switching, but rather a full-function analog preamplifier with two analog inputs, making it a versatile hub for systems with analog source components. Digital inputs include USB, SPDIF, and HDMI, with the latter offering stereo input with AV passthrough and ARC (Audio Return Channel). The P1 Mini will decode PCM up to 384kHz and DSD to 512. The volume control is the excellent Leedh, which doesn’t degrade fidelity (I found that Leedh lived up to its claims in my review of the Lumin P1). It also has dual network inputs, one of them for fiber optical, along with dual Femto crystal oscillators with Lumin’s proprietary FPGA clock distribution system found in the company’s upper-end products. Along with this functionality, the P1 Mini features dual ESS Sabre ES9028 DACs and fully balanced circuitry. Price: $6000.

For those listeners with a large digital music library, Lumin showed its L2, a four-port network switch, available with or without drives (4TB or 8TB). Two of the network ports are optical for complete noise isolation. The L2 price ranges from $4200 (no internal storage) to $6600 when fully loaded with 8TB.

Finally, Lumin used the Munich show to introduce its flagship U2X, a digital transport (no internal DAC) that is designed for ultimate performance. The chassis is machined from a solid aluminum block, and the dual-transformer power supply is housed in an external chassis. The USB output is noise-isolated and features a sophisticated clocking circuit for low jitter. The U2X also has 10MHz clock outputs and one clock input for synchronizing the digital components in your system that have clock inputs (or clock outputs). Price: $11,000, with availability in August.

RH Wadax

The Spanish company Wadax introduced two optional companion products for its popular Studio Player. The Studio Player, which I reviewed in Issue 359, is a streamer, DAC, and CD/SACD player with a volume control, all in one chassis ($40,800). The new companion products are the Studio Clock ($28,500) and Studio PSU power supply ($29,800), and the Akasa DC Studio DC cable that connects the Studio PSU to the Studio Player. (The Akasa DC Studio is required for the Studio PSU). The Studio Clock is an outboard high-precision clock that improves the performance of the Studio Player, and the Studio PSU replaces the Studio Player’s internal power supply. I’ve found with Wadax’s Reference components that upgrading to the external power supply confers a significant improvement in sound quality. The Studio Clock offers six independently isolated clock outputs that can synchronize multiple components at a variety of frequencies.

RH Aurender

The Korean server specialist Aurender unveiled its new three-box flagship server, the N50. The three chassis house, respectively, the power supply, CPU and control electronics, and the audio-output circuitry. It offers dual AES/EBU output for high-speed PCM along with a port for adding an I2S output. The entire design is centered on reducing noise at the source of a digital playback system. It does this through separating the major functions in three chassis for greater isolation, an extensive power supply with cascaded regulation, a galvanically isolated USB output, and isolated network ports. The N50 also features a new high-precision clocking system built around an oven-controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO) under FPGA control. A clock input jack is provided if you want to use an external master clock. As expected, the N50 supports all the streaming services along with being Roon Ready. Price: $35k, with July availability.

RH Innuos

Another flagship server introduced at Munich was the impressive Innuous Nazaré. The Nazaré in its basic form is a single-chassis unit that can be expanded to a three-chassis configuration with the addition of the Nazaré Flow digital-audio output stage and the Nazaré Net network switch. The Nazaré Flow will also work with any USB source. Similarly, the Nazaré Net is compatible with any network connection. The Nazaré features massive processing power, new processing boards, and a novel architecture that provides a more direct signal path. The power supply is massive, with 752,000µF of filter capacitance (more than in many power amplifiers), GaN-based active rectification, and NGaN+ regulators. A high-precision USB reclocking circuit reduces jitter. The Nazaré can be fitted with non-standard output ports, such as MSB’s ProISL interface. Finally, the chassis features a new vibration-damping system developed with an outside vibration specialist. The key components inside the chassis are vibration isolated, as is the entire aluminum enclosure. Innuos demonstrated the Nazaré by comparing it to its already excellent Statement server, and I was shocked by how good the Nazaré sounded. In fact, the system with the three-chassis Nazaré at the front end, MSB Cascade DAC, Gryphon Commander preamplifier, Gryphon Apex power amps, and Marten Coltrane Quintet speakers produced one of the show’s best sounds. The full-blown Nazaré system will sell for $88,000 when it starts shipping this summer.

RH CH Precision

CH Precision debuted its long-awaited 10 Series digital components, the D10 Reference Transport, C10 Conductor, and C10 Master DAC. The transport is an engineering marvel; the CD/SACD disc mechanism itself (which was on display outside the chassis) is a massively built structure incorporating novel ideas executed at the highest level. The transport platform is suspended within the chassis with alpha-gel isolators and is built from a dense brass core encased in aluminum. This disc-spinning mechanism alone weighs nearly 30 pounds. The top-loading design is also ingenious; the disc clamp is built into the cover that automatically locks the disc down for playback, obviating the need to install the clamp manually (and finding a place to put it between discs). Also introduced at Munich was the C10 Conductor, a companion upgrade to the C10 Master DAC, that performs all the digital processing in the C10 Conductor chassis, leaving the C10 DAC to focus on digital-to-analog conversion. The C10 DAC receives upsampled data and a clock from the C10 Conductor via the proprietary CH Link digital interface. The C10 is supplied from an outboard power supply; a second power supply is also available for the ultimate in performance. Prices are $95,000 for the D10 Reference Transport and $75,000 for the C10 Conductor.

RH dCS Lina + DAC

dCS unveiled its Lina DAC X network player that adds features to their popular Lina DAC. The new Lina DAC X offers multiple inputs to support playback from external devices (TV, computers, disc transports, servers) along with a volume control for direct connection to power amplifiers to create a complete music playback system. The flexible architecture allows future hardware upgrades, along with dCS’s long history of providing its customers with free software updates. The chassis is machined from a solid aluminum block, and the large front-panel display makes it easy to navigate. Price: $15,500.

RH Metronome

French manufacturer Metronome debuted a first in the world of digital audio: a server with music-management software Audirvana Studio that runs natively on the server (a dedicated Linux computer with 4GB of RAM). The new DSAS(Digital Sharing Audio Server) streamer (Kalista’s first streamer) is a compact product that connects to an external DAC (Kalista makes the matching DSC Mini) for music streaming and storage (2TB expandable to 4TB). The DSAS was designed in conjunction with Audirvana, another French company that has long made a highly regarded music management software package. The DSAS comes with a three-year Audirvana subscription. After that, some features remain functional, or the user can purchase a monthly subscription. The price is $5990, the same cost as other products in the DS range (DSS 2 network player and DSC Mini DAC).

A Taiwanese company new to me, but who is celebrating its 20th anniversary, introduced in a passive display its EMP Monster Music Server. With a strong background in AC power conditioning (the company’s main business), the EMP Monster is built around the idea that the power supply is the foundation of high-quality file serving. The EMP Monster features a power supply suitable for a power amplifier. It can be configured as a Roon Core or Roon Ready endpoint with or without an internal DAC. The EMP Monster Music Server will be priced at $40,000 and will be available during Q3 of 2025.

RH’s Best of Show

Best Sound (cost no object): There were so many great-sounding systems at this year’s show that it would be a disservice to readers and manufacturers to pick one or two. So, here are my sonic highlights, in no particular order.

AlsyVox Michaelangelo. This massive full-range ribbon speaker making its debut had an uncanny lifelike immediacy that box speakers simply can’t duplicate. The Michaelangelo has more power, weight, and tonal density than AlsyVox’s stunning Caravaggio XX I reviewed last year, along with 97dB sensitivity. A spectacular debut.

MBL 101-xTreme. This system never fails to stun with its ability to simply disappear as a sound source, massive bass power and impact, and ultra-smooth tonal balance. Plus, MBL’s Jeremy Bryan plays real music, not the usual insipid audiophile pap.

RH Wilson WAMM

Wilson WAMM. Driven by a massive array of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Relentless power amplifiers and Relentless preamp in a large room, the WAMM sounded big, majestic, and hugely dynamic. It’s rare to hear the WAMM at a show, and this exhibit showcased David Wilson’s magnum opus in its full glory.

Clarisys Atrium. Another great showing for ribbons was the Atrium, a three-piece (per side) full-range ribbon from Clarisys. Although impractical for all but palatial rooms, the big Clarisys presented one of the most stunning spatial presentations I’ve heard from an audio system. Everything else about the speaker—tone color, liquidity, dynamics—was first rate. Driven by all VAC tube electronics in the largest room in the MOC convention hall, the big Clarisys delivered a memorable experience.

AlsyVox Botticelli. This full-range ribbon driven by Soulution 717 and Soulution’s new turntable, all on Critical Mass Systems racks, was gorgeous sounding. At a much lower price than the Caravaggio XX I reviewed, the Botticelli brings the glories of ribbon technology to a wider audience.

Lorenzo LM1: This unlikely looking speaker (a large rectangular box with horn-loaded tweeter) combined tonal truth, spectacular soundstaging, and startling dynamics. This Spanish speaker is imported by Rhapsody and sells for $250k per pair. The Lorenzo LM1 was a real discovery for me.

Best Sound (for the money): The Bloom stand-mount speaker (€14,900) from Silent Pound, a new Lithuanian speaker manufacturer that incorporates some novel technologies to reduce room reflections. Terrific imaging, wide dynamics, realistic tone color, and exceptional bass extension marked this debut.

Most Significant Introduction: AlsyVox Michelangelo full-range ribbon loudspeaker.

Most Significant Trend: The increasing sophistication of digital audio hardware, exemplified by the Innuos Nazaré, CH Precision D10 Reference Transport and C10 Conductor, and the Aurender N50.

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Shanling All-in-One SM1.3 Amplifier with Music Streamer Now Shipping in the U.S. https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/shanling-all-in-one-sm1-3-amplifier-with-music-streamer-now-shipping-in-the-u-s/ Wed, 28 May 2025 15:40:10 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59350 Montreal, Quebec, May 28, 2025 – Forte Distribution, a leading […]

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Montreal, Quebec, May 28, 2025 – Forte Distribution, a leading distributor of audio and audiophile music products, is now shipping the Shanling SM1.3 Music Streamer to customers in the U.S.

The SM1.3 (SRP: $1,399) employs a powerful 64-bit ARM Cortex CPU, with a customized closed Android 12 OS. Operation is handled two ways: via a 5.8” 1080p touchscreen that gives easy access to its intuitive user interface, or the company’s Eddict Controller App.

“Shanling outdid itself with the SM1.3 Music Streamer,” says Roger Fortier, VP and Director of Sales, Forte Distribution, U.S. distributor of Shanling Electronics. “From its high-resolution streaming and multiple input options to components typically found in streamers costing hundreds more, the SM1.3 is a simple, unbeatable path for bringing high-res. audio to almost any system.”

Designed with equal emphasis on performance and flexibility, the SM1.3 Music Streamer features an AKM 4499EX DAC and AK4191 Modulator. Also included is the TPA6120 dedicated headphone amplifier for listening with the most demanding headphones on the market.

The SM1.3 employs the most up-to-date streaming options, including Bluetooth 5.2 with LDAC, SBC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency, and aptX HD support. Apple AirPlay 2 is also included. Internet connectivity is acheived through Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet (Gigabit LAN).

In addtion to wireless options, the SM1.3 makes it easy to add a variety of external sources through coaxial and optical connections, as well as USB, SSD, and DLNA-compatible hub inputs. Outputs include both RCA and XLR jacks, and an I2S digital output (HDMI) 10 compatibility modes.

For further information about the Shanling SM1.3 Music Streamer, visit https://forte-distribution.com.

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Java Hi-Fi Double Shot integrated amplifier https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/java-hi-fi-double-shot-integrated-amplifier/ Tue, 27 May 2025 14:40:19 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59335 It’s a DAC, it’s a phono stage, it’s a pre-amp, […]

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It’s a DAC, it’s a phono stage, it’s a pre-amp, it’s a power amp. And all in one chassis. So far so normal for the world of integrated amplifiers.

What makes Java Hi-Fi’s Double Shot different is its striking minimalist visual aesthetic and the attention paid to fit’n’finish by the Auckland-based company. This is a high-end designer product intended to slot seamlessly into a duplex Manhattan apartment, sharing the space with the owners’ collection of iconic American furniture and Jackson Pollock originals.

Eyeball appeal

The amplifier’s quasi-organic form factor is available in a range of natural wood finishes and colours, but the review sample came in premium carbon fibre that designer Martin Bell says is 9mm thick, chosen for its anti-RFI properties as well as eyeball appeal. It looks piano black from some angles, but from others flops to reveal the carbon mat structure. Beneath the gloss gel coat is printed Java Hi-Fi’s logo in a pearly silver. Heatsinks for the gain stages inside are inlet into the sides of the chassis, looking rather like the gill flaps of a basking shark. Overall, it screams quality in a kind of muted, high-class way.

That vibe continues on the front panel where, rather than the normal for the sector disjointed scattering of switches and lights we find, apart from a 6.3mm headphone socket,  just two large chromed knobs, one left, one right. If we place a questing finger-tip on either one we find that it rotates freely, with a pleasing weight to it. The left knob allows sources to be selected, the right one volume. Segments around the perimeter of each knob light up to show source and volume status. Both functions are also controllable via the supplied hand-held remote. 

Java Hi-Fi Double Shot rear

On the back things get rather more industry-standard with four sets of XLR line inputs, a pair of RCAs and a grounding post for phono input, along with XLR pairs for fixed and variable out, a stubby Bluetooth (aptX) antenna and of course two pairs of speaker binding posts. The Double Shot is also designed to work with digital audio, but limits the inputs to just a single USB-B input. This is understandable, as the rear panel is densely packed with XLR sockets, but more digital options would be nice. 

Light-dependent

Inside is Java Hi-Fi’s design of an active line stage using light-dependent resistors. Bell has combined this with OEM boards from several different suppliers. The power amplifier modules are GaN FET-based Class D units by Elegant Audio Solutions, a well-regarded pioneering specialist in the field. There are two, configured for fully balanced operation, allowing the Double Shot to deliver 400 Watts per channel into eight Ohms. The DAC module uses dual Burr-Brown PCM1794As ASICS and supports up to 24-bit 192kHz PCM and DSD. The phono stage is built around an LCR network using Japanese resistors and German capacitors. It is Moving Magnet only.

Paired with the household’s PMC MB2se speakers, the Double Shot produced a sound that I consider would have most buyers in Java’s target market segment purring with delight. Readers harbouring any lingering doubt about full-range Class D amplification need to take a listen to the current crop of amplifiers – the Double Shot included – to hear how far things have come. The jury’s still out on whether or not GaN sounds superior to MOSFETs in switching amplifiers, but pioneering engineers like Skip Taylor of Elegant Audio Solutions are working hard to drive it to the point where it becomes the default technology in high-end audio. We should nod towards Bell too for making what some might regard as taking the bold option and choosing to use switching GaN in his aspirational products.

In the Double Shot, he pulls it off though. Some might be tempted to suggest that the amplifier offers an almost tube-like level of liquidity and sonic saturation, but having lived with a review sample for a while I can report that this would be an overreaction, perhaps brought on by relief at the discovery that it doesn’t exhibit the dry and somewhat colourless sound that used to be associated with Class D.

As an amplifier of external line sources, the Double Shot achieves a level of transparency up there with that offered by some of the better alternative integrated amplifiers on the market, irrespective of their underlying technology. Some of this may be a result of Bell’s implementation of light-dependent resistor attenuation – attractive since it reduces the number of noise-prone contacts in the signal path. LDR is not more commonly seen because it requires an ultra-quiet power supply if the noise advantage is not to be thrown away. 

Java Hi-Fi Double Shot detail

Up to the mark

The quality of the power supply specified by Bell is evidently up to the mark here, and as well as strong transparency, it also allows the Double Shot to deliver all four musical pillars to a satisfying and broadly competitive degree of competence. There’s the required grunt and speed to support the GaN modules in driving big transients with a satisfying snap, underlying power and some pleasing richness. The combination doesn’t lean out and get flatter dynamically through the midrange like Class D of yore, and there’s enough tonal and textural detail at the top end to render cymbals, for example, as quite believable wooden stick-on-alloy events.

Selecting the in-built phono stage and then a little later the DAC only firmed up the sense of all-round solid competence and balance. It may contain an assemblage of functional modules from different sources, but the Double Shot has them all flying in formation, just as if they were all from the hand of the same designer and manufacturer. 

It did strike me that the moving magnet-only phono stage might be seen as a misstep in the primary intended market for the Double Shot. It wins points for being very quiet and linear. But in my head at least, Mr and Ms Loft Dweller have a tricked-out vintage LP12 hung with a moving coil cartridge, and they’ll not be thrilled to learn that they must buy a step-up transformer for it to work with the Double Shot. 

However, in some regions, MM/MC phono stages are viewed as heresy and a step-up transformer is a mandatory part of the deal. So maybe I’m being a bit too Brit-fi here!

Visually arresting

How to sum up this visually arresting integrated amplifier? In the review system, the Java Double Shot did not make a case for being regarded performance-wise as a sonic outlier, hugely better or any worse than the small number of alternative GaN-based amplifiers already on the market. Or, for that matter, most of the larger number of MOSFET Class D amplifiers available. In a way that’s reassuring, indicative perhaps of the relative maturity of a sector that is, as Skip Taylor and the other GaN pioneers intend, getting to the point where the once remarkable is now unremarkable.

With his Double Shot integrated amplifier Java’s Martin Bell is demonstrating both a marketeer’s nose for a relatively under-served market sector and an engineer’s ability to put together a satisfyingly well-rounded sonic performer. The Java Double Shot can go head-to-head with Class A or B alternatives that have strong established audiophile credentials. And it looks beautiful too. 

Specs & Pricing

Type: Integrated amplifier
Analogue inputs: 4 x pairs of XLR line-level inputs, MM phono stage (RCA inputs)
Analogue outputs: 2 x pairs of XLR outputs (fixed and variable), headphone socket
Digital inputs: USB, Bluetooth aptX
DAC Sampling Rates: PCM up to 24 bit, 192kHz, DSD
MM Input Impedance: 47K Ohm.
MM Input Capacitance: 200pF load.
MM Gain: 45dB signal gain (at 1KHz).
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): 124dB (A-weighted).
Residual Noise: 1.6uV (A-weighted).
Dynamic Range (DNR): 122dB.
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD+N): -110dB or 0.0003%.
Output Voltage: 2.5Vrms (+10.2dBu)
Finish options: Seven casework finishes, with black, silver or bronze front panel options
Dimensions (WxHxD): 44 x 13 x 41.5cm
Weight: 11.6kg
Price: £14,995, $12,995, €13,500

Manufacturer
ava Hi-Fi
www.javahifi.com

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Introducing the New VTL Lohengrin: Setting a New Reference in Amplification https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/introducing-the-new-vtl-lohengrin-setting-a-new-reference-in-amplification/ Sun, 25 May 2025 18:58:05 +0000 https://www.theabsolutesound.com/?post_type=articles&p=59318 May 25, 2025 – VTL proudly unveils Lohengrin, a Reference […]

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May 25, 2025 – VTL proudly unveils Lohengrin, a Reference amplifier embodying the next step forward in our pursuit of musical truth. Embodying the nobility, compassion, wisdom, and dignity of its namesake, Lohengrin represents the current culmination of our pursuit of the restorative experience that music alone can provide. Lohengrin is more than just a new amplifier; it signals our ongoing commitment and passion to audio excellence, establishing a new benchmark for musicality and realism. Developed through five years of dedicated research and refinement, Lohengrin incorporates VTL’s extensive accumulation of knowledge and deep understanding of the technologies essential to lifelike music reproduction. Our guiding passion is to craft an amplifier that illuminates the music, drawing listeners closer to the essence of the artist’s intention. 

Renowned for modern-sounding designs that balance formidable power with harmonic opulence and intuitive ease of use, VTL amplifiers have long been celebrated for their ability to deliver speed, finesse, and musical agility typically associated with lower-powered amplifiers. With Lohengrin, these often-elusive qualities are elevated even further. 

The Lohengrin amplifier features an eight-tube output stage configuration capable of delivering 400 watts, retaining the higher-powered Siegfried amplifier’s driver stages and power supply. By employing tubes—easier to drive than transistors and free from the “current hogging” issues common in parallel designs—the Lohengrin amplifier achieves an ideal balance of power and responsiveness. Its innovative technologies produce a lower output impedance, reducing the necessary step-down to the loudspeaker load and accommodating a simpler, more effective output transformer. 

Our Precision-regulated power supplies hold the output tubes at optimal operating points even under demanding loads. Our Wide-bandwidth, heavily interleaved multi-section output transformers ensure seamless, grain-free extension into the upper frequencies. Lohengrin’s zero global negative feedback design, broad audio bandwidth (-1dB at 100kHz), and adjustable damping factor provide flexibility for tailoring to the speaker load and listening preference. 

The amplifier’s user interface makes tube operation intuitive and worry-free. Fully automatic bias control and multi-layered fault-sensing systems enhance reliability and simplify the management of the output tubes. Comprehensive bi-directional RS-232 provides control and diagnostics. 

To underscore these sonic advancements, we elevated the visual design to a complementary level of refinement. Technical scalability offers applications to other parts of the VTL product range. 

Musically, the Lohengrin embodies our philosophy of honesty and engagement. The tonal spectrum is seamlessly integrated from top to bottom with stunning clarity and accurate harmonic structure. The soundstage is precise and expansive, revealing the venue where the musicians perform with astonishing realism. Lohengrin reveals micro dynamics—those subtle dynamic shifts musicians use to express beauty and emotion—with nuanced alacrity. Bass instruments are presented with definition and control. True to its heritage, the Lohengrin presents the weight and authority of the original event with grace and power. The sound is fresh, vibrant, and immersive, drawing listeners deeply into the music. 

Building upon our signature foundation of dynamically expressive, authoritative sound, Lohengrin delivers extraordinary immediacy, drawing listeners inward, beyond mere sonic accuracy, toward something subtler and truer: the hidden intentions, elusive emotions, and unspoken truths musicians strive to convey. 

US Retail Price: $100,000.00 USD

The post Introducing the New VTL Lohengrin: Setting a New Reference in Amplification appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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