Performance
Used with source material and loudspeakers of known quality, this amplifier made a good first impression of fidelity to the music combined with a sense of space. The good impression continued as each separate aspect of the reproduction was analyzed. Bass was if anything a shade prominent and unusually well extended, which is great news for organ lovers and indeed anyone who, like me, regards the bass line of special importance in all kinds of music. Adequate reproduction of low frequencies is also a prime requirement when we remember how much the bass end contributes to the character of the acoustic in which the music was originally performed. However, this amplifier might cruelly expose loudspeakers with boomy bass, or ill-chosen room positioning.
Recordings of full orchestra were attention grabbing, as the extended bass and sense of space were found to be allied to adequately crisp treble and definition. The feeling of power in reserve was confirmed by turning up the volume beyond normal domestic levels, when the balance remained true and distortion stayed very low. The amplifier was also responsive to the quietest musical passages, and background noise was totally absent. Voices sounded natural and well focused, but there was a tendency for soloists to sound a shade set-back. Smaller instrumental ensembles came alive nicely and the piano in particular benefited from the slight bass and ambience prominence.
I decided that the impressive stereo width and depth were in small part due to the precise matching of left and right channels and the very low inter-channel crosstalk. Other factors revealed in the laboratory measurements, and which all equaled or surpassed the claims of the specification, were the very extended power bandwidth at 50 watts output, residual noise below -100dB, excellent power handling and low distortion.
The provision of two direct-feed options was intriguing enough to warrant closer scrutiny. The Pure Direct switch, which applies to all sources, did produce a very slight increase in clarity, mostly supplied by an increase in energy in the upper half of the audio spectrum. This was accompanied by a slight level increase, no more than 0.5dB overall. By contrast the CD Direct Amp option introduced a tiny fall in level, at least confirming that a separate amplifier chain was being used, and a significant improvement in presence and detail. This therefore became my preferred option for CD reproduction, although of course CD Direct Amp must be switched off when any other source is selected.
The designers have made a commonsense amalgam of the purist straight-through approach and the provision of tone controls etc. for those who require them. How much this has affected the price I don't know but I would regard the £279.95 asked as a good investment, even when this includes a load of control features for which I personally have very little use.