Amplifier Reviews

Aavik U180, U280, and U580 integrated amplifiers premium
With the U-180, U280, and U-580, Aavik has introduced an interesting range of amplifiers with a built-in DAC and distinctive aesthetics that are surprisingly potent and sound weighty, spacious, and tonally full.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Accuphase E-260 premium
The latest 200 series amplifier in Accuphase's long and successful range of integrated amplifiers.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
21 December 2022
Accuphase E-280 – Mini Review premium
This is not so much a review as a brief report of my personal experience with the E-280 after replacing the Ayon Spirit III with it in the secondary setup.
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Analog Domain M75D and M75P premium
Both the M75D integrated and M75P power amp are fast-paced and articulate, highly detailed, incredibly rhythmic and dynamic and lifelike, with power to spare.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
14 June 2022
Analog Preamplifiers in a Digital Streaming World premium
Now that most DACs are equipped with volume control so that they can be connected to a power amp directly, what could there be to gain by switching another component in the signal chain? In other words, when everything on the source end is digital, what is the use of a pure analog preamp? With this article, I hope to shed some light on this quandary.
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Anthem STR preamplifier and power amplifier premium
Encased in a simple but robust cabinet, the STR series has refreshingly different looks, but these components also distinguish themselves from the masses in terms of sound.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Aries Cerat Heléne DAC and Incito S preamp premium
When you frequently review products, and especially when the target is usually the high-end segment, true surprises are few and far between. So, it's a treat when a product comes along that truly brings something new to the table.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
12 January 2022
Aries Cerat preamplifiers compared – Incito S and Impera Reference premium
The Impera Reference is easily the most powerful-sounding preamp that I have heard. Its bass rivals that of many solid-state preamplifiers in terms of solidity, precision, and drive while its overall impact, expression, and dynamic slam are either on par with or actually outperform other preamplifiers.
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Astin Trew AT2-2100 Integrated Amplifier premium
The Astin Trew AT2-2100 has an engagingly upbeat, dynamic and expressive delivery and refreshing new cosmetics.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
23 March 2020
atm-audio EPM-50 Class A Mono Power Amplifiers premium
Fabulously organic and highly seductive and in no way mechanical or electronic, these fully Class-A amplifiers eschew the type of overt control that can lead to the mechanical and clinical presentation that makes so many rivals sound rather uninvolving.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
23 September 2020
atm-audio EPM-700 class-D power amplifier with Korg Nutube triode input buffer premium
Machined from solid aluminum, the EPM-700 Mono amplifiers employ hybrid amplification technology using a Class-D Hypex NC500 module with Ncore technology powered by a 1200W switched-mode power supply and a Korg NuTube Triode Valve-based atm-audio input stage.
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30 April 2022
atm-audio Migjorn Phono Stage premium
The atm audio Migjorn phono preamp has been designed to enjoy at a reference level. Its single purpose is to deliver the music as conceived by its artists and producers. This is what can be read on the atm audio website and I can totally get behind that aspiration!
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Audio Aero TransTRAC Hybrid tube/transistor poweramp – Mini Review premium
Audio Aero TransTRAC compared to Jadis JA30
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Audio GD Master 2H Mono Power Amplifiers premium
The Master 2H mono amplifiers amplify the whole truth and nothing but the truth but they combine their truthfulness with a very high level of refinement, fluidity and finesse to make for a performance that is not only spectacularly neutral but also highly natural, rhythmically infectious and hugely involving. Oh, and these amps also double their output with every halving of the impedance. Intrigued yet? You should be!
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Audio GD R8 DAC, Master 1 preamp, Master 3 power amp, and Magna Hifi ACSS cables premium
Designed and built in China, Audio GD products provide serious competition for much higher priced European or American gear. Part 1 contains the introduction, info about Magna Hifi and a description of the performance of the complete Audio GD system.
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21 December 2009
Audio Physic Strada Mono Switching Power Amps premium
In spite of their switching nature, these Audio Physics don't sound "digital"
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AvantGarde Uno G2 with Ayon, Viva and VAIC amplifiers premium
Highly revealing speakers that are capable of pure magic when matched with the right cables and electronics
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
15 June 2021
AVID Pellar, Pulsus, Pellere, and Pulsare II Phono Stages premium
AVID is widely known for producing superb turntables. What's probably less well-known is that they also produce a range of phono stages. The technology and engineering involved in the turntable motor power supplies are right at the basis of their phono stages.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
15 April 2017
Ayon Orbis tube preamp – Mini Review premium
Physically huge preamp with solid operation and powerful sound
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
23 November 2018
Ayon Scorpio and S-3 Junior premium
The Scorpio has a pleasant ripeness but without sounding warm. In fact, it sounds purer and more lifelike than various other tube amps that I tried. It is my new reference in its price class, and considerably beyond.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Ayon Spirit III Integrated Amplifier premium
The Spirit III makes music in a manner that makes it impossible to listen to passively, highly energetic, dynamic and powerful, with articulate, fast and very solid bass to make for a delivery that is instantly infectious.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
13 December 2017
Ayre VX-5 Twenty premium
The VX-5 Twenty is a beauty to look at and it delivers the most refined sound that I have heard from any solid state amplifier so far.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Bricasti M21 DAC and M15 power amp premium
It baffles me why the Bricasti brand does not pop up everywhere, it certainly should. Beautifully sculpted and with immaculate build quality, these components are not inexpensive but in context, they surely are also not extravagantly priced.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
26 December 2017
Bryston 3B, 4B and 14B “Cubed” power amplifiers premium
The new Bryston sound is generous, smooth, rich and relaxed, yet very powerful, driving all the speakers that I tried with ease. Even audiophiles with a larger budget might be pleasantly surprised!
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
21 January 2020
Bryston 4B and 14B “Cubed” power amplifiers – revisited premium
After the initial Bryston review in December 2017 my system changed significantly. Therefore, I thought it prudent to give the amps another run with some very different speakers.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
31 March 2021
CAT (Convergent Audio Technology) JL5 Black Path premium
The CAT JL5 promises the benefits of pure Triode Mode, combined with very large power reserves and the capability to drive pretty much any loudspeaker, including electrostatics.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
24 February 2019
CH Precision A1.5 compared to the Soulution 711 – Mini Review premium
How do the CH Precision A1.5 and the Soulution 711 compare in a Magico Q5 system?
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
3 January 2019
CH Precision A1.5 Power Amp premium
A bigger cabinet, a new 1700VA toroidal transformer, new Red Caps, and an improved internal layout not only increase the output rating from 100 to 150 watts into 8 ohms but also make for a huge leap in sound quality.
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CH Precision C1 + A1 premium
The C1+A1 combination sounds ultra-transparent, clean and controlled but also smooth and fluid, and organic, wholly musical and absolutely convincing.
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CH Precision C1 + A1 – part 2 premium
Part 2 of the C1+A1 review.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
27 January 2020
CH Precision L1 Preamplifier premium
The L1 is easily the most highly resolving and most transparent preamp that I have heard. Besides, it also excels in terms of functionality, offering more user-selectable parameters than I have ever seen on a preamp before.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
25 August 2019
CH Precision P1 Phono Preamp premium
Unlike many alternatives, the P1 refrains from imposing any character and it just lets the music speak for itself. But it does not only offer brilliant performance, it is also also the most flexible phono stage that I know to exist. Multiple inputs? Over 500 loading values? Tablet-control? Auto-calibration? Check, check, check, and check.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Classé Delta Stereo and Delta Pre premium
The third-generation Delta product line includes the STEREO amplifier, MONO amplifiers and the PRE preamplifier with built-in DAC and streamer, and conceptually based on the CP-800. Reviewed here are the preamp and stereo power amp.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
30 January 2022
Concert Fidelity DAC-040 – Mini Review premium
After a listening session at Callas Audio, Ron Ploeger directed my attention to a neat-looking DAC by Concert Fidelity. With two rear-lit 12AU7 tubes sticking out vertically from its rear panel, the DAC-040 has an aesthetically clean and simple appearance, yet is also technically interesting. In this mini-review, I will describe how it sounds in my own system.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
19 July 2016
Conrad Johnson CT5 tube preamp premium
Smooth and natural sounding charmer with great dynamics
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COS D10 DAC, preamp, and network player premium
The D10 is a highly versatile control point, built in a modular fashion. As standard, it contains a preamp and DAC. Optionally, one can add a streaming input and a phono preamp. With every input that it offers, the D10 has surprised me with consistently fantastic performance.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
1 August 2022
Denafrips Hestia and Athena preamplifiers premium
Denafrips has 3 analog preamps in their portfolio: the entry-level Hestia, the Hades, which is based on the Hestia with improvements in key areas, and the Athena, which is the top model. For this review, I will be listening to the Hesta and the Athena.
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Devialet Expert 120 and 200 premium
Devialet Expert 200 and 120 hybrid class A / class D integrated amplifiers compared directly.
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Devialet Firmware premium
Devialet Expert Firmware - newer versions add functionality, but also change the sound.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
14 November 2019
Electrocompaniet AW180 and AW600 Nemo premium
Established in 1973 in Norway, Electrocompaniet are known to voice their equipment to achieve a sound which they feel is most true to the live listening experience first and foremost and according to technical measurements second. So, how do they sound? Read the review to find out!
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Fezz Lybra Parallel Single-Ended 300B integrated amplifier premium
The Lybra Parallel Single Ended 300B tube amplifier is fast, articulate, clean, transparent and fabulously neutral. But when it is partnered properly it is also superbly emotional, highly lyrical, utterly non-technical and just purely magical.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Goldmund Telos 590 Nextgen Integrated Amplifier premium
Understated and unassuming, the Goldmund Telos 590 Nextgen is, quite simply, the finest integrated amplifier that I have heard so far.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
30 September 2021
Grandinote Shinai Class-A integrated amplifier premium
It's the seemingly unachievable: a very neutral and linear, and robust amplifier that is fast, expressive and dynamic, but equally lush, liquid, and seductive. Seems unbelievable? Better believe it!
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Harman Kardon AVR760 premium
Top of the line surround receiver
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HFA Audio Setup History 27 – Speakers So Far – Aug 2017 premium
If all my experiments over the years have taught me one thing then it is that amplifier and speaker performance is highly relative.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
HFA Audio Setup History 28 – Speakers and Amps – Oct 2017/Dec 2017 premium
I had started a quest to find the perfect amplifier, for my Diva situation at least. By now I knew that there were amplifiers that are more expressive and lively than my precious Rowlands, but so far none of them was a match in terms of treble refinement and low-level resolution.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
HFA Audio Setup History 29 – Speakers and Amps – Dec 2017/April 2018 premium
Finding my next reference speakers and amplifiers - part 2
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HFA Audio Setup History 30 – Speakers and Amps – April 2018/Aug 2018 premium
Finding my next reference speakers and amplifiers - part 3
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Jeff Rowland 525 power amplifier premium
Successor to the model 201 mono's, the model 525 with new Pascal technology promises further improved sound.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
18 August 2013
Jeff Rowland 725 mono power amplifiers premium
Reference class, Class AB Mono Power Amplifiers
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17 December 2009
Jeff Rowland Cadence MC Phono Stage premium
The Cadence is out of production and is quite rare but it really deserves a listen
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Jeff Rowland Capri s2 and 125 pre- and power amp premium
The Capri 2s and 125 are the brand's latest and most affordable pre-power amp combo.
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Jeff Rowland Class AB and Class D amplifiers premium
Comparing the more classic class AB sound to the current class D sound using 4 Jeff Rowland amplifiers: Model 525, Model 201,Model 10 and Model 6
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
15 June 2009
Jeff Rowland Coherence II compared to Synergy 1 and Synergy 2i premium
Coherence II: The legend compared to its offspring
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
20 August 2013
Jeff Rowland Corus preamplifier – Part 1 premium
A new reference preamp from JRDG is always big news. Although still expensive, it costs considerably less than its forebear the Criterion.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
20 October 2016
Jeff Rowland Corus preamplifier – part 2 premium
After changing my setup, with different speakers, and on the other side of the room, the Corus deserved a second audition
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
7 March 2017
Jeff Rowland Corus preamplifier + PSU (Power Storage Unit) premium
The Corus is already an excellent preamp, but when combined with the PSU its performance is raised to an insane level. Corus + PSU = heavenly refined, breathtakingly brilliant sound!
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
15 April 2017
Jeff Rowland preamps compared – Coherence II, Synergy IIi, Concerto and Corus premium
Classic Rowland preamps definitely have a their charm, but the more recent models do provide new insights.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
28 August 2013
Jeff Rowland Synergy 2 premium
Placed between Synergy 1 and 2i, the Synergy 2 is a rare beast. How does it compare?
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Kinki Studio EX M-1 and Vision DAC-1 premium
These two Kinki components make for highly involved and enthusiastic listening. They consistently make my foot tap to their supremely confident, rhythmic and dynamic presentation.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Kora TB140 Integrated Amplifier premium
The Kora TB140 is one of those rare products that truly surprise. It sounds nothing like a stereotypical tube amplifier but neither does it sound like a traditional transistor amplifier.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
24 September 2023
Lejonklou Entity 1.2 MC Phono Stage premium
Building on the highly refined and musical sound of its 1.1 predecessor, the updated 1.2 model's seemingly subtle tweaks (new chassis ground parts and a specific fastening torque) yield distinct advantages.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
26 January 2020
Lejonklou Entity MC Phono Stage premium
The Entity uses the same input circuit, phono equalization, output stage and power regulation as the well-regarded SINGularity. With changes only in terms of the case, the power supplies, and the physical channel separation, the Entity promises stellar performance for a very reasonable price.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
Lejonklou Sagatun and Tundra mono and stereo pre- and power amps premium
Smooth, fluid, transparent and extremely finely detailed, they relay music with a finesse and lyricism that is rare in generic and in this price class in particular.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
16 September 2018
Line Magnetic LM-88IA, LM-150IA, LM-845IA, LM-805IA and LM-845 Premium – part 1 premium
When I first learned of the Line Magnetic brand, I got excited right away. These are amps with attitude, proud of what they are. Then, when I discovered that the brand employs a wide range of tube configurations, I got even more excited. So, in order to make a nice showcase of the Line Magnetic brand and a good cross-section of their lineup, I set out to review a representative range of amplifiers using various tube types.
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Owner of Hifi-Advice.com
16 September 2018
Line Magnetic LM-88IA, LM-150IA, LM-845IA, LM-805IA and LM-845 Premium – part 2 premium
Part 2 of the Line Magnetic review
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