Preamps_and_Amps_Buyers_Guide.pdf

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S T E R E O • M U LT I C H A N N E L A U D I O • M U S I C
PreamPlifiers and
Power amPlifiers
sPonsored by aUdioQUest
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GUide to
go to:
Contents
|
From the Editor
|
on the Horizon
|
Feature Articles
|
Pre/Power Combinations
|
Preamplifiers
|
Solid-State Power Amplifiers
|
tube Power Amplifiers
Contents
Features
• From the Editor
• On The Horizon
• Tomorrow’s World
– The Future of
Amplification
• Matching Amplifier
Power
SPonSorEd by
Pre/Power
Combinations
Pre/Power Combinations
Preamplifiers
Preamplifiers
Solid-State
Power
Amplifiers
Solid-State Power Amplifiers
Tube Power
Amplifiers
Tube Power Amplifiers
• Arcam C31/P38
• Aesthetix Janus Signature/Atlas
• BALabo BP-1 Mk-II Pre/Power combo
• Cambridge Audio Azur 840E/840W
• Conrad-Johnson ET2 and LP66S
• Consonance REF 50 mk II and
Cyber 880
• Electrocompaniet EC4.7 and AW180
• Esoteric A-100 Stereo Power
Amplifier
• Micromega PA-20, PW-400
• Soulution 720/710/720
• Coda 05x/CSX
• Vincent Audio SA-T8/SP-T800
• Belles LA-01
• Conrad-Johnson GAT
• Van Alstine Transcendence 8
• Lamm LL2.1
• Chord SPM 1050
• Classé Omega
• NuForce Reference 9
V3 Special Edition
monoblock amplifiers
• Odyssey Khartago
• Pass XA100.5
• David Berning Quadrature Z
• PrimaLuna Dialogue Seven
• VTL Siegfried
• VTL Siegfried (in HP’s
workshop)
Clic k on one of the links above to jump to that secti on, featu re or revie w.
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Guide to Preamplifiers and Power Amplifiers
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Contents
|
from the editor
|
on the Horizon
|
feature articles
|
Pre/Power Combinations
|
Preamplifiers
|
solid-state Power amplifiers
|
tube Power amplifiers
S T E R E O • M U LT I C H A N N E L A U D I O • M U S I C
PreamPlifiers and
Power amPlifiers
publisher.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Hannon
editors-in-chief
. . . . . . . . . . Robert Harley
Alan Sircom
executive editor
. . . . . . . . . Jonathan Valin
acquisitions manager
and associate editor
. . . . . Neil Gader
founder; chairman,
editorial advisory board
. Harry Pearson
music editor
. . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Lehman
creative director
. . . . . . . . Torquil Dewar
art director
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelley Lai
production coordinator
. . Aaron Chamberlain
designer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikki Bullock
Address letters to the Editor:
The Absolute Sound,
4544 S. Lamar #G-300, Austin, TX 78745 or
rharley@nextscreen.com or alan@hifiplus.com
©2010 NextScreen, LLC
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Guide to Preamplifiers and Power Amplifiers
www.theabsolutesound.com
GUide to
senior writers
. . . . . . . . . . . Anthony H. Cordesman
Wayne Garcia
Robert E. Greene
Chris Martens
Tom Martin
Dick Olsher
Andrew Quint
Paul Seydor
Alan Taffel
reviewers &
contributing writers
. . . . . Roy Gregory
Ian Harris
Jim Hannon
Jacob Heilbrunn
NextScreen, LLC, Inc.
chairman and ceo
. . . . . . . Tom Martin
vp/group publisher
. . . . . . Jim Hannon
advertising reps
. . . . . . . . Cheryl Smith
(512) 891-7775
Marvin Lewis
MTM Sales
(718) 225-8803
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Contents
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from the editor
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on the Horizon
|
feature articles
|
Pre/Power Combinations
|
Preamplifiers
|
solid-state Power amplifiers
|
tube Power amplifiers
FROM THE
Editor
elcome to the 2010 Preamplifier and Power Amplifier Buyer’s Guide, brought to you by
The Absolute Sound
and
Hi-Fi+
magazines. You’ll find your next preamplifier, power amplifier, mono power amplifier or a combination of the
two, whether totally tubular or singularly solid state... it’s all here. We’ll also bring you a heads-up of what the best-
dressed equipment tables will be wearing amp-wise in 2010, as well as exciting features on what the next decade may bring
in audio amplification, how to choose the perfect amp to drive your speakers and more.
Let’s start with a question – why? Why should anyone buy a separate
preamplifier and power amp, when an integrated amplifier does all you
need today? Although one-box amplifiers have moved on extremely far,
to the point where a good integrated can match a reasonable pre/power
combination, by separating the key components of an amplifier into
physically individuated units, you can improve the overall performance
significantly. And an integrated amplifier can be broken down into
individual preamplifier and power amp – even mono power amp –
sections, all fed by the same power supply.
Simply by moving each section into its own case and giving it its own
power supply, an integrated amplifier divided into pieces sounds better
than the integrated whole. You can even sub-divide from there – Krell’s
Evolution One and Two amplifier combination is a dual mono preamp
with mono power amplifiers, each having its own distinct power supply,
making eight boxes in total. Few have the resources and shelf space for
such an amplifier, but even giving the preamplifier and power amplifiers
their own boxes and power supplies helps significantly.
Power amplifiers in particular allow the user potentially vast amounts
of wattage at their disposal, far more than could ever be realistically
delivered from an integrated design. Whether it’s to fill a big room,
driving a particularly difficult loudspeaker or merely to have plenty
of power in reserve and at your command… a big muscle amp is hard
to resist.
In no other section of the audiophile arena can we find such a diverse
arrangement of old, new and state-of-the-art designs on offer. Where
else could you have a full-function tube preamplifier that would be
thoroughly understandable to an electronics engineer of 50 years ago
partnered with a Class D amplifier that is built entirely from integrated
circuits? The joy (and some of the confusion) of building a good pre/
power combination comes with trying to take full advantage of the range
of products on offer. Why confusion? Because there’s always another
combination of amplifier components on offer.
Which is where this Buyer’s Guide comes into its own. A distillation of
the last year’s worth of the best products reviewed in both magazines,
we have broken the subject down into one-manufacturer combinations
of preamplifier and power amplifier, separate preamplifiers, solid-
state power amplifiers and tube power amps. The one-manufacturer
combination should not be considered locked in place; it’s perfectly
possible to use a preamp from the combinations and use it with one of
the power amplifiers reviewed separately. Or not. The choice is yours!
W
Alan Sircom
C li ck here to tu rn th e p ag e.
5
Guide to Preamplifiers and Power Amplifiers
www.theabsolutesound.com
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