Archives for stereo integrated

03.2018

McIntosh MA-252 Integrated Amp: $3500 (100×2) Tube Preamp Section, Solid State Power Amp Section. Mac has introduced this new retro looking, luscious sounding, integrated amp! It is a pure analog unit. It features two high level RCA inputs & one set of XLR inputs. It also supports MM phono. It even has a subwoofer out. It has a 1/4” headphone jack on the front. MA-252 has menu generated tone controls. It uses two 12AX7a and two 12AT7s preamp tubes. Again, the power amp section is solid state and does not use autoformers. MA-252 does come with remote control. The amp
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Categories: Newsletters.

12.2017

Hegel H190 Integrated Amp, $4000 (150×2)   Hegel has just spiffed up its mid line integrated amp. H190 has the same power as its predecessor, but now has double the damping factor. Double the damping factor means more grip. H190 can get your speakers to start and stop faster. Double the damping factor means increased dynamic range, yielding the most noticeable improvement in H190. Hegel has improved its patented Sound Engine Technology. Now it’s called Sound Engine 2 (SE2). SE2 is similar to current dumping. With no global feedback you get a cleaner, more immediate sound. SE2 helps create high
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Categories: Newsletters.

10.2017

We Welcome Hegel’s New H90 Integrated Amp $2000 (60×2) 3 1/8h, 16 7.8w, 12 1/4d, 27 lbs   Hegel Audio of Oslo, Norway, brought out its H80 integrated amp ($2k) in 2013. H80 has been a defacto price class leader since its inception. Here we are four years later and H80 has been superseded by the new H90. We’re happy that H90 is the same price as H80. It has an improved version of Hegel’s patented Sound Engine technology, dubbed Sound Engine 2. With SE2 comes superior damping factor whose spec is 2000. Most amps have a damping factor of
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Categories: Newsletters.

04.2017

Marantz Reference Series PM-10 Integrated Amp $8000 (200×2) Brand new is Marantz’s stunning, big boy integrated amp. I’ve always been a fan of Marantz’s Ref Series, made in its top factory in Japan. PM-10 just arrived and has pounded the high striker weight all the way to the top! Packed with TNT, PM-10 can wake up the hungriest of our loudspeakers and deliver bass in spades. PM-10 pushes REAL SPEAKERS like GoldenEars, Maggies and Brystons as well as more expensive separates. Up to now, Marantz Ref amps have been about half this power. It’s a pleasure to finally hear the
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Categories: Newsletters.

12.2016

Now In! GoldenEar SuperSub X $1250 (1400w amp with DSP, 12 3/4h, 14w, 13 1/4d, 31lbs) We’ve been anticipating this bad boy for almost a year! That’s because about a year ago, the GoldenEar SuperSub XXL ($2k) arrived and raised the bar for subwoofer performance! XXL was the first sub to have Dual Plane technology, left/right AND top/bottom. With built in 1600w power amp and DSP. XXL was most appropriately dubbed “King Kong in a tuxedo!” GoldenEar has received a patent for this design! XXL produces more thunderous power while staying on the tracks better than any sub we’ve ever
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Categories: Newsletters.