TECHWEEK
We say a stereo system – we mean an amplifier. It is about partners pumping speakers today that will be discussed in our article. There are enough new products on the market in 2023, and we have compiled a rating of the most recent and modern integrated amplifiers from them – as usual, sorted in order of increasing device cost. So, from the seven devices presented, you can choose an amp for every taste and budget.
7. Mission 778X
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 45 W | Weight – 6.3 kg | DAC – yes
Pros: inexpensive and cheerful
Cons: resolution is not ideal
Perfect for: those who want to join Hi-Fi
Mission is making a triumphant return to the market, first with the reincarnation of its iconic speakers, and now with the Mission 778X amplifier. Before us is again a rethinking of the classics, the 1983 model Mission 778. The new integrated amplifier is equipped with a built-in JFET phono stage, develops up to 65 W of power into a 4 ohm load and has a built-in DAC based on the ESS ES9018K2M HyperStream chip (up to DSD256) with a Bluetooth 5.0 wireless streaming module (aptX / AAC).
6. AudioLab 7000A
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 70 W | Weight – 8.4 kg | DAC – yes
Pros: Powerful and confident sound
Cons: a little dark presentation
Perfect for: fans of the British school of sound
AudioLab demonstrates its signature style – the 7000A confidently drives even complex speakers and offers a powerful and seamless sound. No wonder – current up to 9A, 2 x 110 W at 4 Ohms (Complementary Feedback topology – with complementary feedback), a solid 250 VA power transformer and a 4 x 15,000 uF capacitor unit – everything is fine here. As well as equipment – including a DAC on the ESS ES9038Q2M chip and a phono stage.
5. Cabasse Abyss
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 120 W | Weight – 3.5 kg | DAC – yes
Pros: French style and charm in the sound
Cons: bass is not always textured
Perfect for: style lovers
Cabasse Abyss attracts the eye even before switching on – the company knows how to “make it beautiful”. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless modules, a chic touchscreen display, a class D amplifier with a “power” of 215 W at 4 Ohms and Deap (Digital Enhancement of Acoustical Performances) technology, which allows you to perfectly dock the device with branded speakers and the CRCS room correction algorithm – such envied by many competitors.
4. Myriad Z350
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 130 W | Weight – 12.3 kg | DAC – yes
Pros: boiled performance, excellent timbres
Cons: lower mids could be more legible
Perfect for: those who are looking for a pass to the world of high-end Hi-Fi
The Myryad Z350 is a serious candidate weighing over twelve kilograms and delivering up to 200 watts into a 4 ohm load. Not forgotten here is the power transformer “for growth”, and the built-in digital-to-analog converter on the ESS ES9219C chip with a Bluetooth 5.0 wireless adapter. But, most importantly, of course, the sound is “the same”, with an excellent timbre picture and spatial accuracy.
3. Rotel Michi X3 S2
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 200 W | Weight – 28.9 kg | DAC – yes
Pros: stunning sound, armor-piercing design
Cons: for your money – nothing
Perfect for: collecting High End complex
The second version of the Rotel Michi X3 S2 amplifier inspires genuine “shock and awe”. It is absolutely impossible to find anything more interesting for comparable money on the modern market – the device weighs almost 30 (thirty!) Kilograms, easily reaches a power of 350 W when working with a load of 4 ohms, has a damping factor of 350 units and is equipped with a DAC for 8 -channel chip ESS ES9028PRO with MQA support. There is also a Bluetooth adapter with aptX-HD codec, and a built-in MM phono stage.
2. Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 150 W | Weight – 31 kg | DAC – no
Pros: brilliance and gloss
Cons: high price
Perfect for: those who are willing to pay for a hobby
The Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary uses a fully balanced open-loop circuit and guarantees up to 500W when driven into a nominal 2 ohm load. Exceptional stability is achieved by a clever circuit with an inverted stage and a buffer supported by a DC servo amplifier (it is connected at frequencies below a few tenths of a Hz). In addition, there is a reference element base here – military standard resistors, polypropylene capacitors, 7N copper wiring, and many competitors will envy two 600 W power transformers and 50A discrete diodes.
1.Extraudio X800
Output power into 8 ohms – 2 x 400 W | Weight – 24 kg | DAC – no
Pros: Incredible power while maintaining reference microdynamics
Cons: price, which is usual for this sector
Perfect for: those who want to buy the very best
So, the EPAM amplification modules developed by the company, the signal-to-noise ratio of 120 dB with a similar dynamic range, distortion not higher than 0.0028%, a 1.5 kW power supply and a peak current of 80 A (this is not a typo) – such is the Extraudio X800. An extraordinary device that took fourteen years to build – during which time noise mitigation and input buffering circuits were developed, special filters were created in power supplies and a single-tube preamplifier stage operating in pure class A.
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