Pre/Power Amplifiers

Anniversary edition of the Reference five splits into two boxes for improved performance Released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the company’s Reference preamp, the Anniversary Ref 5 promises to address the few solutions not available in its recently unveiled single-chassis version. This two-chassis model sees the valve power supply relegated to a box of its own and, being a true dual-mono layout, two fat umbilical cords connect it to the chassis. Under the lid can be found an all-valve, zero feedback, pure Class A circuit employing four 6H30 triodes per channel, again dual-mono, while mounted on the bottom of the main board are four massive custom Teflon coupling capacitors, weighing around a kilo apiece. Each valve is fitted with a now-familiar damping ring; the main circuitry is fitted to a large mother board; daughter boards deal with the front panel and the socketry.

The latest Levinson product is a consummate music maker New electronics bearing the Mark Levinson badge don’t appear too often. When they do, the world of high-end audio expects them to be exemplary. In producing its first switching amplifier, the ML design team has been able to scale things down to (almost) manageable proportions. The benefits of Class D amplifiers include increased efficiency enabling greater power output while requiring less heat dissipation in smaller, lighter and more affordable packages.

Dan D'Agostino returns with a product half amplifier, half sculpture, all genius With his new company’s first product, the Momentum Monoblock Power Amplifier, Dan D’Agostino hopes to re-write the rules of solid-state amplifier design. Most notable is a concern for green issues, by addressing the amp’s power consumption when not in use. It’s a claimed 1W – not bad for a 300W amp that thinks it’s a kilowatt. Running in Class AB, and merely warm to the touch after a long session reflects a cooling system which provides much of the Momentum’s visual presence: solidcopper bars (venturis) that form the amplifier’s flanks.

The first solid-state Quad remains a classic of the genre Exemplifying all that was admirable in British hi-fi, the 33 preamp (£43) and 303 power amp (£55) were Quad’s first commercial solid-state offerings, the company having waited for the new-fangled transistor to settle down before embracing it in 1967. It was in many ways ‘a solid-state Quad 22’. Any previous customer would have immediately recognised the control locations, the flushmounted rotaries, the balance control under the volume control, the press buttons that also offered Quad’s unique, fully cancellable filter and tone controls and RIAA selectors. In size, the 303 and the Quad II power amps were nearly interchangeable.

The entry level Belles power amp has some charming characteristics This midi-sized power amplifier from American designer Dave Belles’ Power Modules company naturally has a similarly compact preamplifier to partner it, dubbed Soloist 3; there’s also an MM/MC phono stage. This is ideal for enthusiasts desiring a separates combo that requires precious little space. There are no frills here – while better known for its high-end amplifiers, the Soloist components are Belles’ entry-level models. Build quality is staid and workmanlike, without the gloss of more costly designs.

The Baby Bryston has many of the behavioural traits of the brand and some likeable sonic qualities Based a couple of hours’ drive north-east of Toronto, Bryston builds its audio components fully in-house. Next year will see the company celebrate 50 years since its initial foundation as a manufacturer of blood analysis equipment. It made its first amplifier in 1973 and progressed into the audio business soon thereafter. Luton’s Professional Monitor Company (PMC loudspeakers) has been Bryston’s UK distributor since the early 1990s – and naturally it’s Bryston amplifier modules that power PMC active monitors.

Better known for multichannel, the A21 demonstrates that Parasound knows a thing or two about stereo too As with Canada’s Anthem electronics, San Francisco’s Parasound components are often found powering luxurious multichannel ‘home theatre’ systems. Unlike Anthem, however, Parasound does make pure audio (as well as AV) preamps to partner some of its power amps, especially its two-channel models. Designed in the US by John Curl, a veteran whose CV includes classic Mark Levinson and Vendetta designs in years gone by, Parasound’s amps are outsourced to Taiwan for manufacture – which might explain the keen pricing. This A21 power amp from the flagship Halo range suggests a lot for the money, weighing 27kg and resplendent in classy casework.