Pre/Power Amplifiers

PM's boxout reports on the REX 500's warm-running nature (and power consumption). Both should, of course, be taken into account, but it's also worth stressing that this amplifier isn't alone in the high-end hi-fi arena in this regard. Judicious use of its power button is probably recommended though, on the understanding that the REX 500 will sound of its best once it's fully warmed up.

Shock And Awe
The REX 500's unusual design translates into what is, perhaps, an unusual sounding amplifier... and a very, very good one. Here we have a heavyweight solid-state amp with sufficient power to comfortably drive a pair of Perlisten's exacting S7t Limited Edition floorstanders, yet beyond that the story is as much about the REX 500's presentation and 'voice' as it is the obvious grunt. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that an amplifier designed by a company with an obvious love of tubes manages to tread a similar path, but its performance is nevertheless an absolute head-turner.

Without wanting to pigeonhole the REX 500 as 'good for only one genre', I had a whale of a time using it to listen to 1970s rock. There's something about its lush, characterful tonality that perfectly fits this era, while its sheer energy drives home the flamboyance of the likes of Page, Bonham, Iommi, et al. The opening synth notes of 'Friday Night', from Dennis Wilson's solo set Pacific Ocean Blue [Caribou Records 88985368632], burst from the Perlisten towers, possessing wonderful texture, presence and scale. The soundstage was huge, the imaging holographic. And once I heard the rolling, rich piano chords, I was completely smitten.

Page And Plant
Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog' [Led Zeppelin IV; Atlantic 8122796446] features a classic Jimmy Page riff, played in unison by the bass guitar. Here it was rendered with a fat, distorted and warm presentation that instantly evoked the paisley shirts and lanky hair of the 1970s. Robert Plant, meanwhile, was a floating, wailing siren bang in the middle of the speakers, and the snare and tom-toms of the drumming accompaniment seemed to acquire an almost physical presence. Toward the end of the song, Page overlays a second guitar part to give the main line a curious harmony – this effect was wonderfully clear and distinct, just as it was easy to pin-point the position of the following guitar solo, thanks to the amp's supreme skill at creating a wide, accurate soundstage.

American Muscle
Joining this is the sheer atmosphere the REX 500 brings to tracks, big or small. 'My Home Is In The Delta' by Muddy Waters [Folk Singer; Geffen 96kHz/24-bit] was immensely evocative. Tiny details of his slide guitar playing were picked out, and the intimacy and ambience of this sparse recording shone through. At the other end of the scale, 'America', from Deutsch Grammophon's live capture of Bernstein's West Side Story featuring Jose Carreras and Kiri Te Kanawa [96kHz/24-bit], saw vocalists placed along a wide, deep stage. Dynamic brass moments arrived with force – a counterpoint to softer percussion and shimmering latino guitar parts. This chaotic track is as much of a melting pot as its subject matter, yet the REX 500 gave equal footing to every tone and texture.

BAT's amp performs just as admirably with music of a more modern bent. Daft Punk's 'Giorgio By Moroder' [Random Access Memories; Sony Music 88883716862] began with a sonorous rendering of Moroder's monologue and an almost surround sound delivery of the background ambience. Then we're into wah-wah guitar and a club vibe, hammered home by a pounding kick drum and deep bass. The Perlisten S7t LE speakers were kept on a tight leash here, and the imaging between them was seamless.

It was the performance expected of a flagship amp at £22k – yet still astonishing. True, some rough and tumble drum 'n' bass in the shape of 'Black' by DJ SS [Formation Records 44.1kHz/16-bit], where every element has been pushed up to ten, found a slightly brazen edge, but the slam of the drums was far more notable, and a better produced example of the genre – LTJ Bukem's jazz-tinged 'Flip The Narrative' [Drum & Bass Arena DNBA056] – sounded blissfully clear and rhythmic.

Pure Pleasure
Even Enslaved's epic 'Thoughts Like Hammers' [Riitiir; Nuclear Blast 0727361293260], a favourite torture track, dazzled: the impossibly thick downtuned guitar riff had the consistency of liquid metal, its final vibrato note loading the room. The following 'singing' was listenable, rather than grating, even at chest-thumping volume.

The rest of my listening notes are indicative of the pure pleasure the REX 500 evokes. For Lana Del Ray's 'Video Games' [Born To Die; Polydor 2787091], I simply wrote 'a cathedral of sound', while Hans Zimmer's 'The Mole' from Dunkirk [WaterTower Music; 44.1kHz/24-bit] was 'a frightening soundscape that grows in size and stature until your speakers seem ready to burst'.

But it was Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' [Paranoid; Warner/Rhino RR2 3104] that summed up everything that's right about the REX 500. Tony Iommi's snarling guitar parts sounded raw and in the room, while Bill Ward's edge-of-the-seat drum rolls were writ large but focused. The reverb that fades to silence before Ozzy starts his tirade about generals gathered in black masses elicited goosebumps. There was power and attack, effortless detail and startling scale. As Ozzy himself yelps: 'Oh Lord, yeah!'.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
Audiophiles loyal to the American brand will be pleased to hear that BAT's new solid-state powerhouse inherits the tube-centric company's DNA. On offer are unburstable power, rich tonality, fine detail and sublime soundstaging, making music listening an utter joy. The REX 500 is amplifier royalty, and surely ranks as one of the very best at its price – or above. You might even want to pick up two of 'em.