Integrated Amplifiers

Power Trip's 'Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)' [Nightmare Logic; Southern Lord LORD236] is not the most eloquently recorded piece of music, favouring a heavy reverb that makes the thrash metal riffing and vocalist Riley Gale somewhat indistinct, but it has a potent bottom end that Copland's amplifier dug into with surprising vehemence. The breakdown at the song's mid-point, with its resonant, chest-thumping drums, was all the evidence needed that this amp can rock.

A similar, but slicker, experience came from Metallica's 'Lux Aeterna' [72 Seasons; Blackened BLCKND055-2], where the furiously paced rhythm section and attacking guitar sounded huge and lively. The production here is polished in a way the Power Trip album isn't, and it gave the CTA407 more scope to show off a clear, ear-friendly approach to high frequencies.

Frantic Fidelity
I might argue that such music is a waste of this amplifier's talents, though. The appeal of the CTA407 also lies in its delicacy, and ability to render all manner of instruments in a lifelike manner. Playing Billy Joel's 'Travelin' Prayer' [Piano Man, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab; 88.2kHz/24-bit], I was struck by the detail of the bassline, but more so by the rich texture and open sound of the piano chords. As the track builds, with banjo, percussion, violin and vocals, the mass of the music was well conveyed, without smear or thickening up. It's a piece of frantic playing and dynamic swings, and the CTA407's speed of delivery and power reserves was up to the challenge.

This amp likes to play loud. Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb', recorded for Is There Anybody Out There: The Wall Live 1980-81 [EMI 5235622], powered from Perlisten's S5t speakers [full review in HFN Dec '23] with a fulsome quality to the synth notes and bass guitar, and with the level up high and those LEDs flickering orange the weight and scale of the performance was superb. Gilmour's famous guitar solo, played here through a barrage of effects, was smooth and fluid.

Full Moon
But something else I love about the CTA407: even at polite listening levels, a sense of its dynamic power and detail comes through. Sure, it will induce bigger grins with the volume cranked, as you can appreciate the potency of its power tubes, but a 'background music' session with The Police's Every Breath You Take – The Classics [A&M Records; 88.2kHz/24-bit] still had me cocking an ear to appreciate drums in 'Invisible Sun', and the supple bass of 'Walking On The Moon'.

Indeed, the CTA407's handling of lower frequencies might just be the icing on this Danish pastry. The amp showed extension and control over the deliberate bass thumps in Nelly's 'Country Grammar' [Universal Records; 44.1kHz/16-bit], and an even better grasp of upper bass/low mid details, as revealed by the left hand of pianist Susan Tomes on Beethoven's 'Archduke' […The Complete Music For Piano Trio, Hyperion; 44.1kHz/16-bit]. This piece was also rendered with excellent dynamics, which evoked the hard presses of keys and the urgent flurries of strings.

The CTA407's skill at unpicking detail and finding the leading edge on instruments, without veering into 'analytical' territory, gave this superb recording an in-the room feel. But for an even more dramatic demonstration of its full set of abilities – from soundstaging to tonality – look no further than Miles Davis' reference-quality Bitches Brew [Legacy 88985474622]. A perennial fave, 'Miles Runs The Voodoo Down', became a collage of instruments spread wide and deep, blasts of trumpet a counterpoint to quieter, smoother tones of a soprano saxophone stage-right.

Similarly, Kula Shaker's 'Mystical Machine Gun', from their 1999 album Peasants, Pigs And Astronauts [Columbia 493142 2], mixes Eastern musical influences with standard alt rock guitar, and a well-organised soundfield with drums set far back. There's a smorgasbord of different tones and textures to be enjoyed here, from Crispian Mills' sneering vocals to the keyboard effects. Kula Shaker were once described as a 'joke band' by a UK newspaper, but there was nothing laughable about the CTA407's performance when tasked with serving up this track. What was it that Copland said about an 'object of desire?'.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
An all-analogue integrated tube amplifier with some thoroughly modern technology under the hood, Copland's new CTA407 is worthy of its top-flight status within the boutique brand's catalogue. It's operationally slick, beautifully finished and sounds, for want of a better word, lush – smooth, natural and refined, but powerful and dynamic too. Tube rollers will also appreciate the flexibility of its auto-bias.