Pre/Power Amplifiers

I mostly tested the mono amps with the 3510 Preamplifier, as this was also used to audition the stereo power model, and it remains an obvious partner despite its lack of a balanced output. As before I found it a potent teammate, the (now) three boxes making a slick-looking and (spoiler alert!) sweet-sounding power plant, its volume easily controlled by the preamp's remote.

Pure Instinct
With the 3510 Mono the spitting image of the 3510 Stereo, it comes as little surprise that its sound performance is cut from the same cloth. The attributes that made the two-channel unit something of a star can also be found here, from the tonality and detail of its mids and highs to its near bottomless bass and expansive imaging. At the same time it manages to go one better, sounding purer, more in control, more… well, luxurious. That £2990 price for a pair starts to look like astonishing value.

A dive into female vocals with Dusty Springfield's wonderfully recorded Dusty In Memphis album [Rhino Atlantic R2 8214; 96kHz/24-bit] played to the 3510 Mono's strengths, its lower registers warm and sensuous, Springfield's vocal a little more delicate. Yet Björk's 'Cocoon' [Vespertine; One Little Indian TPLP101CD] was a more icy, sterile listen, the Icelandic singer locked, without a hint of reverb, to the centre stage. That the disparate productions of these two songs both sounded utterly right is a testament to an amp with a revealing, musical character. Around Björk, the track's accompaniment was spread far and wide, and well separated. For reasons only she knows, this backing includes vinyl-style pops and clicks, which was as close to sounding 'noisy' as the 3510 Mono got. PM's Lab report reveals Exposure's new design to be imperiously quiet, and this was borne out by my listening experience.

Invisible Touch
There's a hush here akin to match point on Wimbledon's Centre Court, the music rising out of an invisible background. This made the oh-so-soft opening to 'IV Adagietto' from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 5 [Daniel Barenboim/Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Warner Classics 51011-1046-2], with its long string notes and plump-but-gentle harp, a real pleasure. After this tender opening the level builds and the mood of the piece darkens, requiring the amp to draw on its power reserves to play loud and composed through my Perlisten R7t floorstanders [HFN Aug '22].

Such was the feeling of an unconstrained output that I upped the level on the 3510 Preamplifier without caution, enjoying a largescale but resolutely smooth performance. The 3510 Mono was equally confident hammering out Ennio Morricone's widescreen theme to Brian De Palma's gangster classic The Untouchables [OST, A&M Records 393 909-2], keeping hold of the timbral details of the brass and woodwind as the music soared.

Low Rider
So there's a refined, expressive nature to enjoy here, but it's in no way consigned to the upper reaches of the audio band. Rather, the 3510 Mono's bass handling is perhaps where it really steals a march on its stereo sibling, as it is – frankly – superb. The deep, constantly undulating lows on Alex Reece's genre-defining jungle track 'Pulp Fiction' [Metalheadz; 44.1kHz/16-bit] filled my room and stayed impactful even at a low volume.

On Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' [Toys In The Attic; Columbia COL 474964 2], its aptitude was more subtly revealed by the resonance and extra body given to the isolated drumming in the introduction, and the detail uncovered in Tom Hamilton's bass guitar playing, an oft-overlooked aspect of Aerosmith's musicianship. On both this track and the same album's 'Sweet Emotion', he plays fast and routinely ventures high up the fret board, giving the amplifier plenty to pick out.

A back-to-back comparison was not possible but my listening notes from our review of the 3510 Stereo confirmed my suspicion that it was a touch more eager to let its hair down and take you on a ride with high-energy rock music. The 3510 Mono is less inclined to jump feet first into big transients and similarly less inclined to bite off more music than it can comfortably chew. There's drive and power here, but perhaps not the same level of head-turning snap. This, plus the clean, fluid overall presentation, rendered the fast and furious metal of the title track from Lamb Of God's Ashes Of The Wake album [Epic 517933 2] just a little bit, well, 'safe'.

Yet there's two sides to every story, and I loved the listenability and the measured, tight feel with which the 3510 Mono rendered this groove/thrash classic. Randy Blythe's growled vocals didn't grate, the twin guitars cut through with razor-sharpness and the skill of drummer Chris Adler was on full show. The whole album flew by, as did Gorillaz' 2023 electro/hip-hop release Cracker Island [Parlophone 5054197213212], including collaborations with everyone from Stevie Nicks to Adeleye Omotayo. Two records of very different genres, but leaving the same final impression: Exposure's new mono amplifier is an absolute beauty!

Hi-Fi News Verdict
An outstanding addition to Exposure's elegant, temptingly priced 3510 range, this mono amplifier is a must-hear for fans of the British brand – and anyone shopping for a power-pusher at the price. Its sound is finely judged, with a cavernous low-end and admirable power complemented by a refined, nuanced presentation overall. The industrial design is self-effacing, but the performance is striking.