Integrated Amplifiers

Delve into the amp's menu and its possible to rename inputs, choose whether the tone controls will be bypassed for each source, skip unused inputs, and set a home theatre bypass for when using the amp with a surround processor. You can also choose to have a basic display of selected source and volume, graphic swing-needle or bargraph display of the input signal, or display dim/off. I'd take the first or last of these options, thanks.

Balance Of Power
I'd also definitely still take the Michi X3 Series 2 over just about any other integrated amplifier I know, and the majority of pre/power combinations. As with the original, it claims 200W per channel into 8ohm, rising to 350W a side into 4ohm – figures it comfortably exceeds on the lab bench – and always sounds unburstable and completely at ease with whatever speakers are chosen to challenge it.

Fed from a simple network transport – iFi Audio's Zen Stream – via USB, and driving speakers including the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 [HFN Nov '21], the 603 S3 [HFN Dec '23] and PMC's superb little prodigy1 [HFN Nov '23], the Michi X3 S3 showcased grip, drive and effortless power. When a sense of bedevilment had me loading up that Uncanny theme – Lanterns On The Lake's 'Don't Have Nightmares', one of the several bonus tracks on the Bandcamp download of the Versions Of Us album [Bella Union BELLA1478] – the listening room was instantly filled with the atmospheric soundscape and Hazel Wilde's unsettling vocal.

Fab Four
As much as the sheer power of the X3 Series 2 is impressive, along with its ability to reach deep and deliver rich yet rigorously controlled bass, the most striking thing is the way it stitches an entire mix together, and the detail it unearths.

This was much in evidence with the recent re-releases of The Beatles' Blue and Red compilation albums [UMC 96kHz/24-bit downloads], which have done a fine job of illuminating both the musicianship and studio artistry involved in these familiar recordings. Hearing these tracks, and the character of each of the four, opened up for inspection is truly thrilling, giving a new appreciation of the songs.

Then again, unleash the Michi X3 Series 2 on the recent superb complete recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! by John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London [Chandos CHSA 5322(2)] and it's immediately clear how well the amplifier can deliver all the weight and detail of orchestral forces set on a broad, deep soundstage. In this case it also maintained a close-focused view of the soloists singing the various parts, from the tenderness of 'People Will Say We're In Love' to the exuberance of the title song. Yes, John Wilson's approach to this kind of material is unashamedly 'big screen', but such a lavish sound is entirely appropriate here, and delivered full-force by the Michi amplifier.

Blood And Thunder
And boy can this sleek black box hit hard. Playing 'The Rhythm Of The Heat', the opener of Peter Gabriel's fourth eponymous album [Security, Peter Gabriel Ltd; 96kHz/24-bit download], and the X3 Series 2 really thunders out the multi-layered drums in shattering style, tempting the listener to increase the volume level and experience it in even more full-blooded fashion. Don't worry – if your speakers can take it, the X3 Series 2 will deliver.

And in the next moment, Rotel's amplifier can deliver a beautifully atmospheric yet focused view of Schubert's 'Winterreise', in the 2019 Thomas Oliemans release accompanied by Paolo Giacometti [Channel Classics CCS 42119]. Here, the wonderful texture of the baritone voice was revealed, the piano beautifully measured, while the sense of chill ran right through the whole enterprise. There's no shortage of information here, yet again the Michi X3 Series 2 seems to downplay its contribution to the sound: this may be something of a big bruiser of an amp, but it's also light on its feet and deliciously crisp.

I thought to maintain the atmosphere with the Hoff Ensemble's classic Quiet Winter Night set [2L 2L-087], which is both another one of those remarkable Morten Lindberg recordings set in a generous church acoustic, and a perfect jazz album for long, cold evenings. Again, the X3 Series 2 showed just how much information it could deliver, from Jan Gunnar Hoff's beautifully restrained piano to the soaring vocals and brass, plus serious punch in the ensemble's drums and bass. It sent a tingle down the spine, and not just due to the wintry themes.

As Good As Ever
The headline with this amplifier is therefore that it's as good as it ever was, and a remarkable high-end bargain. Yes, it may be more expensive now, but a) so is everything else, and b) the original was always under-priced for the superb performance on offer.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
Put aside the current state of Michi distribution, soon to be resolved, and the story here is of a company updating a classic hi-fi bargain without messing it up – which is never a given. Even at its new price, the X3 S2 is a steal, delivering such scintillating performance that if you're considering a 'big integrated', or even a pre/power this side of five figures, then it's a must-listen – you're going to love it!