Integrated Amplifiers

If your loudspeakers are either very insensitive or present an especially cruel load then Rotel's Michi X3 (Series 1 or 2) remains 'Hobson's Choice' at sub-£5000... or does it? Our fully independent lab report covers off the X3 S2 'in the round' on p59 but the top-line figures that concern us here are its 2x225W/8ohm and 2x425W/4ohm power output, increasing to 306W, 583W, 1.06kW and a full 1.76kW (42.0A) under dynamic conditions into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads. Rotel has set a very substantial bar here only met at this price point, rather ironically, by its own non-Michi RA-1592mkII integrated [HFN Jan '22] which is still available at a (relative) bargain price of £2399. This sibling amplifier succeeds in delivering an identical 2x225W/8ohm and 2x425W/4ohm at <1% THD with sufficient headroom to support a carbon-copy 307W, 585W, 1.08kW and 1.76kW into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads under dynamic conditions. When we see figures this close, differences between the models boil down to premium component selection and costlier casework for the Michi variant, all of which play into the narrative of the X3 S2's superior sound quality.

Where cost is not a deal breaker then recent high-power heavyweights have included Hegel's £10,500 H600 [HFN Oct '23] which delivers 2x315W/8ohm and 2x600W/4ohm coupled with a dynamic output of 327W/8ohm, 641W/4ohm, 1.24kW/2ohm and a huge 2.30kW (48A) into 1ohm. Similarly, Musical Fidelity's Nu-Vista 800 integrated has returned in '.2' guise [HFN Aug '23] with a proven power of 2x330W/8ohm and 2x580W/4ohm, boosted to 369W, 707W, 1.30kW and 2.20kW (47A) into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads under dynamic conditions. Audiophiles who are deep of pocket, and have a preference for challenging loudspeakers, are not short of high current options. PM