Integrated Amplifiers

All models in the Synthesis product range are 'entirely made in Italy' and feature tubes in at least one part of the circuit, beginning with those in its entry-level Roma series. The latter is the manufacturer's most wide-ranging, with 11 products in total including a phono preamp, a quartet of integrated amplifiers and a pre/power system, as well as the 14DC+ CD player/transport (with digital inputs and DSD-capable DAC) and 69DC tube DAC.

Prices start from £2099 for the Roma 79DC MM/MC phono stage, but such affordability is forgotten when you get to Synthesis's top-of-the-range Metropolis series, which consists of three integrated amplifiers and a 500W-rated monoblock. Of the stereo models, the 2x200W KT120-equipped NYC 200i [HFN Jun '22] leads the line, for £20,999, followed by the less powerful NYC175i and NYC150i variants, and all adopt the same dual-mono balanced architecture with microprocessor-controlled tube biasing. Synthesis's mid-level Action series is similarly 'boutique', consisting of just three integrated amplifiers: the A40 Virtus, A50 Taurus, and the substantial A100 Titan tested here.