Integrated Amplifiers

'The World's Most Powerful Integrated Amplifier' is the bold claim made for the new 255i on Perreaux's website, with the caveat 'In reference to the 255i as a Class AB integrated amplifier'. Rated at 2x250W, or 320W, or 360W/8ohm depending on where you choose to look on the website, flyer or manual, the 255i is certainly powerful as it actually delivers closer to 2x435W/8ohm [see Lab Report]. But is it truly the most powerful integrated, ever? That rather depends on how we define the power – into 8ohm or better reflecting its speaker load tolerance as power, or current, into 2 or 1ohm? Marantz's PM-10 offered 620W/8ohm [HFN Aug '17] but this is a Class D design, and only mustered 170W/1ohm, while Musical Fidelity's Nu-Vista 800 [HFN Nov '14] delivered a slightly lower 2x325W/8ohm but with a massive 2.2kW/1ohm (46.4A) under dynamic conditions. So too, the Krell S-550i [HFN Jul '13] offered 2x336W/8ohm with 2.4kW/1ohm (49.4A). Judged by these standards the 255i, which is protected at 1.5kW/2ohm and 610W/1ohm (26.7A), is arguably less powerful. However, unless you have the world's least sensitive/lowest impedance speakers in tow, you'd be hard-pressed to judge the difference! PM