@grannyring I look forward to hearing the Hornings when I can find a chance to travel from Richmond to Nashville this spring. Did you listen to the Aristotle fed by Circle Labs amps or other amps? Obviously they work well with low powered tube amps with their high sensitivity but Colin says they sound great with the Circle Labs amps.
Circle Labs A200 Integrated amplifier review - It will appeal to both tube and SS lovers……
This review is a reflection of my desire to help those looking for purity of sound in the convenient package of an integrated amplifier. In other words, an amplifier that transcends the usual boundaries of tube vs solid state. The A200 integrated is a unique design and one that I don’t recall seeing before--more on that in a moment. I called my local dealer here in the Nashville area, Colin King of Gestalt Audio Design, and told him I wanted to look into an integrated amplifier. I had too many boxes with several LPS’s, switches and such on the floor next to my Sound Anchors rack. It did not look good in our living room, and since I live with THE Audiophile’s Wife, I decided I better simplify and tidy up our space before she took to the blogosphere and wrote about my slovenly ways.
I also liked the integrated amp concept, in general, as they can offer stellar sound at lower prices than competing separates. I knew Colin carried the Luxman brand, and it has always intrigued me, but to my surprise, he suggested the Circle Labs A200 made in Poland. I had not heard of it, but he felt it would fit my sonic priorities better. In a nutshell, I like beautiful tone and realism and am less concerned about sonic feats of strength that impress initially, but over time don’t immerse me in the music. I guess, for me, an integrated amp appeals to the heart and soul--not just the mind.
Prior to the A200, I had a wonderful sounding $15,000 Mark Levinson 532 preamp and two nice amplifiers. Here’s a little backstory on that:AMPS: One of the amps was a 50-watt per channel, pure class A solid state Clayton Audio amplifier. The other was a 1200-watt per channel, unique class D amplifier. Both appealed to me in different ways.PREAMPS: I recently built a very robust 6sn7 tube preamp that I enjoyed but ended up giving to my stepson as a housewarming gift. In addition to that, I owned a highly modified/upgraded Audio Valve Eclipse tube preamp that was also quite enjoyable.
Suffice it to say the integrated had a significant sonic hurdle to clear to make it onto my audio rack. On paper, the A200 seemed ideally suited to my sonic preferences. The design combines a tube preamplifier and a single ended, pure class A, solid state output stage. While hybrid integrated amplifiers are not new to the scene, one with a single ended, pure Class A output was unique in my experience. In addition, the builder was passionate and intensely focused on short signal paths and keeping the parts count to an absolute minimum. The end goal was sonic purity, in other words, the accuracy of the tone and overtones needed to be precise to the vocals and the instruments. It needed to correctly address the nuances of the recordings like the inflections of the voices, the emotion of the vocalist and the subtleties of each instrument.
The A200 is rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and doubles to 200 watts into 4 ohms. It uses the rather inexpensive Siemens ECC8100 tube--one per channel and they will last some 10,000 hours. You can read more about this amp online at the Circle Labs site as well as viewing several online reviews of the unit.
This design goal, in my estimation, delivers the sonic purity I find elusive in many pieces of audio gear. This hybrid is different from other hybrid amps I have owned from Blue Circle, Monarchy Audio and Aesthetix Audio. Their designs are wonderful in their own way. They have sonic strengths in areas like warmth, stage size, high power and such. In my opinion, the A200 stands out from the other hybrids in purity of sound and inner detail. The sound reminds me of the “illuminated from within” sound I heard on my past pair of 2a3/300b monoblock SET amps from George Wright. The A200 sonic strengths boil down to a wide open sound, purity of tone and a positively arresting revealing of inner detail and nuance. The bass of the A200 is stellar in both articulation and fullness. If the recording has a meaty foundation, the A200 delivers it, and this is a must for me to enjoy music. The amp does not homogenize recordings based on my experience. Every recording is delivered with its intended sound and personality.
Another aspect I really appreciate is how engaging this amp is at low to moderate volume levels. I think this is simply a reflection of its sonic purity. In the end, the A200 cleared my sonic hurdle, and then some, because it drew me into the performances time and time again. One additional note is the A200 is just plain fun. My wife joins me for pleasure listening, and it scores very high marks on the fun factor.
I have heard amplifiers with more exacting leading edges and crisper highs. I have heard amplifiers with more gut-hitting dynamics at high volume levels, though I suppose if you pair the A200 with highly efficient speakers you would achieve this. I have not often heard the purity of sound and overall illumination of the performance that this integrated delivers. Approximating it would typically require SET tube amplifiers of the 2a3/845 and OTL variety-- at least in my experience.
Colin is the importer and dealer located in Nashville. The retail price is $8995. He is easy to work with, no-pressure and very laid back. I liked my experience with him greatly, and The Audiophile’s Wife has said, and I quote, "she plans to adopt him into our family if one of our biological children goes missing."
System notes:
Circle Labs A200 on Townshend Pods and with QSA blue fuses installed
Dali Epicon 6 speakers with highly upgraded crossovers
Mojo Audio Evo dac with most all the upgrades including Lundahl Amorphous chokes
Innuos Zenith 3 server
Hapa Audio ICs and Aero USB cable
Acoustic BBQ power cord and speaker cable
Purist Audio jumpers
Network Acoustics ENO ethernet cables and filter
English Electric 8Switch
Several linear power supplies for modem, router switch
Puritan Audio 156 and Groundmaster conditioning/grounding
Townshend Pod products under speakers and gear
Sound Anchors rack
Dedicated twin 20 amp lines
Various tweaks from Mad Scientist, PerfectPath Audio
Link to Circle Labs site,
http://www.circlelabs.eu/a200_en
I should add I listen to most every major genre of music including jazz, folk, female jazz vocalist, classical, acoustic instrumental, solo piano etc…. I love Van Morrison and Rickie Lee Jones and would say they are my top two favorite artists.
Hope you find this helpful fellow Agoners.
Bill
Showing 19 responses by hchilcoat
@gestalt Hi Colin. Do you know how long the batteries should last? Also, is it easy/obvious to replace them? |
I ended up getting the Circle Labs separated versions of the A200 just before Christmas. These consist of the P300 preamp and M200 amp and just wanted to provide some quick impressions for now and hope to provide more detailed info later.. Right now I am listening to them with the Mojo Audio Deja Vu streamer and the Mystigue EVO Pro DAC, which I have added very recently, the DAC.just last night!. I am using Duke LeJeune’s Audiokinesis Jazz Modules, which I have been enjoying for the last 15 years. With this set up, the Circle Labs separates sound incredible. The P300/M200 combo showed a lot of potential before I added the Mojo Audio components and the addition of the Deja Vu and EVO really allowed them to move much closer to their full potential. Of course, the caveat is that I only listened with the EVO DAC for a few hours and I would expect things to only get better. However, that was enough to make me feel like I had reached a level of audio nirvana that I had never experienced previously. Obviously, I don’t want to claim that the Circle Labs duo was completely responsible for that. Before adding the Mojo EVO DAC, I had had many magical evenings with a wide and deep sound stage generally set back behind the speaker line. Instruments and voices were full bodied with a great deal of musicality. The Circle combo controlled bass nicely and sounded quite neutral across the frequency spectrum. Dynamics were excellent (eg, the percussion on Buena Vista Social club El Cuarto de Tula really popped, while allowing the vocals to come through clearly with able distinct voices that blended harmoniously). With the Mojo Audio equipment in the system I could really see what the with Circle Labs combo could do. Bass was low and solid but very textured, mids full bodied and satisfying. Highs very crisp and clear. I previously had a KR Audio Kronzilla amp and TRL Dude preamp. I was was very satisfied with the sound of that and had no intention of getting anything else. Unfortunately it kept shutting down and I haven’t had it repaired yet. So unfortunately I can’t compare the difference with the P300/M200 directly. From memory, it is clear that Circle Labs separates are more dynamic, bass is certainly more impactful and musical, there is more transparency and higher level of resolution (with my original digital equipment). I was waiting for the Mojo Deja Vu and EVO, which I planned to use with the Dude/Kronzilla, but that was not in the cards. I had been meaning to provide initial comments on the P300/M200 earlier but procrastinated.So finally getting around to share my initial impressions. Hope to do so more extensively in the future. There are a couple of reviews from Poland, from High Fidelity http://highfidelity.pl/@main-1140&lang=en and Sound Rebels https://soundrebels.com/circle-labs-p300-m200-3/ that I think are quite accurate. The translations from Polish to English can sometimes make it challenging to really understand exactly what the reviewers mean. At first I thought that the P300/M200 might be a bit analytical compared to the musicality of the A200 integrated as described in Grannyring’s and other published reviews. Initially they did sound a bit lean, but with a few days of break in really opened up and started to show what they could do. As much as I enjoyed my previous tubed preamp and SET amp I have to say that I don’t find myself looking back but look forward to my journey with this new set up.
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@Whipsaw, glad you are enjoying your A200 and look forward to hearing more about your impressions. I'll have to look into those speakers. The reviewers at High Fidelity, who had high praise for the A200, indicated that "the separates system does not sound so impressive at first as the A200" but "offers a much more sophisticated, more nuanced, and thus less 'tangible' sound than the Circle Labs' integrated". What I can say is that, based on my very early impression with my new set up, I am delighted with the P300/M200 in my system. |
@grannyring Glad to hear your are enjoying your A200 and thank you for steering me in the direction of Circle Labs amps. I second your comments about dealing with Colin King and Gestalt Audio Design. He is an amazing person to work with. I originally was going to get a A200 but there were some issues including a unit damaged by UPS during shipping. As an alternative to waiting for a new A200, Colin said that he had the P300/M200 in house and offered them to audition. So I ended up getting them. The P300 preamplifier is fully balanced and I didn't have any interconnects with XLR connectors, so I also got a Hijiri HGP-balanced cables as well. Using your interconnects from DAC to preamp and Network Acoustics digital cable. I love your system too, although it is hard to keep up with all your updates and tweaks. Did you end up getting the Fyne speakers? How did they work with your A200? Look forward to hearing more about your experience with the FinkTeam KIM speakers. The great thing about the Circle Labs amps is that they can work with a wide range of speakers. I am very happy with my Jazz Modules but have been intrigued by single driver speakers. One concern is that the damping factor on Circle might to high for some speakers, such as Cube Audio Nenuphars although I contacted them recently and they said they were coming out with a new model that would be more compatible. |
@jc51373 I am enjoying the P300/M300 very much. they are very transparent, fast, and very dynamic. They bring a great deal of life into the music. Listening to a Schumann piano quartet now and am just have been absorbed inthe music and classical is not my first choice. I find that it can be hard to get the delicacy and dynamics of chamber and full orchestra instrumentation but the Circle labs excel at providing a very satisfying musical experience. I really enjoy how they handle acoustic bass,providing a solid sound with the right amount of power and texture. I had a KR Audio Kronzilla amp for many years with a TRL Dude preamp and they sounded great. It is hard to compare because the amp stopped working (need to getting around to fixing it) and. I could only compare from memory but I.feel that the. Circle Labs are a significant improvement. They have more control over the low end and can pack a punch as well as a crystal clear high end and engaging mid range. I have made a number of improvements to my system since I got the separates (Mojo Audio Deja Vu server and EVO Pro DAC) and added a couple of Hijiri Nagomi power cords and an IC, a Network Acoustics ENO Ethernet filter and cable and I’m a happy camper! |
I placed an order for the A200 with Colin at Gestalt Audio, which I hope to receive in the next couple of weeks. Look forward to comparing to my TRL Dude/KR Audio Kronzilla combo. In addition to the reviews in High Fidelity and Positive Feedback, I found this interesting review on a Polish website, which you can read using Google Translate: https://www.audiostereo.pl/magazyn/recenzje/recenzje-wzmacniacze/circle-labs-a200-r1098/ It came out about a year ago and there are some interesting comments, particularly about the 50% price increase after it the A200 was initially available in Poland. Although the translation of the review is a bit clumsy, it provides interesting details that I didn't see in the other reviews. You can find some other reviews in Polish as well. |
@whipsaw Great to hear your preliminary feedback. My A200 is supposed to ship from Poland Friday, so I hope to have it in the next week or two. Really looking forward to hearing it, especially since my KR Audio Kronzilla needs repair and I am without an amp right now. I am expecting delivery of Mojo Audio Mystique EVO Pro DAC and Deja Vu server very soon too so plan to audition them. First I'll try the A200 with my current digital set up (Innuos Zen MkIII and Lampizator Big 7) and then add the Mojo Audio component one at a time.So exciting times ahead once the A200 is here. I wonder how the Circle A200 would compare to the Linear Tube Audio integrated amps. Although the LTA integrated use all tubes and a very different topology, reviews of these Berning designed OTL amps are very consistent with reviews of the A200. |
Thanks for that info Bill, My room is 11 x 17 with 8.5 ft ceiling with my system on the short wall. I'm limited in positioning because I have a bathroom door on the right side wall a few feet short wall, so the speakers end up close to the corner (about 20 inches from the short wall. This set up works well with the Jazz Modules and their wave guide, which helps to minimize side wall reflections and bass is not boomy at all. The Horning Aristotle is very similar in size as the Jazz Modules, and they appear to be designed to work close to corners, so I am optimistic that they would work, but not a lot of flexibility in positioning. I have been using the Starsound Technologies Sistrum stands for the Jazz Modules, which I really like. Not sure if they would be beneficial for the Horning speakers.
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@grannyring I don't have the A200 but ended up with the P300/M200 separates. I am really enjoying the musicality of these components especially after just adding the the Hijiri Nagomi power cords to the amp and preamp, as well as the HCI interconnect from Mojo EVO Pro DAC to the P300 (in addition to the Hijiri Million XLR IC connecting the P300 and the M200. I just received the new power cords and HCI IC last week and although they sounded very good at first, now that they had a little more break in time, I have been immersed in the music more and more. Would love to try the Takumi PCs but that is just too dangerous given the cost! Will more likely add Nagomis for my Mojo Audio DAC and Deja Vu Server/streamer, an maybe the HCS speaker cables eventually. Also, I was talking to Colin at Gestalt about the Horning Hybrid speakers, which he says sound very good with the Circle Labs amps. I currently have Audiokinesis Jazz module, which I love, but have heard great things about the Hornings (although limited info out there). Due to room constraints, I have to have my speakers close to the corners. The Jazz Modules actually work well there but the Hornings are designed to work in corner placement. Considering heading to Nashville at some point to listen to them. THey are in a different league than the Jazz Modules in terms of cost, so I hope they would be in a different league in terms of performance. What I find is that the Circle Labs equipment have a lot more potential to respond to improvements in my system and while I'm very happy with my current set up, it is hard to stop there! |
@jc51373 I am enjoying the P300/M300 very much. they are very transparent, fast, and very dynamic. They bring a great deal of life into the music. Listening to a Schumann piano quartet now and am just have been absorbed inthe music and classical is not my first choice. I find that it can be hard to get the delicacy and dynamics of chamber and full orchestra instrumentation but the Circle labs excel at providing a very satisfying musical experience. I really enjoy how they handle acoustic bass,providing a solid sound with the right amount of power and texture. I had a KR Audio Kronzilla amp for many years with a TRL Dude preamp and they sounded great. It is hard to compare because the amp stopped working (need to getting around to fixing it) and. I could only compare from memory but I.feel that the. Circle Labs are a significant improvement. They have more control over the low end and can pack a punch as well as a crystal clear high end and engaging mid range. I have made a number of improvements to my system since I got the separates (Mojo Audio Deja Vu server and EVO Pro DAC) and added a couple of Hijiri Nagomi power cords and an IC, a Network Acoustics ENO Ethernet filter and cable and I’m a happy camper! |
@ortodox Congrats on your new purchase of the A200 you’ll be very happy! I have had my Circle Labs M200/P300 separates for nearly a year and enjoy them more and more as time goes by. They work great extremely well with my Audiokinesis Jazz Modules, which have been wonderful speakers for the past 15 years. For the first time in many years I’ve been able to let myself go and be immersed in music instead of analyzing how it sounds. However, although I feel like I might be planning to cheat on a long faithful partner, in the past few months I have been talking to Colin King at Gestalt about some other speakers that might be able to take my system to the next level. I was able to visit Colin’s room at CAF last month and heard the Wolf Von Langa Son speakers. They sounded spectacular and even impressed Mikey the OCD Hi-Fi Guy as the most realistic sounding speakers. Colin says the WVL Son plays very well the Circle Labs amps. So I decided to put a deposit in a pair. We’ll see how they stack up compared to the Jazz Modules. But I have to say that the combination of the field coil woofer with the AMT tweeter is very special. |
@facten I believe Colin has ECC8100 backup tubes available and they are not very expensive. I read that the battery is CR2032 (Circle Labs A200 – HiFi Knights). Not sure how long it is supposed to last. |
@grannyring I am glad I got to see and hear them in person at CAF. I thought the finish was really beautiful and understated. I think Colin has a pair of walnut and a pair ash SONs coming next month. |
@grannyring I'm using yours! I think Colin might bring some speaker cables to try out when he is out to set up the speakers. Also possibly some power cords and interconnects. |
@grannyring Your speaker cables are excellent and I am using your interconnects as well. I’d like to hear the Hijiri speaker cables and maybe Tchernov cables. I have Hijiri Nagomi power cords on my amp and preamp and would like to get some for the Mojo EVO Pro DAC and Deja Vu server after I recover from the speaker purchase. @facten Colin told me that Absolute Sound was doing a review but I haven’t been able to find it. Is it online? If you have a link, please send.Thanks! |