Big congrats to you on the WVL Sons. I have heard them many times and think they are special speakers! What finish did you decide on?
The Circle Labs is indeed a wonderful match.
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
186 responses Add your response
@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. |
My previous integrated was a Sugden IA-4 and I've had the A200 for about 3 months.
Thank you for the kind words. Yes, the Mangers are somewhat rare, but I'm so glad I took the plunge. They were a recommendation from my dealer friend Tony @ Ellington Hifi. He is also the one who first told me about the A200. He is fantastic to work with and has a similar ear (to mine) for music. |
@sense63 Congrats and very cool speakers Mangers are rare on the ground. Please consider posting a system here so we can all ogle your gear. ;) |
Happy for you @sense63 ! Nice speakers also. How long have you had the A200 and what did you own before if I may ask?
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I am a very proud owner of a Circle Labs A200. To say it has helped transform my system would be an understatement. Everything that has already been said, I agree with. All I can say is that paired with my Manger Z1 speakers, I’ve never been happier. Music comes alive now and I find myself more engrossed in each song. It’s definitely a keeper. |
I had owned the Dali Epicon speakers for 5 years and we enjoyed them very much. I drove them with three different amplifiers. The Coda #8 which is a near 400 watt powerhouse, Clayton Audio S50 highly upgraded and the Circle Labs A200. I found the Dali speakers a pretty easy load in general. My room is very large 34x26 with 10 foot ceilings. Tbe A200 drove the Epicon 6s with absolute ease. Remember the A200 doubles to 200 watts of power into 4 ohms. Plenty of reserve headroom with the A200. The A200 was also the most enjoyable amp sonically. I wanted a larger speaker with more of the dynamics and purity of tone of the best horn designs. While the Dali speakers had great leading edge detail I was ready for more. The Fyne 704s were perfect and while the specs say they 96db efficient, I found they needed the power of the A200 to really get the most out of this speaker. |
Hi Bill, noticed you switched out your speakers from the Dalis to the Fynes. You went from a notoriously hungry loading speaker to an efficient speaker. Did you make this changed based on not getting enough out of them with the A200? What precipitated the change to such a different more efficient speaker? |
@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! |
@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! |
Thanks again..All good points, I appreciate all the positive feedback and honest opinion on CL. Hard to buy audio equipment these days since it's getting harder and harder to listen to things with traveling. I am actually only about 6 hours from Nashville I should take a trip. I trust the dealer I am dealing with, he's a very honest guy. I will running a set of Sabrina X with my next amp so I want to make sure it has the guts to push those since they holiday in the 2 ohm range at times. The current amp I own is wonderful (Sugden IA4) but just doesn't have the damping factor to run those speakers with ease. The thing I am struggling with right now is whether to get the CL separates or Int. Obviously a difference in price and adds some expense with cables so I have to spend some time thinking on it. I like that you can monoblock the stereo amp later, thats hugely attractive to me. But i do love Integrated amps! |
You're welcome! With a challenging load, I would be a bit concerned about fan noise. As you know, passive cooling simply means heat sinks, and that's a good segue to the A200. The casework is among the best that I've come across, and the heat sinks are exceptionally well designed and executed. No sharp edges, and they invite touching, especially if one's hands happen to be cold! It's a very attractive, and impressively built amplifier. In terms of sound, I did have a few weeks to compare it to the Gato with my previous Harbeth 30.1, and yes, I preferred the A200. I was not in a position to A/B them, but am inclined to say that the A200 brings out a bit more subtle detail, and also has a slight edge in tone and timbre. Whether those impressions are related to the tubes in the pre-amp, or the overall topology, I cannot say. Another complicating variable for me is that I have recently upgraded speaker cables as well. I had been using a fairly early generation of Audience cables for many years, and was very satisfied, but given the other recent upgrades, I wanted to try something different. I ended up with Inakustik LS-2404 AIR cables, and a matching set of XLRs. The improvement was, I would say, palpable, and it exceeded my expectations. I do not expect to have an urge to change again for many years to come. The A200, along with the FinkTeam KIM speakers and the new cables, sounds exceptionally good. And it is certain to improve, at least in terms of soundstage and bass, after I move into the more sympathetic space. |
@whipsaw Thank you!
I didn't know it had a fan either, I am not a fan of fans in equipment either. 😃 I've looked at the inside at pictures online too and can't see it anywhere so thanks for pointing this out. That is concerning for me since I am going to be driving Wilsons which are a more challenging load on some amps. Damping factor on the Gato is through the roof though, 800. A200 is 500. Both are more than enough for a speaker like mine. Will be interested in your more detailed review when you get to it. Overall at a high level are you enjoying the A200 more than the 150 so far? |
The GATO AMP-150 was one of two favorite SS amps that I have owned, and that includes more than a few over ~40 years. The other was a 1st generation Jeff Rowland Concentra. But over the years I have also owned a Pass, Bryston, and others. The aesthetic design of the AMP-150 is not to everyone's taste, but it produces very fine, natural sound, and produces plenty of power. One disappointment that I had with it was that it incorporates an active cooling fan, something that wasn't mentioned in the reviews that I read while researching the purchase. To be fair, it is rarely activated, but I much prefer a passive cooling design. The A200 I have been very happy with thus far. I am planning to do a review at some point, but have been delaying it for a couple of reasons. First, my current listening space is very poor, and the one in my new (old) house, which is in the final stages of renovation, will allow all of my components to show their full potential. The second reason is that I have recently upgraded my speakers, which will complicate any possible comparisons. If you have any specific questions, I would be happy to answer them as best as I can. Cheers |
good thread, great review @grannyring
How are those who bought new A200s liking them? Would love to hear a report back to this thread.
@whipsaw you ended up with the A200 and the Amp 150 Gato is also one I am considering. How has your time with the A 200 been thus far? |
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 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. |
Oh my you have gone all out on those cables! I bet your system sounds so wonderful. Congrats! Your Circle Labs separates are very special indeed. I love the Horning Aristotle speakers as I have listened to them several times at Colin’s place. They are so dynamic and effortless sounding. Very fast and musical at the same time. Yes, I think about those Horning speakers too much 🙂.
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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! |
I'm enjoying mine as well, and @grannyring is partly responsible for my having taken the leap. As I recently upgraded my speakers to a pair of (German) FinkTeam KIM, the A200 is further revealing its potential. A terrific integrated amp, and still largely under the radar! |
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And yet another new review... https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2022/02/04/circle-labs-a200-integrated-amplifier-review/ A bit too much about the aesthetics, IMO, but joins the others in terms of it being overwhelmingly positive. |
@whipsaw Yes, the Riviera Levante is special. Unsurprisingly for a Tone Imports product, it sings in a pure and human tone. I haven't heard Circle Labs, but it's nice to see other designers with similar sonic goals (real-life listening pleasure > traditional lab measurements). |
Like any good (sick?) audiophile, I like to peruse reviews of components even if I am not in the market for them. Somewhat like men having their heads turned on the street, even if they are very happy with their partners. So today, I stumbled across this review of the Riviera Levante hybrid integrated: and couldn’t help but notice some striking similarities between its topology, and that of the A200. There are differences, for sure, not least of which are the option to run the Levante in pure Class A, and a built-in headphone amp. But looking at the internals, and reading about the designer’s approach, there are both interesting and obvious parallels, including the use of very similar tubes. Those interested can read about the designer’s thoughts on the topology employed here: It would certainly be interesting to compare the two amps, though keep in mind that the Levant is roughly three times the price here in Europe! |
re: ^^ I did an image search for Audiomat amps, and the (aesthetic) similarities are very superficial. The A200 is far more elegant, and the detail are finer, and more impressive. Having said that, virtually all industrial designs are derivative to some extent. The A200 remote is very similar to the remote that came with the Jeff Rowland Concentra, though cased in aluminum, rather than plastic. |
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Thanks @facten Yes, I should probably clarify that statement. I was really referring to designing gear. I am good with a soldering iron, understanding parts and how they sound, and know how to build very good sounding cables for reasonable money. However, I am not a designer! The preamps I have built from scratch used a 6sn7 circuit I learned from a talented designer with my separate learnings on how to built robust power supplies. Fun for me. I like upgrading gear with parts I know will deliver the sound one is looking for. Kind of like tube and fuse rolling…kind of 😊. |
Lol.Never know about these things especially if one is an impulse shopper like me. Have an Ayon Audio integrated as well in my 2nd system. BTW - " I am a DIY novice at best" - I think from my personal experience with the double helix cables you made me, and reading your posts about your preamp build, upgrading your Mojo , mods that you’ve done to Orchid DACs for other , advice you give folks on mod questions, etc. that you are being unnecessarily modest😐
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Thanks for the responses - @whipsaw @grannyring @gestalt . I am hands on familiar with biasing power tubes in 2 of my 3 integrated amps, frankly never thought about if or how preamp tubes were/are biased in those 3 amps or a tube preamp I have. Been more focused on tube rolling to tweak to the sound I want. Appreciate it! |
Colin answered your questions and I will only add this. All tubes, both preamp and power tubes, must be biased. If they are not, then they will burn up! The method used by Circle Labs is quite ingenious. Being a geeky tweaker I have done a little fooling around with gear. I am a DIY novice at best! The battery is used to supply the needed voltage to the grid of the tube to maintain proper bias. The bias is fixed in that you don’t have to adjust or mess with it in any way. The battery is only supplying low, low voltage and no current so it will last years. This ingenious circuit helps keep parts count to a minimum. This is a very good thing as it helps simplify the circuit, reduce parts count and maintains a short signal path. All this equals better sound when executed well as Circle Labs has done. As Colin stated, you don’t often see this method of biasing.
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@facten hi!
In my experience, no, this is fairly unique and one contributor to what makes the A200 sound like it does.
I’m not an amplifier designer and can’t speak to the precise "why". All I can offer is the amp sounds good, so I think the "why" worked.
The batteries and the ECC8100 triodes both are rated for 10,000 hours and should be swapped at the same time. The CR2032 battery is one of the most common coin cell batteries in the world and can be found at e.g. your local grocery store. They’re mounted in easy access/pop-out-with-fingers terminals on the same board as the vacuum tubes and the whole process can be completed in about 5 minutes at low cost. |
@facten Colin can answer your other questions specifically, but the (two) linestage tubes and associated batteries need only be changed once every several years. The tubes have a ~10,000 hour life expectancy, and the batteries should be replaced at the same time. |
@gestalt - I've never had a hybrid integrated amp , the review notes the following "The bias for the tubes is provided by CR2032 batteries." Is it typical of hybrid amps to have the preamp tubes biased; and if so, biased in this manner? Is there an advantage to the method employed in this amp? How often do the batteries need changing, and is there ease of access to them? Thanks, just trying to understand
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