Thanks. It is a very trivial matter. Dim is just right ! A lot of thought went into this amps design.
Kinki Studio EX-M1
I’ve always wanted something simple and not a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to my stereo. KISS (keep it simple, stupid) is something I use in my approach to most things in life. Why overcomplicate? The Kinki EX-M1 is just an integrated, and that’s not meant as a pejorative. There’s no DAC or streaming capabilities, or room correction algorithms built in, and it won’t fold you laundry. There are 4 inputs out back, three unbalanced (RCA) and one balanced (XLR) which I’ve read is a simple and not a true balanced. Either way, it adds another type of input which can come in handy. The binding post are copies of WBT versions and are a joy to work with.
It has a frequency response of 10-150kHz (+/- 3db) and outputs 215W into 8ohms. It retails for approx. $2,200. Here is a link to more specs:
https://www.vinshineaudio.com/product-page/kinki-studio-ex-m1
Because of it’s silvery finish it has an imposing appearance but compared to my black Marantz PM-15S2b, it’s about the same size. Personally, I love the look. When they say it’s built like a vault, this is the vault they refer to. The weight is imposing as well (55.12 lbs.) so take care when maneuvering it. You can turn it on with the remote or by pressing in the selector knob on the left. Turning it off is done by pressing and holding the same knob for 5 seconds, or by remote. The default volume setting when turned on is set at 10 so make sure to turn it down to 0 before playing anything unless your speakers are of low sensitivity. A well made manual is supplied but alas, it’s only in Chinese, but Alvin told me they’re making one in English.
Having 255 steps of attenuation gives one extraordinary range to get to exactly where you like to listen. You can go up 10 to 15 steps and not notice much of a change, at first, until something dynamic asserts itself or when you realize that in general, it’s now more impactful. Using the remote allows you to quickly go through the steps and adjust on the fly. I find this most handy and now use it to tailor the song or piece of music to my tastes.
As an integrated, it simply excels in it’s purpose. As verbose as I can tend to be, it leaves me speechless in describing it. It does nothing to detract. It does everything to commend. It’s incredibly fast and yet so utterly smooth. Musical presence is immediate but not etched, hyped or shrill. It’s light on it’s feet but can pounce and stomp when called for.
Liu, the amp’s designer, does not believe in exaggerated base and yet this amp goes lower, tighter and simply growls tone, details and ambience that I haven’t heard before. Lower registers of the piano left me slack jawed as I basked in the reverberations of the soundboard. The same goes for cello, guitar, percussion and massed strings. Imaging is the best I’ve heard in my system. Nothing wavers (unless done in post production) and separation is tops. With The Milk Carton Kids, the two of them finally are completely separated and at a greater distance apart than what I’ve been used to or thought they’d be. Small chamber music pieces have me scanning the soundstage as different pieces play distinctly in their own space. Back up vocals are distinct as well with no smearing. They may harmonize but they are clearly different.
Highs are fully extended, again, beyond what I’m accustomed to hearing. They can go on well into a piece and you can hear the decay even when some bigger play takes center stage. Bells and chimes can tickle like the real thing. And speaking of stage, it’s of one piece, the same no matter where you care to go. All the way left, right, up or down, even as far back as you care to look. The strength of the music lies everywhere you care to listen. The only limits are what was done in the recording.
It has no noise floor that I can detect. On Abdullah Ibrahim’s The Song Is My Story, he’s not up on stage, as usual, but I’m sitting next to him while he plays (I listen in the near field so that helps). The piano is the full width of the soundstage, steady as a rock, and the notes flow out around, up, and beneath me (great mike placement). Notes can and do come out of a completely black background unless the recording is done with less tricks and then you easily hear the venue, the room, the stage, the setting. And, I never thought I’d say this but FM now sounds pretty fantastic, considering it’s limits.
The sound is so pure that it’s reoriented the way I listen to music. I no longer listen analytically but for the sheer pleasure. It’s so rewarding and relaxing. Listening to favorites, I’ve noticed that some sound different enough for me to notice that there was some exaggeration or emphasis of certain parts of the frequency with my older set up. Whether it was the house sound that some say certain brands have or just the limits of the design I can’t rightly say. Maybe it’s all the extra circuitry added to accommodate all the extra features I have no use for. No matter. I’m content. Happy as a puppy with two pee pees.
Also, I have to give thanks to Alvin for his great customer service. He’s the most attentive distributor I’ve dealt with. His response to any question I had were immediate and thorough, as long as one is mindful of the time differences (just check your clock on your smartphone to coordinate appropriate time zones). 👍 He even followed up with shipping notices, delivery times, and any question I had with the unit’s operation or features, which reminds me, since it draws about 30-40 watts when on, make sure to leave it in standby when not is use. It can get very warm to kind of hot, but not hot enough for me to lay my hand on it for any length of time. If I had more space it wouldn’t be a concern (it cools off quickly). That leads me to believe that maybe since my JBL 4319 monitors are 92db, and that it doesn’t take much to make them sing, that the EX-M1, which is a Class A/B design, operates in Class A for the first several watts, which could account for the warmth of the unit along with the wonderful tonal density and texture. Someone with more know how can look into that.
All in all, it’s the best money I’ve spent and now I have no desire to upgrade to some PC based system. My CDs and SACDs sound fantastic, even the old ones along with the reissues. To think you’re getting a real taste of what the well heeled have been enjoying for a fraction of the price makes this a true bargain if there ever was one. Let me also add that I received no consideration from the manufacturer or distributor and these are my views and opinions.
All the best,
Nonoise
It has a frequency response of 10-150kHz (+/- 3db) and outputs 215W into 8ohms. It retails for approx. $2,200. Here is a link to more specs:
https://www.vinshineaudio.com/product-page/kinki-studio-ex-m1
Because of it’s silvery finish it has an imposing appearance but compared to my black Marantz PM-15S2b, it’s about the same size. Personally, I love the look. When they say it’s built like a vault, this is the vault they refer to. The weight is imposing as well (55.12 lbs.) so take care when maneuvering it. You can turn it on with the remote or by pressing in the selector knob on the left. Turning it off is done by pressing and holding the same knob for 5 seconds, or by remote. The default volume setting when turned on is set at 10 so make sure to turn it down to 0 before playing anything unless your speakers are of low sensitivity. A well made manual is supplied but alas, it’s only in Chinese, but Alvin told me they’re making one in English.
Having 255 steps of attenuation gives one extraordinary range to get to exactly where you like to listen. You can go up 10 to 15 steps and not notice much of a change, at first, until something dynamic asserts itself or when you realize that in general, it’s now more impactful. Using the remote allows you to quickly go through the steps and adjust on the fly. I find this most handy and now use it to tailor the song or piece of music to my tastes.
As an integrated, it simply excels in it’s purpose. As verbose as I can tend to be, it leaves me speechless in describing it. It does nothing to detract. It does everything to commend. It’s incredibly fast and yet so utterly smooth. Musical presence is immediate but not etched, hyped or shrill. It’s light on it’s feet but can pounce and stomp when called for.
Liu, the amp’s designer, does not believe in exaggerated base and yet this amp goes lower, tighter and simply growls tone, details and ambience that I haven’t heard before. Lower registers of the piano left me slack jawed as I basked in the reverberations of the soundboard. The same goes for cello, guitar, percussion and massed strings. Imaging is the best I’ve heard in my system. Nothing wavers (unless done in post production) and separation is tops. With The Milk Carton Kids, the two of them finally are completely separated and at a greater distance apart than what I’ve been used to or thought they’d be. Small chamber music pieces have me scanning the soundstage as different pieces play distinctly in their own space. Back up vocals are distinct as well with no smearing. They may harmonize but they are clearly different.
Highs are fully extended, again, beyond what I’m accustomed to hearing. They can go on well into a piece and you can hear the decay even when some bigger play takes center stage. Bells and chimes can tickle like the real thing. And speaking of stage, it’s of one piece, the same no matter where you care to go. All the way left, right, up or down, even as far back as you care to look. The strength of the music lies everywhere you care to listen. The only limits are what was done in the recording.
It has no noise floor that I can detect. On Abdullah Ibrahim’s The Song Is My Story, he’s not up on stage, as usual, but I’m sitting next to him while he plays (I listen in the near field so that helps). The piano is the full width of the soundstage, steady as a rock, and the notes flow out around, up, and beneath me (great mike placement). Notes can and do come out of a completely black background unless the recording is done with less tricks and then you easily hear the venue, the room, the stage, the setting. And, I never thought I’d say this but FM now sounds pretty fantastic, considering it’s limits.
The sound is so pure that it’s reoriented the way I listen to music. I no longer listen analytically but for the sheer pleasure. It’s so rewarding and relaxing. Listening to favorites, I’ve noticed that some sound different enough for me to notice that there was some exaggeration or emphasis of certain parts of the frequency with my older set up. Whether it was the house sound that some say certain brands have or just the limits of the design I can’t rightly say. Maybe it’s all the extra circuitry added to accommodate all the extra features I have no use for. No matter. I’m content. Happy as a puppy with two pee pees.
Also, I have to give thanks to Alvin for his great customer service. He’s the most attentive distributor I’ve dealt with. His response to any question I had were immediate and thorough, as long as one is mindful of the time differences (just check your clock on your smartphone to coordinate appropriate time zones). 👍 He even followed up with shipping notices, delivery times, and any question I had with the unit’s operation or features, which reminds me, since it draws about 30-40 watts when on, make sure to leave it in standby when not is use. It can get very warm to kind of hot, but not hot enough for me to lay my hand on it for any length of time. If I had more space it wouldn’t be a concern (it cools off quickly). That leads me to believe that maybe since my JBL 4319 monitors are 92db, and that it doesn’t take much to make them sing, that the EX-M1, which is a Class A/B design, operates in Class A for the first several watts, which could account for the warmth of the unit along with the wonderful tonal density and texture. Someone with more know how can look into that.
All in all, it’s the best money I’ve spent and now I have no desire to upgrade to some PC based system. My CDs and SACDs sound fantastic, even the old ones along with the reissues. To think you’re getting a real taste of what the well heeled have been enjoying for a fraction of the price makes this a true bargain if there ever was one. Let me also add that I received no consideration from the manufacturer or distributor and these are my views and opinions.
All the best,
Nonoise
558 responses Add your response
Day two is progressing. My Rotel 1590 combo is fully broken in, but I don’t think the Kinki is, so weigh this with my comments. The Rotel seems warmer, or more musical, but the EX has far more detail. The rotel seems denser or more full, but the Kinki produces a quasi 3d soundstage. The Kinki produces bass that is fully controlled and fast, though the Rotel isn’t far behind. The Kinki is clearly superior in every way at low volume settings. Go figure. If this thing improves markedly, it will easily overtake the Rotel combo in every way, and mind you, the RB 1590 is a high current amp, rated at no less than 350 Watts per channel into 8 ohms. Ive rearranged my speakers to compensate for the lack of a balance control. My preliminary conclusion is that $2300 for this amp is a joke, but I don’t agree with the Six Moons dude that it is a “universal” amp since some, but not me, must have all the controls and then some. |
Yes, same crap, with the same vocals. So, from McIntosh, to Rotel, to Kinki, and all new interconnects and cables from Cardas and Transparent. I’m truly disgusted. I’ve got to get my arthritic ass in my car and travel 30 miles to hear some Vandersteens. These things are out of here as soon as I can find a buyer, and if I can’t, I’m hiring two guys to take them to goodwill. They sound great until that crap manifests, and then it is horrible. |
Oh, no way in Hell it is a sympathetic vibration. If you use one channel, the sound comes right out the speaker, not somewhere in the room. Using both channels, it is a lovely stereo ripping sound. I have not changed my opinions and KEF hasn’t, either, though we resolved our differences and I agreed to move on. The whole DIY thing left a really bad taste in my mouth, too. |
Hey everyone. I figured out why my soundstage was creeping over to the right. It was not that CD from Japan after all. All of my music was starting that rightward march bit by bit and it was driving me crazy. It turns out that every time I pulled that heavy maple media stand out to get at the cabling (think pivot), when I put it back I neglected to notice that it was now an inch or so to the left. Having that big, reflective OLED TV in the middle acted in a negative way as never before. In total, with all the pivots, it was about half a foot to the left of where it should have been and that was all it took to throw off the soundstage. With my Marantz, it was never that critical but with the Kinki, it needs to be right. Another face palm moment brought to you by the exacting nature of he Kinki EX-M1. On a positive note, there is now a maturing of the sound to compliment the other positive aspects (sound staging, separation, detail, etc.) It's like it's going through puberty into adolescence. Fulsome and robust, even with the small stuff. There's an ease to the gait of the music that's now almost animal like (natural and unforced). I like. 👍 All the best, Nonoise |
I think he's using the teo audio liquid metal conductor interconnect cables. I'm still breaking in the kinki with my bluejeanscable lc-1 cables, later I'll try my kabusa spiral air litz conductor cables between my dac and amp. 2 minutes 30 seconds into the pink panther theme, the amp startled me with dynamics https://open.spotify.com/track/0juPSJLFnLFim7BK6VzTes?si=Rk6KUh9EQdCFIA8QT8avog |
Everything is system dependent. One change can alter the balance. I still have my old Clearwave Duet 6 monitors that sounded fine with my old Marantz. They were similar in sound to my JBLs but at a smaller scale. With the Kinki, it's not the best match. That high damping factor doesn't pair well with the ceramic drivers so it doesn't sound as good as it used to. Maybe it's not the Kinki's damping factor or the ceramic drivers that's at fault for the mismatch but something's amiss with the pairing. It could very well be the speaker cables. It might take copper cabling to do the trick. I noticed just how revealing the Kinki can be with cabling when I broke one of the connectors internal joints of my Darwin ICs while swapping them out. It was an Ascension line so I went with one of their basic line ICs that I use for the tuner and the sound went a little flatter, darker, and less revealing of all the things I like with the Ascensions. The effect was immediate and obvious to the point where it's not all that engaging anymore. I'm spoiled, I'll admit it. Happily, Darwin will fix it for free so I mailed them out and should get them back in a week or so. On the upside, while I was talking to Tony Bender, of Darwin Cables, I noticed on their site that there's a Specials Section and their top of the line Truth II RCAs had a B-stock version at such a discount that I couldn't resist so now I"m preparing myself for better things. 👍 It's quite the rabbit hole, isn't it? All the best, Nonoise |
I have the Teo cables running from my phono pre into the Kinki. No synergy whatsoever. The Kinki is otherwise becoming quite fluid after about 40 hours of run time and seems to like copper wiring in my system. My ZU’s are likely a big part in my bias towards silver. Drove the amp pretty hard with some daft Punk last night which it wasn’t ready for. The bass is already pretty impressive but synth got somewhat harsh and smeared. Still early in the game. By the way not noticing it get hot or even really warm. If my speakers are 100db as advertised this thing can’t be leaving Class A much for most of my listening. Considering I have it running 10 hrs a day pretty impressive heat management I think. |
My understanding is the amp is class AB but runs in Class A for the first few watts. It is my understanding there is more heat running class A. My speakers being 100 dB the amp will only need a few watts to operate thus it should be running class A and giving off quite a bit of heat. Others have noticed it runs hot which I haven’t noticed. I am an old guy too, I hope my understanding of this is correct. As far as the rest Teo runs a slurry rather than wire and daft Punk is a band that mixes electronica, techno, dance etc. I love this amp by the way. |
Mine has been running continuously now for well over 200 hours and tonight I ran it fairly hard for over an hour with my Verity Otello's which are spec'd at 93 db but in reality are probably below 90 db. I measured the top of the case in six different places and never got a measurement over 95 degrees which is the same as multiple Class D amps I have measured. By comparison the PS Audio BHK 250 measured 118 degrees under the same conditions consistently. If your Kinki is running hot the problem is probably elsewhere. On another note it seems that the Kinki is being used with a wide range of speakers so can we all list the speakers we are using to give our evaluations so that prospective buyers have some guidance? During the initial break-in of 24/7 I ran mine through Reynaud Twin Signature's and now in the main system Verity Otello's. Finally just like he did with the Job 225 and the Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE Srajen nailed this one too. |
Nice speakers maritime. I have the poor man's r900 in my home theatre, the q900. My main setup is actually my computer desk because that's where I listen to music. The kinki actually does get pretty hot for me.. and I listen very close to the speakers.. it takes awhile to get hot tho. 86db 8ohms nominal bookshelf speakers |
Coldears 9-2-2018An amp operating in class A will usually generate considerably more heat than an amp operating in some other class **if the two amps have comparable maximum power capability.** And everything else being equal (including class of operation), more maximum power capability means more AC power consumption and hence more heat being generated. So an amp that runs class A for the first few watts, and is only asked to operate within those first few watts, will not necessarily generate a lot of heat. Regards, -- Al |
My EX-M1 is driving Bryston Mini-T's: 4 ohm, 86db These speakers have 8-inch drivers in them. Kinki can really move them, but with a tight grip. Loving it so far. I have about 40 hours on the Kinki. Volume level is around 70db. Kinki is cold as ice. |
Well i just caught up on comments i think. I was the one who actually started this thread after reading up on the EX M1. I do not see any negative comments as yet so i am still leaning towards acquiring one sometime soon. Integrated is the best avenue for me especially since i just purchased a Prism Sound Callia 7-31-18 so it is not yet fully broke in. It just makes sense due to the fact the EX M1 does not have a DAC. That said, I first have to sell my Schiit Vidar. Anyone interested? Purchased it earlier this year so it is just now getting broke in.. PS just sold my Martin Logan 15's and brought home the ELAC Debut 6.2's. I know, I know, the ML's were sweet and bettered the ELAC'at lower volumes, they had more detail and warmth. However, the ELAC's easily have a stronger soundstage and base and surpass the ML's in imaging, I can't overstate this point. Also, the ELAC'S sounded superior with more volume without straining. This is where the ML's struggled.. Anyway, i want to thank the stranger who made note of listening to the Pink Panther theme, it was awesome on this system, (only a desktop). |
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Sorry to hear that d2girls. I hope the Pass gives you lots of listening pleasure. Like you, I felt the 215W of the Kinki would be overkill with my JBL 4319s as they are 92db efficient but the pairing far exceeds any question about all those watts just idling by. Maybe someday Kinki will make a lower powered integrated for even less money and then you can enjoy what it has to offer. It's really sublime. All the best, Nonoise |
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@d2girls I ran the Harbeth with all but the SETs. With the SET amps (< than 2 Watts from the 45s), I used a pair of Vaughn Triodes, they were 97 dB efficient and had integrated amplified subs. The best matches for the Harbeth in my system were the Air Tight and the LFD. Considering the used price of each, for me they were a super bargain. |
I haven’t had a lot of luck with the TEO cables in my system. Worked reasonably well with my 300b but really no screaming hell especially considering the money asked. I wouldn’t try another pair. I am playing the Kinki with Zu speakers which are efficient but definitely a polarizing speaker in the Audio world. The Kinki really gets these speakers punching harder than anything I have had tubed. Allnic, Quicksilver, Unison. It brings out better detail but at about 60 hours break in I am missing some of that sweetness and colour brought to the table by tubes. I hope the Kinki develops further into this direction ( not so much the distortion but a little more sweetness) or I will have to agree it’s a nice amplifier in build, sound, value but the giants can sleep in peace. From what I am reading the best is yet to come so take it for what it’s worth. |
@coldears, I can't say you'll ever arrive at a tube like sound but in my experience the sound does mature and takes on some gravitas to add to the slight warmth that it already has. I personally use Darwin ICs (Ascension and very soon, Truth II) that despite the bad rap of poorly implemented silver ICs, conveys a tremendous amount of texture, depth, tone and extension in both directions. Stir in the added layering and detail and it goes a long way to what is a satisfyingly realistic depiction. My speakers aren't as efficient as yours, being only 92db, but with the JBL's 12" pulp paper woofer, a surfeit of natural tone is produced and with the Al/Mag mid and tweeter, everything above the base simply shines and doesn't grate. Decay and ambience can give one pause. Yes, it was engaging and somewhat forward compared to my Marantz, but after a while, it relaxes and fills out but never loses it's ability to resolve while carrying the extra weight it accrues as it matures. I hope your experience will mirror mine. All the best, Nonoise |
if you like a tube sound buy tubes don't buy solid state and look for it to sound like tubes or buy a tube amp and expect it to sound like solid state. there are some amps on both sides that start to approach the sound of the other, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of buying vanilla or chocolate? besides I have tubes everywhere, cdp, dac, preamp and the kinki does bring the solid state advantage of better bass to the table. |
Yes, agreed. Mass strings are something to behold with the Kinki, or any amp designed like it. To get more than a taste of the high end (a term so often overused) at it's asking price is a no brainer. When played, you can hear and appreciate the width and depth of the string section and the nuances and techniques employed. On Rachel Podger and the Brecon Baroque's Vivaldi's Le Quattro Stagioni, on Winter, Allegro, at the end of the assault the player on the right sounds like they busted a string with that last drawing of the bow. Either that, or they strike the body of the instrument. It's there every time and clear as a bell. It's that added realism that draws me in. And yes, if you want that tube sound, go with tubes. 😄 All the best, Nonoise |
Come on.....everyone should have tubes. Lol. Just looking for some of that voodoo magic that some tubes bring to the table. My wife likes my 300b so we did some side by side comparisons. My version of blind as she didn’t see me change things over. Once volume matched she heard it was different but nevertheless liked the Kinki more than she thought. I agree if you want tubes then go that way but if solid state is your bag then the Kinki may bridge that gap between solid state and the more modern sounding 300b. The western electric sound well that’s another brew all together. I like what I am hearing from the Kinki. For the price of admission I am happy as pie. My 300b was 4 times the price. Just hoping for a little more liquid with break in. I also tried an isolation platform under the Kinki for a few days. It really brought more focus and tightened things up. First time I had experienced such an obvious change but I didn’t really dig it as the presentation was more forward. This amp really does respond to cable changes and isolation more than I have experienced in the past. |
Aren’t you in your late sixties? 😊 Couldn’t resist passing that up. In jest Maritime, in jest. Seriously though, tubed gear has a revered place for many members here in the forum and the Kinki Integrated may benefit from a tubed DAC ahead of it, depending on systems and listener preferences. Probably best to keep the options open.... It’s been terrific hearing everyone’s take on how the EX-M1 is working out for them. |
