New amp being touted as among the best ever......

I looks like my bathroom scale.

it sure does

That's what the reviewer in Hi-Fi News said as well.

I actually like the look but it is the sound that intrigues me.

no, I keep my McIntosh....

I keep my Sunfire SRA.

I guess it is better than looking like a toaster over.

No I keep my bathroom scale. :>) Wonder how they get the parts in it? Looks rather thin?

Has anyone looked up the patent application (try the EPO) to see if there is anything to it? Perhaps next we will see a hybrid of classes A and T power amplification systems or perhaps AB and T over ICE.

Perhaps the cost is a function of their office being located on Place Vendôme in Paris. Kind of expensive real estate for an audio company, no? There may be higher rent areas of Paris, but not many.

It can be wall mounted. Smart, as this will keep guest from standing on it. It would be wise not to use this in your bathroom system.

Anyone hear it and how much $$$?

Audiogon at its best :-)

5 comments on its looks and a question that was answered in the OP.

Another company claims their latest product is . Why would anyone take this marketing crap seriously without hearing it?

Since when in the world of art, was the term "best" ever valid? Seems to me this very word should be banished from our music listening and equipment hobby simply because there is no quantitative dimension that can be used to determine it.

Stevecham, nor any agreement even using just listening tests.

Well the media can deal in hyperbole from time to time. The Hi-fi press have their faults though usually in the detail of the review you can filter out the true value of what the reviewer thought-often it is a case of positive spin-trying to put the product's positives in context but usually you get a feeling of its worth.

This was a review by a respected journalist who tends not to deal in hyperbole and he was stating it was an exceptional and exciting product.

I thought I'd share and I'm not surprised at the replies many of which missed the point-it was to make you in the States aware of a product that has only been reviewed in the UK. I wasn't stating it was true what was said in the review but as I say I thought this looked interesting for people interested in the hobby.

Imagine the term "best" being up for debate, wow. I think a reviewer can state in his own opinion probably having heard the best equipment available where it stands in the grand scheme of things.

Now what we all think when we hear it is what is key..... but nevermind it looks like a set of bathroom scales.
:-)

Ben, I took what you said as a heads up, but it does look like a bathroom scale. If I get a chance I will give it a listen. What do you mean that it excels with servers?

Ben, no offense but its unlikely that your reviewer has heard all of what might be termed the very best. For example, I know he's not heard one of these:

http://www.atma-sphere.com/products/ma3.html

I don't have the full review handy.

Doubtless it will be reviewed in the States so until then I wish you all all the best with your aesthetically beautiful looking amps and speakers..........

:-)

Ben,

the review is posted on the absolutesounds dot com site. My curiosity was also piqued reading the review, and I would also like to hear this amplifier.

Paul Miller is not given to hyperbole, but we will find out over time if this becomes a classic or another has been.

Thanks

Completely lost interest once I saw Class D. IMO Class D is for tight budgets, Home Theater and car audio (no I haven't heard them all, but so far none have come close to the emotional level of my Scott 222D (that's a "D" I can live with!)

Class D is for tight budgets-fantastic.

Two points it is not a Class D amp.

Second point is this amp costs 10x what yours did-Audiogon I love it.

Maybe it's a class ADHD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Tvad can we call it a Class A amp then?

It is a hybrid, end of story and a new design hence the patent.

What about the budget aspect?
:-)

Please don't back losers just to be argumentative.
:-)

Gentlemen,

Here is a link to their USA patent:

uspto.gov

The HFNRR review can be downloaded as a pdf here:

absolutesounds.com

Page 3 of the review has a box describing in very general terms how it operates. The patent includes considerable additional detail.

The patent describes the topology as being "Class AD." Since the great majority of the power to the load is supplied by the Class D section, I certainly don't think it would be correct to refer to it as being Class A in any sense other than the fact that the output voltage is controlled by a Class A circuit element (notwithstanding the fact that the Class A circuit element is connected directly to the output).

Perhaps all that can be said, IF Class AD is not a generally recognized term at this point (and I don't know whether it should be considered as such or not), is that it uses an output topology that encompasses both Class A and Class D circuit elements, that work in conjunction with one another.

Regards,
-- Al

See if people just read, you know take their time and read or take the effort to actually understand what this was supposed to be about then we'd all be better off.

I don't cynicism, I don't mind doubt but actually dealing with the review and the details on the website would be the basis for saying-I don't fancy this because of a, b or c.

Instead we got bathroom scales and a cheap Class D or was it Class A debate.

Cheers
:-)

I think this reviewer should be shot- we have all heard this type of thing before and for anyone who has been in this hobby for a decade or more this is getting old!

However- I do feel like the technology here is interesting, at the moment. At the same time- digital changes too quickly and is too imbedded into this unit for it to be a sound investment. Ill buy this on ebay in 2018 for $900 and check it out when everyone else is listening to 32 bit or whatever material. This is not going to be like a Mac mc60 monoblock in 40 years. It will be worthless.

The other thing that I scratching my head over is how the reviewer listened to a DVD-A at 24/192 through a digital input. Did I miss something or did I read that wrong?

That is the coolest remote I have ever saw! I would like to hear it given the chance

Tvad-there was no on-line link when I posted this....still I gave you a link and you couldn't even find the back of the amp.
:-)
Big hug back.

Tvad Almarg posted that link.....you are struggling to keep up aren't you?

Hope you are feeling better soon.............

Now it wouldn't have been a wasteland-more a landscape of bathroom scales......................

As pointed out already the link didn't exist when I posted though to be frank I doubt that would have helped the standard of reply.

Let's see what others say when the amps reviewed maybe he reviewers will have more open minds eh?

I read the review as a technical endorsement of a new technology and more importantly, a rave review of high-resolution discs / files. The reviewer states that the amp's sonic performance is nothing to write home about when playing regular PCM CDs, which unfortunately rules it out for me.

Casouza where does the reviewer say that? I think he was suggesting you don't get the best if you use the analogue inputs-I think he says it sounds very good with CD/PCM-it is there in the review.

I heard this at the weekend and thought it was an extremely good amplifier - close to remarkable. I was auditioning it with Magico V3 and was very impressed and moved by the music.

I hope to hear it at the RMAF or CES.

Ben Campbell:
the references to Blu-ray, DVD-Audio and 24 bit sources are all over the review. EVERY test track listed is a high resolution file. The reviewer summarizes this again in the "Verdict" box.
I have a feeling that the amount of time spent listening to high-resolution files "skewed" the review.
This review could easily be re-written as a rave review of the Linn DS high resolution source, because in a system context no one in his right mind can differentiate the source's and the amp's contribution to the overall sound quality.
In order to know for certain that the amp is REALLY that good, the reviewer should have auditioned alternative/benchmark sources and amps.

Audiogon's highly rated hi-fi magazine Hi-Fi+ has just made the amp one of its products of the year.....describing it as one of the best amps available....

Ben_campbell, it sure has had no visibility in the US. Maybe it will be at CES or THE Show.

Casouza, I noticed that also and think there is some reason, it has so little visibility in the US. I have heard some rumbling that when compared with other amps with standard software, it proves unexceptional. I withhold judgment until I hear it.

Don't know about the amp, but you gotta love the barely intelligable "spokes-chick" in the video.

It has a forward looking, unique design and is expensive.

It probably sounds very good also but I have not read anything yet that makes me believe it outperforms the competition on sound quality alone.

Also not sure about the value proposition.

It should appeal to those with the bucks that want something that performs well and is a little different.

I do not seeany details about the class A/D design and how that works, so I am suspicious, but I suspect it should appeal to Class A fans that are otherwise shy about anything with the word "digital" or "switching" in its design even if it turns out to be more about semantics than actual technical innovation.

Wait a few years and there will be more smaller gadgets to choose from with equally good sound and modern features for considerably less I will wager.

Maybe I do not remember correctly however, I seem to recall that this amp converts to digital what comes in the analogue inputs. That seems to be very strange. Can anyone explain why this is done?

Esmith,

I think it is a true digital amp meaning that a digital rather than analog signal is processed internally by the amp section to then drive the speakers.

For that to happen, any analog signals input must first be converted to digital internally.

The combo of being a true digital amp with using a hybrid Class A and Class D amp section where the Class A apparently drives the high frequencies would seem to be a very innovative approach that I would like to hear. A sophisticated digital filtering and analog cross over circuit would be needed internally as well to pull this off I would think.