Removing a ZERO from the price of amps

I began evaluating the Eigentakt when I used it in May to review the Magico A1 minimonitors ($7400/pair). Before hooking up the Eigentakt, I’d been using a pair of Constellation Audio Revelation Taurus monoblocks -- massive amps that cost $40,000/pair, are specified to each output up to 500W into 8 ohms or 1000W into 4 ohms, and sound outstanding. The Eigentakt clearly wouldn’t be able to match that kind of power, but the Magico A1s don’t need it -- and don’t want it, unless you want to blow them up.

I also swapped out the Nirvana S-L speaker cables I use with the Constellations for the Neutrik speakON cables supplied by Purifi. Feeding the Eigentakt were an EMM Labs DA2 Reference DAC and Pre preamplifier, both via Crystal Cable Standard Diamond Balanced interconnects. My music server was an Asus ZenBook UX303U laptop computer, connected to the DAC with an AmazonBasics USB link.

I found that the Eigentakt was not only powerful enough to drive the A1s -- it sounded as good as the Constellations. As I wrote in my review, “almost nothing about the A1s’ sound had changed -- the tonal balance was the same, the highs were just as extended and the midrange just as pure, voices were equally robust, bass just as extended, and the soundstaging and imaging were exactly as before.” What’s more, I also thought that if there were any differences in the sounds, they “were at best slight and, surprisingly, favored the Purifi.” I played “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have -- But I Have It,” from Lana Del Rey’s Norman ***** Rockwell! (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Interscope). As I also said in the review, “the subtle sounds of her lips moving as she sings softly into the microphone were more apparent through the Purifi.” Ever since the arrival of the Revelation Taurus monos, I’ve loved their combination of smoothness, detail, and effortlessness -- for the Eigentakt to turn in the same performance, at a fraction of the price, was incredible. I was impressed. Granted, if I’d needed more power than the Eigentakt could provide, the Constellations would have easily walked away with the prize -- but in this first test, and within the Eigentakt’s power limitations, its sound quality had proved extraordinary.

Had a chance to listen to Mikes (Mivera) new integrated amp yesterday which also uses the Purifi modules, absolutely stunning sound and will easily challenge separates in the 50K range, it's amazing what a no holds bar kit can do. I'm happy for the lucky few that are fortunate enough to own one.

Don
 

A Benchmark AHB2 and one of these Purifi amps for me please.

Wondering if the A1’s big, weighty sound had anything to do with the huge and hugely expensive Constellation Revelation Taurus monoblocks, I switched to the Purifi evaluation amp, which offers less than half the power: 200Wpc into 8 ohms.

I found that the Eigentakt was not only powerful enough to drive the A1s -- it sounded as good as the Constellations. As I wrote in my review, “almost nothing about the A1s’ sound had changed -- the tonal balance was the same, the highs were just as extended and the midrange just as pure, voices were equally robust, bass just as extended, and the soundstaging and imaging were exactly as before.” What’s more, I also thought that if there were any differences in the sounds, they “were at best slight and, surprisingly, favored the Purifi.”