Tagged: amplifiers
16 articles we've published with this tag.
AVR vs AV processor: which should power your home cinema?AV receivers and dedicated processors both decode Atmos — but the engineering tradeoffs are real. Marcus Vale breaks down what the measurements actually tell you.By Marcus Vale
D'Agostino's $125,000 Momentum Z monoblocks are built for the world's most demanding speakersDan D'Agostino unveils the Momentum Z monoblock — 500W into 8 ohms, Kinetic Drive Regulator technology, and a network port for real-time monitoring.By Sofia Laurent
Audio Note marks 35 years of the Oto with a refreshed SE 35 anniversary editionAudio Note (UK) debuts the Oto SE 35 at £5,950/$5,950 — the first major technical refresh of its beloved EL84 integrated in decades.By Priya Anand
McIntosh returns to all-tube integrateds with the $15,000 MA2375McIntosh's MA2375 is its first all-valve integrated in over a decade — 75 watts per channel, pure analogue, with phono and headphone stages built in.By Priya Anand
Rega's first high-end pre/power in years debuts with the Solis power amplifierRega unveiled the Solis power amp and Mercury preamp at Bristol 2026 — the British brand's first genuine reference amplification in years. Here's what it means.By Marcus Vale
FiiO's new discrete Class A desktop headphone amplifier targets high-end cansFiiO teased a fully discrete, pure Class A desktop headphone amp ahead of Vienna High End 2026. Marcus Vale breaks down what it means for serious headphone listeners.By Marcus Vale
Pro-audio brand Ultrafide enters hi-fi with the music-first Enso INT-125 integratedBritish pro-audio specialist Ultrafide debuts its first home integrated at Bristol 2026 — the 125W Enso INT-125, priced at £3,500.By Marcus Vale
Arcam Turns 50: The A50 Signature and CD25 Are the Anniversary Statement British Hi-Fi DeservedArcam debuted the dual-mono A50 Signature integrated amp and the CD25 CD player at HIGH END Vienna 2026, marking 50 years with genuine engineering intent.By Sofia Laurent
Chord Electronics teases two new Ultima power amps in Vienna, launching September 2026Chord Electronics previewed the Ultima 7 and Blade stereo power amplifiers at HIGH END Vienna 2026, with a full launch due September 2026.By Sofia Laurent
HARMAN absorbs Sound United, putting B&W, Denon and Marantz under one roofSamsung's HARMAN completed its $350M acquisition of Sound United in late 2025, reshaping premium audio and raising hard questions for serious listeners.By Marcus Vale
How Purifi's 1ET9040BA pushed Class-D to the edge of measurabilityPurifi's flagship Eigentakt module claims distortion below 0.00017%. But a Stereophile follow-up revealed even reference-grade Class-D can ship defective. What does 'state of the art' actually mean noBy Marcus Vale
Class-D arrives at the flagship single-box tier with the Marantz Model 10The $15,000 Marantz Model 10 wins EISA's top integrated amplifier award — and it runs on Class-D. Here's why that matters.By Marcus Vale
Why GaN specialists like Orchard Audio still lead the technology's edgeOrchard Audio's Starkrimson 25 monoblock launch confirms that gallium nitride amplification's real advances still come from dedicated specialists, not the mainstream brands.By Theo Mensah
Gallium nitride goes mainstream as Chord adopts GaN for its Blade amplifierChord Electronics previewed its Class G GaN Blade amp at High End Vienna 2026. Marcus Vale explains why GaN matters and what it means for serious audio.By Marcus Vale
Hegel keeps Class-AB alive with the H150 'Prodigy' streaming ampThe Hegel H150 'Prodigy' arrives with Class-AB SoundEngine 2, a new USB-A input and MM phono — a deliberate statement against the Class-D tide.By Marcus Vale
Active versus passive in 2026: when the amplifier moves inside the speakerCES 2026 saw no new passive speaker debut — a genuine first. Hannah Reid asks whether giving up your separate amplifier is finally the smart move.By Hannah Reid