http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/rss.xml Powering those loudspeakers are your amplifiers. We review which work well and which don't work at all. hourly 12 2006-12-01T00:00 http://www.audioholics.com/static/logo.jpg http://www.audioholics.com/ http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-rpa-1-amplifier The Emotiva RPA-1 offers one of the best values in reference quality amplifiers out there. Beautiful, powerful, and bulletproof, if this amp isn't on your father's day/mother's day/birthday/Christmas wish list, it should be. To date this is the best sounding, best performing Emotiva amplifier we have had the pleasure of reviewing. You may not need an amp this powerful, but don't lie to yourself, you want it. You know you do. tom 2007-07-01T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/marantz-pm-11s1-integrated-amplifier I drive a simple vehicle. It's a 2003 Jeep Liberty and I like it a lot. If I were offered the opportunity, however, to test drive a Hummer or Porsche Carrera - I'd do it in a heartbeat. Why? Because I'm not likely to fork out that kind of money in my lifetime and it's occasionally nice to see "how the other guy lives". The Marantz PM-11S1 is my Porsche Carrera this month. At a price tag of over $4k I'm not going to be able to afford to keep this baby in my reference system for long, but it is a superb machine with all the styling of a European sports car. It's the kind of product you don't want to leave fingerprints on and will find yourself taking extra time to install it into your system - not because it can't be manhandled or take the abuse, but because - like a fine work of art - you don't want to diminish its beauty in any way. clint 2007-06-15T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-reference-theater-series-ips-1-amplifier-review From its excellent sonic characteristics, to its no-nonsense build quality, fit and finish, Emotiva has once again demonstrated via the IPS-1 that you don’t have to break the bank to get quality electronics that rival many of the more well known brands at a fraction of the cost. Your ears and your wallet with certainly thank you. Gene 2007-05-02T15:07:40+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-ultra-theater-series After years of lusting after and owning several Japanese A/V receivers with tons of features and DSP modes, I was ready for something different. I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted, or more precisely, what I didn't want. jclarke 2007-03-01T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/thule-audio-pa350b We have had the good fortune of testing some of the industry’s best multi-channel amplifiers. If you are from the camp that all amps sound the same, then don’t waste your time reading another amplifier review. The truth is, most amps sound similar if they: a) have wide enough bandwidth, b) low enough noise floor, c) are not driven beyond their linear operating region, and d) are capable of sourcing enough steady state power without clipping dynamics to satisfy your listening needs. The question remains however, “what is good enough”? Gene 2006-08-28T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/onix-melody-sp3-tube-integrated-amplifier-review Onix is one of several brands exclusively distributed through AV123, and manufactures both loudspeakers and electronic components, such as CD players and integrated amplifiers, for sale through the site. The Melody SP3 is intended as a high value product aimed at budget minded Hi Fi enthusiasts who dream of esoteric gear but are grounded by simple economics. david 2006-04-30T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-mps-1 Before seven-channel power amps hit the market, consumers were forced to use 2 to 3 conventional multi-channel amps to provide the power. Thankfully, a few astute manufacturers recognized the potential space limitations consumers would soon be facing and developed seven-channel amplifiers for this very application. Until now, most of these designs were either bulky (measuring over 2 feet deep), expensive, and/or suffered design trade-offs by using a single relatively modest power supply meant for 2 or 5 channels amps to serve all seven channels. When I heard about the new Emotiva MPS-1 7-channel amp, I thought to myself, "Oh great, another underachiever 5CH amp forced to be 7CH". Of course, my misconceptions quickly vanished once I read the specifications for the MPS-1. Then my jaw nearly dropped off when I learned of the meager $2k asking price - especially considering the build quality, internal components and potential the product appeared to have. Could this be the ultimate affordable 7CH amplifier? Read on to find out… Gene 2005-05-23T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/onix-a-120mkii-integrated-amplifier What happened to good old fashion two-channel listening where one would sit in the comforts of their dedicated room for hours on end discovering the nuances and subtleties of the music they cherish? We live in a fast paced society obsessed with instant-gratification that places an emphasis on watching shallow reality TV shows on their $5k plasma displays and using HTIB "cubed" home theater systems as their reference to "quality" audio. It's no wonder the art of two-channel is on the steady, fast path towards extinction. Being an avid music lover myself, with emphasis on fidelity over function, I do my part to be mindful of this and every now and then review the type of product that birthed my realization for my love of music so many years ago. Enter the Onix A-120MKII Integrated Amplifier. I can think of no other product readily available that better exemplifies this type of indulgence. Gene 2005-04-20T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/integra-research-rda-7-1 I have always been a fan of products that boast certain specifications on paper that when benched, comfortably outperform those numbers. It's a rarity to say the least, and even more so when the product actually exceeds its specifications by a wide margin. When this occurs, a total solar eclipse is usually not far behind. Fortunately we can bask in the awe of the beautiful sight of just such an occurrence without fear or losing or damaging our eyesight. Our hearing on the other hand is another story and, while we don't condone the adrenalin rush of sustained loud listening levels, it's nice to know a company provides this capability for the hearing impaired. Not surprisingly, this company is no other than Integra Research, the upscale division of Onkyo electronics. Gene 2005-03-09T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/sherbourn-7-1250a Sherbourn is no stranger to this design concept, as we learned when reviewing their venerable 5/1500A and 7/2100 multi-channel amplifiers. Their previous amps were true mono block designs with completely independent power supplies for each channel. Unfortunately these amps weighed over 100lbs, making installations a bit of a challenge and transportation even more so. In order to get the size, weight and price down, Sherbourn designed a slightly less powerful version of its big brother 7/2100A, but with dual power supplies to feed all of the seven channels. Gene 2005-02-14T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/rotel-rmb-1095 My wife and I like to occasionally go out and treat ourselves to a nice dinner. On these nights the baby gets sitted and the checkbook opens up for some special culinary delights. Home theater enthusiasts like to splurge too, and when it's time to spice up a mid-priced receiver or processor, Rotel is here to offer an affordable upgrade - one that will definitely improve the amplification stage of your system. clint 2004-12-17T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/parasound-halo-a-51 At first look the Parasound Halo A 51 is an appealing and robust amplifier accented by brushed metal finish and a "Halo" aqua blue light around the power button. But an amplifier is not just about cosmetics especially when considering that most Audio Enthusiasts seem more interested in sound quality and features. The A 51 amplifier is both loaded with usable features above and beyond most other amplifiers in today's market. ken 2004-10-20T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/parasound-halo-a-21 At first look the Parasound Halo A 21 is an appealing and robust amplifier accented by brushed metal finish and a "Halo" aqua blue light around the power button. But an amplifier is not just about cosmetics especially when considering that most Audio Enthusiasts seem more interested in sound quality and features. The A 21 amplifier is both loaded with usable features above and beyond most other amplifiers in today's market. ken 2004-10-20T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/rotel-ra-1062 In a world where cramming as many home theater speakers as humanly possible is the norm, it is nice to know there are electronics companies still dedicated to quality two-channel music. Enter the Rotel RA-1062 Integrated Amplifier and CD-1072 HDCD Player. These are slim line components designed to fit in tight spaces and deliver big sound without breaking your bank account. You won't find any fancy DSP or surround modes, no On Screen Displays or learning remotes. Instead, you will find the essential high quality audio reproduction guts of what today seems to be a dying art - two-channel music. Gene 2004-05-10T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/sherbourn-5-1500A Gene 2003-06-15T00:00:00+00:00 Pro Review