Recent Audio Amplifier Reviews

Parasound has just announced their new Halo Integrated Amplifier. The new Halo updates the classic integrated concept and updates it for the digital generation. It's a powerhouse rated at 160 watts/ch (8 ohms) and 240 watts/ch (4 ohm), high bias class A/AB, Dual-mono featuring a home theater bypass, and analog bass management for a 2.1 speaker configuration. With high end digital support including the latest generation ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC, DSD decoding, will the new Parasound Halo Integrated appeal to the current audiophile generation?

At CES 2015, Mark Levinson announced the № 536 Monaural Power Amplifier. This is a completely new design from the ground up from their new engineering facility. The No. 536 is slated to deliver 400W into 8 Ohms, 800W into 4 Ohms, and stable into 2 Ohm loads, and promises to drive just about any speaker to its potential. It's a fully differential design from input to output to take advantage of superior noise immunity and lower distortion compared to unbalanced designs. The amp is slated for release in the fall at an MSRP of $15,000. Read on for all the details.

The Denon PMA-50 delivers 50 watts of high-quality sound and features like HD Audio and Bluetooth with aptX in a compact size that doesn't suck up the space in a room. This could be the perfect cornerstone for a high-end headphone setup or computer-based HD-Audio setup. If you're rocking too-small, plasticy speakers and long for a compact system that can rival a full-sized setup, your search may end here.

If you are thinking of installing a whole-home audio system, you're going to need a distribution amp. Distribution amps generally have lower power (but more channels) than dedicated home theater amplifiers. These are used to send audio all over you home in order to get the same content in multiple rooms. The problem with some distribution amplifiers is that they usually can only be used for distribution purposes. The new Parasound offering looks to buck that trend by being as versatile a distribution amp as we've ever seen.

Marantz's new PM5005 integrated amplifier ($499) and CD5005 CD player ($399) aren't what you'd qualify as revolutionary products. However, while they're similar in most respects to their predecessors, there are a few improvements under the hood worth talking about. Among other things, the PM5005 boasts a modest power increase while the CD5005 receives an upgraded DAC and improved transport mechanism. Want to know more? Click to read the full story.

Yamaha's new A-S2100 integrated amplifier and CD-S2100 CD/SACD player are a big departure from the old 2000 line...in a good way. Taking their styling cues from Yamaha's flagship A-S3000 and CD-S3000, the new 2100 series makes a bold aesthetic statement. Moreover, performance looks to be top notch thanks to a floating, balanced amplifier topology on the A-S2100 and the use of an ESS SABRE DAC on the CD-S2100. As you might guess, these new components aren't cheap, but at half the cost of the 3000 line, they can give a taste of Yamaha's flagship performance for a lot less.

D-Sonic might be a company Audioholics' readers are unfamiliar with. Founded in 2006, D-Sonic specializes in Class D amplification, using both ICE modules as well as more advanced designs. We check out their new M2 and M3 Amplifiers. So what you say? How does a super efficiency Class D design with up to 1,500W of power into 8 ohms and 2,400W of power into 4 ohms sound? What if I told you that same amplifier was stable down to 2 ohms and below? Intrigued? Click to keep reading.

When I was presented with the pint sized IQ Audio M300 MonoBlock amplifier for review, I wanted to pick it apart as nothing more than a gimmick. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. The M300 is the first Class D amplifier that I’d seriously consider for my own use. It offers better measurable performance than I’ve seen from any other Class D designs, generates little to no heat making it ideal for stacking multiple units or cramming into tight spaces. Most importantly, the M300 sounds fabulous, never misbehaving or losing composure. Deceptively good is how I’d best describe this amplifier. What’s next for IQ Audio?

If you’ve ever been to a high-end audio show, one of the first things you’ll notice is the wide variety of manufacturers you’ve never heard of. Red Dragon Audio is one such boutique company that promises to deliver big sound with it's 500w (4 ohms) M500MKII and 1100w (4 ohms) MK1000MKII MonoBlock Class D amplifiers. Do the Red Dragon amps deliver the goods or do they fall short of their promise? Read the full review to find out.

The Marantz PM-11S3 100 watt/channel integrated amplifier is designed for the audiophile that values performance, and aesthetics equally without worrying about if he/she is getting the most watts per dollar they can afford. If you’re looking to assemble a great performing two-channel system with the possibility of expanding it to multi-channel someday, then this may just be your ticket. The PM-11S3 exceeds its published specifications. It will bring out all of the fidelity of the source material you throw at it while driving your speaker system with the quality power they yearn for. The PM-11S3 isn’t for the budget minded audio enthusiast but few if any audiophile products are especially ones that look as stunning as this baby.

I love the simplicity of integrated amps. In all of the complexity of receivers, the integrated amp is a reminder of what this hobby is all about—music. Marantz just put out its latest amp, the PM6005, which looks almost identical to the PM6004. In fact, the only real difference is that the new PM6005 adds digital audio decoding. There are now two digital inputs—one optical and one coaxial. All of the digital to analogue conversion is handled by a reference-quality Cirrus Logic CS4398. That's a 24 bit/192 kHz high current D/A converter.

When I think about the Yamaha brand, my mind immediately jumps to their value oriented line of receivers. Boasting attractive, powerful, and reasonably priced products, Yamaha is a strong competitor in that market. However, with the A-S3000 integrated amplifier, Yamaha isn't looking to offer the most watts for the dollar; they're making a statement that they still have the capability and the desire to make electronics that are second to none, even compared with names like McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Classe, etc. Viewed in that light, the $7,999.95 price tag for the A-S3000 isn't totally out of place, even if it isn't exactly an impulse buy for most. So what does a nickel short of $8,000 get you? Keep reading to find out.

Emotiva has certainly had a busy summer in their amplifier department. They have quietly updated their XPA-2 stereo and XPA-5 multichannel amplifiers with new models. The XPA-1 monoblock and XPA-3 three-channel amps will have their updates formally released in the next few weeks as well. According to Emotiva, the new Gen 2 amplifiers feature a refined differential input and short signal path Class A/B topology that Emotiva says lowers the noise floor when compared to the previous versions. There will be a special feature added to the new XPA-1 Gen2 that you're gonna have to read this preview article to learn about. Audiophiles rejoice!

For some audiophiles, the term "receiver" is synonymous with low quality sound. The logic goes that the more stuff you pack into a single chassis (video circuitry, tuner, etc.), the more gunk you introduce into the system. While we don't necessarily agree with that line of reasoning, there's no denying that for some folks, a simple integrated amplifier would do the job nicely. Enter the Pioneer Elite A-20; priced at a very reasonable $299, there's no dirty "r" word here, just a pre-amplifier plus two channels of amplification. So how does the A-20 stack up to a bit of scrutiny from Audioholics? Read on to find out.