Recent Audio Amplifier Reviews

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.

Onkyo is a company known for delivering feature packed receivers at relatively low prices; they aren't necessarily a company most think of when looking at external amplifiers. Enter the M-5010. Priced at an affordable $349 and rated to deliver 75wpc @ 8 ohms, it looks like a decent budget amp. We think its best application is pulling multi-zone duty. Considering that the M-5010 has a street price of only $249, can be daisy chained to other amps, is 4ohm stable, and has a volume control and 12v trigger, we think it would be a great companion to an AVR lacking amplified zone 2 outputs. In the past, for $250 a consumer could just buy a stereo receiver if their main AVR didn't support zone 2, but with the advanced network features built into modern AVRs, an external amp makes more sense.

The Kratos MKII fully digital (A.K.A direct digital) amplifier breaks the mold from the typical amps we see in the high end audio marketplace. It's designed to have no “digital to analog conversion, no analog to digital conversion, no analog to triangle wave conversion, no analog to PWM conversion, no DSP, no sample rate conversion, and no switching power supplies.” At 100wpc it should have enough power to drive most any speaker, and with an MSRP of $2,250, most audiophiles would consider it more than affordable. The Kratos can be customized for optimal performance with your speakers. Read on for a full analysis.

It’s difficult being the middle child, just ask Jan Brady. Stuck between the high value UPA-200 and the monstrous XPA-2 amplifiers; the XPA-200 seems to get lost in Emotiva’s plethora of offerings. Rated to deliver 150 watts into an 8 ohm load and 240 watts into a 4 ohm load (both at <1% THD), and priced at $499, does Emotiva’s midgrade stereo amplifier deliver a compelling value, or is it worth overlooking in favor of its superlative siblings? Keep reading to see our take.

While targeting custom installers and their clients, the AudioControl Rialto 400 has some real technology under the Sonos-esque enclosure. Pushing 100 watts into 8 ohms, 200 watts into 4 ohms, Wolfson DACs, multiple inputs, automatic input switching, bass boost, subwoofer pass-though, and more, it is clear that the $800 price tag isn't all profit. If you are looking for an upgrade to the sound of your second or third system, the Rialto 400 should give you what you want. Just don't look to us to explain to your wife why you "needed" a box that cost 2x's as much as the Sonos box you connected it to.

There is little not to like about the 1kwatt Emotiva XPR-1 Monoblock power amplifier. Although it lacks the snob appeal of some of the more expensive and prestigious brands, the Emotiva XPR-1 gives up nothing in the performance department, especially with regards to power. It's built well with all the proper engineering in place to ensure reliable, problem free performance for years to come. The XPR-1 truly lives up to the “Reference series” name that Emotiva has reserved for their very best products. This is a highly recommended purchase for the audiophile looking for an amplifier with equal doses of brawn and finesse. It is the Jedi Master of power amps that would make even an audiophile Sith Lord proud to own. Check out our comprehensive review where we attempted to smoke our power resistors by dumping over 2kwatts of power through them, which the XPR-1 happily provided. Barbecue anyone?