Integrated Amp Shoot-Out – Friday 17th February 2023

Remember the time when in the audiophile’s dictionary, ‘integrated amplifier’ meant ‘compromised’? Well, how times have changed! It is true that dedicated separates are still required if you are aiming at reaching the full potential of audio system performance. However, many high-end manufacturers have put a lot of focus and know-how into creating high performance one box amplifiers and in recent years, the quality and ability of integrated amplifiers has skyrocketed! To be frank, there are integrated amplifiers being manufactured today that sound better than flagship separates sounded only a few short years ago.

This is an exciting space in audio as many audiophiles are wanting to reduce the number of boxes and the general footprint (and cost) of their systems. With this new generation of integrated amplifiers, reference levels of sound quality are possible and the results may surprise you. The team at Nirvana Sound thought it may be a fun and interesting exercise to compare some of the best performing integrated amplifiers available today by playing them in a highly resolving reference system with a select playlist of diverse music.

Wonderfully hosted by Paul, the evening started with drinks and a catch up. Despite the heatwave outside, the Nirvana listening rooms were cool with plenty of drinks and refreshments. George introduced the amplifiers by telling the story behind their designers and the engineering philosophies that they prioritised and how those designs influence their sonic presentation. We listened to the Norma Revo IPA-140 followed by the German Physiks Emperor Extreme amplifier. After a break to enjoy some pizza, we listened to the Aesthetix Mimas and then the darTZeel CTH-8550 MKII. The supporting system was an EMM Labs NS1 Streamer, an EMM Labs DAC2X-V2 DAC, Stage III Concepts Trydent cables and the Stenheim Alumine Three speakers.

The unique characteristics of each of the amplifiers were discernible and we were able to experience their different tonal, dynamic and rhythmic qualities. A variety of musical genres were explored with Mark’s carefully curated playlist also being a highlight of the evening. The evening presented us with a rare and valuable opportunity to experience different approaches to integrated amplifiers as well as a change to meet new people that share a passion for music and audio.

Thank you to Paul for his tireless work to offer these high-quality free events and to you for attending and making the evening a great success!