Audiophilepure

I can be brief, as it simply matches or even “eclipses” most of the competition in very nearly all the usual parameters. Neutrality, linearity, low-level resolution, transparency, focus, refinement, air, spaciousness, and the list goes on. In all of these parameters, the Eclipse equals or betters any other amplifier I heard so far, including the CH. But this is where it gets really interesting as the amp takes all these qualities and adds unbelievable flow and what seems like eternal sustain. With typical transistor amplifiers, especially those with many parallel output devices, intermodulation distortion spoils the party by adding smear and making successive notes blur into one another. The opposite can also happen, with a distinct black hole between successive notes, which can be interpreted as a lack of self-noise but, in reality, could potentially be a result of limitations in the design. In real life, there is no intermodulation distortion, and there is never 100% silence between any two sounds. Rather, the sounds tend to linger on and decay naturally. This is where the Eclipse truly shines: instead of the aforementioned blurring on the one hand or black-hole choppiness on the other, it sounds utterly natural and gloriously non-transistor-like. The Eclipse has absolutely astounding low-level resolution but presents it in a natural, decidedly non-electronic, fully organic manner: fluidly and continuously and never etched.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/linn-klimax-solo-800-monoblock-power-amplifier

Linn monitors the current flowing in the output transistors and uses a digital algorithm to extract the bias signal from the music signal. “That allows us to control that parameter on its own,” Smith explained. “It’s something that you can only achieve by having good knowledge of traditional analog amplifier design, digital electronics, and digital signal processing. It’s a kind of marriage of two different worlds. Digital signal processing is my specialty, so that’s the part of the design I was involved in.”

He emphasized, though, that the audio signal is not digitized. “The signal path remains completely analog. But we have digital assistance to ensure the amplifier performs consistently and runs at its best. It’s almost like the engine-management system in a car. … We have a completely linear transistor amplifier with a digital engine-management system that is keeping operating conditions constant and ensuring that performance is always optimal.

Because the minimum load impedance specified for the RB-1582 MkII is 4Ω and the maximum power consumption is rated at 550W (it would need to be >1600W for full power into a 2Ω load), I didn’t test with lower impedances. Within its stated design parameters, the RB-1582 MkII’s results are excellent with a doubling of power into a halved impedance on a single channel. It would be interesting to see what this amplifier could do with a larger power transformer as its ten transistors per channel are clearly capable of delivering 400 watts per channel (800 watts total) into four ohms and probably even more into lower impedances.

I’ll also mention that the protection circuitry on the RB-1582 MkII kicked in momentarily during disconnecting and reconnecting the unbalanced cables and at one point during high-frequency, high-power testing. This gives peace of mind that the amplifier knows its limits and will intervene if it sees something wrong. The protection circuitry was never activated during normal listening.