Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/airtight-atm-1e

Ultimately, what convinced me that the AirTight ATM-1e is more than the sum of its parts was monumental bass from an all-but-forgotten demo-worthy CD, Clannad’s 1989 compilation Pastpresent [BMG PD74074]. Naturally, the gorgeous vocals showed off the ATM-1e’s super-sweet, sibilance-free top-end. But I was not prepared for the room-filling mass of the opening of ‘White Fool’, almost Kodō-like in its grandeur. Then I remembered: AirTight is Japanese. Who better to deal with the drums of giants?

Hi-Fi News Verdict

AirTight’s ATM-1e ticks every box defining a stereo tube power amplifier of true usability and practicality, with a price reflected in superb perceived value. If there truly is a category for ‘entry-level high-end’, this fits the bill. It’s an artisanal amp offering exceptional musicality, more than sufficient power and – if this matters to you as it does to me – shameless pride of ownership. Pride may be a sin, but if so, then sin on, sinners.

Was the noise the result of my room’s electrical supply? I have two sets of dimming lights in my room, and there have been occasions when components have been particularly sensitive to them. If the lights are on fully or off, the noise is all but eliminated, but if the lights are dimmed, then the noise can intrude. However, I found that even turning the lights off entirely did not eliminate the noise. One solution I tried was insertion of cheater plugs (3 to 2 prong adapters) for the power cords, and that reduced the noise by a perceived 50%, but it did not eliminate it altogether.

Other components such as the Heaven 11 Billie Amp Mk2, which is a tube hybrid class D integrated amplifier, or the PS Audio Stellar Strata Mk2 Integrated Amplifier have never had noise issues. Conversely, the Legacy i.V4 Ultra Amplifier at times has been a bit noisy like the AP-507, but not as loudly. All this took place while using the TEAC VRDS-701 and CG-10M-X upstream, so using a full TEAC system is not a fix for the potential of the AP-507 exhibiting noise. The simplest solution is to use these amplifiers with less efficient speakers and if necessary, insert an adapter plug.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2025/6/5/synthesis-roma-96dc25w-pure-a-class-integrated-stereo-amplifier-with-digital-inputs

nd while quiet definition, tone, and texture were outstanding from such a reasonably priced product, its Class/A power storage power handling is what truly surprised me. The bass drum whacks on side 2 of the LSO/Dorati/Classic Records The Firebird were nothing less than astonishing. I expected a tube clip of some sort; happily, tube clipping is a little more gentle than a solid-state howl. But I was ready, nonetheless. Nothing. A non-event. All I heard was the initial strike and amazing bass drum resonance in Watford Town Hall’s acoustic.

So, you’re set on tone, texture, and dynamics, but the Roma also images well and reflects the engineer’s vision for soundstage. So my old standby, Stan Ricker’s amazing 1989 MoFi cut of Tea for the Tillerman had all the depth and voice and instrument placement specificity for which the record is famous. And because of its power handling, classic rock fans may audition the Roma with an expectation of excellence.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/unison-research-reference-monoblock-power-amplifier

If an Italian sound exists, I gather it isn’t an engineering spec but a sensibility. Where most gear aims to get out of the way of the music, boutique hi-fi from Italy participates in it. It isn’t neutral in the strictest sense. For many, it’s more human.Sonically, the 845s occupy their own terrain. They don’t punch like KT150s or dazzle with immediacy. Instead, they bloom. They stretch space, thicken tone, and draw you in with an unhurried, dimensional ease. They flesh out the harmonic body of a note and let its decay hang in the air without collapsing the structure around it. The Unison Reference amplifiers make full use of that character.Are they worth the price? How attached are you to your second kidney?When everything settles and the mind calms, what’s left is music: vivid, beautiful, whole, and rendered with uncommon care. The Unison Reference amplifiers turn spending into savoring, and savor them I did.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0925/Audionet_Mach_Linestage_Schrodinger_Monoblock_Amplifier_Review.htm

Here, the floating panel chassis design allows for maximum air flow, offering abundant cooling for the circuit boards and establishing stable air currents throughout. It also employs magnetically and capacitively optimized circuitry, using no ferro-magnetic materials, and implements galvanic isolation by using optical coupling.

The Schrödinger uses the Audionet Ultra Linear Amplifier technology to manage real-time linearization of distortions, is DC coupled, and its massive, gold-plated copper rails deliver the signal to the speaker terminals without loss. It uses two separate power supplies, one for device control and detection, and a second to monitor zero-crossing of mains power, the crucial point where the mains power alternating current signal transitions through the zero voltage level, from positive to negative or vice versa.