Recording - November 2020 - 46

REVIEW

Amphion Amp700
This power amp offers increased power
and a great balance of focus and depth
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.

A

mphion is a Finnish speaker company that's been crafting high end,
hi-fi passive loudspeakers since 1998. Five years ago, Amphion
moved into the pro audio market with a series of studio-focused
monitors, matching amplification options, and bass extension systems.
We began our Amphion journey in March 2015 with the One18 passive
monitor / Amp100 combo, and we've reviewed darn near every model
since. This month we take a look at the latest offering, the Amp700.

The Amp700 is a stereo power amplifier that provides 350W per side at 8Ω,
or 700W per side at 4Ω. It has a minimum load impedance of 2.5Ω, 117dB
of dynamic range, 30A of peak output
current and a THD of .0006%.

Simple and Elegant

Visually, the Amp700 looks nearly
indistinguishable from the previous Amphion Amp100 and Amp500. It's housed
in a 2U aluminum enclosure with a single
silver power button front and center that's
backlit in bright blue when powered up.
On the rear are a pair of male XLR
inputs for connecting to your audio
source, and a pair of Argento Audio
three-way binding posts for speaker
outputs. Last is a standard IEC power
socket and a master power switch. The
Amp700 is fixed volume and offers
zero pots or level controls. Building
upon the innovations of the company's
previous amplifier technology, it features a new and improved module with
an added buffer stage that, according
46 RECORDING November 2020

to Amphion, adds a "subtle touch of
A-class sound to D-class topology."

By the Numbers

Initially, the 100W per channel Amp100
was intended for use with the single bass
driver-equipped One12, One15 and
One18 models. The dual 500W Amp500
was required for use with the dual-bass
driver Two15 and Two18 models, although
it could also be used comfortably with
the One models. Both amps offered 115
dB of dynamic range. The Amp100 and
Amp500 are now discontinued; the new
Amp700 is intended for use with any Amphion models (or the passive monitors of
your choice-it's a power amp after all...)

In Play

When I purchased my set of One18
monitors five years ago, I chose the
Amp100 over the Amp500 for the sonic
signature it imparted to the One18. The
extra power and dynamic range offered in
a power amp such as the Amp700 is not
just about headroom and volume; it also

affects the speakers' actual sonic responsiveness-it changes the sound of the speakers.
In the case of the One18 monitors, I
preferred the open, sweeter top end and
softer low end response imparted by the
Amp100 over the tighter, punchier sound
of the Amp500; the Amp500 had a harder
edge that I didn't warm up to at the time.
I was a tad concerned that I would
have a similar reaction with the Amp700.
I swapped out power amps and spent
some months mixing with the Amp700
and my One18 monitors, and I found that
I was more than pleased by the results.
From time to time, I would attach the
Amp100 to a single One18 and the
Amp700 to the other and A/B the two
with mono mixes. Again, I would describe
the top end of the Amp100 as sweeter
and more feathery, while the Amp700
gave the One18 a top end that was tight
and detailed, but not as hard-edged as the
Amp500. The bottom end was also more
solid and less diffuse than the Amp100. 
For a lay person opinion, I had my
wife come into the studio and asked her
if she heard a difference as I switched
back and forth. She summed it up in
one word. With the Amp700, she heard
more depth. I quantify the differences
between the two in the 20% range.

Conclusion

I still like and am quite used to the laid
back sound of the Amp100/One18
combo, but now I'm seduced by the
added dimensionality, solid low end,
and overall improved depth that the
Amp700 brings to the table. To sum it
up in one word: focus.
Price: $1800
More from: amphion.fi
http://www.amphion.fi
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