Κώστας Φ.
Truth hurts. Here's a teddy bear.
- Μηνύματα
- 8.978
- Reaction score
- 895
Για δείτε λίγο τον συγκεκριμένο...μονάρχη: Monarchy Audio
Mιλάμε για μηχανές με άριστο value for money ή είναι ιδέα μου?!
Οι κριτικές που διαβάζω για τις συσκευές τους είναι θετικότατες.
Ο ενισχυτής που μου κίνησε το ενδιαφέρον είναι ο παρακάτω:
SM70 Pro
Handcrafted in California, 2x25 Watt τάξη Α, στα 8Ω.
Νταξ' δεν είναι και για να σκίζουμε τα ρούχα μας...
To πράγμα όμως γίνεται εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον σε μονομπλοκ balanced mode. Εκεί τα watt γίνονται 80! Τώρα κάτι πάει να γίνει...
Κι απο τιμή?! 717 ευρώ έκαστος με βάση την τιμή καταλόγου (μπορείς να τους βρεις και φτηνότερα απ'ότι διαβάζω). Δηλαδή με 1450 ευρώ (και βγάλε) έχεις δύο fully balanced μονομπλοκ τελικούς με 80 ποιοτικά watt στο κανάλι.
Mάλλον έχουμε θέμα...
Μερικές φωτογραφίες:
Και μία photo απο το εσωτερικό του:
Ενδεικτικά, ένα απο τα πολλά θετικότατα review για τον συγκεκριμένο ενισχυτή (μπορείτε να βρείτε μία 20αρια στο site του κατασκευαστή), δια χειρός Wes Phillips... Στα υπόψην πως ο ενισχυτής που κυκλοφορεί τώρα (κι απο τον οποίο έχω ανεβάσει photo) έχει υποστεί βελτιώσεις σε σχέση με αυτόν που δοκιμάζει ο κ. Phillips.
"The SM-70 Pro is designed as a 25Wpc stereo amplifier that can also be bridged to perform as an 80W monoblock. What the amp is really designed for, however, is to be used as a fully balanced mono amplifier -- when its XLR input is used, it routes the positive and negative legs of the signal to the left and right channels of the amplifier. The loudspeaker is then connected to the positive binding posts for each channel (right being positive and left being negative). The SM-70 also has a switch that will bridge the amplifier when a single-ended input is used; the amp then routes the output of the left channel's gain-stage op-amp (a Burr-Brown OPA2604) through a resistor into the inverted input of the op-amp's right channel. Thus the right channel's voltage gain is controlled by the left's op-amp.
Monarchy describes the SM-70 Pro as a "zero-feedback" design, although the op-amp gain stage does actually employ a standard non-inverting feedback loop. However, the MOSFET output stage is an open-loop design with no global feedback returning to the input -- so, in that sense, their description is correct. The amplifier's power supply consists of a hefty 480VA toroidal transformer with 60,000pF storage capacitors.
All told, the SM-70 Pro is smartly built -- it's solid as a brick and tightly put together. The black anodized aluminum chassis is bolted firmly to 3/8"-thick extruded aluminum heatsinks. The front panel is a chunky 3/4" thick, and its appointments include Teflon-insulated gold-plated RCA inputs, a substantial XLR input, and hefty, gold-plated five-way binding posts with plastic lugs. Parts quality throughout is solid, if not profligate: Monarchy employs metal-film resistors, a combination of silver-mica (small value) and polypropylene (large value) capacitors, and circuit boards that are substantial but certainly not exotic.
...
And every evening I talk to stars
I thoroughly enjoyed auditioning the Monarchy SM-70 Pro amplifier. It seemed extremely well made and well thought out. At nearly a thousand bucks, I'm not sure it represents fantastic value as a stereo amplifier, however. That kind of money buys you any number of stereo amplifiers with twice the power.
But, having said that, there are two points I'd like to make. One is that the amplifier can be found for far less than its suggested list price, making it more of a bargain. The second is that I don't really see it as a stereo amp at all -- to hear what it can do, you have to have a fully balanced source or preamplifier and you need a pair of the SM-70 Pros. Then you'd be in a position to hear what they do best.
And, when you consider that fully balanced monoblocks from the big boys cost over $5000 per channel, the entry fee for a pair of Monarchys seems like a relative bargain. All I can say is that it's going to be hard to give these amps up when the time comes to ship them back to San Francisco. Give them a chance to charm you, and you might have a hard time turning them down." -- Wes Phillips
Full Review: Soundstage!
Μερικές ακόμα μηχανές της Monarchy:
- Το πολυβραβευμένο DIP (Digital Interface Processor - For jitter suppression & signal conditioning), των 199 δολλαρίων:
- M150 Dual Isolation AC Supply
- AC-Regenerator
- SE-250 Hybrid (Tube/Solid State) Monoblock
Kαι τέλος μερικές πληροφορίες για το νεότερο tube DAC της Monarchy, M-24, το οποίο φαίνεται αρκετά ενδιαφέρον παρόλο που μπαίνει στα χωράφια "παραδοσιακών" δυνάμεων του χώρου (βλ. τιμή καταλόγου $1490) και είναι Made in China:
*24/96 capable, superior performance for 44.1KHz CD’s
*Tube Analog stage in DAC section for the most liquid sounds
*Plays all conventional CD’s (at 44.1KHz) and all 24/96 CD’s
*Digital Display to indicate the Sampling Frequency
*Military Grade 6DJ8 used in both the DAC and Line Amp sections (4 pcs)
*Audiophile Grade Volume Control on Solid Stainless Steel knob
*10 Sections of fully regulated power supplies
*Separate toroidal transformers for the Digital and Analog sections.
*Separate Line Amp can be used with other external inputs (Tape or Tuner,Etc.) Gain = 16 dB
*DAC Direct Output for use with other Preamps or Control Centers.
*Burr Brown select grade PCM63P-K used with DF1704 digital filter for the most accurate decoding.
Mιλάμε για μηχανές με άριστο value for money ή είναι ιδέα μου?!
Οι κριτικές που διαβάζω για τις συσκευές τους είναι θετικότατες.
Ο ενισχυτής που μου κίνησε το ενδιαφέρον είναι ο παρακάτω:
SM70 Pro
Handcrafted in California, 2x25 Watt τάξη Α, στα 8Ω.
Νταξ' δεν είναι και για να σκίζουμε τα ρούχα μας...
To πράγμα όμως γίνεται εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον σε μονομπλοκ balanced mode. Εκεί τα watt γίνονται 80! Τώρα κάτι πάει να γίνει...
Κι απο τιμή?! 717 ευρώ έκαστος με βάση την τιμή καταλόγου (μπορείς να τους βρεις και φτηνότερα απ'ότι διαβάζω). Δηλαδή με 1450 ευρώ (και βγάλε) έχεις δύο fully balanced μονομπλοκ τελικούς με 80 ποιοτικά watt στο κανάλι.
Mάλλον έχουμε θέμα...
Μερικές φωτογραφίες:
Και μία photo απο το εσωτερικό του:
Ενδεικτικά, ένα απο τα πολλά θετικότατα review για τον συγκεκριμένο ενισχυτή (μπορείτε να βρείτε μία 20αρια στο site του κατασκευαστή), δια χειρός Wes Phillips... Στα υπόψην πως ο ενισχυτής που κυκλοφορεί τώρα (κι απο τον οποίο έχω ανεβάσει photo) έχει υποστεί βελτιώσεις σε σχέση με αυτόν που δοκιμάζει ο κ. Phillips.
"The SM-70 Pro is designed as a 25Wpc stereo amplifier that can also be bridged to perform as an 80W monoblock. What the amp is really designed for, however, is to be used as a fully balanced mono amplifier -- when its XLR input is used, it routes the positive and negative legs of the signal to the left and right channels of the amplifier. The loudspeaker is then connected to the positive binding posts for each channel (right being positive and left being negative). The SM-70 also has a switch that will bridge the amplifier when a single-ended input is used; the amp then routes the output of the left channel's gain-stage op-amp (a Burr-Brown OPA2604) through a resistor into the inverted input of the op-amp's right channel. Thus the right channel's voltage gain is controlled by the left's op-amp.
Monarchy describes the SM-70 Pro as a "zero-feedback" design, although the op-amp gain stage does actually employ a standard non-inverting feedback loop. However, the MOSFET output stage is an open-loop design with no global feedback returning to the input -- so, in that sense, their description is correct. The amplifier's power supply consists of a hefty 480VA toroidal transformer with 60,000pF storage capacitors.
All told, the SM-70 Pro is smartly built -- it's solid as a brick and tightly put together. The black anodized aluminum chassis is bolted firmly to 3/8"-thick extruded aluminum heatsinks. The front panel is a chunky 3/4" thick, and its appointments include Teflon-insulated gold-plated RCA inputs, a substantial XLR input, and hefty, gold-plated five-way binding posts with plastic lugs. Parts quality throughout is solid, if not profligate: Monarchy employs metal-film resistors, a combination of silver-mica (small value) and polypropylene (large value) capacitors, and circuit boards that are substantial but certainly not exotic.
...
And every evening I talk to stars
I thoroughly enjoyed auditioning the Monarchy SM-70 Pro amplifier. It seemed extremely well made and well thought out. At nearly a thousand bucks, I'm not sure it represents fantastic value as a stereo amplifier, however. That kind of money buys you any number of stereo amplifiers with twice the power.
But, having said that, there are two points I'd like to make. One is that the amplifier can be found for far less than its suggested list price, making it more of a bargain. The second is that I don't really see it as a stereo amp at all -- to hear what it can do, you have to have a fully balanced source or preamplifier and you need a pair of the SM-70 Pros. Then you'd be in a position to hear what they do best.
And, when you consider that fully balanced monoblocks from the big boys cost over $5000 per channel, the entry fee for a pair of Monarchys seems like a relative bargain. All I can say is that it's going to be hard to give these amps up when the time comes to ship them back to San Francisco. Give them a chance to charm you, and you might have a hard time turning them down." -- Wes Phillips
Full Review: Soundstage!
Μερικές ακόμα μηχανές της Monarchy:
- Το πολυβραβευμένο DIP (Digital Interface Processor - For jitter suppression & signal conditioning), των 199 δολλαρίων:
- M150 Dual Isolation AC Supply
- AC-Regenerator
- SE-250 Hybrid (Tube/Solid State) Monoblock
- 250 Watts rms on 8 Ohm load, 500 Watts rms on 4 Ohm load.
- One Dual Triode used in an SRPP configuration; 12 pcs of complimentary MOSFET in Output Stage.
- Front end: Single-ended Pure Class A.
- Output Stage: Class A biased up to 50 Watts, then Class AB to full output.
Kαι τέλος μερικές πληροφορίες για το νεότερο tube DAC της Monarchy, M-24, το οποίο φαίνεται αρκετά ενδιαφέρον παρόλο που μπαίνει στα χωράφια "παραδοσιακών" δυνάμεων του χώρου (βλ. τιμή καταλόγου $1490) και είναι Made in China:
*24/96 capable, superior performance for 44.1KHz CD’s
*Tube Analog stage in DAC section for the most liquid sounds
*Plays all conventional CD’s (at 44.1KHz) and all 24/96 CD’s
*Digital Display to indicate the Sampling Frequency
*Military Grade 6DJ8 used in both the DAC and Line Amp sections (4 pcs)
*Audiophile Grade Volume Control on Solid Stainless Steel knob
*10 Sections of fully regulated power supplies
*Separate toroidal transformers for the Digital and Analog sections.
*Separate Line Amp can be used with other external inputs (Tape or Tuner,Etc.) Gain = 16 dB
*DAC Direct Output for use with other Preamps or Control Centers.
*Burr Brown select grade PCM63P-K used with DF1704 digital filter for the most accurate decoding.
