Amplifier Music Hall a70.2
Testing amplifiers, we are rarely confronted with purely analog circuitry - following the trend of the market, most manufacturers equip new models of USB-in and built-in DAC. And what if we do not want to listen to music from your computer or in the system for this already has a separate converter?
Music Hall produces separate components for digital and analog playback, not to solve the problems of immunity and avoid them initially.
Compared to many other amps integralnik a70.2 is somewhat cumbersome due to a solid by today's standards cabinet height. Roy Hall, founder of the company, prefers to adapt product design under the constructive, and not vice versa, and does not try to follow the fashion in spite of the technical feasibility. In this case, because of the solid power output (2 x 180 watts into 4 ohms) took heat a larger area, and for better convection placed it vertically.
On the front panel, all the elements of the round, even fluorescent display has the shape of the window. On it by large blue symbols displayed designation active input and volume level. Brightness can be adjusted by remote control, down to zero.
In addition to the volume control on the front panel includes:
- Turning the input selector control signal relays;
- Load Switch A / B, and providing simultaneous operation of two pairs of speakers in different rooms;
- Mini Jack input for Apple gadgets and output to the headphones.
The rear panel are several informative. On it, in addition to the four outputs to speakers, showed a pair of balanced inputs, as well as a jack for vinyl turntable with MM-head, adjustable output with pre-section and direct input of the power amplifier.
The last two options are useful for the integration of multi-channel amplifier system with AV-processor.
The amplifier is on a "dual mono", ie separate power transformers for left and right channels. Solid construction with a thick aluminum front panel and led to a decent weight of the device - 14 kg.
Remote IR2.0 quite elegant - flat, with orderly rows of round buttons. This model is also equipped with CD-Player and Music Hall.
Amplifier does not require long warm-up - just a few minutes are set all the modes, and terminating transistors are located on the operating temperature. And immediately recognizable signature handwriting Music Hall. At low volume sound seems sterile, but then you realize that, in the words of one of my good friend, "power does not know what works". He is extremely honest brings to acoustics all that is output CD-player, and thus intelligently controls it in lowercase. Powerful electronic bass Depeche Mode felt all over, and at the same time it is collected, extremely specific and accurate - unnecessary movements diffusers do not even infralow area. The nature of the amplifier is fully manifested in the passages with a rich spectrum - if earlier and could suspect him of some neutrality or detachment, there is no choice of a trace. Very well served uppercase - if you want to easily hear the minute details, but if you want it as a forced focus on the tweeters is not done. Although there are overtones, superbly passed branded virtual atmosphere Depeche Mode - with a spark flashes of very bright tonal contrasts.
Symphonic works - a little less expressive, and thus more reliable. Sound coherent, musically balanced, without overflowing emotions, but the correct, natural and perfect to pedantry. Of course, much depends on the music itself - if it has the enthusiasm and energy, you get all this in full, but nothing extra from you will not be added.
Such restraint will come in handy when playing genres such as, say, "progressive metal". Energy from Dream Theater more than enough, the sound dense, uniformly filled range from tectonic bass to ultrasound - and all this is not in the plane and in an explicit three-dimensional space. The place is so hard, deep and regular, that the slightest gag all would be spoiled - and timbre resolution and clarity, and dynamic balance. Music Hall a70.2 very accurately depicts this picture, without apparent effort to sharp peaks, with a clear rhythmic pattern and minimal coloration.
It is curious how the exterior of the amplifier corresponds to the nature of its sound - neither here nor there is absolutely no nonsense, unvarnished, concise but convincing.
