Atoll MA100, $1500, 100×2
Lots of you reading this have old electronics. You’re leaving performance on the table with an old power amp in particular.
Atoll makes my favorite amplifier values in our business. They’re made in their own house, in France, with a three year warranty. It would be wise to consider replacing your old brand X for a host of reasons.
First of all, many of our customers have amps that were made in China. They were purchased because they were cost effective. Whether you have Adcom, Rotel, Cambridge, Parasound, NAD or whatever, the average life span of these amps is about a decade. If you’ve gotten more than a decade out of your Chinese built amp, consider yourself fortunate. You’re playing with house money.
This genre of amplifier falls prey to heat above all else. Having circuit boards with piles of chips, tied together with dental floss sized wire, is a recipe for wearing out. Keep in mind, these amps were built on contract by SOME VENDOR and the goal, let’s face facts, was to last one day longer than the warranty period. Anything beyond that is gravy. It’s actually impressive when one of these amps lasts a decade or more.
Of course you can wait for your power amp to die, to replace it. That’s what most people do. Buttt, I’m recommending you consider an Atoll power amp for your upgrade. I’m starting here with AM100.
Atoll provides a richer, warmer sound than any of the afore mentioned amps. Atoll can deliver this level of sound because of the way it is built.
First of all, the Atoll amps are AB design, running 15% plus class A. This is a big head start advantage vs the other guys who run Ds, or AB amps with lots of switching.
Atoll power supplies are LINEAR, not switching (SMPS). This alone, is a distinct advantage in delivering full, robust sound to your speakers.
Atoll uses a PAIR of 340VA transformers they have made for them in Spain. Check out your amp. I bet you have one- and it isn’t as substantial as a single Atoll, much less two. Further, Atoll transformers are built to higher standards than the high loss, high buzzing transformer in your old amp.
Atoll runs MATCHED MOSFET output transistors. Your amp doesn’t. MATCHED transistors deliver a smooth tonal balance as opposed to sound that is more grainy. When a vendor buys transistors from a parts house and installs them right out of the box, you have distortion characteristics that become exponentially harsh. Atoll takes the trouble to MATCH transistors so you’ll derive a more smooth and mellow sound. We often run AM100 with speakers like Klipsch, which are tremendously dynamic, but can sound too crispy with hard edged amps.
Atoll circuit boards are works of art. They’re made in their own house in France. They have through hole parts, not surface mount parts. The through hole parts deliver superior sound and accommodate heat with no problems. They’re also more serviceable many years down the road. With an old Chinese amp, you’d be wise to toss it a decade down the road. Any money you put into it will be a bandaid. Like a worn out car, you get poor performance and it will be a money pit going forward. Please don’t throw good money after bad.
Have a look inside AM100. The only wires are short runs of thick wire running from the transformers to junction points. There is no mass of spaghetti in Atoll. There IS a raceway of dental floss connecting various PCBs punched out in stations- with everyone else.
AM100 features the afore mentioned DUO of outstanding transformers and over 32,000uF of power supply capacitance. Further, Atoll has designed these caps and they’re made in Japan, not China. There’s a big difference.
Atoll has a unique array of high quality parts, installed with secure integrity on their own PCBs. French humans make this gear, in France. They don’t buy finished boards from China and “assemble” them in France- to try to fake you out by calling it French built. Atoll is built in France, right from populating its boards on up to finished construction.
AM100 is a great choice because it’s only $1500. It is warm enough to run with any speakers, but perhaps an especially sage choice with speakers that have a grainy tint. I mentioned Klipsch with horns above. With the mass produced Chinese amps the Ks will sound edgy. With Atoll, they’re very palatable.
AM100 has testosterone in its bass. It can drive Magnepans well, which is no walk in the park. Stop in to hear AM100 with ANY of the Pans. You’ll swear we have a $6-10k Bryston or Mac amp fired up!
AM100 has vocal character with fluidity. All the Chinese amps BITE in the middle and top. They can’t help it. They have beleaguered power supplies and miss matched output transistors. It’s endemic to the design.
AM100 will run efficient Ks without grunge. It will run demanding Pans with smoothness and weight in the bass that will surprise you. It will drive Brystons with aplomb. You’ll hear the muscular bass and Steinway Smooth top end that Bryston is famous for.
AM100 is a forgiving partner with edgy speakers. If you have any of the mass produced Chinese speakers, consider AM100 to tame them down. Speakers like these are voiced BRIGHT to grab your attention in the showroom. They invariably sound gritty on top and thin in the bass when you get to know them. A real strength of Atoll is that you can glean far more musicality from flawed speakers that generally sound raw.
Atoll also makes a few other power amps in the family. They have bigger transformers, caps and more output transistors. Their general FLAVOR is the same, which is marvelous. I’m bringing AM100 to your attention because it will likely do you well. Maybe you should look at investing more in other components in your system.
Here are some of they other guys.
