We received our first batch of Atoll (made in France with 3 year warranty) gear in April. I focused on the entry level integrated amps right away. Wow! They are CLASS BUSTING!

Atoll handily surpasses its like price, Chinese competitors.

The brawn… weight and horse power they bring to the party at unusually fair pricing is absolutely unique in our industry. I’m referencing sound quality, not bells and whistles.

All of the Atolls are dual mono design. The IN100 Signature for only $2100 is the first unit in the line to incorporate TWO large toroidal transformers. Have a look inside Atoll and then check out the other guys- ANY of the other guys. You’ll be impressed with Atoll.

If you’re hunting for an integrated amp that can wake your speakers up, and deliver bass power like you’ve never heard before, you’re in for a treat.

Atoll’s three entry level integrateds are power houses. They leave the flimsy imports high and dry. The difference, especially with IN100 Sig, is dramatic. $2k alternatives from China feature flimsy switching power supplies and thin sound.

I’ve gotten to know Atoll very well and appreciate what they do – even more so every day. Each time we run Big Boy Brystons, Atohms or Magnepans off these integrateds, I can’t believe so little money buys such big performance with Atoll integrateds.

Bigger Brothers

More recently, I’ve gotten to the Atoll bigger brother integrateds. The three entry level integrateds were so good, I wasn’t sure the two bigger brothers could offer proportionately more for the extra money.

Well… I’m happy to report that if you have commensurate speakers, Atoll’s IN200 Signature and IN300 Signature- do to their price-like competition, what the three smaller brothers do to THEIR competition!

It starts with GIGUNDO dual mono design, from the transformers on. Both the 200 & 300 have dual transformers, large banks of filter caps and MATCHED MOSFET output transistors. Further, the transformers and other parts aren’t generic “off the shelf’ components. Atoll has transformers custom made for them in Spain. They use metal casing for isolation and internal resin to eliminate any buzzing. The filter caps are custom made (Japan) for Atoll as well. These caps achieve outstanding ESR and you can hear the benefits in rich, gripping bass response.

Atoll hand matches MOSFET output transistors. By running hand matched transistors, you don’t incur the grain or harshness of randomly installed transistors. Atoll achieves a smooth, warm sound compared to the edgy sound you’ll hear in any of the Chinese competitors.

Have a look inside these two marvelous integrateds. You get large and superior parts. Further, these integrateds are constructed like a work of art. The boards are symmetrical with no spaghetti. Amps built with wire running all over the place attract hum/noise as the wires pick up RFI- and hundreds of solder joints invite poor connections and early failure.

We’re making the effort to spell out these nuts and bolts because most people start their shopping experience online. You need to know what to look for. Instead of shopping watts and features, please look for bigger/better transformers, filter caps and matched output transistors. Also look for a CLEANLY laid out and constructed design. Nobody beats Atoll. By paying attention to these details you can make sense out of which products will sound the best. You won’t find the answer on advertisements / data sheets.

Atoll IN200 Signature Integrated Amp $2800 (120×2)

IN200 Sig uses two 340VA transformers. It uses 62,853uF filter capacitance. It uses four MATCHED MOSFET output transistors per channel.

IN200 Sig achieves resolution a distinct cut above its smaller brother, IN100 Sig. When you hear IN100 Sig, you’ll love it. If you get to hear IN200 Sig right next to it, you’ll notice how the focus tightens and the bass improves. At $2800 the IN200 Sig is in line stage form. If you want a DAC or phono board, you add them a la carte.

Atoll IN300 Signature Integrated Amp $4500 (150×2)

IN300 Signature is my favorite integrated amp on the market, all things considered. For openers, the price includes the DA200 DAC board- which is an option for $500 on IN200 Sig above.

IN300 Sig uses two 440VA transformers. It uses 86,400uF filter capacitance. It uses six MATCHED MOSFET output transistors per channel.

IN300 Sig is something extra special. To unveil its power and glory, you have to have speakers in the same league. If you have some Chinese import speakers, just buy a lesser integrated and call it a day. Save the extra $ to help with better speakers some day.

If you’re lucky enough to have fabulous speakers like Brystons, Atohms or Pans, NOW we’re talkin’! IN300 Sig will bring music out of your floor boards even better than the 200 can.

To appreciate Atoll’s value, take a look at what you get from the other guys. Hi-Fi news magazine is particularly forthcoming about what is IN the gear they review. The new Lux 509z sells for $12,500 (120×2). I’m sure it’s very nice. IN300 Sig uses a pair of toroidal transformers, EACH almost as large as the SINGLE e-core transformer used in the Lux. IN300 Sig even uses more filter capacitance. Atoll runs matched output transistors. The Lux includes phono and meters (which are worthless as they don’t depict wattage like McIntosh does). Atoll is made in France. Lux is made in Japan. The Lux costs $8000 more. I’m not saying the Lux isn’t good. I AM saying Atoll is a smarter choice for your money! Saving $8k on the amp allows you to spend a lot more on speakers where it will pay off.

Atoll PH100 Phono Preamp $700

Also in Atoll’s arsenal is an outstanding phono preamp that supports MM & MC. We have sold PH100 for both applications. The customers have nothing but raves for its performance, whether running an MM or low output Ortofon MC.

You COULD buy a Bryston for $3200, or a Hegel for $1650. But, I’d recommend you spend $700 for the Atoll. The diff in phono preamps is tiny. We can find smarter ways to allot your audio investment.

Stars Who Popped From Groups

There have been many groups where each member was strong, but one member went on to have even a greater career on their own. For me, the singer who has gone the longest way above her group is Beyonce, from Destiny’s Child. Some others that didn’t do half bad:

Beatles, All 4 did great, but the sum still beats the parts

Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young

Commodores, Lionel Richie

Cream, Eric Clapton

Doobie Bros, Michael McDonald

Eurythmics, Annie Lennox

First Edition, Kenny Rogers

Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks

Fugees, Lauryn Hill

Generation X, Billy Idol

Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel

Go Gos, Belinda Carlisle

Jacksons, Michael, not Tito

No Doubt, Gwen Stefani

N Sync, Justin Timberlake

One Direction, Harry Styles

Police, Sting

Smiths, Morrissey

Sugarcubes, Bjork

Supremes, Diana Ross

Velvet Underground, Lou Reed

Wham, George Michael

Atohm Speakers From France

We started dealing with Atoll Electronique of France a few months back and have been BLOWN AWAY by how good the line is for such reasonable money!

The same American importer, Emilios Mandalios, told me I HAD to audition an amazing line of French speakers- Atohm. I definitely wasn’t shopping for speakers, but Emilios earned his credibility with Atoll. So I said OK, prove it to me.

He did! What differentiates Atohm from all the other attractive, nice sounding Euro speakers is that Atohm has class defying bass performance and the ability to play loudly- that the other guys in the same category SIMPLY DON’T.

We’ve had a nice run with Amphion of Finland. But they raised prices over a third during covid. Their speakers sound lovely. But they don’t play loudly enough for our more boisterous customers. Atohm has no such limitations!

Atohm

Atohm speakers are made in their own house in France. They don’t just buy parts from vendors and assemble them.

Most of the speakers you see on the market are made in China by one of a thousand job houses. They’re building widgets and slap one brand name or another on them, like labeling golf shirts.

Most of the rest of the speakers out there are assemblers. They buy drivers from China, Europe or where ever, screw them into boxes- and call it high science. Neither of the above business models are what Atohm does.

Atohm’s Formula

Atohm makes speakers that are manageable in size, sound and look gorgeous, and play with majestic gusto! This is a unique combination of talents. Plenty of speakers out there of modest size, look and sound good. But when it comes to kicking fanny, they fall short. Atohm does not.

Atohm is a welcome exception to Euro speakers that sound good, but have lightweight bass and can’t fill American living rooms.

Atohm has exquisite detail and fabulous imaging characteristics. Atohm can provide a locked in center image that doesn’t drift. Even more impressive is their ability to image beyond the bounds of where the cabinets sit. You’ll be impressed with the deep and wide soundstage. It’s almost spooky hearing music from the space in front of you- NOT limited to where the speaker cabinets are.

What makes Atohm different, and I’ll argue BETTER than the other guys, is that they produce a BIG sound and WILL play to very strong volume levels. Further, they do this with cabinets that are small to moderate in size. Few people in Europe have a living room as big as yours.

There are a thousand and one boxes Atohm checks to deliver this level of sonic excellence, with outstanding power. We’ll list a few here and then link you to Atohm’s impressive Technical Book.

GT Series

Atohm’s GT Series is its top line of speakers. The finish work features elegant walnut, piano black or piano white. Atohm provides two grill options with each speaker system. They include both with every purchase because they’re equally popular. These speakers will look gorgeous in your house!

Atohm speakers start with their own 1” silk dome technology with ferrofluid. It uses a copper ring to linearize and reduce inductance. The coil itself is made of Copper Clad Aluminum, which provides great conductivity with light weight. Atohm uses a unique inner hang design which allows shorter winding lengths than what is traditional. This insures lower distortion than a more traditional

design. The tweeter baffle is constructed of injected aluminum which eliminates interfering vibrations. The rear wave is channeled through the core and then damped in the rear chamber. All this techno talk results is a fast, detailed, powerful NON BRIGHT sounding high end.

Atohm mid-bass and woofer drivers are comprised of a metal alloy design. The coil former is made of Kapton/Nomex. The peripheral suspension features a special profile for linear performance. Atohm makes extensive use of laser interferometry to optimize the movements and interactions among its parts. By using rigid materials and stable adhesives, the drivers maintain a high degree of precision- which cannot be said for paper or woven cone diaphragms.

Atohm cabinets are constructed with audio and aesthetic considerations in mind. The cabinets don’t run parallel walls to avoid standing waves. The speakers have internal braces and absorptive foam on all walls. The towers offer a chamber that can be filled with sand for superior rigidity and further damping. Atohm uses a laser vibrometer to dial in its cabinet nuances. They use a unique PDS double plinth decoupling isolation system at the base of their enclosures. This all but eliminates vibration to the floor and is cherry on top of being sure the cabinet’s energy is controlled optimally for deep and powerful base. The PDS eliminates any proclivity for the cabinet to boom.

The imaging of Atohm speakers can best be described by Seinfeld’s girlfriend, THEY’RE SPECTACULAR! It’s uncanny how they can place a vocal dead center in your room and it doesn’t wander. Even more impressive is their ability to cast an image well beyond the confines of the cabinets in width and depth. Please visit so we can prove it. The bass is solid and all of these models play plenty loudly despite the modest footprint in your room.

Models

GT-1 $4500 Per Pair

13h, 7.87w, 10.43d, 27 lbs, 89dB, 6 ohms

6” Bass/Mid & Tweeter

Tweeter level control

GT 1.0 is a luscious, high end stand mount with more bass and power capability than you would dream- given the traditional performance of speakers this size. Its imaging is astonishing. I don’t just mean center vocal, but its ability to project images well beyond the positions of the cabinets will shock you.

GT-2 $7500 Per Pair

42.71h, 7.87w, 10.43d, 58 lbs, 90dB, 6 ohms

Two 6” Bass/Mids in 2.5 way configuration & Tweeter

Tweeter & Midrange level controls

GT-2 is just what you would expect, an even more powerful sibling to its smaller brother. It maintains the imaging advantages of GT-1, but adds depth and power in a gorgeous, surprisingly lean tower.

GT-3 $13,000 Per Pair

46.85h, 9.45w, 17.12d, 83 lbs, 92dB, 6 ohms

7” Woofer, 6” Midrange & Tweeter

Tweeter & Midrange level controls

GT-3 is the culmination of all things Atohm. While it uses the same tweeter as its brothers above, it uses a specific, dedicated 6” midrange driver and a prodigious 7” woofer was well. It’s bigger as well as being more clear and powerful.

Seong-Jin Cho – Pianist

Born 1994 in S Korea, Cho was learning the piano and violin. He played many sports and was what he describes as a pretty normal S Korean kid from in a single child family. He was far from a Little Emperor.

What were you doing at age 10? My parents had Peter, Paul & Mary on LP. I had a few 45s by then, Beach Boys & Martha and The Vandellas. All I did was play baseball all summer and hockey all winter. That was more than enough for me.

Cho, at age 10, got the competitive spirit and decided he HAD to raise his game on piano. He went from easy youth pieces into the deep end of Chopin Scherzos- never to look back. By age 14 he was winning international competitions and even won the prestigious Chopin Competition at 21. His career took off and he’s recorded for DG ever since. His recordings include probably my favorite version of the Chopin scherzi, recorded in 2021. So again, what were you doing at age 10?