Craig Joyce auditions a superlative, cost-no-object high-end mono energy amplifier…
Karan Acoustics
POWERa Mono Energy Amplifier
AUD $169,000 RRP (pair)
Established in the summertime of 1986 by Milan Karanthe Novi Unhappy, Serbian-based outfit Karan Acoustics initially specialised within the servicing and upkeep of complicated medical and TV broadcasting gear. A ardour for music steered the corporate in direction of the design and manufacture of high-end audio elements, culminating within the firm’s debut hi-fi product being launched in 1989. Since then, it has targeted on making state-of-the-art solid-state audio electronics, striving for the best constancy.
The brand new Grasp Assortment POWERa monoblock continues this trajectory; a pair prices a cool $169,000 in Australia, for which you get an immense 2.1kW of energy per aspect. The head of the corporate’s lineup, it’s a monstrous factor within the flesh – every measures 504x292x603mm (WxHxD) and weighs 105kg! As you’ll count on, the amplifier is delivered in industrial-strength wood crates; it’s no less than a two-person job to maneuver out of the crate and into your most well-liked place to be used. Karan recommends using devoted amplifier stands to assist this unwieldy mass.
The chassis design is hanging; completed completely in aluminium, it has a glass black fascia inside which is a crimson illuminated Karan brand. A strong CNC-machined piece of aluminium is used as a single-piece unibody heatsink for the output units, negating the necessity for obtrusive heatsink fins or energetic cooling. All Karan merchandise are underpinned by three CMS CS2 supporting toes, guaranteeing minimal vibration transmission between the elements and the floor they relaxation on.
Rated at 2,100W into 8 ohms – and with a claimed 6kW into 2 ohms – this isn’t your on a regular basis energy amplifier. Achieve is put at a reasonably excessive 30dB, so care have to be taken degree matching when including this amplifier to an current multi-channel system. The quoted frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz (+/-0dB), signal-to-noise ratio is put at >120dB, and THD is 0.03% – all glorious figures.
Working in Class A mode, this amplifier is DC-coupled with no capacitors within the audio sign path to compromise sound. Karan’s merchandise are grounded in solid-state expertise, utilizing cutting-edge Ring Emitter Transistor (RET) bipolar output units working with zero total suggestions. High quality is alleged to be paramount: “We use solely the highest-grade, custom-made elements. The digital boards are meticulously designed, that includes 75um and 105um copper layers for optimum efficiency. These are decoupled utilizing custom-engineered mechanical components, eliminating suggestions from the unit chassis.”
Every POWERa options two massive toroidal energy transformers, rated at 2.7 kVA. This distinctive setup requires two IEC 15A plugs behind every amplifier for energy provide. An in-house designed Line Conditioner is inbuilt, claimed to eradicate undesirable DC elements within the mains provide. In response to the corporate, the latter could cause mechanical vibrations and resonances within the mains transformer cores, severely impacting sound. It’s potential to manually disable this through a change on the again of the unit. The facility provide has 210,000uF of capacitance. Karan notes that it has “minimal inner impedance with massive capacitance reserves for ample dynamic headroom.”
Powering up this amplifier is a hands-on course of, as there’s no distant management or set off cable enter accessible. Karan suggests initially working it for no less than 100 hours to get each passive and energetic elements acting at their peak. The handbook advises permitting sixty minutes for the amplifier to heat up and attain optimum efficiency however doesn’t advocate leaving it on on a regular basis. A five-year components and labour guarantee comes as commonplace. I streamed hi-res audio from Qobuz utilizing Roon to guage these energy amplifiers in my system. An MSB Premier DAC acted as a preamplifier, and my reference pair of JBL K2 S9900 loudspeakers had been used.
THE LISTENING
As a each day person of huge monoblocks – in my case, McIntosh MC1201s – I’m aware of the advantages of huge dynamic headroom, and the POWERa underlined them. It proved to be essentially the most spectacular monoblock I’ve had in my system to this point. There isn’t a trace of distortion or compression, even when pushing the outer limits of my loudspeakers – and my potential to remain in the identical room at such punishing volumes. This amplifier sounds extremely visceral, but it surely’s not on the expense of accuracy or transient response; it has super immediacy that’s onerous to dwell with out when you’ve skilled it.
Whether or not you’re listening to finely recorded classical, driving rock or expansive electronica, the POWERa by no means breaks right into a sweat. Capable of retrieve intricate element from inside an immense soundstage, it attracts out acoustic treats in a fragile method. Though comfortable to play alongside superbly at decrease quantity ranges, once you open up the throttle, you’re rewarded with near-limitless energy and a tremendous wall of sound that’s each crystal clear and extremely musically articulate.
For instance, the indie rock of bdrmm’s It’s Simply A Bit Of Blood makes use of the full width of the soundstage to create an enveloping sound that skilfully avoids the compression that lesser amplification invariably delivers. Whereas fairly within the quieter sections, this tune actually will get into its stride when the guitar strumming ramps up, with discordant harmonics taking part in off each other and browsing the soundstage.
Grian Chatten’s Fairlies is an excellent slice of folks rock, embedding sharp hooks with a singalong refrain. Powered by the Karans, the rolling rhythms of the monitor tether some impeccably recorded vocals. With a lightweight dusting of reverb and a few dynamic acoustic guitar taking part in, the monitor is a right-foot thumper. At reasonable listening volumes, the POWERa creates an intimate and pleasing listening expertise, however when the temper hits and the amount is kicked up, the insistent liquid bassline and infectious vocals turn into extra distinguished and rapid. The folks-inspired wigout that finishes the tune positive aspects depth and drive that’s missed on lesser methods.
Ecstasy Summer season’s Cauldron opens the band’s Skylarking album with a beautiful pastoral background and singer Andy Partridge’s plaintive vocals. Because the tune progresses, hen and bug noises monitor throughout the soundstage; through the POWERa, their presence proved extra participating and fewer grating than anticipated. Because the percussion broke in, I used to be stunned by the velocity and ease by which these amplifiers made the 15” woofers in my massive JBL loudspeakers dance. Understanding this tune intimately, I used to be additionally struck by the width and depth of the soundstage. This beguiling mid-eighties monitor sounded particularly refreshed through the Karan monoblocks.
Marc Almond’s peerless collaborative cowl of Gene Pitney’s One thing’s Gotten Maintain Of My Coronary heart sounded elegant by way of the POWERa amplifiers. The singing demonstrated this amplifier’s superb management, and the percussion work was splendidly tangible and visceral. Even at modest volumes, the push and pull of those two nice singers created a palpable rigidity that the Karan made totally engrossing to take heed to.
This vice-like grip extends right down to the low frequencies, as properly. Autechre’s Kalpol Introl is likely to be thirty years outdated this 12 months, however through the Karans, the listening expertise was transformative. Masterful digital composers, Sales space and Brown layer sampled percussion and fats analogue synths with complete precision. The convenience with which the POWERa amplifiers let the bass and sub-bass tear aside the combination was fairly one thing to listen to. The consequence was fascinating after giving the amplifiers extra quantity – with even higher element and texture turning into obvious.
Exodus by Noisia and KRS-One is an explosive monitor that assessments the bounds of any critical hi-fi system, and the evaluation pair of POWERa monoblocks delivered right here in spades. The sound had unbelievable dynamics, coming throughout in equal components violent, visceral and forceful. The contrasts in ranges skilled in numerous sections of the recording had been merely mind-blowing and, I think about, harmful to my long-term ear well being. In comparison with the Mark Levinson ML50 amplifiers I reviewed lately, I might sense the compression of the audio when pushed to the restrict, however not so with the Karan.
THE VERDICT
Karan’s new flagship monoblock energy amplifier is astonishingly succesful and raises the bar for the competitors. It could actually push insane quantities of energy into any loudspeaker, no matter its sensitivity or load traits. It has nice rhythmic alacrity, firecracker dynamics, and huge tracts of bass driving energy, but is exact, articulate and blessed with unerring accuracy. Regardless of the sound strain degree the listener requests, the POWERa doesn’t a lot as blink, not to mention break right into a sweat.
That’s the reason, regardless of the extraordinarily excessive worth, I firmly consider that this pair of monoblock energy amplifiers represents true excellence – you definitely pay rather a lot, however you get rather a lot again! It’s for these searching for playback perfection, and the POWERa is a real endgame objective. When you search the top of recent amplification perfection, then look no additional – you’ve simply discovered it.
