At the 2012 CES, Soulution Audio's Cyrill Hamer introduced me to the Swiss company's reference line of 700 monoblock amplifier ($130,000/pair) and the dual-mono, dual-differential 710 stereo (now $55,000) amplifier Michael Fremer reviewed and liked so much in August 2011. At this year's CES, Soulution presented its less-expensive 500 line. While keeping the same appearance as the Reference line, the 500 line features different internal designs, including the company's first integrated amplifier, the 530 integrated preamplifier/amplifier ($49,000).

The 530's preamplifier section includes a phono input, and an AV bypass option (called "surround") to integrate the 530 with a home-theater processor. Its amplifier section is rated at 125Wpc into 8 ohms, 250WPC intro 4 ohms, and 500Wpc into 2 ohms, the entire unit can deliver 45 amperes of current and has a frequency range of DC to 800kHz. Distortion products are at –l120dB, with a THD+N rating of 0.001%, 20Hz–20kHz. Inside, the 530 has 9 power supplies, totally separate preamplifier and amplifier sections, and dual-mono construction. Its amplifier stages are maintained with a high idle bias current to keep the unit in class-A operation. Using the 540 CD Player ($32,000) for source material, Soulution demmed the 530 integrated amplifier driving a pair of Magico S5 loudspeakers ($29,500/pair).