CES 2015

"What kills me is that in my own showroom I have the same Wilson Alexia loudspeakers that Nagra is using, but they sound better in their set-up, and they aren't even using room treatment," lamented a retailer whose identity shall forever remain unspoken. What better compliment can one pay to Nagra's forthcoming HD amplifiers?

In April, Nagra introduces their Classic Line 120Wpc stereo amplifier (the smaller metal box in the photo), whose price maybe in the $14,500 range. A replacement for the current MSA model, which will be discontinued, it's a MOSFET design with as few output devices as possible, and is bridgeable for mono.

"We come from the recording world, where the goal is no coloration and maximum transparency," Nagra's Marketing Director, Matthiew Latour, told Stereophile. "We want to hear what's on the disc. To do that, we're manufacturing in Switzerland, and really building our amp like a Swiss watch."

Then comes Nagra's big HD range monoblock baby (which I heard), a MOSFET design capable of a constant 1000W into low impedances and claiming a 1MHz bandwidth at –5dB. A companion to Nagra's HD DAC, its 1600VA transformer weighs over 39 lbs. These amps may be poised to give the Constellation behemoths a run for their money.

Of the monoblock, due in September, Latour says, "We don't usually consider price when we design products. But here, we didn't consider size either. Our goal is maximum power and tremendous bass control while maintaining the transparency of our other products. This is our first opportunity to answer requests for an amp that will supply enough power for a big system in a big room."

You already know about the sound. Allied with the superb Alexias, it was tremendous.