CES 2009

Ypsilon was showing a monster of an amplifier—the 120W SE-100 Mk. II($70,000/each). A single-ended hybrid, it uses a 5842 input tube and a row of MOSFET output devices. It's entirely wired point-to-point and sports custom power transformers. Of course, it's stuffed with boutique components.

I've never subscribed to the "too much power is almost enough" school of thought—and, truth to tell, 100w isn't all that much—but the Ypsilons had more of that effortless imperturbablity that I heard from other massive amplifiers this week. It's not overwhelming, simply a sense that everything is under control—it's soothing, really.

The SET-100 Mk. II had that in spades.