Soulnote, a Japanese brand established in 2004 by former Marantz Japan director Norinaga Nakazawa, made a strong showing at its third Munich High End. Present in Soulnote’s exhibition space were the handsome P-3 preamplifier ($22,990), M-3 monoblocks ($21,990 each), and a turntable outfitted with a DS Audio DS E3 optical cartridge ($2750). A pair of M-3 monoblocks are headed my way for review, so I’ll soon have a handle on what these babies can deliver in my system.
Each monoblock has a single push-pull output stage with four-stage, industrial-grade Darlington can-type transistors. Small, lightweight copper-plate heat sinks, which double as bus bars to power the can transistors, are physically isolated from the chassis. The transformer is an “ultra-low loss 1600VA non-epoxy resin-filling toroidal,” Soulnote says, and is lighter than many on the market. Each monoblock weighs a manageable 68lb, has a maximum output of 160W into 4 ohms, and consumes only 110W.
Led by chief designer Hideki Kato, the brand’s design philosophy eschews negative feedback in favor of Type-R differential circuits, and the team prioritizes extensive listening. To quote the website, “Soulnote believes dynamic performance keeping accuracy of the original waveform on the time axis as the most important for music playback, which is, however, still unmeasurable by any of the conventional methods. At Soulnote, only listening dominates the determination and improvement of circuit, selection of parts and mechanical construction.”
As best I could hear over the nonstop chatter, on a track from M•A Recordings’ Será Una Noche, speed was no issue for the Soulnote electronics. They delivered an absolutely lovely midrange through YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2 loudspeakers ($99,000/pair).
Each monoblock has a single push-pull output stage with four-stage, industrial-grade Darlington can-type transistors. Small, lightweight copper-plate heat sinks, which double as bus bars to power the can transistors, are physically isolated from the chassis. The transformer is an “ultra-low loss 1600VA non-epoxy resin-filling toroidal,” Soulnote says, and is lighter than many on the market. Each monoblock weighs a manageable 68lb, has a maximum output of 160W into 4 ohms, and consumes only 110W.
Led by chief designer Hideki Kato, the brand’s design philosophy eschews negative feedback in favor of Type-R differential circuits, and the team prioritizes extensive listening. To quote the website, “Soulnote believes dynamic performance keeping accuracy of the original waveform on the time axis as the most important for music playback, which is, however, still unmeasurable by any of the conventional methods. At Soulnote, only listening dominates the determination and improvement of circuit, selection of parts and mechanical construction.”
