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Before performing tests on an amplifier, I thermally stress it by running both channels for 60 minutes into 8 ohms at one-third the specified power—in the case of the Naim Supernait, 27Wpc. The THD+noise percentage was 0.025% at the beginning of that period; it hadn't significantly changed at the end, by which time the amplifier's case was quite hot, though not so that I couldn't keep my hand on it.

Looking first at the Naim's digital input, it locked on to data with sample rates ranging from 32 to 96kHz, and the input was non-inverting. A signal at 0dBFS…

Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier with balanced and unbalanced inputs. Specified output power: 1000W continuous sinewave power into 8 ohms, 20Hz–20kHz (30dBW). Power bandwidth: 1Hz–100kHz, ±3dB. Distortion: 0.005%, 20Hz–20kHz at 1kW into 8 ohms. Intermodulation distortion: 0.007%, 60Hz+7kHz mixed 4:1. Signal/noise ratio: 110dB ref. 29dB gain, full output, input shorted, 20Hz–20kHz. Damping factor: >500 at 20Hz, ref. 8 ohms. Input sensitivity for full output: 3.2V unbalanced (29dB setting), 6.4V balanced (23dB setting). Input impedance: 30k…

Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12/Lingo turntable, Linn Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge; Day-Sequerra Classic FM tuner.
Digital Sources: Krell KRC-28 CD player, Sony SCD-C555ES multichannel SACD/CD player, Slim Devices Squeezebox network music player.
Preamplification: VTL TL-6.5, Krell KCT preamplifiers; Bryston 10B-Sub electronic crossover.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.334, Krell FPB-600c, VTL S-400.
D/A Integrated Amplifier: Bryston B100-DA.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989, Revel Ultima Salon, Escalante Design Fremont; JL…

I preconditioned the Bryston 28B-SST by running it at 330W into 8 ohms for an hour. The THD+noise was 0.00265% at the start; by the end of the hour, it had dropped slightly, to 0.00218%. The amplifier's heatsinks were way too hot to touch after 60 minutes, but despite the thermal abuse, the amplifier didn't turn itself off.

The amplifier was non-inverting from both its balanced and unbalanced inputs. The voltage gain into 8 ohms was 28.75dB from both inputs with the gain switch set to "29dB/1V," 22.9dB with it set to "23dB/2V." The input impedance was…

What? Ain't that a video interface? Sure, but HDMI can also handle multiple channels of audio in all current high-resolution formats, including DSD and uncompressed PCM. Everywhere I went at the Denver Convention Center, manufacturers were shouting that their players had HDMI outputs and their pre-pros and AVRs had multiple HDMI inputs, although…

I then went through the now-familiar setup procedures of associating the physical inputs with the logical names that appear on the…

Nonetheless, I was a bit unnerved by all this. It may contribute to my preferring SACDs transcoded to PCM by the Oppo…

HAYDN: Die Schöpfung Miah Persson, soprano; Topi Lehtipu, tenor; David Wilson-Johnson, baritone; Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg & Salzburger Bach Chor, Ivor Bolton Oehms Classics OEH609 (2 SACDs)

Haydn's joyously spectacular oratorio The Creation has been one of my favorite pieces since I was in college, when Vladimir Ussachevsky introduced me to the remarkably forward-thinking opening depiction of Chaos. What tone painting—and what follows is melodious and uplifting. I own four other recordings, but this one joins the top of the list for its…