Leading the pack is the Power 3 Mono Amplifier. Rated at 220 watts per channel,
the Power 3 has both the control and the muscle to deal with today’s most
demanding speaker loads. The Power 3 is followed closely by the Power 2 and
Power 1 Stereo Amplifiers rated at 110 watts and 55 watts respectively. Designed
as a group, the Power Series amplifiers were developed to bring audio amplification
to a new and higher realm of performance and each have the following exceptional
design features in common.
LOW DISTORTION,
an innovative approach to the implementation of
feedback avoids the common sonic downfalls traditionally associated with this
design method. The results are staggering - exceptionally low distortion under any
power condition throughout the entire audio spectrum.
HIGH DAMPING FACTOR,
according to popular belief, damping factor
is a term used to describe an amplifier’s ability to control motional behavior of a
l o u d s p e a ker by damping or shorting the back emf produced by a speake r’s voice
coil; acting as an electronic brake of sorts. A high damping factor ensures that the
a m p l i f i e r’s frequency response will not vary due to frequency related load impedance
changes common to most speaker systems. Many conventional tube amps suffer
quite dramatically in this area due to their inherent high output impedance and
low damping factor, thereby reducing the range of speakers with which the amplifier
will effectively work. The Power Series amplifiers are a notable exception to this
p r e c o n c e p t i o n. Sonically, midrange frequencies snap into focus and bass
frequency reproduction rivals the best solid state designs, allowing the amplifier
to have a seamlessly integrated tonal balance and harmonic structure from top to
b o t t o m .
PARTIAL-TRIODE OPERATION,
the amplifiers operate in a distributed
load (partial triode) manner, resulting in extremely linear performance. Each
amplifier delivers its full rated power equally into 8, 4 or 2 ohm taps, reacting
much like a voltage source, delivering more current as speaker loads become
more demanding or less current as loads increase above the operating range of
the chosen output tap. The benefit of this characteristic is that the amplifier will
have continual power at any frequency, under essentially any speaker load condition.
FULLY-BALANCED DESIGN,
from input to output, including the output
transformers. This approach maximizes all the advantages of common mode
rejection and even-order harmonic distortion reduction inherent with this topology.
The Power Series amplifiers are one of a select handful of tube amplifiers which
utilize this sophisticated approach to amplifier circuit topology design.
DIRECT-COUPLED DRIVER,
direct coupling of the amplifier’s low
impedance driver stage to the output tube grids prevents a common occurrence
in more conventional amplifiers - signal blocking. In the Power 3 and 2 amplifiers,
direct coupling removes the cap from the signal path, eliminating blocking and
thus, allowing instantaneous recovery from clipping and overload conditions.
USER-FRIENDLY BIAS SCHEME,
utilizing a simple-to-adjust
t w o-color LED (per output tube) system for bias, the Power Series amplifiers are
extremely easy to bias accurately, without the need for cumbersome, expensive
and failure-prone meters.
POWER SERIES FEATURE CHART
FEATURES
POWER 1
POWER 2
POWER 3
Rated Power - Watts Per Channel
55 W/CH
110 W/CH
220 W/CH
Power Rating (20 Hz to 20 kHz
<1% THD, Both Channels Driven)
YES
YES
YES
Fully Symmetrical Balanced Design
(Input to Output)
YES
YES
YES
Push-Pull (Ultra-Linear Design)
YES
YES
YES
Class of Operation
AB 1
AB 1
AB 1
Direct Coupled Output
NO
YES
YES
3 Output Taps
2/4/8 ohms
2/4/8 ohms
2/4/8 ohms
Power Bandwidth (Hz to kHz)
5-58
5-110
5-120
Frequency Response (Hz to kHz)
3-77
2-120
2-150
Input Sensitivity
0.94V
1.25V
2.2V
Input Impedance (Balanced/SE)
200K/100K
200K/100K
200K/100K
Output Impedance
0.28 ohms
0.30 ohms
0.25 ohms
Hum & Noise
-95dB
-110dB
-110dB
SE (+/- phase) & Balanced
YES 2/1
YES 2/1
YES 2/1
Externally Accessible Bias
YES
YES
YES
Standby Feature
YES
YES
YES
Mute Function
YES
YES
YES
Damping Factor
>35
>50
>50
Binding Posts
CARDAS
CARDAS
CARDAS
S/E Input Jacks
KIMBER
KIMBER
KIMBER
Printed Circuit Board Type
SMOBC, 3/32”
SMOBC, 3/32”
SMOBC, 3/32”
3.5oz Copper
3.5oz Copper
3.5oz Copper
Parts Quality
GREAT
INCREDIBLE
PHENOMENAL
Weight (net)
50 lbs
110 lbs
100 lbs each
MULTIPLE INPUTS,
the Power Series amplifiers offer three different input
options: balanced (on XLR), single-ended non-inverting (on RCA) and single-ended
i n v e rting (on RCA). These input options are accessible via a four-position rotary
switch on the rear of the amplifier - the fourth position is mute.
MUTE FUNCTION,
accessible via the rear panel rotary switch and indicated
by a red LED on the front faceplate, this function provides a convenient way of changing
cables without the need to power down the amplifier.
STANDBY MODE,
indicated by a two-color LED on the front faceplate (green
for Operate mode; red for Standby mode) and engaged by a front panel switch, this
feature allows the user to keep the amplifier on and pre-heated (keeping the tube
filaments warm), yet reducing current through the output tubes by approximately
ninety percent. This is recommended in order to maintain warm-up conditions for
optimal listening, while at the same time reducing “w e a r” on the output tubes when
not listening to the amplifier.
RESOLUTION AND CONTROL,
with the rare ability to convey both the
weight and authority of reference-caliber bass performance, concurrently with the
ability to reproduce subtle nuances which make the musical images believable and
l i f e l i ke, the Power Series of amplifiers, are unique in their market.
THROUGH INNOVATIVE, INDUSTRY-LEADING CIRCUIT DESIGNS, CAREFUL PARTS
SELECTION, EXCEPTIONAL HANDCRAFTSMANSHIP AND COMPREHENSIVE TESTING,
SONIC FRONTIERS POWER SERIES OF AMPLIFIERS HAS PUSHED BOTH THE SONIC
AND TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE OF VACUUM TUBE AMPLIFIERS WELL INTO THE
21ST CENTURY.
AFTER MORE THAN TWO
YEARS OF INNOVATIVE AND
TECHNICALLY-ADVANCED
ENGINEERING, SONIC
FRONTIERS UNLEASHES THE
POWER SERIES OF POWER
AMPLIFIERS.
