Integrated amplifiers — Einstein Audio Components THE SILVER SHADOW

The Silver Shadow is an integrated amplifier in the Shadow Series of Einstein Audio Components, a German maker based in Bochum. It is also offered in a darker finish as The Black Shadow, and in May 2023 German prices were EUR 15,000 for the Silver Shadow and EUR 14,000 for the Black Shadow. Einstein presents it as a synthesis of its well-known amplifier from the 1990s and its large valve amplifiers, and as an entry point into its range that also works as a hub for digital sources.

Key specs that matter

Output is 80 W into 8 ohms and 130 W into 4 ohms. Signal-to-noise ratio is above 95 dB for the line section and above 70 dB for the MM phono input, while the USB and S/PDIF digital inputs are each rated at 95 dB. The amplifier is a transistor dual-mono design with a selectable preamp output. It weighs 12 kg and measures 430 x 405 x 130 mm.

Engineering and use context

Einstein lists the technical traits that the Silver Shadow shares with its larger models - very short signal routing, generous current reserves in the supply, thermal balance inside the casing for long component life, high bandwidth without phase issues, no dynamically limiting relays between amplifier and speakers and volume control through a resistor network. The digital input is optional, and its design draws on the company's reference CD player, The Source. A built-in phono preamplifier amplifies the small signal voltages of MM cartridges and high-output MC cartridges. The housing uses a resonance-optimized sandwich construction with a solid aluminum base plate and back panel, and heat is handled by a thermally stable solid heat sink. Einstein notes that the low-resonance enclosure was designed without cutting the budget for the electronics. Operation is through a touchscreen control panel on the front, and the amplifier comes with its own design remote control.

Pairing

Suggested partners from the same maker are The Voice speaker together with Silver Surfer interconnects. The Shadow Series also includes the Shadow Speaker, a four-way floorstanding loudspeaker in wood veneer, and The Perfect Match, a current-input phono preamplifier.

Alternatives

The Einstein The Amp Ultimate MK108 is a Reference Series integrated amplifier rated at 108 W into 8 ohms and 150 W into 4 ohms.