Power amplifiers stereo — Burmester 259

The 259 is an accomplished power amplifier from Burmester, confidently managing even the most complex acoustics while maintaining a relaxed elegance of performance, achieving unprecedented sound transparency through a noise level below the threshold of audibility. The 259 brings Burmester's most storied German engineering to a serious, ultra-low-noise power-amplification format.

Key specs that matter

Output power is a substantial 465W into 8 ohms, rising to 950W into 4 ohms. Signal-to-noise ratio is an exceptional 125dB, with total harmonic distortion plus noise at an exceptionally low 0.0006% at 100% global feedback. Damping factor exceeds an extraordinary 5,000. At 45 x 45 x 45cm and a substantial 82.9kg, the 259 represents a serious commitment reflecting Burmester's most accomplished current power-amplifier engineering.

Sound and use context

Expect unprecedented sound transparency reflecting the exceptionally low 0.0006% distortion combined with the noise level below the threshold of audibility, with the extraordinary damping factor exceeding 5,000 delivering the relaxed elegance and confident control Burmester positions as this amplifier's defining character.

Pairing

The substantial 950W-into-4-ohms output combined with the extraordinary damping factor make the 259 capable of confidently managing even the most complex loudspeaker loads.

Alternatives

Burmester's own 216 and 218 offer more compact alternatives within the same broader power-amplifier catalogue.