Интегральные усилители — Orpheus Lab Absolute Integrated Amplifier A Four I200

The Absolute Integrated Amplifier A Four I200 is the stereo integrated model of the Absolute line from the Swiss maker Orpheus Lab. It carries over technology the company developed for the Opus II version of its Heritage line, and the US price is USD 23,700. The Absolute line itself has five models - a CD player, an SACD player, a preamplifier, a stereo power amplifier and this integrated.

Key specs that matter

Rated output is 200 W per channel into 8 ohm in Class AB, and the instantaneous peak reaches 850 W with a maximum of 56.7 V and 15 A. There are six analogue inputs, three on XLR and three on RCA, each with a High, Med or Low level setting. Input impedance is 94 kohm on both connector types, and the maximum input level is 4.8 V RMS balanced and 2.4 V RMS unbalanced. Output impedance is given as 0.0 ohm, and a headphone output drives loads from 32 to 600 ohm. The chassis is 440 mm wide, 420 mm deep and 179 mm tall, and Orpheus Lab lists the weight at 36 kg. Maximum consumption is 950 W on 100, 115 or 230 V mains.

Engineering and use context

The current amplification stage of every channel is built on six high-resolution MOSFETs matched by hand, driven by bipolar control circuitry. The bias current is set at 125 mA, which means 15 W of thermal idle power per channel and a resting temperature about 15 degrees above ambient, so the case stays moderate when the amplifier is left on. The power supply is split by channel, and each side has its own 880 VA toroidal transformer and 48 mF of dedicated capacitance, so a heavy demand on one channel does not pull on the other. The input level selection lets sources with different output voltages sit at a similar volume position, and the balanced and single-ended groups make it practical to mix modern XLR sources with older RCA equipment.

Pairing

With its power reserve and high peak current, the A Four I200 is sized for full-range floorstanding speakers in a room of around 20 m2 or more. Its near-zero output impedance means the amplifier keeps close control of woofer movement even with long speaker cables. For more power the brand offers the Heritage monoblocks, but those need a separate preamplifier such as the A Two 22D, which uses the CRQL attenuator taken from the Heritage range. The A Zero PS SACD player from the same line connects over XLR at matching levels, and the headphone socket covers most dynamic headphones within its impedance range.

Alternatives

The Orpheus Lab A Four N200 is a network integrated amplifier of equal power output and a built-in ESS9028PRO DAC.