The AD-3PRO+ is a stereo integrated amplifier from Guangzhou Tonewinner Electronics in China, described by the maker as a Class A Hi-Fi design and built with switchable operating modes, an on-board phono section and a USB audio input with DSD decoding. It weighs 30.5 kg net and 36.5 kg in its shipping carton, and the manufacturer groups it with its hi-fi amplifiers and CD players.
Key specs that matter
Tonewinner rates the power section at 2 x 165 W into 8 ohm and lists the channel configuration as 2.1, since a subwoofer output is provided alongside the stereo speaker terminals. Total harmonic distortion is given as 0.05 percent or less at 1 kHz, and the frequency response extends from 15 Hz to 95 kHz within plus 1 and minus 3 dB. Through the USB audio connection the converter section accepts PCM at up to 768 kHz and DSD up to DSD512. Analogue inputs come as XLR balanced plus RCA single-ended connections, while the phono input handles MM as well as MC cartridges.
Engineering and use context
Owners can select Class A, Class AB or an Auto mode for the power stage, choosing how the output transistors are biased. Power is drawn from a 600 W toroidal transformer backed by a total filter capacitance of 80,000 uF. The output devices are 24 Toshiba transistors of the 1941 and 5198 types, and nine OPA1656 operational amplifiers are used in the balanced amplification path. An analogue direct setting is part of the design and is the condition under which the maker quotes its noise measurement. The speaker terminals are doubled per channel for bi-wiring, and the subwoofer outputs allow a powered bass unit to be added to the system.
Pairing
Tonewinner proposes a complete system in which the earlier AD-3PRO drives its TD-3 bookshelf speakers together with the TY-50 CD player. Because the amplifier accepts balanced XLR signals, a source with balanced outputs can be connected over that input, and a computer or streamer can feed high-resolution files through the USB audio port. A turntable can be plugged straight into the phono section.
Alternatives
Tonewinner's AD-99D is another stereo integrated amplifier from the same Hi-Fi series, rated at 180 W per channel with an AD1955 DAC chip, HDMI ARC and a 550 VA transformer.