Интегральные усилители — JAVA Hi-Fi Carbon Double Shot

The Carbon Double Shot is the carbon-cased version of the fully balanced integrated amplifier made by New Zealand firm JAVA Hi-Fi, whose range is split into Single Shot and Double Shot families, each with a preamplifier, a power amplifier and an integrated model. The Carbon Double Shot 400 lists at USD 18,995, against a starting figure of USD 14,495 for the standard Double Shot 400.

Key specs that matter

Rated output is 400 W per channel into 8 ohm and 800 W into 4 ohm. Line inputs are four balanced XLR pairs, and the rear also carries two XLR output pairs, one fixed and one variable. A moving magnet phono stage takes RCA plugs, while the digital side offers a USB input and aptX Bluetooth. The amplifier section is specified at under 0.01 percent THD+N at 1 W into 8 ohm and 0.02 percent at 25 W, with a signal to noise figure above 112 dB, a bandwidth of 10 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.5 dB, input impedance of 100 kohm and common mode rejection of 75 dB. The chassis is 440 mm wide, 415 mm deep and 130 mm high and weighs 11.6 kg.

Engineering and use context

Gain is adjusted in a preamplifier stage built on light dependent resistors, which feeds power stages using gallium nitride FETs, and each channel is handled separately in fully balanced dual mono form. In the Double Shot platform the DAC pairs two Burr-Brown PCM1794A chips working in mono mode, clocked by a Crystek CCHD-575 oscillator with a stated 82 fs of jitter, and accepts PCM to 24 bit and 192 kHz over USB, with DSD converted to PCM. The phono stage handles moving magnet cartridges only. Circuit boards are mounted upside down, which JAVA describes as a way of keeping resonance and mechanical vibration away from the signal circuit. What sets the Carbon edition apart is its outer casework of solid 9 mm carbon fibre, an 8 mm anodised aluminium front panel, ETI Research Kryo speaker binding posts and IsoAcoustics Gaia IV feet.

Pairing

With every line input on XLR, balanced sources such as DACs, streamers and preamps connect without adapters, and the variable XLR output can drive active subwoofers or a second power amplifier. A 6.35 mm headphone socket covers private listening, and a remote handles volume and source selection. Its power reserve into lower loads leaves headroom for low impedance, low sensitivity loudspeakers.

Alternatives

The JAVA Double Shot 400 Integrated Amplifier uses the same balanced design in wood veneer or painted casework with an aluminium front panel.