Усилители мощности моно — Esoteric Grandioso M1X

The Grandioso M1X is a monoblock power amplifier in Esoteric's Grandioso range, conceived as a complete revision of the earlier Grandioso M1 by the Japanese company. Its announcement centred on the ESOTERIC SJ-BJT01, which Esoteric described in August 2020 as the first super junction bipolar transistor in the world. Deliveries were first planned for May 2021 and then postponed because of parts supply delays, and the US price is USD 39,000 per unit.

Key specs that matter

Rated output is 300 W into 8 ohm, 600 W into 4 ohm and 2,400 W into 1 ohm, and the amplifier is specified for speakers of 4 to 16 ohm nominal impedance. Gain is 28.5 dB. The XLR input presents 100 kohm and the RCA input 10 kohm. Frequency response runs from 5 Hz to 100 kHz, +0 or -3 dB into 8 ohm, signal-to-noise is 119 dB IHF-A through XLR, and THD is 0.006% at 1 kHz with 300 W into 8 ohm. Consumption reaches 400 W and falls to 55 W with no signal. Each chassis stands 221.5 mm tall on a 491 by 536 mm footprint and weighs 62 kg.

Engineering and use context

Esoteric doubled the drive stage from 6 to 12 parallel devices and keeps all 24 transistors in it under control at one common temperature. The voltage amplification section uses the IDM-01 Integrated Discrete-Amplifier Module first developed for the Grandioso C1X preamplifier, and this pre-drive stage draws on a power supply of its own. Phase compensation relies on a single-pole network, and the output stage has no coil, in line with what the company calls a minimalist approach of subtraction. The main supply is built on a 3,000 VA transformer weighing 19 kg and custom Esoteric capacitors totalling 60,000 uF. The front panel is machined from a 35 mm aluminium block, the top panel is semi-floating, ventilation passes through a dual honeycomb grille, and extra-thick copper-clad circuit boards are joined by heavy-gauge wiring with bolted connections.

Pairing

A pair is needed for stereo. Besides balanced and single-ended inputs there is an ES-LINK Analog connection for Esoteric preamplifiers, and a trigger function links power-up of both monoblocks to the Grandioso C1X line stage. The very low-impedance rating shows that current delivery is ample for low-impedance and low-sensitivity loudspeakers, while the high balanced input impedance places little load on any preamplifier output.

Alternatives

The Esoteric Grandioso M1 is the earlier monoblock from the same series that the M1X was developed to replace.