Усилители мощности моно — Audionet MAX

The MAX is the reference mono power amplifier of Audionet, the Berlin amplifier specialist. It succeeded the AMP II MAX and builds on the AMP monoblocks, adding bandwidth, speed and power. Its circuit follows Audionet's ULA principle, and each monoblock weighs 38 kg in a massive aluminium case.

Key specs that matter

Output is 400 W into 8 ohms, 700 W into 4 ohms and 1100 W into 2 ohms. Bandwidth reaches from DC to 500 kHz at -3 dB. Damping factor exceeds 1,800 at 10 kHz and 10,000 at 100 Hz. THD+N is below -106 dB at 1 kHz from 25 to 700 W into 4 ohms, intermodulation is below -110 dB and signal-to-noise exceeds 125 dB. Input impedance is 37 kohm on RCA and 3 kohm on XLR, both with 100 pF. Maximum power consumption is 2,000 W, and four high-current capacitors provide 156,000 uF of filtering. Each unit measures 215 x 285 x 500 mm (W x H x D).

Engineering and use context

Building each channel as a separate monoblock gives complete channel separation, and the magnetically and capacitively optimised layout minimises interaction between stages. The signal path is DC-coupled and free of coils, chokes and power relays. RCA and XLR inputs are switched by gold-plated precision relays. The input stage is a cascaded, bootstrapped differential amplifier with a low-noise monolithic dual FET, electrically decoupling the output stages from the source. The driver stage linearises output stage distortion in real time through a cross-linked correction circuit. Input and driver stages have their own 80 VA toroidal transformer, while two 1,000 VA toroidal transformers feed the positive and negative halves of the output stage. The output stage uses eight hand-selected power MOSFETs with actively controlled bias. A microprocessor watches for DC, HF, excess heat and overload, cuts the mains connection when it detects a fault and names the cause on the two-line display. Two pairs of Furutech speaker terminals allow bi-wiring. The massive aluminium cabinet suppresses subsonic noise, and components are measured and matched in pairs during manufacture. Audionet avoids 12 V triggers, using optical Audionet Link instead, and the MAX can also switch on from the input signal. Finishes combine a 10 mm brushed aluminium front, black or silver, with a red or blue display.

Pairing

Stable into very low impedances and with very high damping, a pair of MAX monoblocks drives the most demanding speakers. The comparatively low balanced input impedance calls for a preamplifier with a low-impedance output, such as Audionet's PRE G2.

Alternatives

Audionet's AMP is the smaller mono power amplifier of the brand with 200 W into 8 ohms.