| The Magnum IA170 |
Reviewed By Brian Kahn
March, 2001
The IA 170 served as my introduction to Magnum Audio as a
high-end audio manufacturer. Magnum Audio is a British
electronics company that is building a strong following on the
east side of the pond and is expanding its reach within the U.S.
The IA 170 is an integrated amp that retails for $750 here in the
United States without a phono section, and $850 with phono
included. For $750, the listener gets a one-chassis amplifier and
preamp with 70 watts per channel into eight ohms and 110 watts
per channel into four ohms, six single-ended inputs, one tape
loop, a headphone output, mute and mono switches and bi-wireable
speaker terminals. One of the unit’s inputs, labeled
"monitor," is connected directly to the amplifying
circuits for a purer signal path. The front of the IA 170, with
the exception of its nameplate (which appears to be easily
removable), is an attractive polished steel. While rare for an
integrated amplifier at this price point, the unit is likely to
elicit a strong pride of ownership due to its solid build quality
and pleasing look.
The IA 170’s interior is fairly simple and straightforward.
I would be surprised if the unit did not provide many years of
reliable service. There is a single toroidal power transformer
and four output devices. The parts appear to be of better than
average quality, although they are not extremely expensive name
brands.
The Music
I utilized the IA 170 in my reference music system, which at this
time is comprised of RBH Sound MC-6T speakers, a Yamaha TX-950
tuner and a Pioneer Elite PDR-19RW digital front end, connected
with Audio Analysis cabling.
The source I used for the majority of my critical listening was a
Pioneer Elite PDR-19RW CD player, which I connected through the
monitor input on the IA 170. I tried connecting the CD player to
the other inputs and found only the slightest of differences,
with the advantage going to the monitor input.
Upon first listen, the IA 170 did not impress me. I found the
sound to be dark and muddy. This changed significantly upon
burning in and physically warming up the unit. This, once again,
demonstrates the importance of breaking in and warming up a
product before beginning any critical listening sessions.
The IA 170 never fully overcame my first impressions of it.
Throughout my listening experience, the sound of the unit
remained recessed and rolled off on the upper end. I never found
the unit to be bright or forward. These characteristics also
contributed to a very smooth, full sound. During my time with the
IA 170, an audio enthusiast friend commented that the sound was
reminiscent of tubes,
especially in the mid-bass, which was very full and smooth at the
cost of some detail.
Most components have some sort of sonic aberrations, and they
usually vary by frequency. To the IA 170’s credit, the
unit’s sonic signature is consistent throughout its useable
frequency range, allowing for a cohesive, rather than disjointed,
sonic image. The IA 170 easily provides a comfortable listening
environment that is not overwhelming.
Robbie Robertson’s eponymously titled album (Mobile
Fidelity) spent a lot of time in my CD player during the IA
170’s stay in my system. The first track, "Fallen
Angel," provided a good demonstration of the IA 170’s
overall performance. The soundstage was very wide and went back a
good distance. The
entire soundstage was somewhat distant, placing the listener near
the back of the auditorium rather than closer to the musicians.
St. Germain’s album Tourist (Blue Note) provides a good mix
of wind and percussion instruments. The IA 170 gives a solid
presentation of the drums. Despite the lack of detail and
transparency of my Bow Technologies Wazoo ($3500), I was easily
able to discern the steel drums on the track "So
Flute."
While listening to Crystal Method’s album Vegas (City of
Angels), and in particular the track "Busy Child," I
noted the speed of the attack on sharp transients to be a bit
slow. This slowness was not particularly pronounced or
bothersome, but it was definitely detectable on albums with fast
and hard transients such as this electronic masterpiece. To its
credit, the IA 170 reproduced the demanding bass track of
"Busy Child" with convincing solidity. In addition to
the aforementioned albums, I ran through a variety of jazz, rock
and pop music with consistent results.
No matter what type of music was played, the soundstage remained
wide and deep, the sound full-bodied, the bass solid and extended
and the highs slightly rolled off. There was no graininess or edginess until the volume
was pushed to the limit. Throughout my listening, the unit
remained remarkably well composed and balanced, with the entire
frequency range evenly pushed slightly to the dark side and the
entire soundstage pulled back from the listener. As observed
earlier, the sonic colorations present in this unit equally
affect the sound as a whole, maintaining cohesiveness, rather
than affecting different ranges in different ways.
The Downside
The IA 170’s shortcomings are fairly limited in scope and
fully described above. The only sonic shortcomings are the
recessed soundstage and the overall balance being on the dark
side. While the downsides are limited, they are noticeable and
should be considered before purchase.
Conclusion
The IA 170 is a competent unit that would be a great addition to
a system that needed some rough edges smoothed out or some overly
bright highs tamed. The unit suffers a bit when pushed hard and
should not be used with speakers that have demanding impedance
curves.
This is not the unit for those who seek absolute neutrality and
transparency. However, when properly placed, the IA 170 is more
than sufficient to serve as the centerpiece of a well-balanced
system. At $750 (or even compared to units selling for twice that
amount), the sound quality of the IA 170 is remarkably cohesive
and devoid of graininess common in solid state components in this price range.