The Absolute Sound Issue 126:

IA170 Integrated Amplifier

Neil Gader:

The Magnum is a "smoothie." It’s a likeable non-abrasive amp that is slightly dark and midrange-oriented, with a smooth but gently rolled top and the classic signature of 60-watt tube amps of yore. Clearly, it’s not going to rattle windows or peel paint, nor is it the last word in extension or transparency. But within its comfort zone, it’s got all the features an audiophile needs. For an extra C-note, Magnum will add a phono stage, and you’re still under a grand. It handily drove moderately sensitive loudspeakers such as the Audio Physics Tempo III and the compact Sehring 502.

The IA170’s midrange is tonally right on the ball. On the Mahler Third Symphony [Salonen; Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sony SK60250], I noted natural woodwind timbres, with clean but unsteely brass transients that lent that section a golden hue. Plucked stringed instruments, such as the psaltery, were reproduced with air and instrumental body, but lacked a bit of the string "speed" and definition. That was reserved for the NAD and, to a lesser degree, the ECI-3. Still in the realm of macro-dynamics and transient capability, it got the broader brush strokes right, making it a notably pleasant listening experience.

On vocalists I found a recessed soundstage placement — a few rows back in comparison to what I have judged as neutral. On Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, his lower register seemed slightly thinned out and recessed compared to the more chesty richness provided by my reference Plinius 8150 or the smaller but potent SimAudio I5. The accompanying bass line was tonally full but not as precise in pitch as I have earlier noted. The string section, however, sounded smooth, with just the right amount of studio-style spotlighting. On transient-busy recordings, such as Holly Cole’s "Jersey Girls" or "Train" [Temptation. Alert Records], where percussion information sings out from every corner of the soundstage, the Magnum is a tenacious retriever of detail and nuance. The slow fade of "Train" draws the listener deeper and deeper into the recording venue, as the track grows ever quieter; if you listen alertly, you can hear all kinds of information in and around Cole’s microphone. If the Magnum does miss some of this very low-level information, it’s not by much.

Perhaps the largest difference between the Magnum and the higher priced entries was how it defined space. First, what the Magnum conveys about where the musical image is (the player or singer, in most cases) and second, how it reproduces the remaining "empty" space, both near and far from that player. On Dvorák’s "Carnival Overture" from Nature’s Realm [Water Lily Acoustics], the Magnum gave a greater impression of center-stage information. It was a brighter, clearer focus that grew a bit dimmer as the stage widened. When the dynamics really began, a little congestion revealed itself as less distinct placement of images and some smearing. On Audra McDonald’s "Lay Down Your Head" [How Glory Goes], the Magnum narrowed the soundstage slightly; the left-of-the center violin and the right-of-center cello moved closer to the middle, and the overall sense of air and images in real space grew a bit more vague. Reference amplifiers like the Plinius and Sim seemed to radiate acoustic energy throughout the soundstage, at even the quietest levels. With the Magnum, that energy lacked three-dimensional continuousness. When McDonald sang "Lay down your head and sleep, sleep," the sibilants had a slightly thicker, more forceful quality, an attribute unique in this survey.

The biggest restriction on the Magnum is that you need to pay more attention to speaker/room interface than with the more powerful NAD and Electrocompaniet. I can’t stress enough that this is where critical mismatches often occur. The Magnum and the Roksan are designed for intimate environments or higher sensitivity loudspeakers. I was reminded of this repeatedly as I compared impressions in Paul’s moderate-sized listening room with my own much smaller one. A power-output difference between otherwise comparable amplifiers is nearly nullified in a smaller listening environment.

If you think I’ve been hard on the Magnum, don’t lose this overriding point: It competed successfully at the highest levels with units costing much more. It revealed subtle distinctions between associated components. It never failed to make great speakers sound great, and with less than the best, was forgiving. It need not apologize to anyone.

Paul Seydor: It is unfair of us to consider the Magnum IA170 alongside amplifiers costing three times more, but it acquits itself handsomely. I’ve two observations to add. One, most of the IA170’s failings occur at loud levels; ease back a bit, and several of them fall vertiginously away, which is what you’d expect from an amplifier in this price/power range called upon to drive Quad 989s. Two, I found it more difficult to characterize the Magnum as dark or light than any other unit in the survey. If you think that’s a circuitous way of saying it’s the most neutral, you’re not far off the mark. Very impressive for a $750 integrated that tosses in a respectable phono stage for just $100 more.

Magnum says "here's the price point of the competition in this review:"