Italian audio manufacturer M2Tech has launched a new integrated amplifier called Classic Integrated Amplifier. The name exactly describes the product, i.e. the new amplifier has a traditional-looking front and purely analogue circuitry on board. An XLR input as well as a phono amplifier for both MM cartridges and MC cartridges is built-in.
M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier
M2Tech is launching the M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier to meet the expectations of the many audiophiles looking for more traditional products. Elegance, solidity, ease of use and of course immersive sound performance, the Classic Integrated Amplifier should have it all.
The output stages of the new amplifier can deliver a maximum power of 60 Watts into eight Ohms and 100 Watts into four Ohms, per channel. There is some reserve available because the manufacturer specifies short peaks of 155 Watts at eight Ohms and 240 Watts at four Ohms.
To achieve the best sonic performance, M2Tech’s designers decided to eliminate electronic protections, relying on the oversizing of the power amplifier, as well as a thermal sensor to prevent overheating of the output transistors.
M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier: preamplifier
The preamp section of the Classic Integrated Amplifier is much more than the usual op amp or even passive attenuator. The sophisticated circuit is built using discrete components. The pre-stage could possibly be used with a different power amplifier. The heart of the volume control is an Alps RK27 potentiometer and the source selection runs via high-quality relays.
A headphone jack is mounted on the front.
M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier: phono amplifier
The built-in phono amplifier is also made using discrete components. With a button on the back the user can choose between an MM element or MC element. Users who do not want to connect a turntable can set the phono input to line level.
M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier: power supply
According to M2Tech, the Classic Integrated Amplifier’s power supply is designed to closely match the power requirements of the music signal, without wasting money on uselessly large transformers and smoothing capacitors. This made it possible to keep the costs of the Classic Integrated amplifier within the chosen target.
The M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier features an IR remote control, trigger inputs and outputs and a WiFi interface to enable control from a smartphone with free apps for Android phones and iPhones.
The appearance of the M2Tech Classic Integrated Amplifier is a bit like the classic design of amplifiers in the eighties and nineties. The front plate is made of a thick sheet of brushed aluminum. The dimensions are 420 x 313 x 120 millimeters (W x D x H) and the amplifier weighs 15 kilograms.
