Forbidden City-Calaf

" A completely no compromise design"

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This is the biggest solid-state power amp made by Consonance. It uses a massive toroidal transformer with independent secondary windings and a bank of eight 10,000uF electrolytic reservoir capacitors for each channel's main power supply.  Both left and right channels are built as mono power amplifiers, each with seven pairs of high-current transistors mounted onto a thick copper bus bar. This is bolted onto the extruded heatsinking that is visible either side of this power amplifer.

Combining the advantages of class AB and the class A technology, the Cool Class A technology actually achieved same linear sound performance as a pure class A design, but without the normal need of big electrical current, resulting in staggering performance, but without the heat generation, or power consumption.

Features:
- 200 watt output power per channel
- Cool Class A technology applied in amplifier stage

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Calaf Integrated Amplifier

Specifications:

Power output : 200W + 200W at 8 Ohms Dual Mono

Minimum load : 2 ohms speakers can be connected.

CH Sources : 5 remote controllable inputs switched by gold plated relays

DIRECT : Preamplifier output

CH Terminals : Gold plated Phono/RCA unbalanced and gold plated XLR balanced

Frequency response : Less than +/- 0.1 dB deviation 20Hz-80kHz

Phase response : Less than 2 degrees deviation 20Hz-80kHz

Signal-to-noise ratio : More than 95dB

Crosstalk : Less than -100dB

Distortion : Less than 0.015% @ 100W 8 0hms

Damping factor : More than 1000

Remote Control : RC-5 compatible IR system 36kHz modulation

Dimensions : 20cm x 45cm x 45cm (HxWxD), 45kg shipment weight

This amplifier is very impressive.

Comments from last person to buy one.

I recently bought the new Calaf integrated amp. (non hybrid version)
Firstly I am very much a valve lover- with a large OTL & a pair of Cyber 845's, also a Audio Aero Capitole reference cdp which has a very fine valve pre/output My intent for Calaf was mainly HT with casual cd listening also in mind- I wanted grunt for this.
I ordered Calaf for trial but was away in another part of the state, I asked Greg to deliver it there where it could run in & also give me a chance to listen through some very revealing electrostatics located there.
All 45kgs of it arrived very soon after order- this is one beefy amp, very well constructed- almost armour plated but a very nice looking affair.
I sat it beside the big OTL and replaced input rca's & speaker leads to the Calaf and to my electrostatic panels and subs. I realized the amp was new and would need some running in.

Wow- I was not expecting this level of performance, firstly from amp at this price point and secondly a solid state one.

There was real depth to the sound stage, great separation & detail, very incisive & very neutral.
Wonderful dynamics: this amp is capable of being delicate and then not a hint of distortion as the volume soars-
In fact I had no idea just how much compression I must of been getting from the OTL until this revelation by Calaf.
The sound is very involving- again exceeding my expectations- I found myself listening to a whole album when i set out to listen to just one track.
It is now installed in the HT system with the Epitomes, I will not go into detail here and just say- you will not do better than Calaf for HT.
One more thing- It is a very revealing amp easily able to show a change in cabling. And it loves a good source.


Andrew Knox
Hobart
Tasmania