Australian HiFi - March-April 2016_

PERREAUX / PLESSIS

TRADITIONAL STRENGTHS

While we are on the subject of value

for money, we can’t resist mentioning

another two-channel amplifier (this one

a little more traditional as it doesn’t offer

any digital inputs), and that is the 75

watt/channel S1 Plessis amplifier. A very

simple design, it has four line-level inputs,

a volume control, source selector, and

precious little else, unless you count the

equally minimalist remote. Again it is

incredibly well-built, but what we find

most appealing is the sound. For some

time now we’ve considered this to be the

best sounding amplifier under $1,000 (it

sells for $999). Even at its initial price of

$1,600 it had scant competition.

It’s amazing how gems sometimes slip under the

radar. This Perreaux is an excellent sounding

amplifier with a high-performance in-built DAC.

24

Perreaux –

a hidden gem

The heart of any audio

system is the amplifier.

While the function of

any amp is basically

the same, the way they

achieve their end goal

can vary considerably,

and their sonic impact on

the system is undeniable.

ONE AMPLIFIER THAT we have been

playing with for a while (and which was a

huge brand for us in days gone by) is the

Perreaux Audiant 80i integrated amplifier.

It is amazing how gems sometimes

slip under the radar. Firstly, and most

importantly, this is a very good sounding

amplifier, its performance belying its

$4,200 price tag. There is no shortage

of fine-sounding amps out there, but

most then fall down in the practical side

of the offering – or worse still, there are

many amplifiers that offer all the bells and

whistles, but disappoint sonically.

The Audiant 80i is a high-current

MOSFET design rated at 80 watts/channel

into 8 ohms, and 130 watts into 4 ohms.

It features eight stereo inputs, including

asynchronous USB, coaxial and optical

digital inputs, along with three analogue

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inputs, including a MM phono input

for a turntable and a selectable home

theatre loop. The in-built DAC is a high

performance 24bit/96kHz ESS Technology

Reference Sabre ES9006 unit.

It is easy to use, and very well-built

(something that we have come to

expect from Perreaux). Most importantly,

as stated earlier this is an excellent

sounding amplifier. This unit is ideal

as the centrepiece for a high-quality

conventional Hi-Fi system, albeit one

that uses contemporary music sources.