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The dual-mono D200i offers a stout 2 x 240-watt rating into 8 ohms. Besides the obviously scaled-up power supply, this sort of power rating is supported by rather muscular transistors. Here the amp limits itself to one per phase, i.e. only four total. While Gamut refers to that as a single Mosfet circuit, it’s certainly not single-ended but rather, the minimum way to create two push-pull halves per side. The idea is to avoid paralleled devices and their higher distortion from parts offsets.

To get any such stripped-down p/p output stage to generate sufficient power now must rely on butcher semiconductors. Gamut’s Motorola Mosfets are claimed to be good for a constant 100 amperes and 300A peaks (they were originally designed for welding applications). In the real world of hifi and domestic power outlets however, you’ll obviously never approach those figures. There current delivery is limited to a still impressive 47A. Gamut claims that even nastier loads won’t cause issues as low as 1.5Ω. Anything beastlier still will eventually trigger their protection circuit.

The preamp too adopts a dual-mono layout including channel-specific transformers. Aside from a quality power supply, Gamut boss Lars Goller focused hard on the quality of his output buffer. The main task of such buffers is isolating a circuit from its load to avoid voltage sag and to minimize distortion over long cable runs. The D3i’s buffers are the result of lengthy listening and measurement sessions says Goller. The preamp was designed to interface with the largest variety of cables, amps and active speakers and as such is not merely optimized for other Gamut gear.


Even in Denmark opinions divide on the subject of dual-differential circuits. In our recent review of the Densen B-130 and B-429, their Thomas Sillesen [left] was outspokenly against balanced topologies claiming their counter phase signals are never perfectly matched to become another source of distortion. Lars Goller meanwhile contends that such offsets are far tinier than the distortion which assaults the signal between components. That said, today’s Gamuts aren’t fully balanced. Only their input stages are which Lars Goller considers most vital. Fully balanced is common in studio applications with their hundreds of meters of cables. Not coincidentally, the first Gamut amps from the early 80s were developed for professional users.

In the audition den: Sunday afternoon, constant rain over cloud-covered Berlin, a dark north-facing listening room and two pitch-black components from the Northern town of Ikast which doesn’t exactly spell Club Med … no worries, your writer was fine but a somewhat melancholy mood did prevail. At such times Shearwater’s 2010 release The Golden Archipelago goes into my CD player’s drawer. This Austin/Texas-based formation around singer/songwriter and ex ornithologist Jonathan Meiburg recalls late Mark Hollis or early Peter Gabriel. Still the melodiously intelligent moodiness pursues its own path.


On the opulent heaviness of the "Landscape at Speed" which makes for quite a soak bath if you’re prepared to be drowned in it, a pleasurably pressurized bass drum, potent full piano chords whose monotonous repetition injects a certain drama, guitar, a quite forward but usually never sharp or nervous hi-hat and the always plaintive voice of Meiburg showed that the two Gamuts could be two very competent spa masters. Built upon a strong bass foundation, the Danes duly pumped out impressive mass to write themselves off as haggard ascetics right away. Even at happy hour, nothing over my Thiel CS 3.7s jumped tracks. Obviously two times 240 watts in this price class ought to most firmly grip speakers of all walks but the performance of the Gamut D3i/D200i duo was ultimately about other things.