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Here the Canadian always guaranteed sufficient air or distance between individual sounds. The same sense of order and organization held true for dense passages particularly on classical. The largest of orchestral forces remained distinctly sorted into soloists and sections. The amp wasn’t above the same precision with synth trickery on Madonna’s Ray of Light and then conjured up a believable if artificial 3D cinerama for the ears. Leaner bass, finely resolved brilliantly articulated mids, a mellow but well-defined treble, precise timing, exact soundstaging with pinpoint localization focus, realistic timbres - all this would suggest a more than competent amplifier  already but it still fails to fully explain why the total package impressed me as it did. The true talent occupies a realm that’s not easily breached by typical hifi verbiage.

During the review period I had opportunity to cross check against Electrocompaniet’s ECI5 MkII and Symphonic Line’s RG14 Edition. Both are roughly in the same price class. At first glance either of those seemed endowed with virtues that somewhat eclipsed the Canadian. The Norwegian had the more saturated timbres and heavier bass, the German felt more present all around and ‘pushed’ the music forward with more pressure. Nevertheless I loved listening to the Magnum Dynalab – in fact preferred to. Why?

With its relaxed mien the MD-301A established a peaceful milieu to begin with. This conjured up a black space as the perfect backdrop for enormously variegated dynamically nuanced sounds and clean tones placed precisely. Something about this had a quasi-meditative meaning. Only with proper peacefulness can concentration on the essential arise without being distracted by foreground activities. Yet this shouldn’t imply that the MD-301A was most apt at subtlety alone. When it came time to get down and unleash the inner beast, this amp reached deep. Endowed with sufficient reserves, the sonic image remained stable and relaxed so that even high levels didn’t overpower. The inverse was true too. In a mood for background levels I never felt that I missed out on the music. I didn’t sense any whisper weakness as many powerful amps suffer it.

Conclusion. I found the performance of this Canadian unique. Sober to the point of self denial on the one hand, anything but analytical on the other, the Magnum Dynalab managed to make calmness and tension coexist. High resolving power didn’t get analytical but simply conveyed deep insights into the music as well as the quality of the recorded production and playback system. If you’re inclined to check out the MD-301, I recommend that you take your time. Until you allow yourself to relax into the peacefulness which this amp employs as the basis for its musical chops, you won’t properly see eye to eye with its qualities. Once you do, it’s all very impressive.

Psych profile.
  • The bass is on the slimmer side but very realistic. It impresses more with extension than pressurization and thus seems a bit light compared to others. Yet whenever the music or playback level demand power one never suspects anything is holding back.
  • The midband doesn’t play it forward either but closer audition reveals enormous detail and dynamic scope.
  • Timbres seem accurate, neither bright nor sepia-toned effects hashery.
  • The treble follows suit. Sheen and sparks aren’t on the menu yet the finest of decays and vibrations are. While there is air it mostly translates as dimensionality.
  • There’s very high dynamic contrast across the audible bandwidth.
  • Soundstaging is particularly good and highly contingent on the recording. Where appropriate the stage expands well beyond the speakers and takes out the room’s front wall but small ensembles are rendered equally precise. In all instances what impresses are high image focus and three-dimensional freedom for individual instruments, singers and ensembles.
  • This amp represents the principle of'“there’s power in calmness'. It’s unpretentious yet masterful and I for one was exceptionally pleased.
Facts:
  • Concept: Stereo integrated, hybrid valve input stage, solid-state output stage
  • Dimensions and weight: 45 x 16 x 50cm (WxHxD), 23kg
  • Trim: black – silver fascia for €350 surcharge
  • Socketry: 4 x RCA in, 1 x fixed out, 1 x variable out, single-wire terminals
  • Power consumption: ca. 90 watts idle, 6 watts standby
  • Other: Remote control, built-in DAC optional (total price €4.200)
  • Warranty: 2 years
redaktion @ fairaudio.de
Magnum Dynalab website