This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below

Conclusion: Some amplification components resolve higher and are rhythmically more pronounced. Others create more sparks and crispness in the treble. Whether such amplifiers will seem more involving or musically less cultivated and long-term happy is less relevant in the high end where it’s not about breaking records in individual disciplines but primarily about covering all bases without black marks. One wants to end up with a cohesive whole that transcends specific criteria. If you’re looking for a pre/power combo of significant power and control that’s capable of handling even problematic loads without breaking a sweat; that’s forbidden to have that power intrude on musical flow; that’s desired to be relaxed, somewhat warm but airy; to have a completely non-stressed treble and a minor tendency for the physically voluptuous on both instruments and vocals… grab two fistfuls of favorite CDs/LPs (don’t worry, the Gamuts also handle borderline mastering jobs) and lock yourself into your dealer’s demo room for as long as it takes. Better yet, borrow the twosome over the weekend to be sure that your pending €14.000 investment has legs. It’s quite likely that you’ll end up with that dent in your account. Spending it on a vacation instead would also leave it in the pockets of others. What pleasure will last longer?

The combination of Gamut D200i power amp and D3i preamp is characterized by:
  • A pleasantly fluid sound image that’s always in motion. It’s one reason why these Danes are perfect also for less audiophile and more high-stress recordings.
  • Very solid clean tone colors without any gray. This makes for a very organic presentation which really benefits voices and acoustic instruments
  • Power and control that grip even more challenging speakers while avoiding overdamping or sounding overly angular and rhythmically charged.
  • Open well-sorted and clearly localized soundstaging against a black background that should be expected at this price. Extra here is the embodied plasticity of individual events.
  • Consistent voicing between both components, with some extra warmth going to the amplifier.
  • A very silken, open, highly natural treble that’s slightly soft rather than exceptionally crisp or fresh.
  • Relatively modest idle power consumption of 60/13 watts for the power/preamp respectively.
  • A solidly no-nonsense industrial design. Relative to our loaner samples, some might wish for a tad more advanced enclosure finishing.
 
Facts
Category: Pre/power combo
Weight: 12kg preamp, 30 kg power amp
Dimensions (WxHxD): 431 x 111 x 420mm preamp, 431 x 164 x 470mm power amp
Trim: Black or silver face, black body
Power output D200i: 240 watts per channel into 8 ohms
Preamp socketry: 5 x line level (1 x XLR), 2 x XLR/1 x RCA pre-out, 1 x tape-out
Power amp socketry: Direct & normal speaker terminals, RCA/XLR inputs
Other: Bypass function for CD and HT on amplifier
Warranty: 2 years
Website

redaktion @ fairaudio.de