The sound quality of the Magnat RV 4 amplifier is made up of little things. The most obvious detail is the tubes operating in the input stage. These are not ordinary E88CCs, but premium quality SQ tubes with reduced noise levels. Before entering the amplifier, they are warmed up for 60 hours and are selected in pairs based on their technical characteristics. The sockets in which the lamps are installed are also not simple: they have gold-plated contacts to reduce signal loss. The same purpose is served by reed relays used for signal switching, and WIMA pass-through capacitors for galvanic isolation of signal circuits. The sound is controlled by a high-precision Japanese ALPS potentiometer.
The power amplifier uses Japanese Sanken transistors and Vishay capacitors from BC Components (previously this company was a division of Philips and produced capacitors of the same name). The amplifier is powered by a large toroidal transformer mounted on a vibration decoupling chassis. It is worth noting that the massive metal case itself provides vibration damping due to its mass and also helps natural heat dissipation from all internal components.
Those who decide at their leisure to find out how the new Magnat RV 4 amplifier differs from the previous RV 3 will immediately notice the difference in the switching capabilities of the two models. In the fourth version, Magnat developers finally decided to plunge into the world of digital sound. And they did it. True, not completely, but I would say two-thirds. In addition to the built-in phono stage, the amplifier has a DAC with two coaxial and one optical inputs, as well as a Bluetooth module.
But a USB port for playing music from a computer never appeared. You will have to either use a USB-SPDIF converter, or use an external DAC with a USB input. By the way, it is unknown which DAC is installed in the RV 4 itself. Only the manufacturer is named – BurrBrown and the main characteristic: 24 bits at 192 kHz. Considering that a good dozen BurrBrown DACs have these characteristics, it is not possible to guess which chip is installed in the amplifier.
Version Bluetooth 4.0, a Qualcomm chipset with aptX support, allows you to transmit sound with quality comparable to CD. In short, if your smartphone supports aptX, download FLAC and listen to music wirelessly. For everyone else, I recommend not to remove the wiring or use an external digital player with a linear or coaxial output.
The key characteristic of the amplifier is the very expressive and solid midrange. Thanks to this, live instruments sound truly spirited. For example, the timbres of Arkady Shilkloper’s horn are conveyed very naturally and realistically, and the expressive manner of performance captivates from the first notes. With any well-recorded music, attention is immediately focused on the artistic component of the work, and this is an important positive quality for any hi-fi component.
It is curious that the amplifier does not have any pronounced accents or noticeable coloring in the mid-frequency region. The effect of live sound is achieved in the simplest and most literal way: smooth frequency response, high resolution and good dynamics.
The Magnat RV 4 amplifier has an even tonal balance, a high degree of detail, and excellent macro- and microdynamics. At the same time, the sound is extremely expressive and interesting. What I would call a feature is the shallow but well-controlled bass and soft sound of the high frequencies. But the most important thing is that Magnat RV 4 is capable of making you fall in love, if not from the first notes, then certainly after a short time. This amplifier makes you listen to music of almost any style and direction.
Characteristics of Magnat RV 4
Lamps: E88CC
Power: 2x 150 W at 4 Ohms, 2x 110 W at 8 Ohms, 2x 250 W (peak)
Frequency range: 8-110000 Hz (-3 dB), 20-20000 Hz (+/- 0.1 dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio: 110 dB (line inputs)
Phono stage: MM/MS
DAC: BurrBrown 24bit/192 kHz
Inputs: 6x analog, coaxial, optical, phono stage, Bluetooth 4.0 aptX
Dimensions: 434x157x360 mm
Weight: 18.5 kg
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