D200i stereo power amplifier
What happens when phenomenal power meets refined delicacy? This.
Imagine the raw, thundering power of the Niagara Falls. Then picture the intricate delicacy of a single snowflake. Takes quite a jump in perception, no?
For the D200i it’s a breeze. Designed to balance phenomenal strength with elegant finesse as effortlessly as does nature, this stereo power amp packs the most erudite of punches – like having your socks blown off with aerodynamic precision.
When it comes to rhythm it’s as sure-footed as a racehorse, and quick as a cheetah on the attack when needed. But give it a chilled-out track and see how effortlessly it kicks back and goes with the flow.
Authoritative and yielding. Relaxed and meticulous. These things shouldn’t go together. But do.
The Gamut sound
Where power meets precision and timing is everything
Power and precision, while not quite opposites, are often thought of as ‘either/or’. If you have one in spades, chances are you’re a bit less endowed with the other. When it comes to audio amplification, this poses a dilemma. Time then, for a radical rethink.
The solution, while not easy, is deceptively simple (the best solutions usually are). It’s also what sets Gamut amplifiers apart.
While most amps rely on a combination of multiple output transistors to achieve their amplification ‘oomph’, we use one single output transistor per phase, hence two per channel. That’s it. No rows of multiple bipolar transistors. Stunningly minimal and an absolute winner performance-wise.
Of course we’re not just talking about any transistor. These guys are massive – imposingly robust and immensely powerful (they can handle a peak current demand of 300 A and 100 A continuously). What’s more, the particular models we use are rare in hi-fi – you won’t find them in too many amps. The thing is, they’re an investment. But it’s an investment worth making and here’s why.
The more common approach of combining multiple output transistors (sometimes as many as 48 per channel) comes with some major sonic and technical compromises. Compromises that we simply aren’t willing to make. Think of it like multiple voices in a choir. No matter how talented or well-rehearsed the singers, the pitch and speed of each voice will vary fractionally, affecting the overall timing, clarity and dynamics of the sound. Similarly, no two transistors are exactly alike and so combinations of multiples will require all kinds of technical workarounds to combat ‘sonic smearing’. But the trouble with technical workarounds is that they tend to introduce yet more potential for sonic smearing. So a powerful amplifier built with 48 transistors is more likely to sound like a choir than one clear and consistent voice.
Gamut amplifiers use just one Herculean transistor per phase. What’s more, rather than using one NPN (negative-positive-negative) and one PNP (positive-negative-positive) transistor for each of the two channels, we stick with closely matched NPNs all-round. All of which enables our amps to meet our famously exacting standards for uber-precise timing, stunning clarity and vivid dynamics. In other words, to deliver that signature Gamut sound.
But don’t just take our word for it. Come and have a listen. We think you’ll love what you hear.
Every little thing auditioned
Every component in a Gamut amplifier is of the highest quality and has been hand-selected following intensive listening tests – from the circuit boards, via the non-magnetic chassis, to the superlative XLR connectors. No expense is spared.
So when you buy a Gamut amp you’re not paying for our brand name or for a swanky office in the best part of town. You’re investing in what goes into your amp, pure and simple.
We think you’ll hear the difference. Why not come and have a listen and judge for yourself?
Features & specifications
- 220 W per channel into 8 Ω
- 400 W per channel into 4 Ω
- 700 W per channel into 2 Ω
- 1 x XLR balanced input
- 1 x RCA unbalanced input
- All input connections gold-plated
- 2 x speaker outputs
- All output connections gold-plated
- 20 kΩ unbalanced
- 40 kΩ balanced
- Adjustable: 0 dB / -6 dB / -12 dB / -14 dB
- 5 – 100 kHz +/- 0.1 dB
- @1 kHz <0.05%
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO
- > 100 dB ‘A weighted’
POWER CONSUMPTION
- 100 W idle (min. consumption in ‘on’ mode)
IN-BUILT PERFORMANCE MONITORING
- Every Gamut amplifier has an error-checking start-up sequence that goes through several condition checks, lasting a few seconds, before allowing full operation.
- A complex protection circuitry can detect DC errors, high-level subsonic signals, long-term ultrasonic signals, high temperatures and low impedance loads.
MADE IN DENMARK
- 100% designed and built in Denmark
SIZE & WEIGHT
- Dimensions (mm): 158 (height) / 430 (width) / 420 (depth)
- Dimensions (inches): 6.22 (height) / 16.93 (width) / 16.54 (depth)
- Product weight: 30 kg
- Shipping weight: 35 kg
WARRANTY
- 5 years
Options
The D200i sports a sleek, minimalist Scandinavian design featuring black, non-magnetic steel bodywork with the option of either a black or a silver anodized aluminium front panel.
Black anodized aluminium
Silver anodized aluminium
Awards & reviews
“Combines transparency, muscle and agility better than any alternative we’ve heard. Build and finish are excellent.”
What Hi-Fi Buyer’s Guide
Best Buys, 2016
“Has the finesse to deliver low-level variations brilliantly, yet given something challenging it delivers the crescendos with real intensity and force.”
“Easily one of the best we’ve heard and – while expensive – is comparable in performance to alternatives that cost Mercedes money.”
What Hi-Fi, February 2015
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“A revelation…”
“Combines many strengths associated with both solid-state and tubes.”
The Absolute Sound, February 2013
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“Liquidity, image density, soundstage depth, and tone color texture.”
Hi-Fi Plus (preview), September 2012
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