2. amps-preamps
  3. 182330-161025

Dual mono integrated amps

I’m curious about dual mono integrated amps and if they can approximate the benefits of monoblocks. I had the good fortune of trying a friend’s electronics which included a dual mono preamp driving a pair of monoblocks and the result was not subtle. There was an expanded soundstage with more solid imaging. Is this an effect that most of you experience when each channel has dedicated circuitry? Are there particular examples of integrated amps utilizing a dual mono design that do a particularly good job in this respect? Ones that don’t?

Thanks for the help

128x128voodoochillin
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,186 posts
 

 

petaluman
140 posts
 

I applaud the dual mono concept in integrateds, but it's not the same as mono blocks.  Separate chassis, separate power cords, even separate circuit breakers if you can arrange it.

That said, you can get fine sound from an integrated amp, and dual mono is one of the many techniques available to amp designers to improve sound quality.

voodoochillin's avatar
voodoochillin OP
61 posts
 

Thanks for the responses. It appears that Hegel uses 1 toroidal power supply for its dual mono design. Can anyone comment on this technique? Doesn’t this defeat the purpose?

whipsaw
753 posts
 

The Circle Labs A200 which I, and some other members use, is a "true" dual-mono integrated, and it sounds terrific. It's a minimalist design, though, so may not suit everyone's needs.

ortodox
69 posts
 

@whipsaw , what speaker cables do you use with A200 ?

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