ELAC Alchemy DPA-2
Stereophile|June 2021
POWER AMPLIFIER
JASON VICTOR SERINUS
ELAC Alchemy DPA-2

Once upon a time, in the early days of class-D amplification, the very notion that the ELAC (ELectroACoustic) Alchemy DPA-2 Stereo/Mono Power Amplifier ($1495 each) uses a class-D output stage would cause some readers to turn the page.1 But as class-D amplifiers established their pedigree as bona fide hi-fi components, audiophiles have begun to embrace the notion of a lightweight, cool-running amplifier that will not dramatically increase the electric bill and that, when properly executed, can be quite musical.

I could easily discern the naturally resonant spaciousness that the engineering/ mastering team of Jin Choi and Michael Fine captured in the Salle Colonne in Paris.

Others, though, may still balk at the suggestion that this skinny, 14lb, class-D device from the Americas division of ELAC Germany—auditioned here in bridged monoblock configuration—can get listeners close to the heart of the music. Perhaps learning that the DPA-2 was designed by Peter Madnick, who also oversaw the design team for Constellation Audio and voiced all of their products, will encourage them to explore farther.

When he developed the DPA-2, which combines a Hypex UCD class-D output module with a class-AB input stage, Madnick worked with ELAC’s power supply designer to prepare the switching power supply that supplies the juiceto its class-D module. Drawing on his experience designing close to 400 products, including 20 or 30 amplifiers for several companies, he and his team designed everything except the housing; cosmetics were left to a different ELAC team.

Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Stereophile.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Stereophile.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA STEREOPHILESe alt
My last Far East trip
Stereophile

My last Far East trip

First comes the anticipation, that initial jet of warm water, that miraculous searching, finding the sweet spot, then heaven on earth as it cleans and caresses.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Riding the Common Wave
Stereophile

Riding the Common Wave

In the e-commerce era, brick-and-mortar dealerships must give customers compelling reasons to stop by. Los Angeles hi-fi dealership Common Wave's owner Wesley Katzir keeps customers coming through the door with a simple idea: that music matters in our everyday lives and that what he enjoys, other people will enjoy, too.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Mind Games to the bottom of the rabbit hole
Stereophile

Mind Games to the bottom of the rabbit hole

After a wild decade in the biggest pop music group ever, John Lennon's post-Beatles years were spent in protest, in various kinds of therapy, in immigration court, and in search of a new musical identity.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Trane meets the Motor City
Stereophile

Trane meets the Motor City

Detroit became a destination for migrating African Americans early, starting with the Underground Railroad; the city's proximity to Canada was convenient for those seeking to escape Southern slavery.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Vital art never rests
Stereophile

Vital art never rests

At this late date, it seems impossible that there could still be \"lost\" albums lingering in the vaults by musicians as important and successful as Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
DUKE IN 10
Stereophile

DUKE IN 10

TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DUKE'S DEATH, ROBERT BAIRD SELECTS A DOUBLE HANDFUL OF EXEMPLARY TRACKS FROM PERHAPS AMERICA'S GREATEST MUSICAL GENIUS.

time-read
10 mins  |
September 2024
Piega Coax Gen2 811
Stereophile

Piega Coax Gen2 811

It's funny how we discover some music in unexpected, twisting ways.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Pass Laboratories XP-27
Stereophile

Pass Laboratories XP-27

One of the pleasures of reviewing-and also using-products from Pass Laboratories is an encounter with Nelson Pass's writing, which can usually be found in the owner's manual and is always competent, insightful, and sometimes funny.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
EMT 928 II
Stereophile

EMT 928 II

Modern turntables are a paradox.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Dynaudio Contour 30i
Stereophile

Dynaudio Contour 30i

Ah, Denmark. Land of the Vikings and blue-eyed, blond-haired folk with faces sculpted just so.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024