Whatever else a hi-fi amplifier might do – such as streaming, room EQ, etc., – its fundamental role is to make the little source signals big enough to drive your loudspeakers, and to do so without getting in the way of the sound.
Every winner here is a cracking amplifier for power at its price, and since we tend to favour those which also make life easier, you'll find plenty of smart amps which can handle all your streaming needs.
These are the amplifiers that have wowed us over the last 12 months of our magazines Sound+Image, Australian Hi-Fi, Best Buys Audio & AV, and Audio Esoterica, and which represent our recommendations of the very best power providers available in Australia today.
For the full details on each and every winner, check out the Special Awards Issue of Sound+Image magazine, on sale now in print and digital editions. Print subscriptions here; digital issues here!
Now let's meet the winners!
Integrated amps
AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR UNDER AU$2000
Denon PMA-900HNE
AU$1799
Judges’ Comment: Denon has taken its hi-fi amplifier expertise and added HEOS streaming and multiroom to the front, surprisingly for the first time. It’s a cracking combination.
Click here for our full review.
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AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$2000-AU$4000
NAD C700
AU$2699
Judges’ Comment: Enjoy the big smart display, loads of streaming options thanks to the inclusion of BluOS, and of course the power for which NAD has been renowned for decades.
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AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$4000-AU$8000
Yamaha R-N2000A
AU$4999
Judges’ Comment: This amplifier combines MusicCast streaming and app control with a relatively purist modern take on a classic amplifier. It’s a magnificent release from Yamaha.
Click to read our full review
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AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR AU$8000-AU$12,000
Perreaux 200iX
AU$9495
Judges’ Comment: It’s not the rainbow colour options which win our award: it’s the sound. The Perreaux 200iX is a MOSFET powerhouse that will drive any speakers to high volume levels with clean power, while offering versatile input provision and the convenience of remote or app control.
Click to read our full review.
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AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR OVER AU$12,000
Mark Levinson No. 5805
AU$15,995
Judges’ Comment: Harman’s massive Mark Levinson No. 5805 amplifier has an
innate ability to deliver power, authority and scale, while at .the same time being able to paint sounds with absolute precision and delicious delicacy.
Click here to read the UK review.
Pre-power combos
STEREO PRE-POWER AMPLIFIERS OF THE YEAR
McIntosh C12000 / MC3500 MkII
AU$29,990 (two-box pre) + AU$59,990 (two mono power amps)
Judges’ Comment: Take two separate preamplifier boxes, add two mono power amps based on the amplifiers which powered the PA at Woodstock... and the result is pure, simple, unadulterated music: not ‘bright’ or ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ or ‘warm’, just entirely natural.
Click here for our full review
Stereo power amp
STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR
Adcom GFA-555se
AU$2999
Judges’ Comment: This old-school stereo power amplifier may lack a few circuit
niceties now common in hi-fi, but it punches far above its weight when it comes to high power, low noise, low distortion, extraordinarily extended frequency response and, of course, superb sound.
Click here for our full review.
