Integrated Amplifiers

The L-PRO2S module from Denmark’s Pascal A/S combines the brand’s UREC (Universal REctifier Controller) switchmode PSU with PFC (Power Factor Correction) and a UMAC (Ultra-Modulated Analogue Control) Class D switching amplifier. A variant of this next-gen platform is also employed by AVM [HFN Dec ’22] but the technology is quite distinct from the more compact Ncore/Eigentakt Class D modules used by the likes of NAD [HFN Aug ’20] and Mola-Mola [HFN Oct ’21]. For all their high efficiency – the I-188 offers 86% at its rated 300W output – switchmode PSU/Class D amp combos can generate more HF/VHF noise than would a more traditional linear PSU/Class AB design. And ridding the audio environment of such noise is core to the ‘thinking’ behind Aavik’s amps.

You’ll see mention of ‘active Tesla coils’ on the Aavik website and these, in part, are realised in the 36 black coils visible on the green PCB seen adjacent to the Pascal amp [see pic, above]. Connected at one end only, these act as helical antennas, each bank of 12 associated with an STC15W104 single-chip microcontroller. Quite what is being ‘broadcast’ into the chassis space is unclear, but additional square coils take the form of PCB tracks underneath these black antennas, with a further 72 printed on the underside of the board itself. In practice, the I-188’s 86.2dB A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW) is not exceptional, but it is still superior to any comparable Class D amplifier that we’ve measured. PM