Canor Virtus A3 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier: A Fusion of Tube Warmth and Digital Precision
Canor Audio has unveiled the Virtus A3, a hybrid integrated amplifier that seamlessly blends classical tube warmth with modern digital precision. Crafted with a dual mono architecture, the Virtus A3 ensures exceptional channel separation and minimizes crosstalk, delivering a pristine stereo experience. Each channel's preamplifier stage is equipped with an E88CC tube, renowned for its ability to handle external radio frequency interference, thereby maintaining signal integrity and reducing intermodulation artifacts.
The Virtus A3 boasts a robust output, delivering 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 150 watts at 4 ohms, thanks to its differential feedback power amplification design. This approach captures audio signals from both the positive and negative speaker terminals, enhancing linearity and ensuring low distortion levels below 0.0002% at 1 watt per channel. The amplifier’s fully balanced signal path, implemented with discrete circuitry, avoids the use of integrated op-amps, further enhancing audio clarity and precision.
User interaction is streamlined via a 1.3-inch touch LCD screen, providing intuitive access to various settings and configurations. The front panel also features dual headphone outputs, catering to different listening preferences. Connectivity options are extensive, including USB with galvanic isolation to prevent ground loops, as well as optical, coaxial, and balanced AES-EBU digital inputs. The USB input supports high-resolution audio formats up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and native DSD512, utilizing ESS Technology DAC chips for superior digital-to-analog conversion.
Integrated into the Virtus A3 is a high-quality discrete phono preamplifier compatible with both MM and MC cartridges, alongside a balanced headphone amplifier stage that supports single-ended and balanced outputs. The amplifier also offers class A single-ended and balanced preamplifier line outputs, allowing seamless integration with additional external power amplifiers for expanded audio setups. Advanced cooling is achieved through heat pipe heatsinks and quietly operating slow-rotating fans, ensuring stable performance even under high loads without introducing unwanted noise.
Available in elegant black and silver finishes, the Canor Virtus A3 is positioned at just under €6,000 in the European market. This all-in-one solution combines the virtues of tube amplification with modern digital capabilities, catering to audiophiles seeking both tradition and innovation in their high-fidelity audio systems.
