Xindak XA3200MK II tested by Roy Ervin Solstad for Norwegian Hjemmekino 4/2008.

 

 

Many still have their sceptics to tube equipment. Not least this has had to do with price, because one has been able to make far cheaper transistor amplifiers compared to tube amplifiers. And many raise their eyebrows just by the thought of having to change tubes once in a while.

 

Let¡¯s take the last first, the lifetime of tubes are several thousands of hours, which means that even though you have your amplifier turned on several hours daily you hardly need to change tubes more than every other year. And these tube changes are not exactly ''rocket science''.

 

There is no reason to take Xindaks XA3200MKII of the list when speaking of price either. There are cheaper amplifiers on the market, but most aren¡¯t. Anyway the quality-feeling you get with this Chinese will be very hard to match at its price.

 

At first the amplifier gives a solid impression with its seven kg, and not least its beautiful remote in brushed aluminium where you can control the volume and choose inputs. I have seen products costing 25 times as much as the XA3200MKII equipped with far less attractive remotes than this.

 

There are five tubes in this amplifier; one 12AX7 and one 12AT7 per channel and in addition one 6Z4 rectifying tube. Four unbalanced inputs and two unbalanced outputs, makes it easy for you to for example connect two power amplifiers for bi-amping or one power-amplifier and a subwoofer.

 

Tube-midrange is a notion, and Xindak XA3200MKII shows why. Here is a presence of lovely abundance, which is very positive when reproducing vocals. For those who have listened a lot to tube equipment recollects the feeling of how tube equipment tends to drag the soloists ahead in the soundstage, and let a little more light shine on them. This happens independently of music genre, type of instrument and voice. The amplifier hasn¡¯t got the most detailed nor transparent midrange, but still it manages to reproduce the nerve in the music very well.

 

And this is how it is all the way from top to bottom. The rasp in Ole Paus''es voice is a little less upfront than with my own pre-amplifier, but the sincerity in his voice is being reproduced with bravura. It is not very airy at the top, and when playing loud music female vocals may tend to be a bit sharp on the edges, but at normal listening levels (and also higher than normal) it all sounds great. But one have to keep in mind that I have compared this amplifier to my own, Audionet Pre 1g2, which costs 9 times more, and I almost wish for that the differences should be bigger.

 

Especially this is regarding the drawing of the recording studio. On Sera Una Noches: El Choclo, the soundstage is both wide and deep. Perhaps not as precise and accurate as with my reference amplifier, but Xindak XA3200MKII never lets you doubt that this is a really good three dimensionally recording with natural acoustics.

 

The bass reproduction stretches way down, and has a nice abundance. And at the same time the dynamics is quit well. It is easy to get carried away when listening to this amplifier and I have often discovered that my right foot has lived its own life stomping the beat of the music, while my head has been busy analysing what I hear.

 

Perfect sound is very expensive, and Xindak XA3200MKII is far from perfect. At return it gives you a sincerity and nerve in the music reproduction which astounds at this price range.

 

 

- Beautiful midrange.

- Big soundstage.

- Low price.

 

- No detail freak.

- A little sharp at the top on loud levels.