Solo Integrated Amplifier

We are proud to introduce a new product that is the result of a long period of design and development. The new integrated amplifier Solo. We have concentrated years of experience in HiFi development into this new creation. Everything is improved not only the audio quality and the power (now 60W in class A) but even a new design with a huge 9” display full of functions like VUmeter, spectrum analyser and more. Grandinote is technology, innovation, flexibility, design and absolute audio quality.

MAGNETOSOLID TECHNOLOGY

Magnetosolid is a unique technology from Grandinote, designed by engineer Massimiliano Magri and a great expression of Made in Italy. Created in 2002 in its first versions, it integrates two words in its name: Magneto and Solid. Magneto because of its ferromagnetic components and output transformers and Solid because of its solid-state components. It is a circuit that brings the best of tubes and solid-state technology to our amplifiers. As with tube systems, the circuit is as simple and straightforward as possible, but with all the qualities of solid state. The main advantage of tubes over solid state, is the absence of parasitic capacitance. Our Magnetosolid technology, has overcome even this obstacle by delivering a sound that is absolutely faithful to the source without the loss of any detail and with the ability to control any speaker. The frequency response of Magnetosolid amplifiers is the best on the market, superior to either tube or solid-state systems. All components of the sound message are in place. Detail, presence, full dynamic and control thanks also to an absolute reference damping factor.

In the Solo and in the new Grandinote Magnetosolid amplifiers the audio circuit has been further improved compared to previous ones such as the Shinai, with voltages and polarizations even richer and oversized. An increase of over 50% going from 60V to 96V while maintaining the purity of the signal unchanged.

SPECIFICATIONS

• No capacitors in the signal path
• Two output transistors (simple push pull)
• No negative feedback or counter-reaction
• Dedicated power supply for every device
• Stereo integrated amplifier
• Power per channel 60W
• Damping factor 150
• Frequency response 2Hz - 240 kHz
• Two unbalanced inputs RCA
• Two balanced inputs XLR (full-balanced)
• Balanced inputs XLR unbalanced convertibles
• Pure Class “A”
• Vu-meters and spectrum analyser
• Two output transformers
• Celio pre-phono or Volta DAC streamer internal expansion boards
• Color and brightness adjustable display
• Absorption 270W
• Weight 34kg (75lbs)
• W=14,5 inch (36cm)  x H=8,3 inch (21cm) x L=17,7 inch (45cm)  
• Grandinote's warranty of 5 years 

POWER SUPPLY

Grandinote's new Magnetosolid amplifiers are now equipped with a new switching power supply with electro-medical rigor standards and a new concept. All circuits are pure class A with an always constant current. The absorption does not depend on the signal and this means that the power supply will always supply the same current. It is very important to underline that our switching power supplies never modulate the current based on the signal. The development of our new switching power supplies has broken down the paradigm of toroidal as the only solution. With our design they are now qualitatively on par with toroidals and perfectly integrated with Grandinote's Magnetosolid circuits in pure class A. With our new power supply, we are able to choose the supply voltages for the output stages and able to select the Solo polarization in function of the nominal impedance speakers. Solo is now optimised for 8, or 4 Ohm speakers, avoiding unnecessary power losses and with a greater overall performance. We have also increased the size of the heatsinks, now they are a 10% bigger than in the old Shinai and that allows the Solo to deliver more power while heating up less and be more comfortable to use in hot seasons.

VOLUME CONTROL

Now we have resistors combined with reed relays. Reed relays are the best contact in existence cause they works in vacuum, no impurities, no parasitic capacitances like in solid-state relays and guarantee the passage of every smallest nuance of the signal, without limiting its frequency response, without any distortion! The configuration of these resistors is a pure “ladder" with two blocks of resistors, only in parallel with each other. This configuration use the same principle of the volume regulators with rotary switches, studded with resistors, but with 2 big improvements: No rotary switch in the world has the same contact quality as a reed relay (vacuum) - these switches have few steps, a far cry from the 68 steps + 0 of our regulator. The Shinai has only 33 steps plus 0.