General Asylum: REVIEW: nOhr Le Amp Amplifier (SS) by DueN

Model:	Le Amp
Category:	Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	$500pr
Description:	100W/ch monoblocks
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available
Manufacturer URL:	Not Available

Review by DueN on November 03, 2001 at 19:16:39
IP Address: 65.230.5.65

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After living with the nOrh LeAmp monoblock amplifiers for a while, I'm finally comfortable enough to report on their performance. As with any review of this type, this is going to be subjective. So please take it for what its worth.
For this review, I think it would be useful to compare the LeAmp with another amplifier, the Multiamp. The Multiamp, also from nOrh, is something I've owned for a long time and am very familiar with. At least it gives me a point of reference to report from.
So, which amplifier is better? IMHO, which one is better depends on who defines the word "better". And what are the criteria to be better. Hence, a little perspective of where I come from may be helpful here.
For me, I like music to be reproduced as recorded. Ideally, I would like components to preserve the original music signal throughout the chain. To me, a component that tells "pleasant lies", while may be desirable at times (and by many), is not better than one that tells it like it is. I believe that's why there's the "fi" (fidelity) in the word hi-fi. While perfection is unattainable, I'd still pick components that strive for it over others. There are certain values that I hold dear when evaluating an audio component: accuracy, clarity, transparency, and neutrality to name a few. A component that over-emphasizes the highs to make it sound livelier is not better. A component that adds warmer, softer, or sweeter colorations to the mids to make it sound (subjectively) more musical (while desirable at times) is not better. Of course, this is all a matter of personal preference.
Looking at my criteria and preferences, and nOrh's philosophy in audio reproduction, it's a no brainer for me to be attracted to nOrh electronics. The LeAmp is the fourth piece of electronics that I've gotten from nOrh, after the CD-1, ACA, and Multiamp. Needless to say, I've been extremely happy with the sound quality of each of these components.
The Multiamp has been my favorite amplifier because of its high quality sound. (I've auditioned many other hi-end amplifiers, but let's not get into those) For its cost, the Multiamp is as accurate as or better than any other amps within its price range. And when the LeAmp was promised to outperform the Multiamp, I jumped on board. Unfortunately, the stock LeAmp was not performing to its full potential. Its sound was veiled and colored. I did not like it at all as compared to the Multiamp. But fortunately, there was a simple modification that could be performed to fix all these shortcomings. Needless to day, I got my LeAmps modified. So, my comparison of the Multiamp and the LeAmp, unless otherwise noted, will be with the modified LeAmp. And as I understand, all future nOrh LeAmps will have this modification.
Before we start, let's talk a bit about build quality. I must admit that even though the Multiamp is a terrific amp sonically, its casing design and build leave a lot to be desired. The case looks like something that was slapped together at the last minute. Flimsy, at best. I wouldn't be surprised that its casing design and construction contribute significantly to its reliability problems. The LeAmp, on the other hand, appears to be well thought out. The construction and build quality is second to none. It's built like a tank. I'd give a huge edge to the LeAmp on external design and overall build quality.
With that, let's look at how these compare sonically.
First off, a lot of criticisms have been levied against the stock LeAmp for its soundstage. I, for one, didn't feel that was relatively a big problem. But at any rate, that's no longer the case with the modded LeAmp. The soundstage easily expands well outside the speakers. Its height and depth is enveloping. The Multiamp is also capable of a wide and tall soundstage. But I would say that the LeAmp is slightly wider and noticeably deeper.
Another weakness of the stock LeAmp is its soft/vague/fuzzy characteristic. That is also gone. The LeAmp is crystal clear in its presentation. In fact, it even excels the Multiamp in this area. In Sarah Brightman's In Paradisum (Eden), there is a multitude of sounds at the beginning of the track: crickets songs, bird chirpings, water tripping over rocks, chants, etc. The LeAmp reproduced this scene with stunning clarity. The Multiamp, which I thought was very good in this area, sounded slightly veiled in comparison. The Multiamp seemed to be a bit more "noisy", masking off some of the clarity.
I think the Multiamp's shortcoming in clarity as compared to the LeAmp can be attributed to several things. In the treble, the Multiamp seems to roll off a bit. As the result, the LeAmp has noticeably better extension on the highs. But this better extension doesn't translate to any hint of brightness at all. If anything, it adds realism. I should also note that this difference is very discernable when listening to the two side by side. This smooth roll-off characteristic of the Multiamp gives it a somewhat pleasing sound. But that's not to say the LeAmp is harsh. The LeAmp comes out sounding more lively and realistic.
In the all-important (to me anyway) mid-range, the two amps are pretty close in timbre. The Multiamp sounds just a tad warmer and more mellow. Again, the Multiamp comes across as more forgiving and smoother. But this also comes at the cost of realism. Vocals on the LeAmp sounds clearer and more realistic. I'm very impressed with the mid-range clarity of the LeAmp. It's crystal clear. So far to my knowledge, I haven't heard any vocals so clear and so life-like before.
The LeAmp's better clarity over the Multiamp plays a big part in its realistic rendition of a musical event. Its imaging capability within the soundstage is first class. Instrument locations are precise and clearly delineated. The Multiamp is no slouch in this area. But the LeAmp is a bit more focus, especially voices. This focus helps projecting the location of singer's voice more accurately. For example, listening to the Eagles' Tequila Sunrise (Hell Freezes Over), the vocal seemed to be a bit higher in height with the LeAmp.
As far as bass is concerned, this is an area that the Multiamp is said to be weak compared to some other hi-end amps. Personally, I find that the Multiamp's bass to be quite adequate. And how did the LeAmp compared? To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference. Both are precise, fast and taut. To my ears, they are about the same as far as bass output and impact.
There were also other qualities that the two amplifiers seem about equal, such as transparency, details, and dynamics. I must note here that they perform exceptionally well in revealing the inner details of music. Plucked strings are reproduced with uncanny precision and speed. The dynamics in ORFF O Fortuna (EMI's Unforgettable Classics) was just incredible. The choir went from whisper quiet to room filling volume in a snap. Quite impressive, actually.
Another attribute that I like so much about the LeAmp is its neutrality. Like the Multiamp, the LeAmp is even-handed in its presentation cross the frequency spectrum. It doesn't over-emphasize the highs, inflate the mids, or overwhelm with the lows. The LeAmp gives a very balance presentation. For some, this "mild manner" quality may come across as flat, uninvolving, or uninteresting. But such is not the case. And I've come to appreciate this quality quite a bit. The LeAmp is a joy to listen to.
So, with all these positive things that have been said about the LeAmp, one would think that the LeAmp is an ideal amplifier, given my criteria and preference. One may wonder whether there's anything negative to be said. Well, yes, there is. And this has been subject of much heated debate: its power output capability!!! (Yeah, I know... here we go again!) I don't have fancy and expensive measuring scopes to verify any power rating. But I know when my speaker is telling me that an amplifier is clipping. And the LeAmp did clip... and clipped early than expected given its rating. So did the Multiamp, btw. Driving a 6-ohm speaker with about 85dB sensitivity, it peaked (clipped) when the SPL meter spikes to about 105dB. Hmm... based on that, I wouldn't say that the LeAmp outputs 100W continuously. Peak, yes. Continuous, no! Under normal listening condition, the LeAmp has more than enough to drive my speakers and satisfy my listening habits. But, I wish it has some more "juice" in reserve. It's just for "peace of mind", I guess.
Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the sonic qualities of the LeAmp. I was hoping the LeAmp would match the Multiamp's performance. Not only that the LeAmp has met that, but it also exceeded beyond expectations. So, is the LeAmp perfect? Of course not. Nothing ever is. But I'd say the LeAmp does a pretty darn good job aiming for perfection. If anyone knows of any other amplifier near its price range that excels in performance given the above "audiophile" values, I'd love to hear about it. "Pleasant lies" don't count, remember?
My associated system: nOrh CD-1 -> nOrh ACA preamp -> nOrh Multiamp/nOrh LeAmp -> AV-Reality 3D.
Assorted CDs used for evaluation:
EMI's Unforgettable Classics (macro dynamics, large scale orchestra)
Ottmar Liebert's Borasca (micro dynamics, imaging, small scale instruments)
Michael Hedges's Oracle (micro dynamics, acoustic guitar)
Sarah Brightman's Eden (female vocals, imaging, soundstage)
Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing (female vocals, piano)
Telarc's The Big Picture (bass impact, soundstage)
Telarc's The Great Fantasy Adventure Album (bass)
Julio Iglesias' My Life (gotta get some male vocals in there)
Eagles's Hell Freezes Over (the "you're there" experience)

Product Weakness: More "juice" please.
Product Strengths: Accuracy, clarity, neutrality, etc.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	nOrh LeAmp
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	nOrh ACA
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	nOrh CD-1
Speakers:	AV-Reality 3D
Cables/Interconnects:	RCA
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Assorted
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	More "juice" please.
Product Strengths:	Accuracy, clarity, neutrality, etc.