Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: DNM PA3^S Amplifier (SS) by Top Cat

Model:	PA3^S
Category:	Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	3000 UKP
Description:	23wpc Stereo power amp with regulated PSU
Manufacturer URL:	DNM
Model Picture:	View

Review by Top Cat on November 15, 2002 at 07:40:46
IP Address: 194.159.222.86

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DNM PA3^S stereo power amplifier
Hi there. I've recently changed my power amps from 200w monoblocks to something a little unusual.
In recent times, I've been carrying out my own personal search for musical nirvana; conventional approaches to hifi have been found lacking to my own ear and I've started looking at rather un-conventional approaches, such as that taken by DNM (www.dnm.co.uk).
DNM amplifiers differ from normal amps in that much care has been taken in the materials' design and circuit design to minimise the effects that excess metal can have on musical signals. We've all heard the big multi-heatsinked monsters which sound - well, somewhat *barren*, musically speaking. Many a large, powerful solid-state behemoth has arrived which could drive anything but lacks in musical intent and the more subjective elements which make music more than an assemblage of sonic parts.
The PA3^S is DNM's top-of-line power amp. Reversing the norm is a DNM philosophy, and one of the strange things we see is that as we go up the DNM ladder in performance terms, the amps get seemingly less and less powerful. Such it is with the PA3^S, which has a paper spec of only 23wpc, but is reknowned as being capable of punching considerably higher than its 'puny output' would suggest.
DNM amps arrive in wooden crates which are intended for return to dealers - such is their concern over recycling and reuse. The amp itself consists of a small regulated power supply box and a larger power amp box. The larger box is made of smoked perspex, and with the aid of a torch it's possible to see inside the amp without opening it. In pride of place are the patented DNM T-Network Slit-Foil capacitors - considered the finest capacitors in hifi. These 4-input caps were designed with the finest
in musical reproduction as their priority. I don't know too much about how they work - the DNM website will be able to tell you more. Externally, a flat heatsink sits to the front of the amp and at the back are two DIN inputs (one for left and one for right channels), the PSU connection and three pairs of 2mm banana sockets per side. Yes, 2mm. Not 4mm as is standard, but eensy little 2mm plugs. This makes auditioning difficult, and I had to have my Nordost SPM speaker cable reterminated to suit.
Initial impressions are entirely positive. Shut your eyes and you'd swear that the 23wpc stereo DNM amp is far more powerful than its spec would suggest. To wit, my outgoing 200wpc monoblocks had less grip and control during conventional listening than the DNM has. Astonishing. The monoblocks were good, very good, but the DNM is in a different league entirely. Let's call it a revolutionary upgrade rather than an evolutionary one in this regard.
One of the strange things about DNM products is the way in which it relays masses of tactile and textural information without ever missing the musical point. Many decent amps do timbre and present an impressive sense of what is referred to 'round earth' attributes (such as soundstage, imaging, space and depth) but fail to bind the 'hifi' elements into a cohesive and convincing musical whole. Stand up Musical Fidelity as a case point. Very impressive but not at all musical in my own opinion (and I'm running the risk of losing a great deal of you here - if you don't know what I'm getting at here, you should perhaps stop reading as it can spoil your enjoyment of the gear you own if you suddenly realise you're listening to the hifi and not the music).
The DNM manages to marry an enormous amount of musical detail and acoustic inflection without sacrificing that all-important portrayal of the timing, pitch and dynamic. This is a rare ability that few amps at any price can manage with such aplomb. I've heard amps cost five times as much fail completely, so for a £3000 plastic box in the "Fisher Price" mould it's a positive bargain.
And what of the hifi attributes? Well, as I mentioned above, what it lacks in out-and-out paper grunt, it makes up for in providing ultra-high resolution at domestic volume levels (and, in my experience, louder-than-domestic levels - though my speakers, at 88db@8ohms, aren't that difficult a load). Bass is extended and tuneful - no overhang whatsoever, but fast, detailed and tight. Pitch cues are spot on, which is no mean feat for bass. The midrange is the closest I've heard in a solid state amp to that of a good valve setup, without the leanings to cosy mush that a lot of valve amps suffer when it comes to timing. The high frequencies are detailed but not strident - if anything the amp can sound a little bright with bad recordings but never painfully so. I wouldn't want to hear this amp with a horn speaker, though, as I suspect it could become painful what with its incredible speed and transient response.
In musical terms, everything gels into a cohesive enjoyable unit - imaging is first rate, without dissecting the music too much (as flaw of some systems), and everything is in its place.
The best SS amp I've ever heard? By a comfortable margin!
TC '..'
Review system: Clearaudio Evolution/RA Opus 21/DNM 3B Primus/Neat Petite III/Gravitas, Nordost SPM cabling, QS reference racks, Mana speaker bases.

Product Weakness: A bit oddball, and doesn't look like very much - perceivable as having low material value, perhaps?
Product Strengths: Stunningly musical perspex box which packs a punch way above its spec

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	DNM PA3^S
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	DNM 3B Primus
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Clearaudio Evolution
Speakers:	Neat Petite III/Gravitas
Cables/Interconnects:	Nordost SPM
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Varied
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	A bit oddball, and doesn't look like very much - perceivable as having low material value, perhaps?
Product Strengths:	Stunningly musical perspex box which packs a punch way above its spec