BOULDER 3050 Ultimate Monoblock Amplifier
Boulder has been unrivaled in defying expectations and limitations for nearly 30 years. From our earliest days creating studio equipment used in the making of some of the world’s most important recordings, to now, with our groundbreaking use of UPnP technology raising the bar for streaming digital audio. At every step of the way, one fundamental objective has been consistent: the pursuit of absolute perfection in sound quality.
Most companies have a pipe dream, a product they would build if the time were right and the customers were there, if there were no limits, if a new benchmark could be achieved.
Practically nobody builds this kind of product. Many claim to, but careful scrutiny nearly always reveals compromises or cynicism in the results. The challenges involved in creating a true statement piece are monumental, and the few who make the attempt are rarely able to say with honesty that they wouldn’t change a thing.
But not here. At Boulder, a dream has become reality. The reaction from journalists, industry insiders, enthusiasts and casual listeners has been nothing short of shock.
The 3050 Mono Power Amplifiers have arrived.
They had the best starting point—the design experience benchmark from the 2050 Mono Amplifiers. The new task for our engineers was clearly defined: more power, a new look and greater performance. It called for everything we knew as an electronics manufacturer: ideas, passion, research and dedication. Take it all and surpass it. Make it better. Exceed even what we thought was possible.
Done.
To increase power output, the output section and the supplies that feed it were reviewed and improved. Distortion was lowered with the development of an entirely new gain stage, the 99H. Mechanical isolation was taken to fanatical levels. Power requires a dedicated 240V circuit. Even the audible thermal signature of electrons passing through conductors was taken into account. All to produce an amplifier with such incredible levels of superiority that it defies categorization. The proof? A continuous 1,500 watts into any load. Current output great enough to drive any loudspeaker ever built. Distortion levels so low (0.0017%) that the coloration of every component in the chain outside of the 3050 will be audible. It is capable of perfectly recreating massive, thunderous crescendos. And yet, despite its awesome power, when asked to do so, the 3050 remains delicate, spacious and refined.
The sound of the amplifier itself cannot be described because the 3050 has no sound of its own. Bass, mids, highs, soundstaging, resolution, transparency, liquidity, musicality, realism, separation, pick your cliché: Everything is better. The select few in a position to own the 3050 Mono Amplifiers will enjoy events that may never be surpassed by anything but a live performance.
Even the exterior has reached a new level with a new design, faithful to all of the familiar Boulder hallmarks, but taken in a new direction. Countless ideas were developed, explored and rejected. Hundreds of drawings were rendered. Even something as simple as the pushbutton on the front panel was reworked and refined to a degree that would seem outrageous for any other product. But the results speak for themselves: The appearance of the 3050 is absolutely stunning. It’s cut from a very different cloth. It’s not just the sheer mass of the 3050 that grabs your attention (a behemoth at 445 lbs.), but the stance. The overwhelming scale of the parts is immense, but that’s the point. They perfectly represent the immense performance this amplifier achieves.
To consistently be at the very top, there are many things you must always possess: Unwavering discipline. Drive and dedication. Unwillingness to compromise. Creativity. The ability to reject traditional boundaries. A refusal to say, “That’s good enough.” These virtues are at the very heart of the 3050. Because to you—and to us—these values mean everything.
Manufacturer’s Website BOULDER
