BLADELIUS ASK Integrated Amplifier

BLADELIUS ASK Integrated Amplifier

Ask Integrated, our brand new integrated amplifier with streaming capabilities that we have designed with all the experience we have had with our flagship model Oden. Many of the design features of Ask, apart from it´s looks is directly taken from Oden, like the power amp gain section and the multi stage linear ultra low noise regulation. In it´s more compact format it is truly pact with everything we could think of without compromising on quality, since it sound wise is close to Oden but with a bit less power. From it´s 2kva toroidol transformer and massive capacitor bank the amplifier output is 2×220 Watts at 8 ohm, which makes it capable of handling the most demanding speakers on the market with ease. With the design philosophy simpler is better we reduced the voltage amplifier stage to one, for the shortest signal path possible. Like Oden, Ask provides a truly balanced design without ground as reference for highest possible performance, a high-performance dc servo that works outside the signal path, the input stage is a pair of current loaded hand matched JFET in a foldback cascade arrangement which gives a very linear performance regardless of the music level. This combined with current feedback gives you an extremely fast and stable performance. The chassis is made out of milled non-magnetic materials for the lowest possible electromagnetic field for improved sound quality. The design and layout of all components are made to minimize the impact from vibrations and like all our products the ASK is a very robust and stable unit with a clean Scandinavian design. DAC (option) The DAC of Ask has an outstanding signal to noise ratio of more than 134dB which is significant and shows how extremely capable this integrated amplifier is together with it´s streaming capabilities. As a streamer, it handles most formats such as DSD1024, MQA* and streams files up to 32 bit, 728khz and has Tidal connect, Spotify connect, Qobuz and Roon. This is all managed through a new web based app (it can also be controlled through the Tidal app) which means it can be controlled through whatever device you desire. This allows for fast and easy updates from our part and is more accessible for the user who can focus on the music.   A custom digital filter is proceeded in the XMOS 216 chip and has different user selectable modes, to suite the listeners personal preferences. The DAC is setup in a balanced configuration, all resistors are of 0.1% metalfilm  type and the capacitors for the analog filters are of high quality polypropylene type. The DAC is also using an ultra stable crystal clock oscillators with super low phase noise. The analog and digital power supplies are completely separated and all signal and power are galvanically separate to make sure no digital noise can reach the analog amplifiers section.

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