Synthesis Metropolis NYC200i Integrated Amplifier (Black)

This is a 22000 Euro beast!!

It cannot be denied that the Metropolis NYC 200i is a device that cannot be ignored and cannot be missed. It is a colossus over 63 cm deep and nearly half a meter wide, with a net weight of just 50 kg. Without knowing what is inside it and basing only on the power of 230 W per channel declared by the manufacturer, one could safely say that we are dealing with a powerful transistor. Meanwhile, it is an uncompromising, high-performance push-pull based on the popular, and therefore wallet-friendly, KT-120 power tubes. However, without anticipating the facts, let’s start, according to tradition, with a description of its appearance.

The front of the 200, at least in the version delivered for the test, i.e. black piano lacquer, looks extremely elegant, but for some recipients a bit too monumental, or even dark. Therefore, an interesting alternative is the combined version – with black sides and transparent, also polished to a high gloss varnish, emphasizing the natural pattern of mahogany wood. The central part of the faceplate is occupied by a rectangular window made of smoked glass, which not only provides a glimpse into the bowels of the integrated amplifier, but also carries both the company logo and two massive 45mm aluminum knobs, the left of which is responsible for volume control and the right for selecting the source. The main switch is located in the lower right corner. The top plate is decorated with a large company logo, and vents that support their cooling are cut directly above the lamps. As I have already mentioned, the sides are also made of varnished wood and given a subtle, wavy shape. The rear wall makes it quite clear that we are dealing with a dual mono design, because separate taps for loads of 4 and 8 Ω are located on both sides of the ultra-quiet 120 mm low-speed (500-700 RPM) fan located in the center, forcing air circulation inside the housing . There are five line inputs – a pair of XLRs and four pairs of RCAs, enriched with a regulated output for an external power amplifier. The list is closed by the main switch and the IEC power socket integrated with the fuse. The whole is placed on dedicated anti-vibration feet made of aluminum and natural rubber.
The interior of the title amplifier looks equally interesting, because thanks to the dual mono topology it is in an exemplary order. Each channel features four selected KT120 power tubes, one 12BH7 control tube, and one 12AX7-ECC83 output stage, and dedicated C-core output transformers. The operating parameters of the tubes are supervised by a microprocessor-controlled auto-bias system, so Synthesis is not only friendly to owners of juvenile progeny and all kinds of domestic animals (it is impossible to touch the lamps and burn yourself), it is also a virtually completely maintenance-free unit.

Looking at the dark face of the Italian giant, we feel subconsciously that the contact with him will not resemble a visit to the land of gentleness, dreamlike, pastel visions and… in a way, we are right. Although, contrary to appearances, also on Synthesis lullabies, he can spread his wings, but on lullabies quite specific, because served, for example, by a certain Chelsea Wolfe on the album “Abyss”. The extremely claustrophobic, dark and almost funeral pieces contained therein, watered with a catatonic psychedelic sauce, need a sufficiently efficient amplification and a solid dose of decibels to sound full force and to force not very optimistic thoughts into the mind of the listeners. Almost doom-industrial electronic background sounds keep the tension constant, and the bass foundation is a dark foundation for the singer’s psychedelic lamentations. Synthesis does not soften Wolfe’s proper roughness, does not smooth out her slightly harsh voice, which from ethereal vibrations suspended somewhere in the background of the stage, turns to a truly animal scream in the foreground. There is no point in looking for a stereotypical tube euphony or a hot midrange boost. These are not the climates and not the structure, because it is worth being aware of that only the 150s from the KT family were able to impress with the broadly understood musicality and saturation of timbres, and the 120s present in the NYC 200i focused on dynamics, attack and contours, which in heavier climates brought highly desirable effects, but with baroque trolls could be too technical. Fortunately, in Synthesis, both a well-thought-out application and the company’s transformers, which de facto mainly determine the sound, made it possible to reconcile the proverbial fire with water and, despite the undeniably rock claw, also the more delicate repertoire can delight. which in heavier climates brought very desirable effects, but in the case of baroque trills could be too technical. Fortunately, in Synthesis, both a well-thought-out application and the company’s transformers, which de facto mainly determine the sound, made it possible to reconcile the proverbial fire with water and, despite the undeniably rock claw, also the delicate repertoire can delight. which in heavier climates brought very desirable effects, but in the case of baroque trills could be too technical. Fortunately, in Synthesis, both a well-thought-out application and the company’s transformers, which de facto mainly determine the sound, made it possible to reconcile the proverbial fire with water and, despite the undeniably rock claw, also the more delicate repertoire can delight.
Take, for example, the extremely atmospheric and at the same time prog-rock “Hunt” by Amarok, where in fact the accumulation of sounds is like a cure and most of the content is around Mogilmour’s guitar passages and atmospheric vocals. I should only compliment the space and precision of focusing the virtual sources in the performance of the Italian superintegra, because here there was nothing to do with drawing the contours with a thick line or impressionistic stains instead of musicians made of flesh and blood located in strictly defined places on the stage.
At this point, let me make a small utilitarian remark. Well, despite the fact that the title Synthesis was tested with the highly effective Trenner & Friedl ISIS in the track and in the nearly 40-meter octagon at a low volume level, you could not hear the fan itself, but the noise of the air it sucked in. Therefore, it is worth making sure that the NYC 200i is as far as possible (4 – 5 meters, in my opinion the minimum) from the listening position, and generally don’t be afraid to turn the volume knob clockwise. It does not mean that the mentioned fan can be heard always and everywhere, because even in such focused and “silent playing” positions as “Terry Riley: Sun Rings”  The Kronos Quartet sense of direct contact with the musicians alone is obvious and nothing bothers us at all. In addition to the observations about the audibility of the amplifier’s work, I came to the late evening auditions in an area with practically zero background noise, so with higher traffic and the ubiquitous sounds of metropolitan cities, some of you may not even pay attention to this detail. On the other hand, all kinds of knocks, knocks, creaks and distortions will form an extremely intricate sound installation.
As a dessert, I left the extremely demanding electronic material in the form of the soundtrack to “Swordfish” by Paul Oakenfold. You only need to turn on “Intro”with John Travolta’s monologue, where the sound of a cigar being lit can make smokers drool and the ensuing virtuoso mosaic of synthetic sounds will make the owners of full-range speakers palpitate. In absolute terms, maybe the Synthesis was not able to offer such a ruthless attack as the Gryphon Antileon EVO Stereo, but for a tube design that was several times cheaper than its solid-state rival, it was hard to fault.

Synthesis Metropolis NYC 200i is a construction without a doubt outstanding and uncompromising. However, it is worth remembering that despite the presence of amber lamps in its bowels, it is definitely closer in terms of sound to competing Ayon or Octave models, or even strong transistors, than to warm, dummy lamp jacks. Here, drives and dynamics are put first, and only then are aspects such as saturation or, in general, the “beauty” of the sound taken into account. Instead of coloring and embellishing the reproduced music, Synthesis focuses on transparency and truthfulness in its flagship. And whether you like this type of presentation will depend on you and your track, in which the 200 will play.

Marcin Olszewski

FEATURES

• Aluminum Knobs
  Two 45mm CNC machined control knobs with integral soft light and laser-etched indication segments.
• DC Powered tube heater
  All tubes, except KT120, have DC stabilized heater circuits to reduce hum noise to a near in-audible minimum.
• Output transformer
  The Output transformer uses a double C-core Hi-Grade Iron-Silicon for superb frequency reproduction and bandwidth. With this newly designed custom output transformer unique to the NYC200i we are able to achieve highly delicate and precise sound reproduction faithful to the original recording.
• Mechanical chassis construction
  The power supply and output transformers are held by an extremely rigid “H” structure that keeps the unit free from unwanted vibrations which further helps reduce unwanted noise to the tubes.
• Remote control
  A superb wooden handmade case with soft button design, perfectly matching the aesthetics for the “Metropolis” series.
• Feet
  Four CNC machined aluminum feet with an insert of natural rubber. The depth and form of these rubber feet is calculated to minimize the vibration of the amplifier in isolation from its surroundings.
• Fan
  A 120mm fan provides a speed between 500 to 700 rpm which is controlled via the supplied adapter. This ULN (Ultra-Low-Noise) unit is tailor-made for the serious enthusiast who demands super-slow running speeds and the utmost silence of operation.
• Bias control
  The factory set fine bias control is microprocessor controlled to maintain the optimum settings. If required this can be adjusted without the use of an external voltmeter by use of an internally fitted display device.
• Dual mono Circuitry
  A completely dual mono design minimizes the crosstalk across channels. Power transformers use hi-grade iron silicon M0 and separate supplies with hi-grade selected capacitors to produce extremely low ripple levels. Independent to the mains transformer, each channel has a separate power supply guaranteeing a large reservoir of energy to meet the demands of the amplifier circuit and to maintain excellent interference immunity between channels.
• Binding posts
  Gold plated professional binding posts for a continued oxidization free connection further improve sound refinement.
• Socket
  Gold plated ceramic sockets for a continued oxidization free connection further improve sound refinement.
• Components
  Components for the NYC 200i have been selected with great care throughout. Only the best available components are considered and all must undergo an exhaustive analysis of their sonic influence prior to final selection.
• Selected tubes
  All tubes used are selected after 2 stages warm-up. A fully computer monitored machine controls the process and at the end of this, selects the perfect tubes which are matched for a perfect balance.