Valve Audio Predator Integrated Amplifier (BRAND NEW!!)

This unit is brand new! Gosh its a monster Integrated…

Synopsis and Commentary
The ideal amplifier excels with all types of music. It never editorializes or adds warmth or transient snap to the audio signal, but does justice to the recorded signal through accuracy, resolution, imaging, coherence and dynamics. Clearly the Valve Audio Predator does not come as close to the ideal as the much more expensive Perreaux, and it is much more comfortable in some roles than others. This is not a universal amp and you must examine your own musical tastes to see if they coincide with the areas in which the Predator excels.

Can you do better at this price? In some ways you can. There are more open amps around, with exceptional dynamic qualities, such as the Creek Destiny (US $2,395) or the Bryston B100 SST (US $2,995). However, both of these are less powerful at 100wpc than the Predator’s 200wpc. To comfortably exceed the performance of the Predator you can look to the more expensive Edge G6, which runs US $4,691 and outputs 135wpc. The toughest competitor may well be the Krell KAV-400xi (US $2,500) which matches the Predator’s output into 8 ohms and combines high resolution with a ruler flat response and tight control down to the deep bass. If you’re interested in hybrid amps, you should also consider the Unison Research Unico SE (US$3,150) with its 140wpc output. This amp combines excellent all-round performance with a rather more modern look than the Predator and may be its closest sonic competitor. Of these alternatives, the Edge and the Unico come closest to the expressiveness and musicality that are the Predator’s forte. You can also look at separates but once you’ve paid for the extra power cord and interconnects, the financial advantage is usually with the integrated amp. You also have the possibility of less than ideal impedance and level matching between components, so the integrated wins most of the time in my book. We are long past the days when integrated amps were looked down upon by most serious audiophiles. There has been an explosion in the number of attempts at statement integrated amps, from the Jeff Rowland Concentra to the ASR Emitter amp. I feel the same way about transports and DACs. Give me an integrated CD player any day. The argument is less compelling at the extreme high-end, but that’s a topic for another day.

This is the first South African component I’ve had in my system and it has never embarrassed itself. I’ve enjoyed my time with the Predator and believe it offers good value for the money. I recommend you take the time to search out and audition the Predator if you are looking for a simple high-quality remote-controlled integrated amp in this price range.

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