AVID Sigsum

MJ01.02.2023

Integrated amplifiers

What is the Sigsum? A 31kg weighing integrated amplifier operating in Class AB, equipped with basic controls. Nothing fancy, quite old school in fact. And – oh, man – it is expensive. Should any real audiophile buy an expensive one-box transistor design in the digital age? Provided that he cares about the sound, then the answer is an unequivocal yes!

Funkce a forma

70%
Ergonomie
93%
Zvuk
98%
Zpracování

In the heart of the Sigsum, there is a 1,1kVA toroid with 132,000uF of filtering capacity and with four pairs of Sanken power devices per channel. The Sigsum´s block design strictly separates the power supply, preamplifier, power amplifier, and volume control, for which the amp uses  ALPS RK50 potentiometer, considered by many as one of the finest available at any money. There is a strong inclination towards anything ´analog´ in AVID, so digital ins/outs have no place here. There are no flickering lights or dancing VU meters either. This is a purist amplifier for serious listening.

Among others, I found this sentence in my notes: Don't forget to praise how great looking the amp is. So, here I am. AVID designed a really nice piece of electronics, a proof that a minimalistic amplifier can be elevated to a masterpiece if there is a good idea behind it. In the Sigsum, several elements act as those "visual elevators". Probably the most striking is the big letter “A”, milled into a 2cm thick front aluminium panel. Other than that the panel is truly Spartan, with only a headphone output jack and tiny Mono and Mute buttons besides a volume knob and an input selector. The large “A” logo thus breaks up an otherwise unused area in a highly creative fashion. Also, both the knobs are unusually shaped which adds to the amp's sophistication. The Sigsum’s top plate and sides are amply perforated, as AVID put the heat sinks inside the case. The designer used the perforations to communicate the brand and added Sigsum lettering to the right of the top panel too. For me, these all are all absolutely phenomenal design shortcuts.

The mains switch is underneath the front panel, a place shared with asymmetrically arranged isolation feet. Around the back there 2x RCA and 2x XLR inputs, a phono input, preamp output (RCA cinch) speaker terminals. AVID is a turntable company, so the built-in phono preamp has a full range of settings accessible from the bottom of the unit. The desired configuration of the phono is achieved by a combination of twenty switches that can be toggled with the tip of a pencil, for example. A full setup guide is included in a clear manual. If you'll be changing the cartridges frequently, it's a bit impractical, as you'll have to uninstall the amp from the rack each time to access the switches. The Sigsum sends 2x 220W of continuous power into the speakers into 4 ohms, and 2x 110W into 8 ohms. The peak (dynamic) power is higher, approaching 500W per channel for low impedances. If you want to take full advantage of the amplifier's capabilities and play loudly even in a large room, I recommend choosing 4-ohm rated speakers. In rooms of standard sizes and playing at standard volume levels, the Sigsum will have no issue to control any speakers.

Nízké frekvence

Váha
93
Výbušnost
92
Artikulace
90

Wayfaring Stranger is a Johnny Cash's song. Well, with the Sigsum in control of the speakers, this track was sublime. The sound was great, although it was not the sound that made this experience so unforgettable. Above all, the SIgsum could communicate emotions very effectively. So effectively, that I felt tears in my eyes. Through the Sigsum, Cash's vocal was as real as it could be, and once again that was one of those rare moments when I realised that hi-fi had the magical power to bring back to life those who had passed.

Emotions aside, there was still a lot to admire. The instrumentation was colourful, very lively, and through the AVID perfectly separated as if no amplifier was there. Similarly beautiful - in content and sound - was Loreena McKennit's La Serenissima. Remarkably, the AVID Sigsum let me hear one essential difference: where Wayfaring Stranger was an intimate and spontaneous "live in the studio" type of production, La Serenissima was assembled “in studio”, and the performance authenticity was replaced by carefully crafted sound. Both experiences were wonderful, yet each was different.

Čistota rozlišení

Detail
91
Vzduch
92
Transparentnost
91

The AVID Sigsum proved that it was a modern integrated amplifier, delivering all the goods that came with Stranger in My Bed (The Power Of Seven, Sheffield Lab). The grip on the sound was excellent and the bass lines were deep and powerful. The AVID isn't a Krell and doesn't pump too much bass in, the priority is smooth integration with the rest; it succeeded not to dry the bass out, providing the juice and oomph instead - such a combination is - in my opinion - not easy to achieve, but the AVID managed to do it. And once again, the Sigsum coud clearly differentiate between the recordings. When I swapped Stranger in My Bed for Passionate Reply (Ultravox), I was immediately struck by the contrast between excellent dynamics and not-so-excellent compression. It signified honest voicing and fidelity to the original, hence the sonic transparency that lifted the amp from the hi-fi category into real high-end.

Tonální věrnost

Témbr
91
Dynamika
93
Časování
93

By now it should be clear that the Sigsum was superb with voices, at least the male ones. Female vocals were not less fascinating. For example, Azam Ali's (Astrae, Sunyata, Narada) vocal was exaltedly uplifting, sweet, beautifully articulated, and otherworldly. A choral work (Cantus Ex Corde) was amazing too. This recording began softly and the AVID served it to my ears like on a golden floating cloud. As the voices contiued building up, the sound gained ein intensity and power to the point, when the final gradation the choir swept me off my chair with a monumental finale.

Prostorovost

Trojrozměrnost
93
Šířka scény
93
Hloubka scény
93

The Sigsum's soundstage was not pulled forward, nor was it pushed far behind the plane of the speakers. I guess the best way to put it is to say that it was there, exactly as recorded. One of my favourite technical tracks is General Resolution Image Test from Chesky Records’ sampler. It's amazing how many components fail to complete this deceivingly easy test. The AVID handled it with aplomb, and the musicians, parading around the microphone with all their improvised instruments, were easily discernible,one by one, and accurately trackable in the soundstage from the moment they entered the depths of the church, to the moment the heavy doors slammed shut behind them again.

The motto of AVID is The truth, nothing more, nothing less. The AVID Sigsum lives up to it. Until now, I’ve had the brand associated with turntables only, so the Sigsum integrated amp not only caught me off guard, but it proved that the company can make great electronics too. If I discount the lack of a remote control (well, yeah, the Sigsum does not provide this option), it's quite possibly one of the best integrated amps available. Period.

Cena v době recenze:460 000,- Kč

Doporučení prodejci

Perfect Sound Group, Praha, tel. +420 722 960 690

Připojené komponenty

  • Sources: Musical Fidelity M6scd, XDuoo X10T II
  • Amplifiers: Rose RA180, Avid Sigsum
  • Interconnects and speaker cables: Nordost Valhalla V2, InAkustik Toslink, AAI Assoluto, Nordost Tyr V2
  • Power conditioning: Nordost Tyr V2, Nordost Qb8

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