MAGNAT MA 900

Magnat MA 900 - The perfect combination of tube sound and performance

When it comes to amplifiers, there have always been two construction principles: Tubes and transistors. While tubes produce a captivating euphoria, because the technology used enables them to add harmonic overtones to the music signals, transistors deliver brute power to drive even the most demanding speakers. So why not combine both? This is exactly what the Magnat MA 900 does. We have combined two hand-selected audiophile tubes in the preamplifier together with powerful transistors in the power amplifier, thereby creating the symbiosis of sound and power.

Magnat MA 900 – Tube technology for finesse, transistors for performance

Why use tubes anyway? Tube amplifiers, or rather ´tubes´ in the audio sector, have an inherent flaw. This, however, is an extremely pleasant flaw. They produce harmonic overtones. This means that a signal of 1,000 Hz is also reproduced with harmonics of 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz and so on. In doing so, the harmonics are naturally much quieter than the actual sound. Our ears perceive these harmonics as being very pleasant. The disadvantage of tubes, however, is that they are neither particularly powerful nor particularly efficient. This means you cannot really coax a lot of output power from them.

This is where the tried and tested transistors come into play. They are able to produce an impressive performance with an unadulterated sound, provided that you choose the right models of course. For these reasons, two ECC 81 tubes are used in the preamplifier of the MA 900. These are selected prior to installation. This ensures every MA 900 is equipped with two tubes that are perfectly identical in terms of their values. In addition, the tubes are also "burned-in" before installation. This is a process that takes several hours, during which the ECC 81 tubes are able to reach their final performance values. This ensures our MA 900 is capable of producing the sound for which our good name stands - as soon as it is unpacked.

MA 900 – Audiophile with various talents

Audiophile qualities are only part of what´s required today. A modern amplifier also needs to be suitable for all of the sources that we want to use at home. 5 analogue low-level inputs and an additional jack input at the front of the unit offer sufficient connection options for all manner of audio equipment. The optical and coaxial digital inputs also support high-res audio with a sampling rate of up to 192 kHz and 24 bit. In addition, the MA 900 also comes complete with Bluetooth functionality. The state-of-the-art chip supports Bluetooth 5.0 and the high-end audio standard aptX®HD, thereby enabling optimum quality audio transmission from smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Vinyl is by no means neglected either. The phono preamplifier, which offers separate inputs for MM and MC systems, has been constructed with extremely high-quality operational amplifiers from Texas Instruments. The "Source Gain" function allows all of the inputs to be increased or decreased in terms of level by up to 6 dB, so that jumps in volume can be avoided when switching inputs. In addition, the inputs can be individually named by using the "Source Rename" function, meaning that the days of cryptic abbreviations are a thing of the past.

Classic dimensions – Optimum workmanship

The MA 900 naturally has typical grid dimensions and measures 433 mm wide, which enables it to be perfectly combined with our other components. The sturdy solid metal housing provides a robust framework for the high-quality electronic components. The solid aluminum front panel and operating elements are made to last and convey the feeling of quality with every touch.

This is also reflected by the components inside the unit. An elaborate power supply unit, generously dimensioned capacitors and a low-leakage toroidal transformer, together with the rest of the electronics, add up to a weight of almost 12 kilograms.

Technical specifications

Frequency response

Phono: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+/-0,3 dB) Subsonic Filter: 16Hz, 18 dB/Oct.

Digital inputs: Supported sampling frequencies: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz Supported bit depth: 16/24bits 2. coaxial (cinch) 1. optical (Toslink™)

Bluetooth® input: Bluetooth® streaming (5.0) with the high-end audio standard Qualcomm® aptX™

Dimensions (WxHxD)

Remote Control: 45 x 175 x 20 mm

Weight 11.7 kg

Digital inputs

Supported sampling frequencies: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz

Supported bit depth: 16/24bits

2. coaxial (cinch)

1. optical (Toslink™)

Amplifier and power supply

Discrete Class A/B power amplifier

Power output: 200 watts of sine power per channel at 4 ohms and 2 x 320 watts of maximum pulse power

Elaborate mains adapter with separately stabilised supply voltage for the individual circuits

High-capacity filter/electrolytic capacitors

Shielded toroidal transformer

Standby power supply for low power consumption in standby mode < 0,5 watts

Bluetooth® input

Bluetooth® streaming (5.0) with the high-end audio standard Qualcomm® aptX™

Highlights

Solid aluminium controls

Speaker terminal with solid, insulated screw terminals that are capable of accommodating large cable cross-sections

Stable feet with damping rubber insert

Mono switch (for analog sources)

Record Out fixed level output

Headphone output with high-quality 6.3 mm jack socket

Readable, two-line clear text display with adjustable brightness (3 stages)

System remote control for all functions

Preamplifier

Low-noise tube preamplifier with 2 x ECC 81 tubes

Preselected and burned-in tubes

MM and MC phono preamplifier with ultra-low noise operational amplifiers from Texas Instruments incl. subsonic filter

Five analogue low-level inputs

Additional 3.5 mm audio input on the front panel for connecting portable devices

Digital inputs (2 x optical and 2 x coaxial) for sampling frequencies up to 192kHz/24bits

Bluetooth® input (5.0) supports the high-end audio standard Qualcomm aptX®HD

Cyrrus Logic® digital-to-analogue converter

SOURCE GAIN function allows the volume to be adjusted by +/- 6dB for every source

SOURCE RENAME function allows you to freely specify the names of individual sources (14 digits)