Sanders MAGTECH Amplifier

THE SOLUTION
All quality, line-level electronics use voltage regulation in their power supplies to produce a stable voltage, regardless of load or the mains voltage. Audiophiles would not consider using a source component that did not have regulated power supplies. So why use amplifiers with unregulated supplies?

The main problem is heat. Amplifiers operate at much higher voltages and currents than line level source components. These higher voltages and currents forces conventional regulator designs to waste large amounts of energy, which wastes expensive electricity and causes the amplifier to get very hot.

Also, many regulator designs radiate RF (Radio Frequency) energy when switching high currents and voltages. This RF gets into the amplifier’s electronics and can cause instability, oscillation, and noise. As a result of these problems, modern power amplifiers do not use regulated power supplies and fail to take advantage of the benefits available from doing so.

Sanders has solved these problems by developing a voltage regulator that is essentially 100% efficient. There is no heat dissipated by the regulator system. There is no high-power/high-voltage switching that causes heat generation or RF problems.

The regulator in the Magtech amplifier maintains a stable voltage regardless of load or reasonable changes in the line voltage feeding the amplifier. It runs stone cold, produces zero RF energy, and is simple and reliable.

Unlike other amplifiers, the distortion in the Magtech amplifier is virtually unchanged regardless of power level. The bias is stable regardless of load.

The regulator makes it possible to obtain a 50% increase in power over the same amplifier operated unregulated. In its stereo form, the Magtech will deliver 500 watts/channel into an 8 ohm load and 900 watts/channel into a 4 ohm load.

The Magtech is built into the same chassis as the ESL Amp, so it is compact enough (17″ wide, 5-1/2″ tall, 15″ deep) to place on a shelf or into a cabinet. It is also light enough (54 pounds) to be picked up. Like the ESL amp, it runs very cool and may be left on continually without concern for power usage.

The Magtech amplifier also uses the same advanced technology that makes the ESL amp able to drive the most difficult loads without performance-degrading, protective circuitry. The Magtech amplifier features a linear voltage regulator. The result is a compact, yet extremely powerful amplifier that is ideally suited to driving the most difficult magnetic speakers.

Vinyl
Transitioning now to one of my reference vinyl recordings, it is Christopher Cross, the album is called, Another Page. A wonderfully made vinyl disc encompassing an all star cast. With backup vocals by Art Garfunkel, Don Henley, Karla Bonoff, Carl Wilson and Michael McDonald. The lead performance on side two is the track, All Right. Within a segment of the backing vocals you can clearly hear Michael McDonald voice deep in the background repeat the phrase, It’s “All Right.” Once again here is a music “passage I listened to many times before but never with the backup vocals carved in relief with such timbral resolution and clarity. If I were asked what single thing stands out and turns good into great it would have to be that dark silent noise floor. For it is just that quality over which everything else is painted with life like realism.

Sanders Sound Systems Magtech Stereo Amplifier Review
Coda
To say I am delighted by the metamorphosis of my Sanders amplifier would be a bit of an understatement. Even if I were to ignore all the l beauty and life it brings to music, then all the practical considerations should be a powerful inducement for ownership. If you take into account the fact that it can drive / complement any speaker you are likely to own, then common sense tells you it will serve as the foundation to build a complete audio system. Then add to that a 30 day in-home trial and a service warranty that is under normal use conditions is essentially lifelong. With that said, considering purchasing one becomes a real no brainer.