Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- The amplifier is neutral, realistic, and natural-sounding.
- Achieves complete transparency to the performance as the speakers, sources, and cabling will allow.
- Allows the user to dial in four current tube types, making it future-proof.
- Offers speaker taps for either 4- or 8-ohms operation, providing flexibility.
- The design eliminates negative feedback, providing better dynamic range because it doesn't compress the music.
Product Considerations
- Requires plenty of ventilation around them, and they will most definitely warm a room nicely in winter, perhaps more than desired in summer.
- One reviewer needed to replace four output tubes during evaluation; the high heat may increase the toll on tubes.
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Spatial cues are significantly more pronounced with the Eros 500 compared to the Zesto Bia 200.
Takeaway: The Zesto Audio Eros 500 Select Class A monoblocks are a unique amplifier, offering a transparent and neutral sound with the flexibility to use different tube types. They can bring out the best in a system, making the music feel lively and real.
All
EROS 500 Select
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Output: 250 Watts per amp, Class A, Push-Pull Ultra Linear design
- Frequency Response: 20Hz to 30Khz ~ 3dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion: ~ 0.07% at 1W into 8 Ohms
- Gain: 27dB
- Noise Level: > 4 mV RMS into 8 Ohms
- Input Impedance: 12K Ohms (both XLR and RCA)
- Dimensions: 17″ W X 20″ D X 10″ H (43.1 cm x 25.4 cm x 50.8 cm)
- Weight: 79 lbs. (35.8 Kg)
- Power Consumption: 756 Watts at rated output
- Tubes: Six (6) KT150's vacuum tubes, Two (2) ECC82 (12AU7) vacuum tubes
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Zesto Audio's products are hand-built in the USA and undergo a 50-hour factory burn-in to ensure optimal performance right out of the box.
- The brand prioritizes all-tube designs, believing tubes offer inherently superior musicality and speed compared to solid-state devices.
- Zesto Audio's phonostages uniquely offer independent ground lift switches for each channel, providing enhanced noise reduction capabilities.
Select products
Andros Deluxe II Phonostage
- Positioning: A lower-priced option focused on essential vinyl playback.
- Description: Offers clear vinyl reproduction with a straightforward analog circuit and precise calibration features that bring out natural record details. Compared to the Tessera Reference, its simpler design suits smaller rooms and tighter budgets.
Andros Tessera Reference Phonostage
- Positioning: A premium phono stage that targets users seeking enhanced vinyl performance.
- Description: Delivers improved analog-to-digital conversion and refined signal processing that highlights fine record details and dynamic performance. In contrast to the Deluxe II, its advanced circuitry and extended adjustment options provide greater technical sophistication and versatility.
Leto Ultra II Preamplifier
- Positioning: A versatile source management unit designed for precise signal handling and integration.
- Description: Features a low-noise design and unique signal routing that help maintain clarity and an expansive soundstage across multiple inputs. When compared with the phono stages, it offers more connectivity and control options.
Bia 200 Select
- Positioning: A high-end integrated amplifier that combines robust amplification with refined control.
- Description: Uses a carefully balanced circuit design and precise thermal management to provide reliable dynamic output and clear audio delivery. Compared to the preamplifier, its focus on powerful amplification adds technical features and control options.
Eros 500 Select Power Amp
- Positioning: The flagship power amplifier offering maximum output and controlled dynamics for demanding setups.
- Description: Uses top-grade power components and advanced damping control to deliver groundbreaking, crisp and high-energy performance with exceptional stability. In contrast to the Bia 200 Select, its elevated wattage and refined design provide superior technical precision.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Used
Zesto Audiox
What if you spend more?
.svg)
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Very clean and noise-free output signal provides a stable soundstage with a very black background at any sound level
- Exceptional bass control and depth delivers a powerful and tight bass response that underpins the overall musical experience
- Offers flexibility with mono, stereo, and bi-amping operating modes, allowing for system upgrades and configuration changes
- Dynamic and fast, reacting instantaneously to the signal it receives and delivering power and subtlety where needed
- Continues the company's aesthetic with the massive perspex front panel covering
Product Considerations
- Speaker binding posts may not be compatible with all types of speaker cable terminations, specifically thicker spades
- The control for the illuminated 'E' on the front is located underneath the amp and may be difficult to access
- May be more 'laid-back', which some may interpret as lacking ultimate transparency or strict neutrality
- Provides only for XLR balanced inputs, though Electrocompaniet can provide appropriate high-quality adaptors for RCA connectors
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Brings another level of control and depth to everything, compared to Totaldac Amp 1
- The memorable blackness of bass pinged recognition, compared to Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos
Takeaway: The Electrocompaniet AW 800 M is a powerful and versatile amplifier known for its exceptional bass control, clean output, and dynamic performance. It is a great choice for audiophiles seeking a high-quality listening experience with flexibility for system configuration.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The Momentum S250 MxV stereo amplifier delivers the extraordinary sound quality of the Momentum M400 MxV monoblock in a more affordable stereo design. The circuit topology and construction of the stereo amplifier mirror those of the monoblock, using the same ultra-efficient copper heat sinks with venturi cooling, the same 1% metal-film resistors, the same 69 MHz output transistors and the same fully complementary balanced configuration. The result is audio fidelity equaled by no other amplifier—except, of course, the Momentum M400 MxV monoblock itself.
The leading compliment to the Momentum S250 MxV Stereo is the Momentum HD Preamplifier, creating a harmony worthy of any aficionado.
The Momentum S250 MxV models feature techniques and topologies initially developed and implemented in the Relentless Mono Amplifier. This fullest expression of the Momentum circuitry is reflected in the new model name, MxV. Those with a physics background will recognize that MxV or Mass times Velocity is the equation for Momentum.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Incredibly resolving, with plenty of detail
- Perfectly controlled, 'wide' sound in terms of dynamics and panorama
- A quieter background brings forward a level of detail
- A clearly structured form, with symmetrical divisions and repetitions
- Inspired by the Relentless Epic amplifier series
Product Considerations
- Speaker jacks accept only spades and bare wires, and connecting spades from the top bends the cable significantly
- Components on the rear panel are placed close to each other and not particularly convenient to use
Takeaway: The Momentum S250 MxV amplifier delivers an immersive and detailed listening experience, making it great for those who enjoy actively listening to music. It brings out the best in loudspeakers, offering tremendous dynamics and a wide soundstage.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Klimax Solo 800 as a whole is the epitome of efficient, consistent, and accurate circuitry design. Our unique combination of digital and analogue expertise has allowed us to optimise and linearise every internal stage of the amplifier to consistently produce exceedingly high performance.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Delivers a complete and unabridged rendition of music, offering a sense of authority and positively influencing the sound
- Presents music as a tightly unified whole, creating a singular event rather than a collection of individual sounds
- Offers beautifully balanced and poised sound across the entire frequency range, from deep bass to detailed highs
- Maintains steady output voltage regardless of changes in load, defying mains input variations, thanks to the Utopik power supply
- The Adaptive Bias Control (ABC) technology establishes and adjusts bias current in real time
Product Considerations
- The high price dictates that all other system components (source, pre-amplification, speakers, supports) need to be of similarly high quality and expense
Takeaway: The Linn Klimax Solo 800 is an uncompromising amplifier that allows one to hear their music in a new light by delivering a complete picture of the sound. It offers exceptional clarity, balance, and control over the music signal.
Video review
Our take on the brand
.png){kind=logo}
The all new TIDAL Ferios G2. We have pushed the concept of the first Ferios power amplifier to its extreme and developed an all new power supply with a true power regulation. Thus, the TIDAL Ferios mono amplifier board is certain for all practical means and purposes to be supplied with never failing power reserves and a lavish feed of clean current that will drive every imaginable speaker with ease. The generous supply of additional power is merely a welcome byproduct, really. The real goal was the absolute relaxation with which the Ferios performs, to the extent where any attempted description of sound attributes becomes meaningless. The Ferios sets simply a new benchmark over the former award winning generation.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Transparent and uncolored
- Exceptional casework and styling
- Ample power without muscularity becoming the product's defining attribute
- Utterly effortless and transparent magnification of the electrical impulse
- Allows a listener to devote their psychic energy to making an emotional connection to music
- Only has balanced inputs
Product Considerations
- Only has balanced inputs
Takeaway: The Ferios monoblock power amplifiers are some of the best electronics available, combining immediacy, transparency, and tonal beauty. Its ability to effortlessly resolve complex arrangements makes it a worthwhile choice for serious audiophiles.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Ample power with minimal distortion
- Audionet's ULA (Ultra-Linear-Amplifier) technology, originally developed for medical engineering
- Impressive dynamic prowess and the ability to plumb the hidden depths of CDs and LPs
- Subtle musical and instrumental details come through cleanly and coherently, without compromising life-likeness of tone colors and harmonic expression
- Exceptional bass reproduction, with a rich, detailed, and uniform low end
Product Considerations
- Positive and negative speaker terminals are close together, requiring caution when connecting speaker cables
- Balanced input use involves an op-amp, which some believe impacts sound quality, single-ended inputs are preferred by some
- A preamp should be used to get the best sound from these amplifiers
- Display text changes locations randomly, which some may find distracting
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Burmester sounded cleaner, airier, and more revealing, but could not quite compete with the AMP II MAX in authority over the bass frequencies and in blackness of the background
- The Pass Labs was tonally rich and pleasurably soft, plus the amp gave an extraordinarily punchy presentation, in that it bettered the performance of the AMP II MAXes, on the other hand, it was rather general in the organization of the soundstage and the background wasn't quite as black as with the AMP II MAXes
- Plinius shone in resolution, as well as delivered exceptionally dimensional soundstage and very neutral overall sound, especially in Class A mode, however, it did not have the same punch as the AMP II MAXes, and the sound wasn't equally gentle
- The McIntosh MC-501 delivered a richer and warmer sound, but with less power and extension than the AMP II MAX
Takeaway: The Audionet Max monoblocks offer a powerful and refined listening experience, making music sound engaging and detailed. Their ability to control speakers and reveal nuances in recordings makes them a great choice for serious audiophiles.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Neutral and grain-free sound, not like typical solid-state or tube amplifiers.
- Powerful and articulate bass, seamless and smooth mids, and extended, non-harsh highs.
- Exceptional build quality and a luxurious feel with immaculate laser-cut detailing and silver anodizing.
Product Considerations
- The glitzy appearance might be divisive.
- High-quality source components and speakers are required to perform at its best.
- The unit is large (almost 50cm wide) and very heavy (32kg), requiring a sturdy rack and careful handling during setup.
Takeaway: The Burmester 911 mk.3 provides exceptionally intricate, powerful, and dynamic sound, making it a very refined amplifier that is a treat for your ears. It is a top-performing amplifier made with great craftsmanship and build quality.
Video review
Our take on the brand
.png){kind=logo}
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Incredibly nimble, with every detail highlighted, providing an extra layer of resolution
- Delivers all of the detail and clarity without the traditional fatigue
- The balanced input transformer properly sums the positive and negative legs of the balanced signal, and in so doing retains much of the benefits that you normally achieve with fully balanced amps—noise rejection
- The distortion numbers are exceptional for a tube amplifier
- Compatibility with nearly every commercially available speaker, due to the support of three impedances (4 ohms, 8 ohms, and 16 ohms), and output power exceeding 60 watts with KT88s, and 80 watts with KT150s
Product Considerations
- There are no modern reproductions of the 12BY7A, requiring matched pairs to run the amplifiers
- The bias is fixed—it's selectable between settings, but dialing in the distortion could not be simplified further
- Heavy at nearly 100 lbs each, as there's a lot of iron in both the transformers and the chassis work
- A hint of tube noise was present in one channel when no music was playing, likely specific to the tubes used
- Not a wise choice to any planer but complex crossovers and difficult loads have not compressed the amp in testing
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs ampsandsound Zion Monos: The Arch Monos are more neutral, faster, and provide an extra layer of resolution, compared to the richer and more harmonic sound of the Zions
- Vs TAD: The Arch is clean, powerful, and has many characteristics of very good solid-state amp, though the TAD approach was similarly neutral in many ways, albeit with a lightning quickness that the Arch did not have
Takeaway: The ampsandsound Arch Monoblock amplifiers are a technically proficient and beautifully built amplifier that delivers exceptional detail and clarity without fatigue. If one wants a vintage but modern sound, the Arch Monoblocks could be a good choice.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Completely balanced and DC-coupled
- Uses the Class A 'X-Amp' input stage technology from the 159
- Has a high damping factor over the entire frequency range and a very wide, distortion-free Class-A range
- The thermal concept uses 'universal heat pipes' to keep temperatures constant and low, increasing the lifespan of the amplifier
- Signal processing reaches the input signal unaltered via silver cables
Product Considerations
- The Burmester visual aesthetic will not please everyone
- Power needs are consistently overestimated, and this amp has 100Wpc continuous into 8 ohms
- The single-ended RCA inputs are not available on the back panel, unbalanced input requires an adapter
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Burmester 911 Mk 3: The 216 adds extra depth, precision, control, and ability to 'wig out' bass, also more reactive and dynamically dynamic
- Vs Burmester 911 Mk 3: The 216 is the more liquid sounding of the two, is more dynamic, has better bass definition and control, a more even sounding treble, a more open midrange, a keener sense of rhythm
Takeaway: The Burmester 216 is a musical chameleon that is carefully and meticulously crafted, it will bring the best out of any genre. Its utter lack of electronic character is a huge plus, making it a worthwhile consideration for any audiophile.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Sound is better lit than previous Grandioso series, with more color and brilliance
- More natural and realistic sound
- Smooth, captivating midrange that produces no listening fatigue
- Fine detail is exposed due to its somewhat laid-back presentation
- Incredible bass
Product Considerations
- Takes days to warm-up and sound its best
Takeaway: The Esoteric Grandioso M1X is a monoblock amplifier that delivers a burnished sound effortlessly, making it good for audiophiles. It offers a natural sound with impressive bass and a smooth midrange.
Video review
Our take on the brand
How to buy
Amplifiers
Search all hifi products
Explore our database of 10,000+ new and 25,000+ used hifi products.
