The Sound
Contents
Purifi EVAL1 Eggs branch power amplifier
Let’s start with the Purifi EVAL1. Although we wrote and filmed a workshop, we never wrote a review. And that’s even though we’ve been incredibly impressed with the performance of Eigentakt. Crazy. But well: sometimes that’s how it goes. The Purifi EVAL1 as we have it in house, costs about 1300 euros in parts: 799 for the EVAL1, 220 for the power supply and about 300 euros for the Ghent enclosure with extra cable set (excluding shipping and import costs).
The reproduction of this stereo power amplifier is incredibly good. We hear loads of detail, control and above all: layering and spaciousness. It is unprecedented how spacious this amplifier plays. Far above its class, we dare to say. Yet it does not sound artificial. As we also wrote about the NAD C298: Eigentakt lets the speaker be heard. And the input signal. The amplifier itself basically disappears. And that is also the case with this EVAL1. A very nice feature for those who like absolute transparency.
With the power that this Purifi Eigentakt EVAL1 has at its disposal, it should be able to drive any speaker. The DALI Epicon 2 that we have on hand, like some power we have noticed. The more, the tighter and deeper the bass can go. And with this 400 watts into 4 Ohms and 227 watts into 8 Ohms it goes like stink. The EVAL1 has the woofer excellently in its grip. In short: we could live very well with this.
NAD C298 power amplifier (stereo mode)
Next, to the NAD C298. This is also an Eigentakt based power amplifier. The power output delivers slightly less power than the EVAL1 crazily enough, but that could be due to numerous things: different power supply, different method of measuring power, etc. The NAD Delivers 185 watts into 8 Ohms and 340 watts into 4 Ohms. It doesn’t make much of a difference. And frankly, we don’t hear a difference in control and power either.
What is immediately noticeable when we switch to the NAD is that the NAD is tuned slightly differently. We hear a little more space – we really did not expect that with NAD – and a little more roundness, body and flexibility. A touch of warmth in the midrange. And that is quite pleasant. There is also a little more calmness in the presentation. Something that is noticeable with longer listening. Not directly with an A / B switch.
What we also notice, however, is that it seems as if the detail level of the EVAL1 is slightly higher. But that could be a deception, because the NAD presents a bit more relaxed than the EVAL1. In short: tranquility can cause details to be less emphasized. Something the Purifi EVAL1 seems to do. A kind of sharpening of detail. Impressive, but it can also be a bit tiring. (We’re talking about nuances now … be aware of that).
And in Mono?
The NAD can be switched into bridge mode. Then you have 620 watts continuous in 8 Ohms and 1000 watts (!) peak. Bizarre. We run privately in bridge: one C298 per DALI Epicon 2. Delicious. A kind of a V12 experience.
What bridge mode immediately brings is more space in the reproduction, a little more focus and still a little more ‘oemffff…’. Just the feeling of absolute control. Is that extra grunt immediately audible with every song? No. Not directly. So you really don’t have invest extra for that. But we do notice that the stereo image grows a bit. And remains a little more stable during complex arrangements.