But it’s also more than that.
The Neodio HQA succeeds on a number of levels. By careful, inclusive engineering and doing the simple things well, it offers remarkably coherent musical performance at what is in today’s marketplace, an absolutely bargain price. It then extends its performance envelope by offering a low enough price and sufficient input options to actively encourage bi- or even tri-amping. Along the way it demonstrates the oft-forgotten fact that it’s a lot easier to build a decent power amp than it is to build an un-intrusive pre-amp: forgotten that is, by all those who think the answer to simplifying systems is to stick a volume pot on the front end of an amplifier (and call it Integrated) or on the back-end of a DAC (and call it a System Controller). The TMA is way better than most in this particular regard, but the HQA is in a different musical league.
Finally – and perhaps most significantly of all, The HQA makes an irrefutable case for the cost-effectiveness of bi-amping. By easing the load on each driving amplifier, each amplifier can concentrate more on quality than quantity, meet limited rather than universal operational goals. As a way of reducing the overall cost of high-end performance, there are few things that come close. Products like the big CH amps offer both active and passive bi-amp inputs as standard, further cutting the ancillary cost by reducing the cable requirement, but let’s not ignore the fact that the facility has also been extended to the company’s ‘budget’ Wattson line, in the shape of the recently announced Madison Amp, a product that is in many ways, a direct challenger to the Neodio HQA (although how it stacks up on musical grounds remains to be seen). Yes, the HQA could take a step further and add a switchable bi-amp input option (so that one input gets routed to both outputs) but that does rather fly in the face of its ultra minimalist stance.
As a simple stereo amplifier – perhaps the ‘simplest’ stereo amplifier – the HQA offers remarkable musical performance at its affordable price. The fact that that price makes adding a second amplifier much more than a distant possibility opens up real system building options. Just as the TMA lives up to its minimalist moniker, the High Quality element in the HQA name is no idle boast. Removing the switching and volume capabilities has revealed just what an astonishingly capable and quietly confident amplifier this is. Whether you use one or two HQAs, it’ll deliver more music than anything else I can think of (or recommend) at the price. Neodio’s talent for lateral thinking delivers again! When it comes to high-value, highly musical products, there are few companies that can match their track record. As good as the Origine CD player was, the HQA might just be their most significant product yet.
Price and availability
Neodio HQA stereo amplifier – 4,600 (inc. 20% sales tax)
Manufacturer:
SEVEN AUDIO
Bordeaux, France
t. +33 556 40 19 50
e. seven@neodio.eu
n. www.neodio.fr
