Metaxas Solitare amplfier is inspired by the stunning work in Sports cars of the 1950’s/60’s of Ercole Spada, Pininfarina as well as the organic architecture of Hadid, Gehry and Calatrava.
“The Solitaire is the world’s first “organic” 3D amplifier “sculpture” machined from a solid block of aluminium, copper or titanium. Artist-Designer Kostas Metaxas has executed the entire design from developing the electronic circuit, creating the 2D printed circuit board, and incorporating it into a breathtaking “holistic” audio sculpture. As a recording engineer, he has also “voiced it” to make sure that it is a “reference” for recording playback and able to reproduce all the nuance and emotion of music.”
Marrying ultra-high-speed extreme performance discrete electronics, hand manufacturing and packaging it into a sensual sculpture was a real challenge.
The Solitaire case is 5-axis CNC’d from a solid block of aluminium. This presents a very solid, inert, non-resonant structure to RFI shield and protect the delicate electronic signals.
More + video:
DAMPING FACTOR : Greater than 500 wide band
SLEW RATE : Greater than 1000V/us small and large signal
T.H.D. : Less than 0.05% 20Hz-20KHz
I.M.D.(S.M.P.T.E.) : Less than 0.05%
SIGNAL/NOISE : -117DBV unweighed input shorted
INPUT SENSITIVITY : 0.5VRMS in for 50WRMS out (35dB)
INPUT IMPEDANCE : 50kOhms in parallel with 56pF
Package: 450mm x 500mm x 250mm
Weight 30kg
The Solitaire acts as a musical black box – whatever comes in is amplified without adding or subtracting anything to the musical signal. It is ultra-low noise, extremely powerful so that it can drive inefficient, difficult speaker loads [like electrostratic or ribbon] to realistic sound levels without any hints of stress.
It’s musical transparency is breathtaking.
The idea behind it was to capitulate on 30 years of work in the field of High End Audio. From design and manufacturing of entire playback systems to the recording of over 300 acoustic concerts to gain further musical insights. This new collection is a distillation of Metaxas’ life’s work in the industry. It is an exacting tool for the music producer, recording engineer or hi end music enthusiast.
Kostas Metaxas commenced design late in 2014. It will be officially launched at the Munich Hi End Show at the MUC in May 2016.