Aside from the RCA connecting via a mini jack, I found that it was fairly minor due to its size. They’re very good to use for a cheap price. Because both the Picasso and the iON have the same amps, I choose whichever is on sale or at a lower price right now. For this test, Sonic Electronix used a Dyno test. Although the new products will have little to do with me, I would rather go with the older Reference amps. It used to be bad for the A/B Reference amps, and I believe they are now part of the Epsilon brand. I would say that for the price, it would be impossible to beat it. Soundstream amplifiers are a great choice for those who need a durable and powerful amplifier. When choosing an amplifier, it is important to consider your needs and how much power you will need. They are also known for their great sound quality. Soundstream amplifiers are known for their quality and durability. There are a few things to consider when making your decision. It actually became something I didn’t fret over and accepted as a reference piece and as such.If you are in the market for a new amplifier, you may be wondering if Soundstream amplifiers are any good. I used the amp so long as a reference, I simply don’t have a slew of musical try-thises. I also used it in speaker tests like the Clarion SRE 122S components and described the amp I used: ‘I had them on a really posh amplifier to see how well they worked.’įor the simple fact is that the amp was costly but gorgeous sounding and a less posh Soundstream amplifier is used by our own Rodders of the Modders in his lovely retro Porker. I didn’t, using it upon the reviews for a slew of kit, one of which was the Kenwood FLAC headunit seen here: here and if you ain’t clicked away here’s a quote: ‘I fired it up, playing it through a rather lovely Soundstream Ref 4.400 amplifier of reference quality like it says – into some high quality speakers with tiny bullet tweeters and sweet midband capability as well as a bit of bass and I was just delighted.’ Rated at four by seventy watts, this amp will happily run at two ohms all day. Separated capacitor charging/discharging current paths prevent rail switching spikes & ground traces from entering signal stages resulting in distortionĮditor Review : Soundstream Ref 4.400 four channel high sound quality amplifier Individually regulated preamp/crossover power supplies ensure signal purity High volume, low ESR capacitance banks compensate power supply ripple currentsĮxtra low current drive stage increases efficiency & sound clarity Hawkins boost control – proprietary bass equalization copper traces effortlessly transfer high volume internal currentĬlose tolerance signal path components – 1% resistors & 5% capacitors Output stage bias individually sequenced, optimising sound quality Optimal component layout for minimal distortion induction & signal separationĭifferential drives divide pre-amp & power-amp stages, eliminating ground loopingįull differential feedback surrounding power-amp stages directly from speaker terminals resulting in uncoloured sound reproduction and elimination of ground loops

Sequenced delays eliminate residual power-up/power-down popsĭifferential RCA inputs isolate 12V/audio to ground, eliminating ground loops and noiseįull signal path low noise/distortion circuitry topology Total Harmonic Distortion (4Î© power) 0.02% This IS an expensive amplifier and excellence costs, so the Talk Audio Awards are first, Recommended on the points scored overall īut ALSO and just because it sounds so damn GOOD, we give it the specific Talk Audio Reference award Just like it says on the tin. So much so, that you will find it used as a reference amp (As in no need to listen to anything but the speakers you are testing, like it was, ‘A straight wire with gain’) in a goodly few Talk Audio reviews done recently, prior to this date. I found it clean, sweet, just powerful enough and as long as not over driven, possessed of great clarity and headroom. The GENUINE 102dB signal to noise ratio means huge fidelity and the enormous damping factor really keeps the amplifier’s grip tight on the tunes. Rated at 4×70 watts at four Ohms.Ī pretty and retro-looking amplifier that has some serious electronic constructional chops as a high sound quality product. Below the specifications, I publish their bragging rights about how they design their amplifiers, from their USA website. This is a four channel amp of the Soundstream Reference series, yet the makers state that certain components have improved down the years since they were in production a decade ago and that they are even better nowadays. The intention was for the return of an amplifier legendary in its own lunchtime. TEL: 02 (for nearest dealer or dealers’ enquiries)