Audio Aero Capitole Class A Tube Power Amplifier

R55,000.00

Introduction

Audio Aero, created in 1997, is one of 5 subsidiary companies of the French high-tech firm Mazères Aviation. This company is probably a little better known for producing airplane parts, carbon fibre bicycle frames and competition “motorX” bikes. Their range of Audio products starts from the “Prima” integrated amplifier and CD player ($3200AUS and $2400AUS respectively), “Capitole” amplifier and CD player ($11300AUS and $8300AUS respectively) and the high end “Prestige” mono blocks @ about $35000AUS a pair. Add to this the “Capitole” Preamp, Capitole CD transport, and “Prima” DAC, and they have most bases covered. The unit I have under review is the Capitole amplifier, so buckle your seat belts and I implore you, please read on.

The Product

In my humble opinion, the Capitole is by far and away one of the most physically attractive units I have ever seen. As you are aware, looks aren’t any indication of sound, but why can’t you have both? Lots of black, chrome, and gold with the “elegantly lit” tubes topping it off, 12 of them no less, simply stunning!

The amp is physically large and heavy, coming in at 38 Kg (about 85 pounds). Being 520mm wide, it will not fit in your standard equipment rack, so it requires a place all of its own, which on looks alone, deserves it.

The fascia is a semi-gloss black with a single, large, gold plated power knob with two two LEDs below it. When switched on, the red LED lights up as the unit allows the tube’s heaters to warm up (about 5 seconds), then it switches to the green LED when it’s ready to go. Note: Although the amp only “warms up” for 5 seconds, it is recommended to allow ½ to ¾ of an hour before the unit is at its optimum operating temperature.

The top of the unit gets a little busier. On a 15/10 solid polished steel chassis, sits three large black transformer housings and the twelve valves. The housings conceal the mains transformer (the larger center one) and valve output transformers (the other two). They have elegant gold plates glued to the top of them in which the Audio Aero signature has been inscribed.

The twelve tubes are sonically matched and shipped in their own boxes in the exact order in which they are to be inserted when first setting up the unit. The six on the left are the matched pairs for the left channel and visa-versa, these being, from front to back, the 6SN7GT pair, the EL34, pair and the KT88 pair. The six black cylinders in the middle of the tubes are Felsic 330µF 480V capacitors.

The valve sockets are quite firm when inserting the tubes and feel as sturdy as any other high quality fitting that I have felt for this particular usage. Audio Aero spent two years developing the Tube Relay Amplification Concept (TRAC system) in which the tubes are configured. It is based on a 50’s triode-pentode amplification design. The E34L is triode wired and relayed by the KT88 pentode when power is needed. The total power output is 50 W in Class A into 8 ohms.

The bottom of the unit has three large gold and black feet, two at the back and one at the front. Interestingly, the unit does not sit directly on the feet but on the bolts through the middle of the feet. It was found in the manufacturer’s testing that the Capitole sounded better when used on the bolt ends compared with on the feet. So, consequently the bolts stick out about 2 mm below the feet and the unit sits on them. Not really a worry unless you try to slide the unit. Being 82 pounds, it must be gently placed in the correct position or you will damage the furniture with the unit. Let’s just say I have learned from experience and my wife may let me move back into our bedroom sometime soon.

The rear of the unit features twelve large, gold plated binding post, two pairs for 4 ohm, two pairs for the 8 ohm winding, and two pairs for common (ground). These are of exceptional quality as are the left and right gold plated RCA input sockets. The IEC socket is the only thing left to mention which is located on the right as you look at the back. On reflection, every fitting on the unit is of an exceptionally high quality.

As with most valve driven units, a minimum of 30 – 60 minutes is required for the unit to warm up. All testing was done with this firmly in mind. When I say “warm-up”, I also mean it literally – this unit gets quite hot after a few hours! Being a Class A amplifier, when powered on, it is exactly like having a 400W heater sitting in your room. Nice in winter, but a little less than pleasant in summer!

And how did I hear about it?
Anyways, the story of how the Audio Aero Capitole came into my company, from the start . . .

I received a phone call from Greg Osborn asking if I was busy on the next Wednesday evening. He wanted to give me a quick demo of a new power amplifier he had in his possession. So he made the 5½-hour drive to my place from Melbourne and arrived around 4 pm “bearing his gifts”. After about an hour and a half, we were set-up, warmed up, and ready to go. I sent the wife and children shopping (which I found later to be not that good of an idea, as my Visa Card was much heavier upon her return), and Greg and I got comfortable.

Greg has explained to me that he found the Audio Aero Capitole whilse in Canada at a trade show and was absolutely “gob-smacked” (to use his term) by the performance. This was almost immediately demonstrated to me when it was fired up and played. I had previously never heard an amplifier project such a soundstage. We were listening to Andeas Vollenweider’s “Book of Roses”, where the first track has a raven flying around the soundstage. It turned out to be an excellent example of the three-dimensional performance of the Capitole. Width, depth, and height were all exceeded in my listening experience of any amplifier I had tested in my listening room. In the past I have felt some valve amplifiers can tend to lack really deep, “authoritarian style” bass. Not the Audio Aero though. Track 6 on the same Andeas Vollenweider disc has a “Ladysmith Black Mombassa” meets the “Caribbean” track named “In Doga Gamee”, which has exceptional examples of naturally occurring deep bass. This was where I felt the Capitole excelled over other valve units I have evaluated. The result was tight, deep, weighty bass of exceptional quality. This particular track is almost one of those ‘must listen-to’ pieces, as it is very revealing in all areas of sound. The vocals and musical instruments have been recorded very well, which transpires to the listener when played through high quality equipment. There are also several “other” instruments going on in the background which make it perfect to pick out and compare micro-detail between components.

About an hour and a half into our listening session, my wife returned home to find Greg and I sitting in almost darkness, music blaring, both with our eyes closed, in what she referred to as a trance. She turned the main light on in my listening room, and both Greg and I jumped with fright, as was the involvement of our entire bodies in this particular listening experience. I feel sorry for the lounge chair as Greg and I are not exactly small men. Greg later likened it to being hit in the face with a cricket bat. Funny story (or maybe you just had to be there?) I know, but it illustrates the Capitole’s ability to draw in and consume the listener.

Greg left later that evening with the amp and the promise of a brand new sample arriving on my doorstep within a week or two. It may seem strange to you that Greg was willing to go out of his way to introduce me to the Audio Aero equipment. But such is the man’s passion for products of this quality and his confidence in its performance that he thought I just had to hear it. I am glad he did and that I did too.

More on the Sound

Throughout the evaluation period I played all of my reference discs and just marveled at the performance. It gave space to recordings that were flat, it gave feel to recordings I have previously written off, and gave me everything I needed and wanted when listening to all my favorite discs.

Rebecca Pidgeon’s recording of “Spanish Harlem” from the album named “The Raven”, was reproduced better than I have ever heard it. Her majestic voice chilled me, the double bass, guitar and piano moved me and sat beautifully behind Rebecca’s voice, and the shaker in the background (10 feet back I reckon by the sound of it) really set up the enveloping musical scene. This is a disc that I recommend should be part of everyone’s CD collection. It is stunning when played on a high quality system.

Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” Flute Concerto in D by “The Connecticut Early Music Ensemble,” really had me amazed as to the Capitole’s ability to reproduce highly detailed and focused musical notes. The Capitole highlighted the start and finish of each note played by the instruments on this disc. It was an absolutely emotionally uplifting experience to hear what the Audio Aero did to this piece.

Dragging out and playing Metalica’s, “Black Album” proved the Capitole’s ability to deliver high level, high transient sound, all without any noticeable distortion. The Capitole power through the big drum sounds effortlessly, and with the added soundstage that the unit provides, gave me a wonderful listening experience. Being a 50 Watt amplifier, the Capitole also had plenty of power when needed. The “pentodes wired as triodes” design makes sure there is plenty of power available for more transient musical passages at more than modest listening levels.

Australian performer Tina Arena’s album “Don’t Ask” is another shining example of a well-produced album that sounds fantastic through the Capitole. The Audio Aero’s perfect bass extension, well-rounded midrange, and sweet top-end had me again in awe. The Capitole soundstage was such that it gave a tambourine (in the second song “Heaven Help my Heart”) on the album the effect of being rattled just on top of my head. I must admit that it was a little daunting when I first heard it. What do I say now – Wow! Audio Aero has just made amplifiers manufacturers have to shift up another gear in my opinion.

Conclusion
In my opinion, the Capitole is the perfect amp for me. Its sound quality is AAA+, it offers a soundstage like no other I’ve heard, it has plenty of power especially when supplying those big bass notes, and it looks sensational, all while maintaining that lovely valve feel.

It’s not exactly cheap, but I realized very quickly that the Audio Aero Capitole is one those products that I just cannot live without. Consequently, I have purchased the unit I have under scrutiny. The unit now proudly sits in the center of my reference system, to have and to hold from this day forth. I cannot think of any better endorsement than that. Congratulations and thank you Audio Aero. Keep up the superb work.


Audio Aero Capitole Amplifier

by Marc Mickelson

 
Review at a Glance

Sound Resolving, light-filled sound; enormous soundstage — deep and wide; seemingly pushes out the music; has deep bass that lacks some weight in absolute terms; does not possess the fullness and body of some other tube amps, but counters with “vividness.”
Features TRAC system with both 6550C and E34L output tubes; pairs of 4- and 8-ohm binding posts.
Use Will sound its best after 40 minutes of warm-up; a big amp that will not fit easily on many equipment racks.
Value Gorgeous looks and sound; just misses the Reviewers’ Choice designation.

There’s something about a tube amplifier that makes audiophiles turn their heads, and something more about one from a French company that makes them do a full about-face. Jadis has certainly done a great deal to create this image, and Audio Aero’s new Capitole amplifier only enhances it with its mirrored deck and gold-topped transformers against which the tubes, a dozen of them, shine. And what’s this? Two different output tubes?

The $8360 Capitole is a product of French high-tech firm Mazères Aviation, the corporate umbrella under which Audio Aero is a single division. In addition to the Capitole, Audio Aero produces a pair of mono amps, the $20,750 Prestige monoblocks, as well as the $6650 Capitole CD player with tubed output stage and adjustable volume. On the budget end, the company also makes the Prima CD player and integrated amp, $1680 each. What else does Mazères Aviation manufacture? Only airplane parts, high-tech carbon bicycle frames, and competition motocross motorcycles.

Beauty

Perhaps the first thing that strikes people about the Capitole is its looks — lots of chrome, gold and black metal work accented by the tubes. The second thing that catches the eye are the tubes — 6550C and premium E34L output tubes on the same amp! These are fundamental for what Audio Aero calls the TRAC system (Tube Relay Amplification Concept), which the company says is “based on a 1950s triode-pentode amplification design” that produces “triode musicality and pentode power.” The Capitole uses matched quads of 6550Cs, E34Ls and 6SN7GTs to deliver 50Wpc in class A.

The Capitole is a rather large and heavy amp: 20 1/2″W x 9″H x 14″D and 85 pounds. You may not find room for it on your rack, but it fits nicely on a Bright Star Big Rock 1 on the floor. The amp’s slim front panel has the on/off knob and single LED that turns red while the amp is warming up and green once it’s ready to pass a signal (like essentially all tube amps, the Capitole sounds its best with some warm-up, about 40 minutes worth in its case). Around back are the high-quality gold-plated speaker binding posts — pairs for 4- and 8-ohm output and a pair for ground — RCA inputs and an IEC power-cord connector. The footers permanently attached to the bottom of the amp are interesting. They are large golden pucks that are said to help drain off unwanted resonance. The Capitole worked flawlessly while I had it here — not a groan or hiccup — and it presents quite a light show when powered up in the dark.

System

I used the Audio Aero Capitole to drive my reference ProAc Response Fours as well as the Shun Mook Bella Voce Reference speakers, which made a particularly wonderful pairing. Source equipment included my Timbre TT-1 DAC/Wadia 20 transport setup and a Mark Levinson No.39 CD player. Amps and preamp were from Lamm: ML1 and ML2 monoblocks and L1 linestage. I also ran the No.39 CD player directly into the Capitole via its adjustable output. Cables were from JPS Labs (Superconductor2 interconnects and NC Series speaker cables) and Audio Magic (the Tubed Interconnect). I used JPS Labs, API and Audio Magic power cords. The amps and transport rested on Bright Star Big Rocks.

Me and my Aero

Right from the start I was struck by the powerful, light-filled sound of the Capitole, thinking that it reminded me of an amalgam of two amps I’ve reviewed previously: the Mesa Baron (which in one of its early incarnations also used two different output tubes) and the OTL Joule Electra VZN-80 Mk III. Like the Baron, the Capitole pumps out the music, having no trouble with dynamic challenges. And like the Joule Electra amp, there is a very appealing uncongested quality to the Capitole’s performance that makes individual sounds seem very singular and whole. The Capitole is not a traditionally tubey tube amp — its sound is far too nimble and resolving for that. Instead, it does its job with airiness, openness and light, among other things.

First, about that light. Where this shows up noticeably is in the detail and expansiveness of the Capitole’s soundstage. In this regard, it has few peers among amps at any price. The Capitole throws an absolutely immense soundstage that shows tremendous depth and width. Recordings like Ry Cooder’s great Buena Vista Social Club [World Circuit/Nonesuch 79478-2], which is expansive itself, seem to grow in stature, the space between the musicians taking on a life of its own. This same thing happens with another beautifully recorded Nonesuch disc, Don Byron’s joyous Bug Music [Nonesuch 79438-2]. The quiet opening to “Powerhouse” soon turns chaotic, as it should, with the music almost seeming to swirl around the room. The layering of the Capitole’s soundstage is as impressive as its size, something that’s immediately apparent when listening to CDs like Buena Vista Social Club or another well-recorded Cuban-tinged favorite of mine, Paquito D’Rivera’s Portraits of Cuba [Chesky JD145]. It’s not difficult to hear which musicians are behind others with the Capitole in use.

As you might guess, the Capitole presents a very clear and resolved sonic picture, one that is, once again, about as good as it gets. However, this clarity is also tinged with just a touch of tube sweetness, so the sound is not inherently dry or sterile. The Capitole is deft and nimble, seemingly changing sonic direction instantly, rather like my reference Lamm ML1 monoblocks, which are, however, a slightly darker brew overall. The Capitole’s treble, as you’ll hear on the wonderful JVC XRCD of The Modern Jazz Quartet’s Concorde [JVC JVCXR-0203-2], is extended and clean — like the sky on a cloudless summer day. Milt Jackson’s vibes ring and resound, and I can even make out what seems to be their sound bouncing around the recording studio in 1955. As with the overall sound of the amp, the individual strikes on the vibes project — from far back in the soundstage to almost in your lap. Even though Concorde is an over-40 recording and in mono, you won’t care, especially with the Capitole doing the driving.

The moderate 50Wpc of the Capitole handle dynamic swings with ease. The moments when the full big band cuts loose on “Straight, No Chaser” from the Bill Holman Band (JVC XRCD2 Sampler [JVC JVCXR-0201-2]) come off with more than enough volume and power. What the Capitole also does is portray small-scale shifts in tempo well — very smoothly and without any sense of crude gradual progression. “Bounce of the Sugar Plum Fairies” from Bug Music as well as “Topsy” from Dick Hyman’s fabulous-sounding Reference Recording disc From the Age of Swing [RR-59CD] show how effortlessly and distinctly the Capitole reproduces the pace of the playing. And as impressive as the Capitole was with my ProAc Response Fours, it seemed to be the soul mate for the Shun Mook Bella Voce Reference speakers, producing sound that was more coherent and seamless than I’ve heard from a dynamic speaker. Great stuff.

The bass of the Capitole is very good, but a bit restrained in absolute terms. The good news is that it goes lower than that of most tube amps, digging out the nethermost touches of bassist Scott LaFaro’s fine playing on the Bill Evans Trio’s seminal Waltz for Debby [Victor VICJ-60141]. However, pull out your favorite bass-heavy jams, like Sublime [MCA/Gasoline Alley GASD-11413], and you’ll hear them in a more subdued way, without any added thump or exaggeration, but also without a hip-hop kind of bounce. This is a small point — overall, the Capitole’s bass is above average for that of a tube amp. The Capitole shows itself very well with all types of jazz and acoustic music, even well-recorded pop — I loved James Taylor’s Dad Loves His Work [Mobile Fidelity UDCD 726] and Squeeze’s East Side Story [Mobile Fidelity UDCD 739] with the Capitole in my system. But music like that of Green Day and The Presidents of the United States of America, and even the fine DCC remaster of Van Halen [DCC GZS-1129], benefit from an amp that has as much bass weight as depth.

And while the Capitole focuses very well on individual performers, it is not the very best you’ll encounter in this regard. Once again, images are airy and light with easily discernible outlines, but they are more thinly drawn than those of the Lamm ML1 monoblocks, which also cost more than twice the Capitole’s price. The fullness and body of the Lamms are not equaled either. The Capitole’s vividness, however, helps to compensate, making such concerns the kinds of things you’ll pay attention to only when you have another amp around that does them markedly better — and then you may miss what the Capitole does so well. It’s really a matter of presenting the music differently, and the Capitole does its job in impressive fashion.

To the point

The Audio Aero Capitole is a refined yet extended tube amplifier, one whose overall character is very appealing. It offers much of what tube lovers listen for, and maximizes some of these attributes — including its way of throwing a gigantic and highly resolved soundstage, its clean and extended treble, its small touch of overall sweetness, its way of pumping out the music. The Capitole is at its very best with jazz and acoustic music (and classical too), but it does well by pop and finds no dynamic challenges in any of it.

I first heard the Capitole at CES ’99 playing music low over a pair of Leedh Nazca speakers, also a French product. The sound was terrific. I can say that I am even more impressed with the amp now because I’ve heard it in my system with a range of equipment and music. In fact, I think I’ve mentioned more recordings in this review than in any other I’ve written — which is a testament to the sound the Audio Aero Capitole produces. If you’re in the market for a tube amp in the $8000 price range, make sure you hear this one.

Description

Specifications

MFR7 Hz – 35 kHz (-1dB)
Power Output 50 W Class A / 8 ohms
Input Impedance 22 Kohms
Input Sensitivity 0.8V
Rise Time 1.7 µs
SNR 70 dB
THD < 0.2 %
Power Supply 100 / 120 / 230 / 240 VAC, 50 / 60 Hz
Power Consumption 400W
Tubes 6SN7GT, E34L, KT88
Inputs Single-Ended RCA
Outputs Gold Plated Five-Way Binding Posts
Chassis and Bottom Plate 15/10 Steel
Upper Plate 30/10 Polished Stainless Steel
Size (W x L x H): 520 x 395 x 285 mm
Weight 38 kg or 82.5 Pounds
MSRP $11,300AUS (about $8,000 USA)