Talk about poor timing. Just as I had this review sealed up, the tariff wars erupted. All politics may be local, but high-end audio sings to the tune of a global economy, in ways great and small. Headquartered in Germany, but manufactured in China, Vincent Audio has long offered excellent performance at an affordable price. While Joe Strummer was never more prescient than when he wrote on his classroom wall "The future is unwritten," it doesn't take a Cassandra to predict that plenty of audio industry folks might be a tad anxious. The long and short of it for this Vincent Audio SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier review, is that Vincent Audio is an established worldwide brand with known distributors and plenty of dealers, so chances are good that you'll find this product in stock and at a price close to list. For now. With that out of the way, let me tell you about my time with the Vincent Audio SV-500MK integrated amplifier.
A hybrid amp featuring two 6N1 tubes and one 12AX7 tube in the input stage and Toshiba-made transistors in the output stage, the SV-500MK attempts to reach the always-elusive goal of offering the virtues of tube and solid-state design in one compact package. If this description chaps your hide because you don't buy into the tube/clean and harmonic vs transistor/powerful and dynamic trope, I'm right there with you. Some tube amps irritate the bejeezus out of me, while some solid-state amps are wimps on the beach who could use the Charles Atlas body building course. Still, stereotypes for stereos often makes it easier for me to describe what I'm hearing, so on with the show.
By way of introduction to the SV-500MK, here are the specs from the manufacturer:
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz +/- 0.5 dB; 20 Hz - 50 kHz +/- 2 dB
- Nominal Output Power RMS/8 Ohm: 2 x 50 Watt
- Nominal Output Power RMS/4 Ohm: 2 x 80 Watt
- Input Sensitivity: 420 mV
- T.H.D.: < 0.1% (1 kHz, 1 Watt)
- Signal-Noise Ratio: >90dB
- Input Impedance: 47 kOhm
- Inputs: 2 x Stereo RCA, 1 x Optical, 1 x Coax, 1 x Bluetooth, 1 x HDMI (ARC)
- Outputs: 1 x Stereo RCA Rec Out, 1 x Stereo RCA Pre Out, 2 x Power Control, 2 x 2 Speaker Terminal
- Playable Digital Formats: WAV, FLAC, APE, LPCM, MP3, ACC, AC3, WMA
- Tubes: 1 x 12AX7, 2 x 6N1
- Color: Black or Silver
- Weight: 10kg
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 430 x 118 x 375 mm
If these details look familiar to you, then you probably already own (or have a startlingly good memory of) the Vincent Audio SV-500, which has been on market for some time now and sports amplification design features from its premium brand stablemate, the SV237. What's new to the SV-500MK? Well, the main upgrades are the addition of a Bluetooth 5.0 streaming feature, an HDMI ARC input, and a 32-bit DAC. On the surface, this may not seem to be such a big deal, especially to those of you (and probably most of you) who use a top-flight DAC and a fully equipped Transformer-approved AV amplifier. For those of us who appreciate a well-designed, ridiculously easy to operate integrated amplifier that can play music well at a moment's notice, the SV-500MK intrigues… hence, my asking for this review.
After spending many months with the SV-500, here are some things that stand out for me. First, although rated at 2 x 50 watts (8ohm) this integrated had no problem driving either my Nola Contender or Triangle Antal loudspeakers. This unexpected torque was beneficial not only in providing volume on demand, but also in the way that music rose with power and impact in proportion to the increased level. Perhaps this extra oomph owes to the 110-watt toroidal transformer works in the power supply. Personally, blasting music is something that I don't care to do all the time (anymore!), but there are moments when my external hard drive shuffles through the high-resolution files (remember them?) and kicks out gems like Jimmy Hendrix's sublime recording of "Little Wing." The beautiful chime-like tones in beginning of this song (so warmly presented by the SV-500MK) invariably provided the bait for giving the capacious volume knob a hefty turn to the right. And, if you've heard this rendition, you know what's coming. When the solo kicked in, it was howling good fun at goosebump-inducing volume. "Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams and her fairy tales," indeed! Who would have thought such an unassuming black box held such a groovy rendition inside? Similarly, when playing Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, the ominous double bass lines opening the piece hint at the terrifying struggle to come, and the Vincent proves surprisingly adept at conveying real weight and control to each note. As an aside, the violins circling upwards that reach their crescendo glide without shrillness or glare is also a credit to the Vincent Audio integrated amp's tonal character.
Although I spent weeks and months listening to the sound of the SV-MK, I knew from the get-go that it appealed to my tastes sound reproduction. If we're at the audio buffet, I like my servings warm and filling, with no extra spice or exotic ingredients needed, thank you. If the stock tubes are responsible for the overall loveliness of the SV-MK's sound, then I would keep them right where they are, with no need to drive myself crazy looking for ever-elusive upgrades. If you, however, prefer a sound that has a more holographic edge, or if you just like the thrill of tube rolling, the SV-MK allows you to swap out tubes as you please. Playing Bill Frisell's "Shenandoah (For Johnny Smith)" repeatedly, I was mesmerized by the interplay of the world class musicians at their peak. Besides the nonpareil Frisell, the recording features Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Jim Keltner handling percussion chores, Wayne Horvitz on piano, and a little-known guitarist named Ry Cooder on guitar and slide. If all you heard was the tremulous opening guitar lines, wavering with haunting beauty while accompanying harmonics work to accent the melody, you'd know that the SV-MK was paying full attention to the job at hand.
Which brings us to the two main upgrades to the SV500 MK. The HDMI Arc input works perfectly well as a two-channel solution for improving the sound of a TV. I used it in this capacity for a few weeks to break in the integrated, and it sounded better than the TV speakers by a long shot, but not in the league of my Pioneer Elite AV amplifier setup. Horses for courses and all that. It's a nice addition for those who have a simple setup, though. The Bluetooth option, however, is another matter entirely. For better or worse, typically the latter, I've auditioned a gazillion Bluetooth devices. Naturally, when it comes to sound, everything matters. I've recently been exploring the tremendous differences different types of guitar picks have on tone—guitar picks! —so I'm not sure if what I heard next was determined by amp design, speaker placement or the meddlesome vibe of Dark Matter. But, for whatever reason, the Bluetooth sound on the SV-500MK was exceptional. Streaming Quobuz from my iPhone sounded just as sweet and engaging as I could hope for Bluetooth. Digging "More Fool Me" by Genesis and remembering how much I enjoy Phil Collins's vocal delivery on this song, the sound of the Vincent Audio Bluetooth sound was very impressive. Honest! When Collins belts out the maddingly infectious "And you'd be the one was laughing" chorus, the full breadth of the vocal and instrumentation choices resonated with believable clarity and melodic joy. The early 70s production leans towards a sibilant, overbaked vocal line, but the Vincent Bluetooth DAC delivered loveliness where other DACs might expose its harshness. The ease of streaming is has made downloading and playing digital files, an anachronism used by hobbyist like me (and even then, if I want to hassle with music, I go vinyl). Streaming is king, and a Bluetooth option like this is good enough to enjoy without undue anxiety about what the sound could be.
Lastly, the overall aesthetic of the SV-500MK matches its design brief: straightforward and functional. The casework appears to be stainless steel, feels solid and well-constructed, and features a nicely machined faceplate with subtly stylish rounded edges. The defeatable tone controls harken to a different era, and I found them to be a useful tool for improving some less-than-ideal recordings. The understated appearance and reasonable size of the SV-500MK make it acceptable decor any number of listening spaces.
The original ending of this review has been stomped to pieces by political and economic heavyweights. At the time of this writing, the ability to obtain and purchase high end audio equipment is uncertain. My gut feeling is, however, that good engineering, sturdy materials, and reliably fine performance will always be sought after in the globally connected world of audio. The SV-500MK delivers your money's worth and much more, whatever currency you prefer, and you can't ask for better than that. Highly recommended.
SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier
Retail: $1999.95
