2022 Golden Ear: Tidal Audio Ferios Monoblock Power Amplifiers

Tidal Audio Ferios Monoblock Power Amplifiers

$85,000/pair

The Holy Grail of amplifier design is to build one that furnishes ample power without muscularity becoming the product’s defining attribute, without tonal neutrality, natural detail, and that hard-to-define metric known as musicality taking a back seat. Tidal’s Ferios monoblocks provide 300 watts of continuous RMS power into an 8-ohm load, 580 watts into 4 ohms, and more than 700 into 2 ohms—enough to assure authoritative control of any consumer loudspeaker played in a real  world domestic environment. Each amplifier has two regulated 800VA power supplies and a whopping 410,000µF of capacitance. The Ferios features a DC-coupled input circuit, without capacitors or relays in the music’s pathway from start to finish. Likewise, a proprietary protection system does its surveillance without touching the signal. The result is an utterly effortless and transparent magnification of the fragile electrical impulse presented to the amplifier, whether the power required is two watts or two hundred. This makes for an exceptionally relaxed presentation that allows a listener to devote his psychic energy to making an emotional connection to music. Yes, the price of admission is high, but if it is within your means, you’ll never look back.