Canor Audio AI 1.10 Integrated Amp

Meet one of Slovakia’s best kept secrets. I was surprised to discover that tube specialist Canor Audio has been developing and manufacturing high-end audio products for nearly 25 years. In case you’re wondering, the name comes from the Latin for “song” or “tune.” The emphasis is on manufacturing user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing audio components. The Canor AI 1.10 integrated amplifier is a prime example of that. Superficially, it appears to be yet another routine push-pull amp, generating 40Wpc in ultralinear mode from a pair of KT88 beam tetrodes. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. 

For starters, the amp operates in a pure Class A and features an autobias circuit. Canor does not design products around off-the-shelf output transformers. Instead, output trannies are designed in-house for each specific application and are then manufactured by specialized vendors. The end product uses a Permalloy core and bifilar windings, both very desirable design attributes. Its weight of nearly 60 pounds is a testament to the serious amount of iron used here. Canor is proud of its proprietary CMT (compression-mount technology) PCB milling technology, which minimizes dielectric loss factors and is said to match the performance of point-to-point wiring but in a reproducible geometry. 

Should you wish for more power, it is possible to double the output to 80Wpc by connecting a pair of amps as monoblocks. In monoblock mode, two amps are connected via a C-link bus line using a special cable (provided by Canor). One of the amplifiers becomes a “primary” and the other a “secondary” with volume control and input selection being transmitted synchronously. This lowers distortion and activates the XLR input on the back panel for fully balanced operation. 

The audio circuit uses common twin triodes; a 12AX7 for voltage gain, followed by a 12AT7 configured as a phase-splitter. Although located a three-hour drive from the JJ Electronic tube factory, Canor opted to use Russian Electro-Harmonix KT88s. Of all beam power tubes, the KT88 has earned the distinction over the years of being capable of supreme musicality. Of course, much depends on execution, but at its best it can deliver exceptional clarity and soundstage transparency. And it seems to me that the Canor team has done its best to give the KT88 full scope of expression to deliver its full sonic promise via excellent output iron and a well-filtered power supply. 

To protect the power tube complement, both warm-up and cool-down cycles are used. The cool-down cycle may sound a bit odd, but its main reason is to avoid the possibility of a user turning on the amp quickly after it’s switched off, which would stress the tubes and shorten their lifetime. A warm-up delay is set to allow the operating voltages to stabilize prior to making music. Note that all tubes undergo a critical selection process, which includes burn-in and precision measurements, to ensure long-life and stable operation.

The front panel is dominated by a relay-controlled stepped attenuator capable of 1dB resolution to a minimum setting of -63dB. The attenuator was revamped for use in the AI 1.10 to provide two independent blocks for each channel to improve channel separation and minimize the number of contacts through which the signal passes. Input and volume selections are displayed prominently on the front panel. There is no balance control, but a nifty little remote control duplicates the front panel controls except for the ultralinear/triode switch.

Ultralinear/triode (UL/TR) switching is performed by means of a relay and can be performed live. It was David Manley at VTL who popularized this function in the 1980s, and it has by now become a standard feature in UL amplifiers. It certainly has its merits. It’s like having two amps in one. Flexibility is a good thing. The distortion spectra are different enough to often yield a clear preference for one mode with a particular speaker load. One practical problem with this scheme revolves around optimizing the output transformer’s primary impedance to serve the needs of both modes.

I took the time to explore the sonics of both modes in the company of the Fleetwood Sound Company De-Ville with its totally benign 8-ohm nominal impedance magnitude. TR mode impressed initially with sweeter and smoother textures and seemed a perfect match for Mozart violin concertos. Wind forward a bit, and it became clear that UL mode was better balanced tonally, with its tonal center of gravity being squarely in the orchestral power range, that is the lower midrange. For someone like me, addicted to the big tone sound of 6SN7 octals, UL was the way to go. Then there was also the issue of microdynamic shadings, UL mode having the upper hand.

Let’s get to the meat of it. The first and lasting impression was of exceptional soundstage transparency combined with transient clarity. It was so easy to peer into the depths of the soundstage and localize individual instruments. Resolution of low-level detail was as good as it gets for any tube amp at this or any price point. Detail seemed to emerge from a low noise floor and bubble to the surface without artificial enhancement such as treble emphasis. In fact, the Canor insisted on tonal neutrality, refusing to editorialize and simply staying responsive to each recording’s intrinsic balance. These attributes made reproduction of live recordings especially memorable, enhancing the illusion of being there, a prime example being Leonard Cohen’s Live in London. Just an amazing performance for a 73-year-old musician. His poetic vision and emotional intonation came through in spades. The crowd chatter was supremely well resolved and helped pull me into the recording’s acoustic. 

I thought it would be reasonable to introduce the Canor to the QUAD-57 ESL, since low-power tube amps are often touted as a good match for the QUADs. Actually, I was recently partially disabused of that notion after I auditioned the 47 Laboratory 4717 Shigaraki. This coupling offered a superbly expressive midrange and excellent treble extension. To its credit, the Canor sounded better than my Will Vincent Dynaco ST-70, but it was clear that it was struggling at the frequency extremes. That’s not surprising in view of the QUAD’s 30-ohm max bass impedance and 2-ohm minimum  treble impedance. I tried both the 4- and 8-ohm taps and settled on the 4-ohm as offering the most natural tonality and better bass control. But the end result still fell short of the 47 Lab amplifier’s magic. This experience highlighted the need to take care in optimizing the amp/speaker interface. 

Next up for the Canor was the Rogers LS3/5A 15-ohm Special Edition mini-monitor loudspeaker perched on its matching Panzerholz stands. These puppies are a true 15-ohm nominal load with about a 12-ohm minimum. Not only is this an easy load for a tube amp, but the Rogers also features a fairly flat impedance magnitude from 1.5kHz to 20kHz, thereby minimizing tube amp load interactions and ensuring tonal accuracy through the upper mids and treble range. With the 8-ohm taps, it seemed that I finally found a home for the TR mode. The mids were pure and sweet sounding, and the upper octaves were naturally voiced. It seemed the perfect setup for Baroque music. Returning to one of my favorites, the Corelli Concerti Grossi Op 6/7–12 (Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque orchestra), proved to be a joyous experience. The Rogers is one of the most cohesive two-way designs money can buy, and it can weave a compelling siren song. But at a sensitivity of 82.5dB, it did need more power than TR mode was capable of; so, reluctantly, I switched back to UL mode, which was slightly less sweet sounding but dynamically much more authoritative. Listening late into the night, I began to get a strong impression that the Canor was bringing out the best in the Rogers: lucid and detailed mids, and a cohesive well-fleshed out soundstage that was so easy to get lost in. This coupling did justice to harmonic textures, conjuring a sensual musical tapestry that kept me glued to my listening seat.

On all counts, the Canor AI 1.10 is a superlative integrated amp. It is built to last, and its intelligent warm-up and cool-down cycles will keep the tube complement going strong for years to come. It brings to life the venerable KT88’s full sonic potential. Transient clarity and soundstage transparency are its calling cards, attributes that should make music lovers content for a lifetime. An enthusiastic two-thumbs-up recommendation! 

Specs & Pricing

Output power: 2x 40W/4 and 8 ohms (ultralinear mode); 2x 20W/4 and 8 ohms (triode mode)
Inputs sensitivity: 500mV
Inputs: 5x unbalanced, 2x balanced
Frequency response: 10–50,000Hz (±0.5dB/5W)
Input impedance: 30k Ohms
Harmonic distortion: <0.05%/1kHz at 5W
Signal-to-noise ratio: >95dB
Damping factor: 9 (4-ohm load); 10.5 (8-ohm load)
Power dissipation: 220W
Tube complement:1x 12AX7, 2x 12AT7, 4x KT88
Dimensions: 435 x 170 x 485 mm
Weight: 26kg (net)
Price: $6999

CANOR, SPOL. S R.O.
Druzˇstevná 39
080 06 Prešov
Slovakia

VERDANT AUDIO, INC (U.S. Distributor)
verdantaudio.com

Associated Equipment
Speakers: Fleetwood Sound Company DeVille, QUAD ESL-57, Rogers LS3/5A SE
Phono front end: Kuzma Reference turntable, Kuzma Stogi Reference 313 VTA tonearm, Clearaudio daVinci V2 MC Phono Cartridge; Wright Sound WPP200C phono stage; Sound Tradition MC-10 step-up transformer
Digital front end: Audirvana 3.5 software; Qobuz Streaming; Denafrips Terminator DAC; Alldaq ADQ-USB 3.0 isolator
Cable & interconnects: Acrotec, Mogami & Kimber KCAG interconnects; Acrotec 6N; Kimber KCAG, ChromaLeaf Canare 4S11, Analysis Plus Oval 12, & Take Five Audio Cryo treated Mogami 3103 speaker cable
Accessories: Sound Application CF-X & TT-7 power line conditioners