Vincent Audio SV-237MKII Hybrid Integrated Amplifier Review.

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The MSRP of this amplifier is $2,999.95. Let’s make this easy and call it $3,000. The $3,000 Vincent SV-237MKII starts the experience with a look that suggests a much more expensive component. The review sample came with a black finish, and from the thick front panel to the stout heat sinks running down both sides of the unit, it announces its presence as a serious audio component. The controls on the front are all well-made and exude quality. The visual and tactile qualities are first-rate. The remote control is a bit on the small side, but it is a metal-encased handset of high quality, and it functions flawlessly.

The preamp section uses two 6N1P NOS tubes augmented by a pair of 6N1P-EV vacuum tubes in the second stage. Frank Blöhbaum designed the circuit with an emphasis on low noise along with linearity. This tube preamp offers the promise of sound quality that is warm and inviting, yet accurate and revealing. This is no easy task, and it will be put to the test with some very revealing speakers.

Defeatable tone controls (bass and treble) along with a loudness button will help older recordings to be more listenable than one expects in today’s digital age (This should make reviewer Taps Das crazy happy! -Ed.). The coaxial and optical digital inputs (one each) are passed through a Burr Brown DAC that works up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

The preamp section also includes the Bluetooth 5.0 input plus three additional RCA analog inputs. One could operate a total of five source components plus the Bluetooth connection, which should accommodate almost any stereo system. While there is no phono input, Vincent Audio has several affordable phono preamps available. There are also pre-out and record-out RCA ports for even more flexibility.

The power amp section is anchored by quad transistors and a heavy-duty toroidal transformer. It offers 150 Watts per channel into 8 ohms and 250 Watts per channel into 4 ohms. In addition to that, it will deliver the first 10 watts in pure Class A mode, which is highly unusual for such an affordable amplifier. The power supply was also engineered by Frank Blöhbaum. Based on its weight and numbers, this power amplifier promises to be the type of amplifier that we old-time audiophiles miss dearly.

The SV-237MKII makes a lot of promises, so let’s set it up and see how it delivers.

I just finished reviewing a pair of Diptyque 140 Mark II planar/Isodynamic loudspeakers. They retail for $17,000 per pair and are some of the most revealing loudspeakers I have ever auditioned. The review was done with an NAD M33 Integrated Amplifier, which has received universal praise in its three-plus years of existence.

The Vincent SV-237MKII replaces the NAD in the system, with the associated components remaining the same. That includes a full Clarus Aqua II cable system for connecting a Yamaha CD-2100S CD/SACD player to the Vincent amp, Clarus power cables, Clarus Aqua II speaker cables, and a Clarus Concerto power conditioner. Other sources include Qobuz streaming to the 5.0 Bluetooth input and the optical digital output from a 75-inch Samsung TV, which can make for some outstanding movie-watching, two-channel style (more on this in listening tests).

The setup process was a snap and brings to mind the attention to detail that Vincent gives to its products. The binding posts have removable, dense plastic tabs to ensure no damage is done during transport. The feel when lifting the amp into its position is of a very high-quality component. Vincent designs the amp in Germany but does the manufacturing in China. It appears they have kept a very high level of quality control in the building process. The binding posts grabbed the Clarus Aqua II speaker cables with authority, and the RCA input from the Yamaha had an equivalent level of confidence in terms of its grip.

The Bluetooth connection was as straightforward as one could ask. There is a push button on the front panel of the SV-237MKII for the Bluetooth connection, and it is also designated as ‘S3’ on the remote control. The pairing process was seamless, and it was now time to try out this amplifier with a pair of speakers more than five times the price.

Vincent takes on the Diptyque 140 Mark II

The first CD I tried was the quite well-known in audio circles ‘Jazz at the Pawnshop: Volume 1.’ This is a long-time favorite for audio reviewers across the globe for its excellent and accurate rendering of the music itself along with the recreation of the feeling of being in the club in which the performance was done.

The band was the joining of Arne Domnerus (alto sax and clarinet), pianist Bengt Hallberg, vibraphonist Lars Erstrand, bassist Georg Riedel, and drummer Egil Johansen. The opening chart, Limehouse Blues, brings the quintet to life with the band warming up while one hears the patrons in the background. The percussion starts things off with soft taps on a snare’s rim and brushes across the skin, then the clarinet and vibraphone enter the stage, with the bass joining a few seconds later.

A proper system will have some heft to the bass, but not so much as to interfere with the more delicate instruments. The lively vibraphone gets center stage in the middle of this 10-minute treat, only to hand off to the piano. It’s a song that lets all five performers stretch their legs, and the Vincent amp drove the Diptyques with an ease and natural bass that was intoxicating (hey, we are in a club that specializes in adult beverages, so this seems appropriate).

‘The third track is ‘High Life,’ and it starts off slowly and softly, with brushes and soft clarinet playing, then expands into having everyone involved with a toe-tapping bass line, quick clarinet notes, and a Merengue routine that had to be a blast for these adept musicians. You can feel them nodding to the crowd as the energy begins to soar. The drum solo is pure jazz, with an emphasis on quick hits with a natural decay instead of brute force. This $3,000 amplifier is making beautiful music with one of my hardest-to-drive speakers that sell for over five times the price.

‘Stop Making Sense’ opens with ‘Psycho Killer,’ with the kick drum hitting hard and with great pacing. David Byrne’s acoustic guitar requires a deft touch to not get lost, and the Vincent brought it into the room with all the substance one could ask for. His hands are striking the body of the guitar, adding a percussive element to the song, and Mr. Vincent misses nothing. The sheer musical abilities are that of a great amplifier, regardless of the price.

‘Slippery People,’ which is track five on this latest rendition of one of rock’s all-time wonderful live performances, starts with twin bongo drums, Byrne on electric guitar, and a full drum set. Urgency is in the pacing, and when the chorus girls enter the fray, it’s put up or shut up time. For a system to deliver two girls, one guy, the bongos, the drums, and the guitar as all are hitting with crescendo levels, the SV-237MKII didn’t even flinch. ‘Slippery People’ also brings back fond memories from 40 years ago, when the boys all loved it as a rock song while the girls swore it was a dance tune. Détente’ was not just a Cold War thing anymore (if you don’t understand this reference, run a search on it).

‘Burning Down the House,’ ‘Girlfriend is Better,’ and a host of other songs were playing back at realistic levels through an impossible system. A Planar speaker and 150-watt amp weren’t just burning down the house, they were ROCKING the house.

Special mention of ‘Life During Wartime’ is a must here. This is their anthem song, and at this point, there was too much fun being had. Air guitar and singing along with the band just happened. It was one of those moments in which one appreciates having a dedicated listening room to participate in a concert without getting caught. The energy being put out by this hybrid amp was well beyond what was expected.

The Vincent amp has now proven it can handle one of the finest speakers this reviewer has ever auditioned (and, for full disclosure, he has now put in a request to purchase the review pair). Nothing is missing, musically, with this $3,000 amp versus the twice as expensive amp from NAD (in all fairness, the NAD does have a much larger array of features, including a subwoofer output with crossover, DIRAC Live, more digital inputs, and a phono pre-amp. It is also a bargain amplifier).

It was now time for the next challenge for the SV-237MKII.

The Vincent SV-237MKII and the DALI Oberon team up for a $6,000 high-end audio system

In 2021, the DALI Oberon 9’s were the subject of a detailed review by yours truly at Secrets, and they delivered impressive performance in an absolute sense. The fact that they retail for only $3,000 per pair elevated them into one of the audio world’s top bargains. Almost three years later, with tests having been done in my listening room with speakers from Legacy, Diptyque, Sonus faber, Vaughn, Harbeth, and Heretic, all of which are between $8,000 and $17,000 per pair, it occurred to me that pairing this $3,000 amp with these $3,000 speakers might just be a good idea. We still have all those speakers on hand and have regular listening sessions with them. Would they be a letdown after 30 months of much more expensive speakers? Let’s explore, shall we?

In 2000, ‘Bolero!’ was released on CD, and it has been a favorite of mine for sheer listening pleasure. The layout of the orchestra is flute front left, brass front right, violin rear left and right, cello rear right, and percussion center back. This disc can, on the right system, place the performers in the correct spacing. On some of our higher-end systems tested over the last two-plus decades, ‘Bolero!’ has been the deciding factor in just how well the speakers performed. Classical music, unlike rock and jazz, tends to be more of a continuing experience of music than it is a collection of individual songs. ‘Bolero!’ is no exception to this rule. It is 70 minutes of pure, unamplified music on which this combination of $6,000 in speakers and amplifiers excelled.

From the lightest flute trios playing quick notes individually to massive crescendos, the DALI/Vincent system was musical, powerful, tuneful, and wonderful. The bass drums came across with subwoofer intensity yet managed to keep that agile ability that a rolling bass requires. The class AB amp in the SV-237MKII and the total of four nine-inch woofers in large cabinets certainly paid dividends.

Each performer was well placed, and in the darkened room, it was easy to visualize the orchestra in front of the listening position. It felt much as would a mid-row seat at our local favorite orchestra venue, Erie’s Warner Theater.

The cello was warm, inviting, and articulate, and the brass biting when called on and seductive when the music softened. The ultimate goal of a well-performed orchestral session is to revel in the music and forget the outside world. The Vincent SV-237MKII and DALI Oberon 9s made this happen in a manner so well done that it would make a lot of ‘golden ear’ listeners believe it was a $30,000 system if they experienced it under blind conditions.

‘Brite Nightgown’ moves on from being a bass-centered song to more of a new-age jazz beat with a helping of reggae added. Vocals, lead guitar, and keyboards take front and center, with the percussion being more snare than kick drum. It’s a lighthearted piece with lots of pace, and again the Vincent/DALI pairing plays in a much higher price class than expected. The synthesized chimes come out of nowhere on this track, and this combo renders them with a clarity that is borderline startling.

The harmonizing vocals on ‘The Great Pagoda of Funn’ shower with quite distinct individual voices across the stage, something most systems in this price range will muddy up a bit. There is something to be said for pairing two components that rely on solid engineering over the usual attempts at sleek styling. This Vincent amp is big and bold, matching the DALI speakers. After dozens of hours of listening to this $6,000 system, all while having a $50,000 system in the ‘bullpen,’ and not feeling a desire to swap them out, speaks volumes to how well companies can design affordable products.

The Vincent amp did such a remarkable job at delivering deep bass along with a transparent midrange and ultra-fast, clean, delicate treble that measuring the response curve from the listening position was a must do. Two curves were measured: one from 20 to 200 Hz and a second from 200 to 20,000 Hz.

The bass curve, which shows our usual room gain at 35 Hz, shows a strong response down to 20 Hz with the Vincent amp’s controls set to flat. This amplifier drove the quad nine-inch drivers with exceptional authority. Throughout the review process, the ability of the SV-237MKII to drive these woofers remained consistently powerful and with an incredibly adept pace. This is a level of performance that requires a lot of current. Well-engineered amplifiers that can deliver high current tend to feel more powerful than their specifications suggest. In this case, it was hard to believe we were listening to an amp rated at 150 Watts per channel into 8 ohms.

The 200 to 20,000 Hz bandwidth is equally impressive. These are sine wave sweeps being run, and even with the burden of handling the deep bass involved, this Vincent amp managed a +4 dB curve through the DALI towers. Once again, this speaks to the overall build quality of this integrated amplifier. The measured performance backed the listening sessions. At no time during this entire review process did I wish for more performance.

The Vincent SV-237MKII Stereo Integrated Amplifier ideally complements speakers costing $2,000- 20,000. At $3,000, it leaves some room in the budget for more expensive speakers.

Vincent Audio has built a reputation for making amplifiers that sound great, are reliable and that can serve as the anchor of a well-performing stereo system. When our editor-in-chief, Carlo Lo Raso, asked if I could make time to review an integrated amplifier from Vincent, the answer was a rousing YES! There is no audio dealer within 200 miles of our home that carries Vincent, and over the last two decades, I have been curious to find out just how good their amps are.

The Vincent SV-237MKII goes well beyond being a high-value audio component. It can serve as the centerpiece for a high-end audio system. It can hold its own with a variety of high-end speakers. Its performance on both the Diptyque 140 Mark II planars and the DALI Oberon 9’s demonstrated a versatility that is hard to find for such a modest price.

The included remote operates all inputs with complete silence. The build quality is excellent. I have worked hard to come up with something I don’t like about this amplifier, and cannot think of anything except that it only has two digital inputs. Everything about the Vincent 237MK II is first class. Think of it as a five-star performer with a three-star price!