Boulder Amplifiers has just announced the official release of the 3050 Mono Power Amplifier. The 3050 is the largest and most powerful amplifier in the history of Boulder's product range, delivering 50% more power than the 2050 Mono Amplifier.
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Nearly 100% of circuitry and assembly of the amplifier was refined or redesigned during engineering of the 3050. Noteworthy improvements and features include:
• Massive Power Output. With an abundant reserve of power, the 3050 will produce 1,500 watts of continuous power into any load and requires a 240VAC mains feed. Peak output power is reportedly 6,000 watts. 5 encapsulated and potted toroidal transformers, 48 filter capacitors and 120 bipolar output devices ensure that voltage headroom is more than adequate, current delivery is instantaneous, damping is optimized and control of every driver in the loudspeaker is ideal. Distortion is 0.0006%, unheard of for an amplifier of this size - according to Boulder.
• Distinctive, Modern Architecture. Despite their size, the amplifiers' aesthetics are a dramatic step forward in audio component design. Nowhere does the casework terminate in a 90-degree angle and no assembly screws are visible. Because every piece of metalwork is carved from a single block of aluminum dedicated to each finished unit, the amplifiers' left and right chassis do not share any common exterior parts. Even the power buttons and LED indicators are new creations.
• Improved Noise Floor. Improvements in the circuit layout properties of electronics originally developed for the 1008 Phono Preamplifier led to further engineering advances in the 3050's new circuit architecture. As noise is reduced, more low-level information from the recording is revealed and rendered more accurately.
• New 99H Gain Stage. A new, fully discrete, surface-mount gain stage evolved from Boulder's own 993 features prominently in the 3050. The new gain stage, dubbed the 99H ("H" for "high voltage"), utilizes +/-38V rails to raise the dynamic headroom of the gain stage to unprecedented levels. All 99H circuitry is sealed in a machined, textured and heatsunk housing before being potted with a proprietary mineral and epoxy resin.
• Fully Balanced, Phase Isolated Construction. Outputs are fully-balanced and inputs are of instrumentation quality balanced design. Active output audio circuitry is separated for total isolation of mirror-imaged positive and negative phases.
• Framed and Damped Circuit Board Mounting. Every critical audio circuit board in the new 3050 is framed in a custom machined, aerospace-grade aluminum housing rather than screwed to a plate. Vibration damping material is then sandwiched between the circuit board and the frame in an effort to eliminate mechanical resonances that could have any microphonic effect on the clarity of the musical output.
• Custom Granite and Stainless Steel Platform. Because of the tremendous weight of each 3050 (380 lbs./172 kg), every unit is shipped with a stable platform of alternating layers of black granite and polished stainless steel that is custom cut to the angles and dimensions of each chassis.
The 3050 carries a steep MSRP of $195,000.
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• Explore reviews in our Amplifier Review section.
