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AudioQuest’s 42-year history of designing and refining analog interconnects has been a long, steady climb up a mountain, the summit of which can never be reached…For over 40 years, AudioQuest’s interconnects have been Double-Balanced (RCA) or Triple-Balanced (XLR) to prevent the shield from being used as an inferior ground-reference conductor.With their two- and three-cable configurations, the Mythical Series Interconnects make the multiple discrete signal and ground-reference paths externally visible for the first time — but that is not new technology. We did it because the more complicated a..

Treble octaves were smooth and non-fatiguing. Transient behavior was natural, rather than overly etched and prickly. Brass ensembles fared well with sharp assertive attacks that were not overly metallic and with a nice trailing openness on decays. The spark and intensity of aggressively bowed violins were revealed, but never to the point of upstaging the resonant wooden bodies of the instruments. Imaging was unclouded, and localization of players could be observed seemingly at a glance, as if you were actually seated comfortably in the audience about mid-hall.VERDICTIn today’s high-end amplifi..

Copland’s new CSA70 is a solid-state amplifier delivering a claimed 70W per channel into 8 ohms and 130W into 4 ohms. It sports three unbalanced analogue line inputs, MM phono stage, coaxial, optical, and USB digital inputs via a built-in DAC, plus a headphone socket. Unlike the company’s other integrated amps, the entry-level CSA70 is not a tube/transistor hybrid. If you want a valve line stage, you’ll need to look at the pricier 100W CSA100 or 150W CSA150 models.THE VERDICTCopland’s new CSA70 came as something of a nice surprise to me. It’s an ‘entry level high end’ product from a highly reg..

All that you wantInputs wise this amp is very well and sensibly served, making sure all bases are covered for most music fans. The rear panel offers two sets of line-level (RCA) analogue inputs alongside optical (TOSLINK), coaxial (S/PDIF) and USB (Type B) digital sockets. The latter three are handled via an AKM 32-bit DAC chip, with the USB input catering for PCM signals up to 384kHz and native DSD256 for PC and DSD128 for Mac. The amp’s front panel also sports a 3.5mm auxiliary socket for hooking up analogue inputs in a hurry and a 6.35mm headphone jack to keep partners and neighbours happy...

The CSA 70 is a sensational amplifier; balancing a comprehensive specification and excellent build with a performance that is sublime across its full functionality. Copland has built a masterpiece.Score 10 out of 10ConclusionLet’s cut to the chase. There are any number of great amplifiers we’ve looked at in the price segment where the CSA 70 pitches in and some of them do more extensive and remarkable things in specification terms than this subtle, almost unassuming Dane. None of them balance functionality, build and performance in the manner that this one does though. The Copland is perhaps t..