Apollon 1ET6525SA ST Amplifier Review

[Matias]

Prior to purchasing my new Nord Acoustics 9040 MK2 monos, I had eyed the premium version of the Apollon amplifier and compared the specifications in detail. While I acknowledged the minor improvements it offered, the 6.2K euro price of the premium model and its long production times were enough to put me off, especially when the standard Nord 9040 MK2 came in at around 3.2K GBP (roughly 3.8K euros, depending on conversion and taxes). I’ve since been very happy with the Nord’s build quality and particularly enjoy the gain‑setting switch added to the 9040 MK2 model, as it helps me optimise the signal path and maintain better gain integrity across different sources and preamp setups. My monos have been set to the lowest gain (14.4 dB), which helps preserve the soundstage and detail when listening at low to moderate volume. You cannot go wrong with either amplifier.

Notice that there are different 9040 monos from Apollon:

Premium - from 2,745.00€ each

Purifi 1ET9040BA Eigentakt Premium Monoblock Amplifier PET1200 M

Elevate your audio experience with the Purifi 1ET9040BA amplifier, featuring Weiss OP2-BP Op Amps and a custom-designed power supply for impeccable sound clarity.

apollonaudio.com

Regular - from 1,190.00€ each

Purifi 1ET9040BA M Monoblock Amplifier

The Purifi 1ET9040BA Monoblock Amplifier by Apollon Audio utilises the newest 1ET9040BA amplifier modules as its core. The Purifi 1ET9040BA provides abundant power and remarkable precision.

apollonaudio.com

The regular is more comparable to Nord as the Premium has an additional linear power supply for the modulator.

PS: not listed but there should be the Lux version, which is the same as regular but thicker aluminum chassis, but without the linear PS. @Apollon Audio

 

[BigBadWolf]

Hi guys, can you tell me ?, How bad this distortion in 15kHz ?
I want try use a AMP class D, and the 1et6525 is the better AMP in this class in measurements, but can I have problem with this distortion ?
I hear swip tone in 16kHz and I listem nusic more than 2 watss sometimes

 

[Matias]

Hi guys, can you tell me ?, How bad this distortion in 15kHz ?
I want try use a AMP class D, and the 1et6525 is the better AMP in this class in measurements, but can I have problem with this distortion ?
I hear swip tone in 16kHz and I listem nusic more than 2 watss sometimes

FAQ #7, and welcome to ASR.

Class D FAQ

This topic is dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions about class D amplifiers. If you have been directed here the reason is that it is easier to concentrate the frequent answers here instead of repeating them in several topics. Q1: Class D power ratings cannot be true. How can these small and...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[BigBadWolf]

FAQ #7, and welcome to ASR.

Thanks

 

[Nachocom]

I can show it to you whenever you want... and if you'd like, we can compare them too, okay?

 

[Hapo]

...is it ok to ask how this amp compares to the Buckeye 6525 stereo amp...???...

 

[Cpopovic]

Notice that there are different 9040 monos from Apollon:

Premium - from 2,745.00€ each

Purifi 1ET9040BA Eigentakt Premium Monoblock Amplifier PET1200 M

Elevate your audio experience with the Purifi 1ET9040BA amplifier, featuring Weiss OP2-BP Op Amps and a custom-designed power supply for impeccable sound clarity.

apollonaudio.com

Regular - from 1,190.00€ each

Purifi 1ET9040BA M Monoblock Amplifier

The Purifi 1ET9040BA Monoblock Amplifier by Apollon Audio utilises the newest 1ET9040BA amplifier modules as its core. The Purifi 1ET9040BA provides abundant power and remarkable precision.

apollonaudio.com

The regular is more comparable to Nord as the Premium has an additional linear power supply for the modulator.

PS: not listed but there should be the Lux version, which is the same as regular but thicker aluminum chassis, but without the linear PS. @Apollon Audio

Fair point — the Nord Three 1ET9040BA MKII is not a “simple” Apollon-style Purifi build if it’s fitted with Nord’s REV D buffer, switchable gain, and Weiss OP2 option. Nord’s own page says the MKII uses a revised input buffer with 4 gain settings and op-amp choices, while Apollon Premium uses Weiss OP2-BP op-amps plus a dedicated linear supply for that stage. So I’d say the Nord MKII is closer in class to the Apollon Premium than to the regular Apollon, though the two still differ in how the front end is powered and implemented.