boXem A 4216/E2 Stereo Amplifier Review

[yo!]

This seems like a very decent amplifier, and it certainly has its charm and good distortion and power figures.

I'm a bit irritated that so many people consider such a device to be cheap.
Don't get me wrong. I do think it's acceptable in terms of pricing, especially when you consider the origins.

The stingy part of me, however, sees a simple case and a handful of components that, in and of themselves, aren't expensive.

 

[amirm]

The stingy part of me, however, sees a simple case and a handful of components that, in and of themselves, aren't expensive.

Actually they are. The components are pre-built modules that come at a premium. Most of the cost is in those two components (power supply and amplifier).

That said, yes, spending over a thousand dollar is not cheap in absolute numbers.

 

[yo!]

That's certainly the case, and I also see that the know-how for good module development must be rewarded and paid for. No question.
My criticism is just wishful thinking

 

[Willem]

I am not schooled enough to know who has to pay, how much, and if VAT is included. Those of you who know are welcome to post that so others know.

Value Added Tax is levied within the EU, about 20% in most EU countries. There are no import duties/tariffs within the EU. Normally VAT is not levied on exports to outside the EU, but non EU importers are likely to be charged import duties/tax/tariffs in their own countries, plus any local sales tax (and transport and handling charges, of course). Within the EU this is a completely transparent system for the consumer, and by law consumer prices have to be advertised inclusive of VAT. I order quite a bit online from within the EU, and things could not be easier. Some sellers charge transport cost (usually not that much unless it is a very bulky item), and there are no handling fees. Shipping usually takes a few days, and no more. Now that the UK has left the EU, buying from the UK has become much more cumbersome for EU consumers - I have given up. The same applies to UK consumers trying to buy from the EU.

 

[Deleted member 88178]

Actually they are. The components are pre-built modules that come at a premium.

Can these modules be repaired? Would it be realistic to expect such a SOTA class D amp to last (let's say) 10 years or so?
It's a genuine question, no sarcasm or critic intended.

 

[Willem]

Can these modules be repaired? Would it be realistic to expect such a SOTA class D amp to last (let's say) 10 years or so?
It's a genuine question, no sarcasm or critic intended.

Few modern electronics are easily repaired. Module replacement is the best you can hope for. That is what was done when my B&W PV1d subwoofer, bought in 2012, recently developed a fault in one of the Hypex amplifier modules. It was replaced, together with one of the drivers. The repair was not cheap, but worth it.

 

[amper42]

Can these modules be repaired? Would it be realistic to expect such a SOTA class D amp to last (let's say) 10 years or so?
It's a genuine question, no sarcasm or critic intended.

The nice thing about Purifi amps is they have the potential to be repaired. In my case, one of the Purifi modules went out and @RickS was able to replace and test it. The amp is still working fine now, a year after repair. As long as Purifi modules are available and you can find a knowledgable person to help these amps can offer an extremely long life.

Heat is the one thing that can slowly damage an amp. The Purifi design is one of the lowest heat producers among all amps I have used. That one factor should help contribute to the longevity of the hardware. I fully expect my Purifi amps will last another 10 years - easy.

 

[boXem]

Thanks @Amir for this review. It's always pleasant to receive such a nice feedback.

I will try to address all concerns and questions raised in the previous pages in a single post.

THD/IMD
I was also surprised to see such high H3 (all things relative). @Amir has provided a plausible explanation. As a reference, the 5W 4R FFT looks like this when measured by myself.

Switching frequency / filtering
It is load and signal dependent. Displaying the 1MHz bandwith FFT for a 1kHz sine in a resistor is not showing anything keeping me awake at night.

Power switch
There is none because it's plain useless with this amp. And I am sure that none of you guys wants to pay for the cabling of a useless feature at Luxembourgian pay rate. Its is useless because the amplifier will power up and standby automatically. Even without trigger. And before some complain about their 1988 subwoofer that sometimes doesn't start automatically, our system works very well and has satisfied 99.95% of our customers since several years.
Standby is an actual standby, the main supply is completely disconnected, standby consumption is below 0.1 W.

Cooling concept
The top down mounting allows the heat generated by the module FETs to be dissipated without reaching the heat sensitive components. Thus better reliability and a pass of the "FTC like" test with flying colors.

Comparison with competitors
I know that as a seller, my credibility is limited, but people expecting all 1ET6525SA integrations to measure the same are just in the wrong. These modules have such low noise and distortion that the input buffer design has become a lot more critical. As an illustration, the 1ET9040BA has similar performance than the 1ET6525SA. When paired to the reference design buffer, its 5W 4R SINAD is 104 dB while we were able to reach 112 dB with our own buffer design. At same gain obviously. Allowing buffer bypass is a neat idea to top SINAD charts but not a sign of high competence, even when implemented by very competent people.

VAT
We collect VAT only for EU countries. For others like UK, VAT is collected by the shipping company. BTW, business with UK has been a pain in the ... just after Brexit, it's quite smooth now. VAT rates are between 17% to 26% pending country. Displaying prices with VAT included is mandated by law. EU shops not doing so are carrying a huge red flag above their head concerning their business integrity. If you do not know the VAT rate from your country (really?), just connect to our site without VPN, your IP will cause the proper VAT to be added to the displayed price.

Tariffs
As of today 14th August 2025 all products entering the US that are made in EU and cost more than $800 are taxed at a 15% rate. Although I'm not sure if the $800 limit still exists. It's up to the shipping company to collect the money from the receiver. We don't display tariffs included prices because we do not collect tariffs. Most countries do not pay tariffs for amplifiers made in EU.

Pricing
I know I should not reply to such comments but they always trigger me. People should understand that the fuel and parking at Monaco for my two yachts are not free...
More seriously, chassis (complex due to the top down cooling) is made in France, wiring made in Luxembourg. Volumes are low. Price is competing with amplifiers whose all parts are made in China. Reaching such a price requested a lot of thinking on how to simplify assembly and lower the amount of cabling to the bare minimum. If you can do better while allowing western Europeans to have a normal western European life thanks to their work, just drop a PM, I have business for you.

That's all for the moment. I hope that nobody's concerns were forgotten.

 

[sceptical1]

As a hardcore class a/b devotee, I give up. This amp is perfect and at 25% the cost of my favorite a/b amp.
Nice job.

 

[pablolie]

...
The stingy part of me, however, sees a simple case and a handful of components that, in and of themselves, aren't expensive.

The price of any product will never just be about adding up the COGS of components that go into it.

 

[thegeton]

The price of any product will never just be about adding up the COGS of components that go into it.

Even TVCOS won't cover the manufacturer's full suite of costs. Also, it's legit to apply a reasonable margin.

 

[mrick39]

That is because the seller is not responsible for the tariffs. You (as importer) are.

And that is going to be collected by DHL before they will deliver?

 

[antcollinet]

And that is going to be collected by DHL before they will deliver?

Probably.

 

[Jbar45]

I recently ordered a couple of Topping DaCs and power supplies. I received a notice from DHL that I would have to pay $70. To get them released from customs and forwarded to me. Tariffs at work. Remind me who pays? Oh yeah. Us.

 

[amirm]

It is not just tariff. It is the stupid process that adds more fees for processing and delays delivery. In some cases, the fees have been more than tariff itself. And with DHL, it is the rush to pay the charges before their threat of destroying the gear or returning it to sender deadline.

 

[Dangerzone]

Excellent review of an excellent product.

However, is there any particular reason to choose this amp over the Ncx500 variant? Both seem acoustically transparent, price is essentially the same but the Ncx500 has more power on tap. Am I missing something?

 

[Mike_Trueman]

Excellent review of an excellent product.

However, is there any particular reason to choose this amp over the Ncx500 variant? Both seem acoustically transparent, price is essentially the same but the Ncx500 has more power on tap. Am I missing something?

If you want to save some money and want more power buy the Hypex. I think Hypex runs a little hotter?

 

[amirm]

However, is there any particular reason to choose this amp over the Ncx500 variant? Both seem acoustically transparent, price is essentially the same but the Ncx500 has more power on tap. Am I missing something?

Purifi-based amps in general have lower distortion but also less power than NCx series. So you have to choose what is more important.

 

[Tovarich007]

I am not schooled enough to know who has to pay, how much, and if VAT is included. Those of you who know are welcome to post that so others know.

@amirm. In EU, the standard is VAT included in selling price (the pourcentage of VAT may vary a little bit from a country to another, but not much, around 20 %), except if it's clearly indicated that it's excluded (for pro users for instance). Some vendors indicate both prices, with and without VAT.
So, in any case, we don't have any bad surprises, the information's clear.

Though there are of course cultural, political and economic differences between the member countries, and they're not equal for standards of life, I have to say that, all in all, UE is obviously a much better safe area for consumers and workers too than USA.

I'm sorry to tell, because I like also your country and part of my family in law lives in the U.S.

 

[amirm]

So, in any case, we don't have any bad surprises, the information's clear.

Thanks for the info. Alas, when I look at the site, I am not sure I see the VAT since my IP address is from US. Should I just add 20% to whatever price I see in Euros?