The Qinpu A-8000 MK II integrated amplifier

First of all, watch out for your back! The first thing you notice when you receive this Qinpu is its weight. Transistor amplifiers in this price range are usually not so massive. If I hadn’t known beforehand that Quebec Audio & Video was sending me a solid-state amplifier, I would have thought it was a tube unit. It was when I removed the amp from the protection of its double box that I heard my back telling me to take it easy... it weighs twenty kilos and a half. Two enormous cylinders containing the toroidal power transformers dominate the top of this integrated. The Qinpu A-8000 MK II I received was a model made for export. It is of imposing dimensions, measuring 300 mm wide by 482 mm deep by 196 mm high: deeper than it is wide. Its look is faultless, reminiscent of Italian design, with its blocks of aluminum on each side acting as heat sinks and its raised feet which help cooling air to circulate. Right next to the transformers are four small aluminum cylinders which are supposed to contain the the filter capacitors, although I wasn’t able to verify this for myself. On each side of the top plate, at the back, are the huge gold-plated speaker terminals, made to accept all the usual connectors as well as large-calibre wires. At the front of the unit, a wooden panel fits in beautifully with the massive design. The volume control and selector switch are on this panel, along with the unit name plate and the control labels. The workmanship is beautiful. The on/off switch is on the front and a blue LED tells you the power is on.

The fuse holder is at the back of the unit, and also the IEC socket for the power cord. This cord is on the small side and the owner should think about upgrading it. Four pairs of standard-quality gold-plated RCA inputs are also placed on the small back panel. The most impressive sight, though, comes when the amplifier is placed on its back and the bottom plate is taken off to expose the unit’s electronic heart. There are two little ultra silent fans to cool the output transistors! Too often, I’ve opened up units in this price range and searched in vain for the internal parts one is supposed to be buying. Sometimes you have to ask yourself what you’re getting for the money—not here, though! The printed circuitry fills the case from one end to the other. The circuit runs in Class A for the first watts and Class AB to deliver the rest. The design is dual mono throughout, starting at the power supply. The symmetry is almost perfect! The capacitors are Rubycon-branded, four of them rated at 10,000 uF, eight at 2,200 uF and dozens of smaller sizes. The Sanken power transistors (2SC2922 and 2SA1216 types) are mounted on the immense heat sinks which make up the sides of the amplifier. The volume control, made by Alps, is not motorized.

All in all, a solidly-constructed unit, with quality electronics in a package design which no-one will fail to notice.

The Aurum Cantus Leisure 3 speakers

What a nice surprise you get when you pull these speakers out of their shipping box! First of all, each one comes in a black cloth bag with a drawstring, like a piece of jewellery. Then, when you see it, the woodworking is just extraordinary. My pair was veneered in finely worked poplar on the top and sides. The other three sides were multicoated piano black lacquer. The 6-cm diameter port at the back shows the Leisure 3s are bass reflex speakers. Their sonic balance has been fine-tuned to the specifications of the Canadian distributor, Charisma Audio. The high-frequency unit is a pure aluminum ribbon made by Aurum Cantus measuring 100 mm long, 8.5 mm wide and 0.01 mm thick. Its drive motor is really impressive. The mid-bass driver is made by Aurum Cantus too. It’s a 165 mm cone of carbon fibre and Kevlar, very light and rigid, with a rubber surround. The ferrite magnet is good-sized. The speaker cable terminals are oversized and gold-plated.

For me, one of the best ways to judge the quality of a speaker is to note the quality of the crossover parts. Because these are placed inside the box, a manufacturer can cut quality here without visual clues. The Aurum Cantus crossover is very well made. The capacitors are Mundorf Supreme MKP units made in Germany. The coils are good-sized, the the resistors are a quality type and the whole assembly is solidly fixed to the box bottom. The cut-off frequency is 2400 Hz and the filters are second-order for the woofer and third-order for the tweeter. The internal wiring is copper and of reasonable diameter. The enclosure is made of MDF with a central brace to stiffen it. Egg carton-type foam covers the side walls and the rest of the interior is almost filled with absorbent wool.

Listening

This test was done to evaluate the performance of the Qinpu A-8000/Aurum Cantus Leisure 3 combination. Once these two are on the market it should be possible to purchase them separately. I let the units play for a short break-in period first. I then set the speakers up on stands a good distance from the walls so as to listen in the nearfield, the way you do in a studio. Cables, both speaker and interconnect, were all-copper. From the very first listen I was surprised by the sweetness of the ribbon transducer. I had been expecting a much more aggressive sound, given the materials used, but I was mistaken. The recording Absolution from Absolute Ensemble showed up the qualities of this combination. On the first track, Dance Machine, the wind instruments can sound strident at times. That didn’t happen with this amplifier and speakers. The instruments were suitably present, the soundstage was wide and well-proportioned and the space between the players was easy to perceive. Even the little triangle managed to make itself heard above the rest of the group. The combination only lost full marks on the second piece, Concerto for Bass Trombone, where a bit of deep bass was missing. Although the Leisure 3’s are solid and fast, the speakers didn’t furnish the instrument’s final octave.

I went on with Bill Bruford’s Earthworks. I’ve always had a weakness for this avant-garde drummer and especially for his live recordings, which are very realistic. Random Acts of Happiness is no exception. The musical and spatial balance on these recordings is very pleasing. The instruments take their turns at centre front, sometimes solo or duo, with very sweet melodies followed by power breaks. The Qinpu/Aurum Cantus combination really seems to shine with this kind of music. These units are just made for jazz—piano, sax, bass and drums blend smoothly across the whole spectrum. The handoff from the mid-woofer to the tweeter is imperceptible, which speaks well for the quality of the speakers’ crossover. The realistic, lively soundstage spreads well beyond the limits of the speakers’ positions. Bruford’s cymbals show up the beautiful highs, the snare is firm and centred and the kick drum fast and solid. I felt any missing low bass much less with this music.

To wind up the listening session I chose the guitarist Adrian Belew’s new CD, Side One. This album was a special project for Belew, made with the singular bassist Les Claypool and the group’s drummer, Tool Danny Carey. Faint hearts beware! Here is a set of heavy, prolonged charges of energy paired with a guitar that can be acid. To my astonishment, the solid state-ribbon combination reproduced the Belew guitar without any aggressiveness or the consequent auditory fatigue. At the bottom of the spectrum the woofer recovered fast from the repeated dynamic assault.

Summing Up

This is a surprising combination from China. First of all, the units’ design, aesthetics and finishing are simply faultless. Their appearance is up to the highest standard and nobody who sees them in your listening room could fail to notice them. Second, the electronic design of the Qinpu A-8000 MK II integrated is noteworthy for a unit in its price range. Finally, the quality of the ribbon tweeter and the care brought to the crossover design have convinced me that Aurum Cantus is a company seriously committed to quality. Those who want deeper bass or plan a home theatre installation will need to look into subwoofers. The great strength of the A-8000 MK II paired with the Aurum Cantus Leisure 3 is the units’ even musicality across the spectrum and, of course, their value. A careful listen at your favourite store will convince you!