ia11 Integrated Amplifier - $1999

There has never been an introductory integrated amplifier with the fit, finish, and sound of the Mystère ia11.

There — we said it.

At first glance, this amp simply takes your breath away; first, the proprietary finish, resembling something like deep, rich, black glass, although even those words don’t do it justice. Next, the fit: the way the tube cage secures so snugly with its quick-release banana plugs; the perfect alignment of the transformer covers; the fully-vented chassis; the heavy-gauge bottom plate…No expense spared.

Take a look inside—we encourage it. Point-to-point wired using premium parts; dual-layer, polypropylene coupling caps; low-noise resistors; high-purity copper conductors and the cleanest build quality you can find.

And sound? The ia11 produces 40 watts of the sweetest, purist sound you’ll ever hear. Specially-wound power and output transformers deliver the kind of clean juice that makes the amp’s 40W sound like 80. The pentode push-pull design is built around 6SN7 input/driver tubes and EL-34 power tubes that deliver a dynamic presentation. And you’ll never have to worry about biasing tubes; Mystère has incorporated a dual-mono Adaptive AutoBias circuit that automatically adjusts each tube to its sweet spot. Want to try different EL34s? Just plug them in! Topping it off, the ia11 utilizes a 24-step volume attenuator, the kind of control found only on the most expensive, five-figure amps.