If you are the kind of person who judges amplifiers on a power-per-pound basis, Esoteric’s range-topping F-01 integrated is in trouble. After all, when a 30-watt-per-channel integrated stereo amplifier costs much the same as a decent second-hand car, questions need to be asked. Fortunately for Esoteric, the F-01 has all the answers.
Why such a low output? The F-01 (£22,000 / $18,000 / AU$30,000) has a Class A circuit, and with that comes the promise of great sound quality and the curse of lots of heat. In such a design, the greater the power output, the more heat the amplifier will produce, so there is always a balance the engineers have to strike.
