I would like to share my experiance about to not so big and well-known (except among purist) brand and amp: Sonneteer Alabaster.
After many years of switching gear I have been in possession of this amp for about a year now and am surprised every day by its musical qualities and the excellent designer(s?) who apparently has a pair of golden ears.
![IMG_1156[1].JPG](/forums/data/attachments/1432/1432983-6a9bfbaaf2d25b6ac20c9f2143b1bc2a.jpg?hash=apv7qvLSW2 "IMG_1156[1].JPG")
I have been in to audio hobby for over two decades now. At a young age I lissent to the charts on my cassette radio. Full of excitement I waited for the songs I selected in on the bilboard on Friday, after which I quickly released the pause button and the tape recording started! This was followed by a period of purchasing domestic and foreign magazines and dreaming away with photos of equipment and the reviews and ratings.
Over the years I have had various amps, listened to many by friends and dealers. From Harman Kardon to Burmester and brands like McIntosh. However, in my search I was always looking for "something better" and was inspired (influenced) by media, reviews and new techniques. In the meantime my setup consisted of a nice Atoll IN200 amplifier and a Cayin KT88 tube amplifier. Both integrated. However, what one did well, the other did wrong. I couldn't find the perfect amplifier for my needs and started to doubt my set up again. Do I need to buy more expensive, more powerful and newer again?
Then I came across a Sonneteer dealer in the Netherlands, Rinsma Hifi. A very special man with a heart for good sound, averse to brands and reviews, but only relying on his own ears. He explaned me how to listening to music in the way he did. With contact and feeling to the music, realism and not with focus on technical details and "pin-point" imaging. And that is what the Sonneteer Alabaster does; make real live music. So far I have not come across an amplifier in any price range that sounds so lifelike. Everything about this amplifier is correct, nothing is exaggerated and is emphasized. Instead, the music is one whole picture, a palette of music and tones. Sweet and full sounding without being mudy. The music flows enormously smoothly in the room with layers and you can “look” into the music. Instruments merge and seem to communicate with each other. That is technically very special in my opinion! The pace of the Alabaster matches reality. Partly because of this, something special happens; the tone and harmoncs. Pianos, guitars and other instruments sound lifelike. I know for sure that musicians will greatly appreciate this amplifier for this. Because the amplifier is designed to be extremely stable, it has a huge drive. Two times 55 watts. Only 55 watts, how!? The amplifier does not breaks a sweat driving my ATCs and Dynaudio’s at any level. This in contrast to much more powerful amplifiers on paper that I have had.
The amplifier seems simple under the hood. But this is where the power lies. No exotic parts here. The designer's philosophy is that the circuit itself is more important than the parts within. A number of special techniques have been incorporated into the amplifier. Everyone knows that resistance influences sound in a bad way. And a volume dail is just an adjustable resistance control. At 12 o’clock the Alabaster delivers where others deliver at 9 o'clock. The advantage: less resistance, a better scale, you can open it completely en the channel separation is better on the end of the potentiometer. No remote control with this amp., this turned out to degrade the sound (power from the circuit, intervention?) Two direct passif inputs. No relays in the signal path, but a simple source selector switch, no relay for switching off (you hear the caps deflate when switching the amp. off), different wide of tracks in the high-quality PCB and a high quiescent current running in A/B?.
I don't want to tear down other brands, but in my experience Sonneteer is really a step up in terms of musicality from some off the well-known brands. Yes, I heard a lot. There will probably some more manufacturers of this kind of musical amplifiers, but I happened to come across Sonneteer. Of course there are many amplifiers that are better in certain aspects; more detailed, more bass, but when it comes to playing music, Sonneteer is the boss for me. The alabaster is detailed to, but in a natural way. You have to hear it to know what i mean. Listening to the Albaster is an fun experience every time. I never doubt this amp and can therefore enjoy music for hours every day. I'm just looking forward to it every day.
If someone is looking for a super detailed and analytical amplifier, huge watts and neatly measuring specs then you better look further. You will probably never find rest during your search and you will always keep improving / correcting because the sound you are aiming for is not true to nature imho. But if you want a musical amplifier (yes, they exist!) that you can listen to for hours and hours to your music, then you should definitely put the Sonneteer on the top of your list.
But how is it possible that such a great brand is not bigger by name in the hifi world. I think this is partly because the owners of Sonneteer are not that gifted in marketing. And hi-fi = marketing as they say. Where other brands follow the trends and come up with “improved models” every year or two (come on, how much better can it be every time) and design amplifiers within a budget and one for every price range. At Sonneteer they have made just one amp and that is their best design (after 4-5 years of development and listening) and put it on the market at a ridiculous low price. Because the amplifier is their top design, they have apparently been unable to improve the design and have been using the same amplifier for more than 20 years now. So no annual new hyped amps with “upgrades”, flashy new faceplates, extra functions with new buttons and led lights, slightly better specs. on paper.
A fair way off doing business, but not really a good business model in the world of hi-fi. I also never have come across an advertisement in a commercial magazine. Sometimes an “discoverer” like me talks enthusiastically about it on a forum. And if you search on the old www some old reviews can be found (where often 5 stars or excellent is scored), but that is it. Ass a brand you will be quickly buried under all that media violence. And most consumers are sensitive to media and marketing, trust the magazines and review, retailers want a big "brand" or at least "the latest and the greatest" in their living room.
That is why I thought, let me take some time to put this great brand in the spotlight (for you all). Maybe i can help someone like me in their search. I am a big fan by now and I am very grateful to Sonneteer for bringing back my listening pleasure and will probably never part with this amp.
Oh, almost forgotten in my hymn. The built-in phono in the Albaster is excellent too...
After many years of switching gear I have been in possession of this amp for about a year now and am surprised every day by its musical qualities and the excellent designer(s?) who apparently has a pair of golden ears.
I have been in to audio hobby for over two decades now. At a young age I lissent to the charts on my cassette radio. Full of excitement I waited for the songs I selected in on the bilboard on Friday, after which I quickly released the pause button and the tape recording started! This was followed by a period of purchasing domestic and foreign magazines and dreaming away with photos of equipment and the reviews and ratings.
Over the years I have had various amps, listened to many by friends and dealers. From Harman Kardon to Burmester and brands like McIntosh. However, in my search I was always looking for "something better" and was inspired (influenced) by media, reviews and new techniques. In the meantime my setup consisted of a nice Atoll IN200 amplifier and a Cayin KT88 tube amplifier. Both integrated. However, what one did well, the other did wrong. I couldn't find the perfect amplifier for my needs and started to doubt my set up again. Do I need to buy more expensive, more powerful and newer again?
Then I came across a Sonneteer dealer in the Netherlands, Rinsma Hifi. A very special man with a heart for good sound, averse to brands and reviews, but only relying on his own ears. He explaned me how to listening to music in the way he did. With contact and feeling to the music, realism and not with focus on technical details and "pin-point" imaging. And that is what the Sonneteer Alabaster does; make real live music. So far I have not come across an amplifier in any price range that sounds so lifelike. Everything about this amplifier is correct, nothing is exaggerated and is emphasized. Instead, the music is one whole picture, a palette of music and tones. Sweet and full sounding without being mudy. The music flows enormously smoothly in the room with layers and you can “look” into the music. Instruments merge and seem to communicate with each other. That is technically very special in my opinion! The pace of the Alabaster matches reality. Partly because of this, something special happens; the tone and harmoncs. Pianos, guitars and other instruments sound lifelike. I know for sure that musicians will greatly appreciate this amplifier for this. Because the amplifier is designed to be extremely stable, it has a huge drive. Two times 55 watts. Only 55 watts, how!? The amplifier does not breaks a sweat driving my ATCs and Dynaudio’s at any level. This in contrast to much more powerful amplifiers on paper that I have had.
The amplifier seems simple under the hood. But this is where the power lies. No exotic parts here. The designer's philosophy is that the circuit itself is more important than the parts within. A number of special techniques have been incorporated into the amplifier. Everyone knows that resistance influences sound in a bad way. And a volume dail is just an adjustable resistance control. At 12 o’clock the Alabaster delivers where others deliver at 9 o'clock. The advantage: less resistance, a better scale, you can open it completely en the channel separation is better on the end of the potentiometer. No remote control with this amp., this turned out to degrade the sound (power from the circuit, intervention?) Two direct passif inputs. No relays in the signal path, but a simple source selector switch, no relay for switching off (you hear the caps deflate when switching the amp. off), different wide of tracks in the high-quality PCB and a high quiescent current running in A/B?.
I don't want to tear down other brands, but in my experience Sonneteer is really a step up in terms of musicality from some off the well-known brands. Yes, I heard a lot. There will probably some more manufacturers of this kind of musical amplifiers, but I happened to come across Sonneteer. Of course there are many amplifiers that are better in certain aspects; more detailed, more bass, but when it comes to playing music, Sonneteer is the boss for me. The alabaster is detailed to, but in a natural way. You have to hear it to know what i mean. Listening to the Albaster is an fun experience every time. I never doubt this amp and can therefore enjoy music for hours every day. I'm just looking forward to it every day.
If someone is looking for a super detailed and analytical amplifier, huge watts and neatly measuring specs then you better look further. You will probably never find rest during your search and you will always keep improving / correcting because the sound you are aiming for is not true to nature imho. But if you want a musical amplifier (yes, they exist!) that you can listen to for hours and hours to your music, then you should definitely put the Sonneteer on the top of your list.
But how is it possible that such a great brand is not bigger by name in the hifi world. I think this is partly because the owners of Sonneteer are not that gifted in marketing. And hi-fi = marketing as they say. Where other brands follow the trends and come up with “improved models” every year or two (come on, how much better can it be every time) and design amplifiers within a budget and one for every price range. At Sonneteer they have made just one amp and that is their best design (after 4-5 years of development and listening) and put it on the market at a ridiculous low price. Because the amplifier is their top design, they have apparently been unable to improve the design and have been using the same amplifier for more than 20 years now. So no annual new hyped amps with “upgrades”, flashy new faceplates, extra functions with new buttons and led lights, slightly better specs. on paper.
A fair way off doing business, but not really a good business model in the world of hi-fi. I also never have come across an advertisement in a commercial magazine. Sometimes an “discoverer” like me talks enthusiastically about it on a forum. And if you search on the old www some old reviews can be found (where often 5 stars or excellent is scored), but that is it. Ass a brand you will be quickly buried under all that media violence. And most consumers are sensitive to media and marketing, trust the magazines and review, retailers want a big "brand" or at least "the latest and the greatest" in their living room.
That is why I thought, let me take some time to put this great brand in the spotlight (for you all). Maybe i can help someone like me in their search. I am a big fan by now and I am very grateful to Sonneteer for bringing back my listening pleasure and will probably never part with this amp.
Oh, almost forgotten in my hymn. The built-in phono in the Albaster is excellent too...
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