Stellavox Introduces a New State of the Art Amplifier IDEM Monoblocks

[Stereophonic]

i think we confuse what our eyes see, and what Audio Exotics does........because they can and it's their style, with the actual amplifier performance and appropriate amp<->speaker synergy.

our eyes see a relatively diminutive unpretentious amplifier chassis in a very big demo room which is known for, and expected to, deliver visual wows with the audio wows. just two IDEM's might not deliver the visuals that Audio Exotics prefers....with such a massive speaker sitting there.

and Audio Exotics sells double the amps, double the cables, double the amp stands, etc, etc. but at that point who is counting.

you can order the Majestics either single amp of bi-wirable. it's 98db, 4ohm. the Stellavox is a powerhouse, 700 watts into 2 ohms and biased to mostly class A.. so this is not a case of needing more power. OTOH i cannot argue that bi-amping cannot deliver something on some level. so not dismissing it completely.

but then making a case that the IDEM is somehow only for less efficient speakers is absolutely wrong. not true in any way.

btw; good on Audio Exotics to show us super eye candy set-ups. love it. all in on it. glad they are out there doing their thing.

Hi Mike.
Please, you should consider that IDEM are new amps and we have very few feedbacks about them.
As i said, it is just my impresion. But impresions are not reality. This is why i'm interested in your demo. @vinyl_mike experience is very welcome and interesting. I think Zellaton are around 91db eficient but my Tads are 86db ones.
I don't trust in specs. I trust in facts like @vinyl_mine one or your next one.
Dartzeel works well in your system but not in mine. I had NHB-8550, NHB pre and 108 amp.
They didn't match with my system. This doesn't mean Dartzeel are bad, only that in Hi-End 1+1 aren't always 2.
At same time, i know very well Divin Lab different setups and AE sound goal.
I've listened two videos of the same track, one with Robert Koda pre and amps, and the other with Lumen and Stellavox. Difference is very easy to listen and Stellavox outperform Robert Koda by a wide margin from my sound perspective. It is a stunning amp for sure.
Lumen pre as well....
From other side if i'm interested in Stellavox too is precisely due to their very smart and clean design. They are beautiful to me and i like very much their internal design. I don't care about their size, even it is better to me.
So please, it is time to enjoy the born of new serious brand. Learning and understanding what Stellavix has to put on the table.
Until now, very promising....
Nothing more.

 

[Stereophonic]

I have some hands-on perspective concerning the power of the Stellavox and its speaker driving capabilities. From my listening experience, the IDEMs are capable of driving my Zellatons in a large acoustically treated room to wall shaking levels. With Pink Floyd DSOTM, they can easily pump out an average 90+dB level with 100+ dB peaks. With some amps as you get closer to their max power, the sound gets a congested or hard. With the Stellavox, the quality does not change at the highest volume - it just scales naturally. Actually, I have to be careful. Often at high SPLs the strident sound alerts you to reduce the level. With the IDEMs I found myself listening at somewhat higher levels because sound is so pure, there is no indication to turn it down due to strain.

From a technical perspective, the IDEM specs show 200 W @ 8Ω , 400 W @ 4Ω , and 700 W @ 2Ω. Based on my layman’s understanding, this implies it is a high-current, stable amplifier with a strong power supply and output stage, capable of driving even demanding speakers easily. Therefore, I would respectfully disagree about its inability to drive inefficient power-hungry speakers.

Maybe Gideon can add to this from his experience.

Thank you for your feedback.
I'm glad to know you are really happy.
Only a consideration. My Omegas mono amps are 600W/8Ω, 1200W/4Ω and 2400W/2Ω with 3000KW transformer in each amp.
These numbers doesn't make my amps better than IDEM ones ...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike.
Please, you should consider that IDEM are new amps and we have very few feedbacks about them.

true. it's very new. i've got my slightly rose-colored glasses on. can't help it.

As i said, it is just my impresion. But impresions are not reality. This is why i'm interested in your demo. @vinyl_mike experience is very welcome and interesting. I think Zellaton are around 91db eficient but my Tads are 86db ones.

the Ultra Statements are 93db @4 ohms = 90db @ 8 ohms in a fairly large room. but agree 86db is harder. room size also important.

I don't trust in specs. I trust in facts like @vinyl_mine one or your next one.

me neither. Class A more significant than exact specs.. but talking to Mike who has had some more (on paper) mega high power amps i take his feedback in contrast as very significant. i just thought the amp being new it's also too soon to mention they are intended for easier loads. we don't know that or hear anything to indicate that. whether we think 90db is an easier load these days not sure. i don't. i personally think it's on the mid or tougher side of things for a dynamic driver speaker.

truth is we both don't know exactly about it, i agree.

Dartzeel works well in your system but not in mine. I had NHB-8550, NHB pre and 108 amp.
They didn't match with my system. This doesn't mean Dartzeel are bad, only that in Hi-End 1+1 aren't always 2.

468 mono's a different beast than other darTZeel's i think. not as load sensitive. my room with my speakers is not any proof about it i agree. but....it's been used on some hard to drive speakers in large rooms without issue.

At same time, i know very well Divin Lab different setups and AE sound goal.
I've listened two videos of the same track, one with Robert Koda pre and amps, and the other with Lumen and Stellavox. Difference is very easy to listen and Stellavox outperform Robert Koda by a wide margin from my sound perspective. It is a stunning amp for sure.
Lumen pre as well....

much appreciated feedback. it get's me excited as you have heard all these ultimate amps there. that Lumen is very interesting but wonder about driving long interconnects. and the remote volume attenuator could be fluky. could get frustrating sorting that out.

From other side if i'm interested in Stellavox too is precisely due to their very smart and clean design. They are beautiful to me and i like very much their internal design. I don't care about their size, even it is better to me.

me too. always felt my big darts were elegant looking with excellent build quality, but it's never been an aesthetic that personally appealed to me. i'm much more drawn to a clean, simple, sleek and subtle look. or maybe a vintage vibe as a contrast. bling-bling not my deal.

So please, it is time to enjoy the born of new serious brand. Learning and understanding what Stellavix has to put on the table.
Until now, very promising....
Nothing more.

yes, agree. hope soon to be listening.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Please recall this is not a typical voltage as opposed to a CURRENT driven design. It’s actually the first amplifier able to make my prized Celestion 600’s (least efficient speaker besides Apogees?) come to life. Need I say more ?

Specs:

https://admin.stellavox.swiss/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Stellavox-specs.pdf

One question is that high rail voltage desigen like T&A HV amps~ 300 volt less current to generate tube like sound.
P.S
Then you should avoid touching both poles of the speaker terminals when listening to music

 

[christoph]

200 watts into 8 ohms Class A offers greater linearity than your normal Class A/B 200 watts into 8 ohms solid state amplifier.

Never ever is that "tiny" box 200 watts into 8 ohms pure class A.

No way the gererated heat from that could be dissipated without immensely large heatsinks and/or capable fans.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Never ever is that "tiny" box 200 watts into 8 ohms pure class A.

No way the gererated heat from that could be dissipated without immensely large heatsinks and/or capable fans.

+1
a little exsample 60 watt(20kg) class A to 250 watt class A (95kg) mono amps

P.S
You don't want to have a sauna generator like that in your living room. trust me

 

[LL21]

I think a lot of designers today (and in the past...Krell?) use 'sliding Class A bias'. Boulder, Westminster Labs, perhaps Stellavox? Particularly in the case of Boulder, I have read somewhere on their website/manual that their big amps run at a fix level of Class A to be more efficient though still high...and within some number of microseconds after an incoming peak signal, it stays up at that higher peak Class A level for 30 seconds or something before coming back down.

Yes, absolute pure Class A runs very hot. We have 1100 watts running out of the wall at all times (550 watts per monoblock), but it allows us to have 235 Watts Pure Class A at all times. Wonderful sound and we turn the heat down in the winter. And fortunately, we dont live in the tropics during summer!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Never ever is that "tiny" box 200 watts into 8 ohms pure class A.

No way the gererated heat from that could be dissipated without immensely large heatsinks and/or capable fans.

my bad, no, not pure class A. and i did not use that term, but did say unqualified Class A in error. apologies. the amp does get very hot. this post get's into more details on it. mentions Class A. better that you read that than i try to describe it. here are published specs

 

[Audioarts]

Mike - thank you for posting the link to all specs and design impetus from the Stellavox team.

But the subject of Pure Class A is so fundamental to our high end polemics, that I naturally enjoy reading the back and forth on it. It always struck me how Pure Class A is often (not always) presented as a holy grail of amplification design…, yet in my own personal experience, while I have frequently melted into the deep liquidity, density and color of Pure Class A amplification, I inevitably always heard a consistent lack of speed, drive and bass control. In other words, a sluggish quality imho.

While the Stellavox is a single ended AB current amplifier with no op amps in the circuit, it exhibits the positive elements of true puristic Class A designs like earliest 70s Levinson, Threshold, Sumo, Gryphon DM100 from the 80s and Symphonic Line - but surprisingly with a natural drive in the power range and immediacy/control that I often found lacking in the above classic examples.

The IDEM is designed specifically to run hot and its high thermionic parameters are instrumental to its performance. Recall that the Stellavox team is immersed on the pro audio side of life and these amps are built to that robust/work horse standard.

Gideon
Audioartsnyc

 

[Kingsrule]

Any spec as to the current draw at idle and at full output? (maybe I missed them)

Also is it recommended to leave IDEM amps on all the time?

And how does the remote turn on/off work?

 

[nonesup]

yet in my own personal experience, while I have frequently melted into the deep liquidity, density and color of Pure Class A amplification, I inevitably always heard a consistent lack of speed, drive and bass control. In other words, a sluggish quality imho.

Well, one of the great champions of pure Class A amplification is Gryphon, and they're not exactly known for lacking good bass control.

 

[LL21]

Well, one of the great champions of pure Class A amplification is Gryphon, and they're not exactly known for lacking good bass control.

Agree...in fact, they have some of the best control I have ever experienced. Big fan of Gryphon and owned for 12 years consecutively...Antileon, Colosseum and Mephisto. And have heard Antileon and Colosseum in same system in comparison with MBL Ref Monos, big Krell Evo Ones, Soulution (not 7 series), ARC ref 250 monos, Boulder 2060 and a few others.

 

[microstrip]

(...) But the subject of Pure Class A is so fundamental to our high end polemics, that I naturally enjoy reading the back and forth on it. It always struck me how Pure Class A is often (not always) presented as a holy grail of amplification design…, yet in my own personal experience, while I have frequently melted into the deep liquidity, density and color of Pure Class A amplification, I inevitably always heard a consistent lack of speed, drive and bass control. In other words, a sluggish quality imho.

Curiously I do not consider it as a fundamental subject - otherwise it would be properly addressed in debates. 99% of the time all we have are stereoptype gossip about it, caring more about heat, weight and ownership pride than about the truth considering class A. Class A is a simple definition, but systems being operated in class A need proper analysis in terms of speaker impedance versus frequency, including phase, efficiency and peak listening levels. IMO if you " always heard a consistent lack of speed, drive and bass control. In other words, a sluggish quality imho" in class A (just quoting you) you were always unlucky, never listened to proper class A, or are being excessively hyperbolic to make your point.

While the Stellavox is a single ended AB current amplifier with no op amps in the circuit, it exhibits the positive elements of true puristic Class A designs like earliest 70s Levinson, Threshold, Sumo, Gryphon DM100 from the 80s and Symphonic Line - but surprisingly with a natural drive in the power range and immediacy/control that I often found lacking in the above classic examples.

Are you only addressing amplifiers from the 70's and 80's?
I am always happy to read about the great things of the IDEM - I would love to hear it sometime when it starts being shown in Europe, but I am not happy with misrepresentation of other great designs or excessive generalization.

The IDEM is designed specifically to run hot and its high thermionic parameters are instrumental to its performance. Recall that the Stellavox team is immersed on the pro audio side of life and these amps are built to that robust/work horse standard.

Gideon
Audioartsnyc

I would be happy to know which amplifiers you have listened before that did not show a "consistent lack of speed, drive and bass control. In other words, a sluggish quality imho" ". BTW, do you realize that a typical class AB amplifier can become a class A amplifier when operated with high efficiency high impedance speaker?

 

[microstrip]

(...) The IDEM is designed specifically to run hot and its high thermionic parameters (...)

Do they have tubes inside? Or are you addressing a specific solid state property such as barrier height?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Do they have tubes inside?

no.

 

[microstrip]

no.

I know, I was joking ...