REDGUM MAGNIFICATA AMPLIFIER SYSTEM
AMPLIFIER SYSTEM
A unique, quirky and extraordinarily powerful amplifier system that’s personally hand-crafted by the designer himself. But it’s an amplifier that’s steeped in controversy…
Redgum’s seemingly strangelynamed Magnificata system (comprising two monobloc power amplifiers and a stereo passive preamplifier) released to celebrate the occasion of Redgum’s 21st birthday, is not exactly a new design, since the power amplifiers are heavily based on the company’s ‘Signature Series’ RGM300ENR and the pre-amp on the one found in the company’s Splendens system.
I’m not privy to any of the minor changes that have been wrought by designer Ian Robinson, but he says the major changes to each monobloc include larger (1kVA) power transformers with a higher current capability, the use of 12×250-watt MOSFET output devices (up from just 4), and an increase in the size of the power supply’s capacitor bank to 100,000 F (up from 40,000 F)… all of which mean higher power output and the ability to drive speakers with impedances as low as one ohm (1 ). The most visible change is the addition of Redgum’s ‘sine wave’ heat sink which is located (somewhat controversially, which I’ll discuss later) underneath the power amplifiers and passive pre-amplifier.
THE EQUIPMENT
Let’s get the reason for that ‘strange-sounding’ name out of the way first. Being a proud Aussie, who lives and works in rural Victoria, Robinson named his company after a tree that is Australia’s most widely distributed eucalyptus species, the river red gum [Eucalyptus camaldulensis]. After many years of toying with using letters and numbers to identify the different Redgum amplifiers (see above!), the company switched to naming models in its Amplifolia range after other Eucalyptus genuses: stellulata, articulate, splendens etc., hence this particular amplifier was named for the Eucalyptus genus magnificata. One can only suppose that that company’s promotions manager, Lindy Gerber, is something of a botanist… or an arborist. (Redgum still uses numbers and letters to identify its ‘Black Series’ amplifiers which it makes in China. All Amplifolia models are made in Australia.)
Redgum also manufactures the front panels of the components that are used on components in the Amplifolia range from river red gum. This means the front panels look superb, but it makes them tricky to attach to the underlying metal chassis, and also that when labelling is required to identify controls (volume, source switching, etc) it must be in the form of ‘stick-on’ labels which, no matter how well they’re done, always look as if they’re ‘stuck on’. Alongside the Redgum logo (also stuck on) is a keyed switch. This switch once used to be used to turn Redgum’s amplifiers on and off, but these days, it’s only a secondary switch: the main power switch is located on the rear panel. (The reason why Redgum used a key rather than a switch in the first place is fascinating: you can read all about it at www.tinyurl.com/redgum-interview
In addition to its unusual choice of switches, Redgum also uses an unusual method of enabling users to adjust channel balance.
Rather than provide a balance control, like most other manufacturers, many Redgum amplifiers have two volume controls, one for the right channel, and another for the left channel. By adjusting these individually, it’s then possible to adjust the balance between the channels, and therefore there’s no need for a separate balance control. Unfortunately, this also makes it almost impossible to adjust the two controls for identical gain, something some reviewers have criticised. On the Magnificata, Redgum has addressed this issue by motorising the volume controls, then providing a microprocessor that, once you have set the level in one channel, can be instructed to automatically adjust the volume of the other channel to deliver exactly the same gain (or at least to better than ±0.1dB, according to the specifications). However, this is only an option on Redgum models that are able to be remote-controlled. If you choose a non-remote control version, it’s suggested you wrap an elastic band around the two volume controls, so that moving one moves the other. Talk about Heath Robinson (no relation)! My alternative suggestion would be to order your Redgum with only a single volume control which, because each one is built by hand by the designer himself, is entirely do-able.
Not only do you get two volume controls, you also get three remote controls! Don’t get excited, because two of them aren’t particularly flashy, but the other is quite a nice touch-screen learning remote made by Sunwave into which Redgum has pre-programmed all the Redgum codes. The other two are low-cost ‘credit card’ style remotes that use a button-style CR2032 battery. So why are there three remotes? Originally, only the small remotes came with the unit, and a spare was included just in case you temporarily ‘lost’ one down the back of a couch. Then, after the company switched to providing the Sunwave remote, some customers thought it was too difficult to use, so Redgum started supplying all three. But wait, there’s more! Redgum then developed another option, which was a free app you could load onto your mobile phone, so you could control the system with your phone. This had the drawback that it was only available with phones that had infra-red ‘blasters’ built in, which ruled out all iPhones and many Android phones. However, assuming your Android phone has an IR blaster, you can certainly use it to control the Magnificata. But, in news hot off the press, very soon you’ll be able to use any mobile phone at all, because at the time of going to press Redgum had commenced development of a Bluetooth remote control option which may be available by the time you read this review. And, remember, despite all these remote control options, you can always operate the system manually, from the front panel.
Time now to explain the controversy surrounding Redgum’s ‘sine-wave’ heat sink, which is the curved finning that’s visible under all three Magnificata components. This finning is controversial on several counts. Firstly, it’s underneath the power amplifier, a location that is—thermally speaking—the worst place to put a heat sink. Ian Robinson admits that it’s illogical, but says it’s there because he likes the look of it there, and that it’s so big—and therefore so thermally efficient—that it really doesn’t matter where he locates it, because it will dissipate heat from the output devices (the MOSFETs) so effectively that it will, in his words: ‘ never get hotter than blood-warm’.
The other part of the controversy is that because all the internal components are located above the heat sink, those components will run hotter than they otherwise would. Robinson’s answer to this is that he makes sure that all the components he uses— capacitors, resistors, diodes, capacitors, etc— are operated well within their manufacturer’s
Bluetooth remote control may be available by the time you read this review, making a total of five remote options...
temperature ratings, and points to Redgum’s seven-year amplifier warranty as proof of reliability. Somewhat less controversially, but nonetheless noteworthy, is that the sine-wave heat sink fitted to the Magnificata’s passive preamplifier is completely unnecessary, since there is no heat to dissipate. It’s there only to maintain cosmetic uniformity across the three components that make up this system. That said, if you stack the three components on top of each other, the passive preamplifier’s heat sink will be dissipating heat from the power amplifier underneath it, so perhaps not totally unnecessary after all. However, I certainly would not recommend ‘stacking’ these amplifiers: the lead photograph for this review, which shows the three components that comprise the Magnificata stacked one atop the other, was for illustration purposes only. Place them on separate shelves on your equipment rack! (Which, by the way, should be well-built, because all-up, this Magnificata system weighs 60.5kg.)
IN USE AND LISTENING SESSIONS
Firing up Redgum’s Magnificata system is a whole load of fun, because after applying mains power you will first hear a ‘beep’ then a ‘whooping’ sound whose pitch slowly increases, followed by some more ‘beeps’, the number of which indicates which version of firmware is being used by the microprocessor that’s performing all these tricks, followed by a further series of clicks as that same microprocessor tests all the relays and circuits for correct operation prior to full voltage being applied to enable operation. At the same time the microprocessor checks the position of the volume controls, and if they’re set more than half-way up, rotates them backwards, to below one-quarter rotation. It also sets the active input to CD1.
This same microprocessor does lots of other fancy tricks, such as remembering the volume level you’ve set for each input, ramping the volume up and down, maintaining a balance off-set if you’ve set one, adjusting between normal muting and variable muting, and more. And if you use the special ‘Magic’ button on the remote (or on the App), the microprocessor will reset all options to the factory default, after which it plays a series of tones that is the motif of the children’s song ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep.’ (And no, I’m not kidding… I told you this amplifier was a whole load of fun!)
But what really brought a smile to my face is when I started listening to the Magnificata, because it sounded truly amazing. My first impression was of there being effortless power on tap. Nearly all people—and more than a few audiophiles—are unaware that even if you listen at fairly low playback levels, if you don’t have a powerful amplifier, musical peaks won’t be reproduced accurately. And, of course, if you listen at loud levels, it’s absolutely essential that you have a high-power amplifier! I can happily say that it won’t matter what speakers you use, how large your room is, or how loud you listen to your music, Redgum’s Magnificata amplifiers will provide all the power you will ever need… and then some! I fired up Prince’s Purple Rain with the volume dialled to the max and wow did the sound of the drum kit power through! Equally impressive was the sense of air around the sound, particularly in the introductory bars, and the wail of Prince’s guitar was truly inspirational. The speed of the Magnificata was proved with yet more Prince ( Sign ‘O’ the Times) thanks to the syncopated beat and synthesised sounds, which the Magnificata reproduced exactly… so exactly that it was really exciting listening. So exciting, in fact, that I started adding additional percussion via the arm of my chair in my enthusiasm for the sound.
All that power on tap was just crying out for some organ music, so I fired up Christopher Wrench’s recording of Bach’s Organ Sonatas, beautifully recorded on SACD by Melba. The sound of the Carsten Lund organ (in Garnison’s Kirke, Copenhagen) is fabulous. The tonal quality of the Nasat 3’ stop Wrench uses in the Sonata No 4 is outstanding, and a true work-out for any tweeter. Also, listen to the sound of the rare Quintadena 8’ stop in Sonata No 3. Glorious! The deep bass was also exceptional, particularly the 16’ Subbass that Wrench uses in preference to the Principal 16-footer. The lowest notes of the Sub-bass were a tad more forward than I’m used to, so I suspect Robinson has tweaked the low-frequency response—as he is wont to do with all his amplifiers—but as the overall sonic balance was actually improved, this suited me just fine.
CONCLUSION
Yes, Redgum’s Magnificata is pricey, but you’re buying a unique, quirky—and extraordinarily powerful—three-piece amplifier system that is personally hand-crafted in Australia by the designer, so it’s more a work of art than a piece of electronics.
Readers interested in a full technical appraisal of the performance of the Redgum Magnificata Power Amplifier should continue on and read the LABORATORY REPORT published on the following pages.