REDGUM BLACK SIGNATURE SERIES

Australian manufacturer REDGUM used crowd-funding to kick-start the launch of its Black Signature Series amplifier, released to celebrate the company’s 21st birthday. Founded by Ian Robinson in 1993, REDGUM’s current amplifier range comprises 11 Stereo amplifiers, 2 Home Theatre amplifiers and 8 Subwoofer plate amplifiers. The new Black Signature Series replaces the company’s long-running (7 years), Chinese-made REDGUM Sonofa’GUM amplifier and is an integrated-only amplifier range using the original Australian circuit design for each model, including the unique ‘Dual Mono’ remote, but purpose-designed to be able to drive ultra-low speaker impedances by the inclusion of a bigger transformer and a ‘SignWave’ heat sink. ‘ Essentially, the REDGUM Black Series RGi35ENR is totally a REDGUM design, by being a turbo-charged version of the long-tried and -trusted original REDGUM RGi35ENR … and so, of course, it has the same REDGUM sound,’ Rob- inson told Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. ‘ Unlike existing REDGUM amplifiers, it will be made in Shenzhen, China, but exactly to the standard of an Australian-made REDGUM amplifier, because I will personally make sure of this.’

REDGUM’s promotions manager, Lindy Gerber, said the combination of Chinese manufacture and crowd-funding was a great deal for the crowd-funders that took part. ‘ The campaign was a great deal for everyone who took part,’ she said. ‘ The original REDGUM RGi35ENR (50+50WRMS), which is still a current model, retails at $1,665 with a Dual Mono remote and was designed with 8Ω loads in mind, though it handles 4Ω loads without raising a sweat. In contrast, the new REDGUM Black Series RGi35ENR is $988 including the Dual Mono remote, is purpose-designed for all loads down to 2Ω, and will deliver power outputs of 65-watts per channel (8Ω), 80-watts per channel and 95-watts per channel (2Ω), so compared to the original amplifier design, that means the power of this Black Series version is now on steroids, rather than its pricing! But even though $988 is a great deal, five early-bird crowd-funders paid only $788.’

According to REDGUM, the prime objective of crowd-funding the RGi35ENR was to cover the cost of the first 500 pieces of ‘SineWave’ heatsink casting and related metalwork. ‘ A quantity of aluminium castings is normally not a big deal,’ said Robinson, ‘but each ‘SignWave’ heat sink is so large and heavy that it weighs 7kg, meaning that in total, for the first 500 amps, you’re looking at around 3.5 tonnes of aluminium!’

For further information, please contact Redgum on (03) 9001 6788 or visit the website at www.redgumaudio.com