June 1999            

AUDIO EQUIPMENT REVIEWS, Part 1

Simaudio i-5080      By Warren Chang

Simaudio Ltd., 95 Du Tremblay St., Unit 3
Boucherville, Quebec   J4B 7K4   Canada
877-980-2400; Fax: 450-449-9947
www.simaudio.com  MSRP: $1299
80w per channel, 17" x 3" x 15.5,"
20+ lbs.

The market for medium priced integrated amps is growing rapidly as many consumers feel that separate amp/preamp are functionally or financially not viable ideas. Simaudio's new offering, the i-5080 is an amp that allows you to get the convenience and small footprint of an integrated amplifier without compromising on sound quality or functionality. In my opinion, this amplifier is competitive with integrated amplifiers retailing at more than twice its retail price, making it a great bargain in the sub-$1500 price point.

The Simaudio i-5080 is a diminutive low profile amp, and the review sample was a handsome piece, in brushed aluminum trim. On the front of the amplifier were a standby switch, a remote LED, and manual volume and input controls. The i-5080 has plenty of single ended inputs, giving more than enough flexibility for an integrated amp at its price point. Most users will simply use it as an integrated amplifier, and the i-5080's preamp section was fine, although I could hear a slight transient if I was close to the speakers when you advanced the attenuator notch by notch. Volume goes from 0-50 in single increments, and it is a digital volume control with remote control capability.

Out of the box, the i-5080 was broken in for 100 hours playing various break-in CDs. Right out of the box it seemed to display a sweet sound, good accuracy, and impressive bass capabilities. After the break in, it was even better. I put the i-5080 in the place of my amp and preamp in the living room system. A Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1 fed the i-5080 through Straightwire Virtuoso Platinum interconnects, which fed a pair of Gallo Nucleus Solo speakers through Harmonic Technology Pro 8 speaker cable. Power to the i-5080 was provided by a Harmonic Technology AC cord. Comparing the i-5080 to my reference Plinius SA-50mk3/BAT VK-3I combination isn't necessarily fair, but in this context, the difference wasn't as much as the $5000 difference in price would lead you to believe. While the i-5080 produced not nearly as much bass as the Plinius, its bass output on the 4 ohm Gallos was still impressive. Simaudio products have been known for handling the bottom octave with authority and the i-5080 was no exception. On Sarah Mclachlan's "Solace", track one, Drawn to the rhythm begins with a drum beat and a soothing vocal passage. The i-5080 reproduced the bass with aplomb, while the vocals came across sweetly and pace and rhythm was fine as well. While the plinius/BAT combo was both sweeter and more accurate, with much more realistic imaging, the Simaudio was no slouch in this regard. The soundstage was solid and wide, and imaging was pin point, you could generally pick out individual instruments in an orchestral work, such as Vaughan Williams' Antartica (Naxos). While the Simaudio did not reproduce the subterrenean bottom octave in the third movement with the floor shaking intensity of the Plinius, it definitely had usable output in the low bass region. Lost, again off of "Solace" has two passages with tremendously low bass, and the i-5080 handled these passages with authority. Peter Gabriel's "The Feeling Begins" off of 'Passion, Music from the Last Temptation of Christ, is another piece that showcases low bass transients, and near the end of the track, the Simaudio reproduced these drum beats with room shaking intensity.

'The Gallos are not an easy load to drive, they are 4 ohm speakers and require high current, if not high power output. The i-5080 never shut down with the Gallos at any volume, and while it did get hot and wasn't nearly as effortless as the much bigger SA-50, it seemed to be a fine match with these outstanding speakers. If I had to describe the very neutral i-5080, I would have to say that it was sweet sounding without being euphonic, and was true to what the recording artists intended, without being harsh. Not very many pieces of equipment will meet these two qualifications, and fewer still are in the price range of the i-5080.

I realized that the i-5080 wasn't going to be placed in such an expensive system by most individuals who would purchase an integrated in this price range. This said, I placed the i-5080 in a system with a pair of B&W DM302 minimonitors, along with a Adcom GCD-700 CD changer. In this system, the i-5080 was outstanding as well, providing tuneful, sweet music, with a nice soundstage and good image. Bass output was, as expected, far less, but accurate, and tuneful, and there really was usable bass for most recordings. The i-5080 would seem to be very appopriate for the typical sub $2000 bedroom or living room system.

Compared to other integrated amplifiers in my stable, the i-5080 more than held its own. It delivered far more bass output than the Audio Research CA-50, although it wasn't quite as sweet to listen to, nor as accurate or as good at imaging. However, it handled realistic orchestral volumes far better than the Audio Research, which balked at Mahler as delievered through the Gallo solos. Also, the ARC amp is more than three times more expensive than the i-5080, and was bettered in some areas. A borrowed Bryston B-60 was another interesting comparison. They sound remarkably similar, so much so that I wouldn't want to try to differentiate these two amplifiers upon first entering a room. Again, the much more expensive Bryston loses the price/performance battle.

In the final analysis, I'd have to say that the Simaudio i-5080 is an outstanding amplifier. Placing it in my living room system, I could notice that it was playing, rather than the Plinius/BAT combo, but this fact didn't really bother me in my enjoyment of the music. While it didn't quite reproduce the bottom octave as well as the Plinius, nor imaged or soundstaged as well, but if I wasn't paying close attention, I could easily be drawn into the music equally well by the Simaudio, which is high praise indeed considering the 5x price difference between the seperates and the Simaudio. It fits equally well in a lower cost system, which is where most consumers would find this piece anyways. I was very impressed by the fit and finish, and attention to detail that Simaudio takes in producing this product, and happy to announce that they have come through with yet another winner.

Associated Equipment:

Gallo Nucleus Solos, Plinius SA-50 mk3, Adcom GCD-700, B&W DM302, Audio Research CA-50, BAT VK-3I, Harmonic Technology Truthlink XLR, Pro 8 speaker cable, AC Cord, Straightwire Virtuoso Platinum RCAs, Bryston B-60