Premiere Design

As I wrote about the Perreaux éloquence 250i, it claims to be the world's most powerful stereo integrated amp, delivering up to 530 continuous watts/channel into 4Ω. But that's nothing compared with a new monoblock power amp from Goldmund—the Telos 5000, which delivers up to 5000 continuous watts into 2Ω (2500W into 4Ω, 1250W into 8Ω).

The input stage of this bad boy uses four Class A modules with an innovative topology said to reduce noise and distortion to new lows. The output stage is no less sophisticated, with 72 MOSFET power transistors calibrated specifically for the Telos 5000. A new type of cascade/bridged circuit is used to increase the amp's speed beyond even other Telos models, allowing it to deliver up to 200 amps of current in a few nanoseconds. Fortunately, the protection circuit is designed to keep up, so your speakers are protected from any overload that might occur.

Transformers are at the heart of all power amps, and the Telos 5000 incorporates 16 that can develop nearly 10,000 watts of power. The entire transformer module is deeply encased in epoxy to reduce vibration and noise. Also integral to power amps are filter capacitors, of which there are 24 with ultra-low impedance in this behemoth.

In addition to the balanced and unbalanced analog inputs, the Telos 5000 also provides a coaxial S/PDIF digital-audio input that feeds an Alize 7 digital-to-analog converter. This circuit, also used in Goldmund's Mimesis 20.7 outboard DAC, boasts a dynamic range of more than 130dB, resulting in an exceptionally low noise floor.

Weighing in at 573 pounds, this amp is built like a tank—literally. And talk about specs—the frequency response from 0 to 300kHz deviates from flat by no more than ±0.1dB, and the THD+N at the analog input stage is a staggeringly low 0.0005%.

As with most Goldmund products, if you have to ask how much, you can't afford it, but I'll tell you anyway. The Telos 5000 can be yours for—gulp—$189,000. And don't forget, this is a monoblock amp, so double that for a 2-channel rig, and be prepared to shell out $945,000 for a 5-channel home-theater setup. Goldmund plans to build only 25 of these überamps, and amazingly, most have already been presold, so you'd better act fast if you want the ultimate in audio power.