When it comes to listening to music on the hifi, I’ve been wondering of late if a sense of refinement is innate or learned. In other words, do we know a refined sound or does the gear teach us about it.
After spending 2 months living with and listening through the Soulution 330 integrated amplifier, I’ve come to understand that we learn about refinement from gear like the Soulution because in some important ways it presents music unlike most every other amplifier I’ve had the pleasure of living with in Barn.
The 330 Integrated Amplifier is really two products under one roof, as it were, with the preamplifier section and amplification section living in their own internal spaces. The 330 runs in Class A up to 10 – 15 Watts (into 8 Ohms) above which it operates in Class A/B up to its rated output power of 120 Watts (into 8 Ohms, 240Wpc into 4 ohms; 480Wpc into 2 ohms) and is based on Solution’s upscale 5-Series proprietary voltage amplification stage that consists of linearized amplifiers operating up to a cut-off frequency of 80 MHz according to the company. A total of six power supplies feed the functions of the 330 with clean, filtered power and the volume control employs high-precision, low-noise metal foil resistors while a second PGA control (Programmable Gain Amplifier) takes over during adjustment to enable the volume to be adjusted smoothly and without clicks. As soon as the new desired level has been selected, the unit returns control to the precision resistors.
Four pair of line level inputs (2x RCA, 2x XLR), and a balanced Source-Out join the single set of speaker binding posts and IEC inlet on the unit’s backside. Wait. Did I say two products? The review unit came loaded with the optional built in DAC and Moving Coil (MC) Phono boards making it four products in one. The DAC offers AES/EBU, Coax SPDIF, USB, and Ethernet/Network inputs, while the MC phono stage offers adjustable input impedance (20 Ohms – 1260 Ohms) and an optional RIAA-IEC high-pass filter. That Ethernet input is DLNA/UPnP compatible, alas no Roon, so you can control playback with any UPnP app. The DAC also converts all incoming data to DXD, the zerophase technology ensures minimal phase errors along signal path.
When you turn the 330 on or off, it runs through a brief series of steps, illustrated on the front panel display, to power up and down its different parts fully and safely.
To my eyes and associated tastes, the Soulution 330 is lovely to look at in addition to being a pleasure to use. I am a big fan of brushed aluminum for the way it glows when hit by light and the 330 combines a nice thick, but not too thick, curved u-shaped slice surrounding black heat sinks on either side. The front panel houses a red LED display, three control buttons (power, mute, program mode), and a multi-function control knob that acts as volume control, DIM volume (level is set in Program mode), Input selector, and Program navigation/selection. I suggest a look at the User Manual for the complete rundown of program options which include, in brief, DIM and MAX Volume levels, Multi-Amp mode, as well as access to the aforementioned Phono stage setup options. All of these controls can be accessed via the included remote, which is also a pleasure to use but nearly impossible to figure out how to open without some guidance to insert the included batteries.
For the majority of the 330’s Barn stay it was paired with the Rockport Atria II (review), but it also spent some time driving the Barn-resident DeVore Fidelity O/96 (review) and even a brief stint with the in for review Volti Rival SE (more info). I mated the phono input with the Barn-resident Michell Gyro SE/T8 tonearm mounted with the review EMT HSD 006 MC cartridge (more info), while AudioQuest provided all of the cables from their Mythical Creatures series and power conditioning courtesy of a Niagara 3000 (full system details). All of the components sat in isolated comfort on my Box Furniture ‘Fallen A’ rack.
As I mentioned in the associated In Barn post, the Soulution 330 was largely intended to spend its Barn time with the Rockport Atria II, and it did. I recommend reading that review for a fuller picture of that system, which was among the most refined and joy-inducing hifis I’ve experienced. Extant. And if you pause to think about it, every review is a system review, more or less, which is why I try to expand that field of play by mating the thing under review with more than one partner. That being said, to my mind the Soulution 330/Rockport Atria II combination was the clear standout if you are interested in stunning music reproduction.
Shannon Lay’s 2023 release Covers Vol. 1 remains a favorite record for its simple loveliness, featuring just Lay on vocals and acoustic guitar covering the music of Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Arthur Russell, and more. I must admit to being in a bit of a pickle in terms of identifying those traits that came with the Soulution 330 separate and apart from the rest of the systems I used to listen to this simple, lovely music because in many ways you do not want an amplifier to draw attention to itself. To what it’s doing in some obvious way. But I persevered and can say with confidence that the Soulution 330 is among the cleanest, clearest, most resolving, fast, fit, full and colorful integrated amplifiers to have graced the Barn. In fact, the only other integrated amplifiers that I can recall and would place anywhere near this level of performance are the Riviera Labs Levante (review) and Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 (review).
I wish, oh how I wish, I still had the Levante here to make a direct comparison but I don’t. But I do have the Constellation in Barn and I will share that to my ears, with the Rockports and DeVore O/96, the Soulution sounded that much more refined, that much more incisive, and that much more dynamically quick and punchy. I’m tempted to talk about color temperatures to describe these differences in a general sense with the Soulution leaning toward cooler hues and the Constellation toward the warmer side which kinda works as long as we don’t attach value judgements to colors. My point being that in some systems and for some listeners, cooler is better and for others warmer is just the thing. That being said, for my preferences with these speakers, the Rockports and DeVores in Barn, my pick for the long term would be the Soulution for its greater sense of clarity, speed, articulation, and snap! It is, in a word, lively as all get out and damn exciting to listen through.
Another real and obvious standout quality in the Soulution’s court, especially when paired with the DeVore O/96 which I know better than I know our dogs’ barks, is its uncanny way with spatial effects that produced a sound image that defied a two speaker origin so convincingly I laughed out loud when I first heard Senyawa’s “Kabau”, from 2021’s Alkisah, leap into the Barn from every which way except from the speakers all big, bold, badass and bass strong. And that is another Soulution 330 standout—it offers stunning bass control and overall bass performance as good as I’ve heard the O/96’s bass sound and certainly lit up the Rockport’s with equal controlled authority.
To put a finer point on my Soulution findings with these two speakers after about 2 months of living together, I’ll share some words that came to mind early on and never paled over time—stunning, exciting, damn!, did you hear that?, wow, and holy crap I’ve never heard that! If you notice, all of these words have everything to do with the qualities of music as opposed to qualities of an amplifier and this is exactly what I want. I want my hifi to leave me alone with my music and perhaps this is the Soulution 330’s strongest quality as it delivered all of the music I asked it to recreate in see-through fashion. Like the Invisible Man. Naked.
As I mentioned, the review sample included the optional DAC and MC Phono stage so I gave both a long test ride. Let’s start with the easy one—the Soulution MC Phono stage is pretty damn great. Paired with the Michell Gyro SE/T8 tonearm/EMT HSD 006 MC cartridge, I fell so fast and deep into pure enjoyment mode, rifling through my tiny stacks to find that!album to not only play but to hear—an important distinction when evaluating hifi gear—I landed on The Great Blues Men double LP compilation from 1972 that acted as my introduction to John Lee Hooker, (Mississippi) Fred McDowell, Robert Pete Williams, Son House, Lightning Hopkins, Mississippi John Hurt, the Reverend Gary Davis, Skip James, and more back in the day.
And I pulled this record out at this time because the sound of the Soulution 330’s way with records brought me back to my 1970s-level of excitement at hearing these great, unique, and moving voices come alive in Barn as clear and present as my memory remembered. Pretty great, indeed.
I fed the Soulution’s optional internal DAC from the Barn resident Auralic ARIES G1.1 (review) streamer as well as the recently reviewed (and stunning) Grimm MU1 Music Player (review) with a length of AudioQuest Diamond AES cable, which remains my preferred digital connection for most DACs when available, using Roon to control enjoyment. For comparison purposes, I also used the Barn resident totaldac d1-unity (review) and Mola Mola Tambaqui DACs (review) and to cut to the chase, I preferred both of these fine DACs to the one inside the 330 (but that should be an obvious conclusion for all but the rabidly paranoid). While I’m not saying that every additional $10k or more necessarily buys better sound quality, it certainly does when we’re talking about two fine DACs like these. But the more important, at least to my mind, question is—what does the 330’s DAC sound like?
For this kind of listening, mainly comparative in nature, I rely on favorite ‘test tracks’, music I know exceedingly well, to suss out difference. One such favorite is Aldous Harding’s “Party” from the album of the same name that offers a lovely array of instruments and moods that Harding inhabits eerily well (I saw here live from a few feet away and that was even scarier in the best possible way), while the song slowly builds like a tidal shift until Harding’s voice wakes us and we drown (apologies to T.S.). With the 330’s DAC in charge, each piece of this intricate and many-voiced puzzle were expertly laid out with precision and voice delivering a moving rendition without any sense of artificial edginess, shrillness, or brittleness that can plague some digital replay.
This same evenhanded and nicely resolved performance inhabited all of the music I sent the 330 DAC’s way including “One Dove” from Antony & the Johnsons, “Love Letter” from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Sophisticated Lady” according to Archie Shepp and Jeanne Lee, and Jac Berrocal’s “Kinderleider” to name a few of these favorites. Nice. Nice, but for my tastes I would stretch for something very much like a totaldac d1-unity or Mola Mola Tambaqui which add more weight, body, saturation, and resolution as compared to the 330’s DAC. It’s worth noting that I am certainly more experienced at being fussy about digital replay as opposed to analog so you can take that into account. The thing is, I find the Soulution 330 to be an outstanding integrated amplifier so I’d pair it with an outstanding DAC for the long haul of pure enjoyment.
In most reviews, I make a point of emphasizing, while running the risk of repetition, that the music samples included herein are but a small sampling of the music I listened to through the gear under review. This was especially true of the Soulution 330 as I listened to as much music through it as I possibly could during its Barn residence for no other reason than pure, selfish enjoyment.
I prefer clear choices, who doesn’t, so I’m going to make this as easy as choosing between dessert and a toothache—the Soulution 330 integrated amp is among the finest amplification devices I’ve had the pleasure to live with. It is a clear stand out performer in every meaningful way, enriching all of the music I asked it to play. Regular readers know I love a good integrated amplifier. The Soulution 330 is an outstanding integrated amplifier, offering a level of refinement that has become my new standard.
Soulution 330 Integrated Amplifier
Price: $38,450 as reviewed w/optional DAC and Phono boards
Company Website: Soulution Audio
US Distributor: AXISS Distribution
Specifications
| Mains | 220 – 240 V (50 – 60 Hz) 100 – 120 V (50 – 60 Hz) |
| Power consumption | < 0.5 W Standby idle 350 W |
| Analog inputs | 2x balanced (XLR) 2x unbalanced (RCA) 1x Phono MC (optional) |
| Input impedance | 3 kΩ balanced (XLR) 3 kΩ unbalanced (RCA) 20-1260 Ω phono |
| Digital inputs (optional) | 1 × AES/EBU, 1 × SPDIF, 1 × USB, 1 × Network |
| Pre-Out | 1 x balanced (XLR) |
| Loudspeaker | 2 pair loudspeaker binding posts |
| Gain | – 66 to + 36 dB |
| Power output | 120 W @ 8 Ω 240 W @ 4 Ω 480 W @ 2 Ω (dynamic) |
| Frequency response (– 3 dB) | 0 – 800 kHz |
| THD + N | < 0.001% |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | > 120 dB |
| Damping factor | > 5,000 |
| Output current max | 30 A |
| Channel separation | > 110 dB |
| LINK (remote turn-on) | 2 x phone jack (3.5mm) |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 430 x 490 x 142 mm |
| Weight | ~18 kg |
