The Italians from Audiozen suggested adding hugs to the sound – this, according to the company, lacks self-isolation in our time, and this is precisely the task that the new flagship amplifier Alchemy Embrace is designed to solve .
Audiozen Embrace is essentially an integrated amplifier, but the company called it “embracing” – combining tube preamplification with a transistor power amplifier section. As stated in Audiozen, the terminology is important here: this device is the same “hug for music, which cannot be faked and which has no boundaries.”
The two ECC88s preamplify, then feed the signal to the power amp through a ClarityCap ESA polypropylene capacitor bank. The powerhouse, in turn, amplifies the “natural and enveloping sound of the lamps” by current.
Such a shower amplifier must be wide open – therefore, its top cover is made of transparent acrylic. The front panel is aluminum, centimeter thick, black or silver, and the sidewalls are decorated with Asian dussie wood.
As stated, the ideal harmony in hybrid technological “hugs” was achieved due to a well-thought-out power system, placed in a separate unit, but firmly connected to the main device with a thick cable capable of withstanding up to 30 A.
The power supply unit contains three toroidal transformers: a 50 VA pair feeds the preamplifier, and a separate 300 VA torus is dismantled with the power amplifier. The power regulator, nicknamed “Hug Power”, is located on the front panel of the unit. In standby mode, only the preamplifier section works – it heats up the tubes.
The volume control in the main unit has been renamed to “Hug Intensity” and rotates from “loose” to “firm”. There is also a “cuddle indicator” in the format of two VU meters, and you can adjust the backlight.
The amplifier delivers 100 watts into 8 ohms and 175 watts into 4 ohms per channel. Four pairs of unbalanced inputs are available. The set also includes a remote control. In Europe, a hugging Audiozen Alchemy Embrace will cost 3,300 euros.