While I had been aware of the company ATOLL for some time, it wasn’t until Garth Murray brought one around that I actually got to hear one of their amplifiers. Garth likes using ATOLL amps to drive his Theophany speaker creations during demos as he considers them a good match. Which is why, when he brought me a pair of his Airo speakers to review, he left me with an SDA300 to go with them. Thus, when New Zealand’s ATOLL importer Stephen Seque of Soul To Sole Audio (yes, he of the exquisite hi-fi furniture brand) got wind of the situation, he suggested I might like to review the amplifier as well. I was only too happy to oblige.

ATOLL Électronique – to use the company’s full name – was started in France in 1997 by Stéphane and Emmanuel Dubreuil with the aim of creating affordable audiophile products. Starting with the usual late ’90s staples of integrated and pre-amplifiers, tuners and CD players, the company has kept up with trends to where they now offer DACs and streaming amplifiers – from entry-level up to more high-end (yet surprisingly relatively affordable) products.

The Bits And Bobs

The SDA300 is part of the Signature Series line, sitting above the slightly less expensive SDA200. Compared to the retro-looking M2Tech Classic integrated, which I had in for review at the same time, the ATOLL is thoroughly modern in appearance. Its 8mm brushed aluminium front panel (available in silver or black) boasts a 5-inch colour TFT-LED screen for displaying album art and other information with identical rotary knobs on either side – one for source selection and one for volume (analogue, switched resistor type).

There’s also a power standby button, a 6.35mm headphone jack and a USB-A input. Everything looks soft-edged, uncluttered and generally aesthetically pleasing. Around the back are two RCA line inputs, two each of coaxial and toslink inputs, and a second USB-A input. (Note the lack of an onboard phono stage – ATOLL does offer its own separate model). We also have an ethernet jack and aerials for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Coaxial and Toslink outputs for using an outboard DAC, and a set of RCA pre-outs for the use of a separate power amplifier or subwoofer. A pair of speaker posts for each side, a 12V trigger output, and the IEC power plug and main power switch complete the suite.

Inside, two toroidal transformers offer 150wpc into 8 Ohms and 280wpc into 4 Ohms. The audio stage and DAC stage each have their own dedicated power supply. According to ATOLL, the power stage is a MOS-FET “double push-pull” affair, and the preamp stages are “discrete components without negative feedback in pure Class A”. The DAC stage uses a Burr Brown PCM1792 converter allowing for files up to 24/192KHz PCM and DSD64 – DSD128.

Streaming over the Network is compatible with DLNA, and UPnP (wired or wireless) and we get gapless playback – the lack of which can be a major bugbear amongst streaming audiophiles. The SDA300 is fully compatible with Roon and streaming options include Tidal, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Deezer and Amazon HD. We’re also given the option to use Spotify Connect, Audirvana and there are a plethora of choices for Internet Radio.

And of course, if you have your own locally stored music on a NAS or computer, the SDA300 gives you full streaming access to those too. Most file types (FLAC, WAV, AAC, et cetera) are handled by the SDA300, including – for those not caught up in the “controversy” – MQA. (Note that at the time of writing, Apple AirPlay is not catered for, although plans have been laid for next year). The LED screen can display names, tags, file/stream resolutions and the currently playing album cover as well as volume, when operating the control, and menu options. (Users can also customise the display names if they desire.) Whether you use Apple or Android, the SDA300 can be operated using your chosen device by downloading the ‘ATOLL Signature 2 App’, but a nice remote control is included if you prefer. For everything packed inside its elegant chassis, the SDA300 is fairly compact at 440×365×103 mm (w, d, h) and it’s very sturdily constructed – all that, along with its hefty 19kg weight, leaves no doubt as to its excellent build quality.

Setup And Listening

I paired the SDA300 with the Theophany Airos mentioned earlier, alternating them with my Reference 3As. I compared the streaming/DAC section with my Electrocompaniet ECD2 DAC and Pi-based streamer (Roon/Tidal) and spun records with my full Wand analogue setup. I compared the ATOLL amp to the aforementioned M2Tech Classic Integrated (similarly priced but non-streaming) and a Unico SE tube/hybrid integrated (old, but still going strong).

I chose to connect the SDA300 to my home network using an ethernet cable, though I had no issue when using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

From the outset, the SDA300 gave a silky and textured delivery with an excellent frequency response – fluid midrange, detailed, tastefully extended treble and concise and deep low end. While I might describe the sound as being elegant, refined or smooth it was far from boring or clinical. It drove the mighty Airos to breathtaking heights allowing for the delivery of deep, accurate note-perfect bass, beautifully focused and precise images and astounding in-room presence. The soundstage was wide and extended not only on either side of the speakers but from behind them and into the room. Yes, the speakers can account for a lot of this but, of the three amplifiers used, the ATOLL accentuated and teased out their attributes with the greatest dexterity.

My usual starting point, Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ from Paranoid (1970, Warner/Rhino) proved quite interesting. Streaming the track via Roon – the 2009 remastered Tidal 16/44.1 FLAC version – gave lovely textures and instrument timbres on a big scale. The performers were well-placed and lifelike, and the overall listening experience was highly enjoyable. But it was missing some of the raw, visceral impact that the vinyl usually provides. While the streamed version was pleasant, it was a touch too smooth and safe sounding for my taste; a little overly clean. A lot, if not most, people probably wouldn’t care, and indeed it still sounded fantastic to me. But, spinning the LP on my Wand 14/4 Turntable (Wand EQ and EV, Apparition12 tonearm, EMT TSD15n MC cartridge) drums had more snappy edge, a little more tonal character and the top end had more bite, especially through Ozzy’s vocal range and the higher notes of the guitar work. I would say streaming this track through the SDA300 allows you to sit back and appreciate the music in a true audiophile manner, while for me, the vinyl got my heart pounding and my hands gripping the cushions of the couch. However, of the three amps, with the vinyl version the SDA300 was for me the winner, albeit by a narrow margin, thanks to its wider soundstage and the ever so slightly sharper and more detailed images it offered. The way everything sounded so orderly and completely under control was also impressive.

Listening to ‘Pakt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box’ from Radiohead’s Amnesiac (2001, XL Records) through the other two amps, bass was powerful and articulate, the soundstage wide with the left side especially coming right out into the room. But the SDA300 added more flesh to Thom Yorke’s voice, giving him a bit more life, and I noticed images had sharper focused edges making them appear to stand out – in holographic fashion – from the mix more brilliantly. Bass, while not seeming as powerful in its delivery, seemed tighter and more concise. And all the little glitches and interspersed sound effects had slightly more prominence and texture, making for a little more of an immersive and intense listening experience.

Compared to the M2Tech Classic, the SDA300 displayed more detail and presence in the treble region. Not bright or over-processed, just noticeably more present and lively. This was evident when listening to Gang of Four’s Entertainment (1979, Warner Bros/Rhino Re-issue). That blistering guitar work can get a little too hot in some systems and the M2Tech Classic brought the levels down a notch to make for an easier listen, perhaps at the expense of a little bit of presence or palpable buzz of energy. Conversely, the SDA300 brought the treble to life with just the right degree of sharpness and blister where I could sense the intensity of the playing and the electricity blasting through the guitar amp – all the while keeping the dynamics, punch and tone of the bass and drums at intense levels.

On Laurie Anderson’s ‘Sweater Song’ from Big Science (1982, Warner Bros), her vocal was rendered with good depth and nuance and the ATOLL excelled at replicating the various timbres of the drums as well as that intentionally cloying bagpipe – though here there wasn’t quite the level of tension brought by the Unico amplifier, possibly due to the Italians’ more forthright nature. But the complexity and textural enjoyment of the recording was all there, and the drumming was lifelike and powerful.

For a bit of ‘cultured audiophile’ listening, I rather like the Christian Jormin 3’s album Sol Salutis (2010, Footprint Records). This is a Scandinavian jazz trio consisting of piano, double bass and drums and it’s the drums which mostly pique my interest as the closely miked recording of the kit can sound astonishing in a good set-up. With the SDA300 driving the Airos, the drumming was a delight – a tasty and exhilarating palette of tones, dynamics and natural resonances that caused me to increase the volume in the hope I would be knocked out of my slippers. The SDA300 helped capture the percussive delicacy of the piano keys within a solid image, easily enabling me to picture an actual piano before me, and it did the same with the bass: plucked notes were concise and coherent with natural resonance and decay. This was the case with both sets of speakers, but it was, naturally, the Airos that managed the more lifelike reproduction – in terms of scale, dynamic contrasts and timbre.

Comparing the SDA300 in streaming mode to my Electrocompaniet DAC didn’t show up any major differences. The Norwegian sounded a little bit more forward perhaps but again, the ATOLL had that elegance and slightly better note edge definition. And of course, the suite of streaming options on offer is far greater than that of my Pi Streamer.

Pairing the SDA300 with the Theophany speakers brought about a great marriage of excitement, precision, refinement and power. It was a lovely combination which created something of a transcendental listening experience, in which the gear – speakers, amp, components – took a back seat to the music itself, allowing for full engagement with the performances. That, in my opinion, is what a good system should do, and I can easily see why Garth Murray has such a soft spot for this brand.

When I took the SDA300 out of my system for the final time, I put the Unico SE in its place and gave it a listen. The Unico sounded bolder, more immediate and the bass penetrated more forcibly. This is precisely the moment some people might race to Reddit or a forum declaring their piece of equipment as being far superior to this new, “over-priced” “hype-train” thing. But it took less than a minute for me to realise I was missing the precise imaging of the ATOLL where instruments and performers occupied their own clearly defined space within the recording. I was missing the wider soundstage, the finer note edges, the more clearly defined and articulate bass notes and the overall elegance of the soundscape being reproduced. These are differences but it doesn’t necessarily mean one amplifier is definitively better than the other – of course, it might be to you as an individual if one suits your needs or tastes better. I like all three amps very much but, given the choice, I would probably go with the SDA300 – not only for its streaming capabilities and future-proofness, but because it has a degree more of everything in the sound department.

Another thing it does well is to maintain a sense of dynamics, scale and frequency balance at lower listening levels. The M2Tech Classic was quite good in this department too but it’s something the Unico SE doesn’t manage to do as successfully.

Final Thoughts

I lived with the ATOLL SDA300 for several months as the driving force of my system and in my opinion, it has proved itself well worthy of its price point. It has a mature sound – elegant, refined, clean and smooth – yet it’s capable of surprising dynamic and transient prowess. There’s plenty of richness, detail and presence in the midrange and treble, matched with satisfyingly tight, tuneful bass.

Along with more than adequate power in reserve, we get, even sans onboard phono stage, a decent range of features. The amp itself operated and performed without a hitch – Internet Radio, Spotify, Tidal, Roon all made listening to music an easy experience, just as one would expect.

One minor disappointment was the app which kept having to search for the network – sometimes for longer than just a few seconds – whether in use or if I closed the screen and then attempted to go back to, for example, change a track or adjust the volume. This was admittedly a little frustrating and I don’t have any problems with similar apps on my network. Hopefully, it’s just an isolated occurrence, but it is worth mentioning. Other than that, I have no hesitation in recommending this excellent streaming amplifier.

PS, We commend the team at ATOLL for having the good sense to like music from Aotearoa!

soultosoleaudio.com