LKV Veros PWR+

As much as I admire Belgian amplifier designer Bruno Putzeys’s accomplishments, I have harbored some misgivings about class-D amplifier sound. I do not believe it represents the future of perfectionist audio. Despite the fact that today’s active loudspeakers depend entirely on class-D’s free horsepower, light weight, and low-temperature operation, I think it sounds vacant compared to class-A. Class-D’s primary engineering virtues are its extreme power-to-weight ratio and power-efficiency, as well as its high damping factor. Class-D’s chief audiophile virtue is its uncanny transparency, especially in the six lowest octaves, ie, below 1.3kHz. When I listen to good class-D (with a fat, stable linear power supply), I feel like I am gazing into a clear, glass-smooth pond. I can see all the way to the bottom. But (sigh) there are no fish in the pond.

As you already know, I am the Prince of Serendip. For this month I discovered, almost by accident, a power amplifier that puts live fish (and tadpoles and turtles) into a class-D amplifier pond.

The amp I’ve stumbled on is LKV Research’s $10,000 Veros PWR+ stereo amplifier. I first experienced it at Capital Audiofest 2019, where the sound in the LKV room—with the Sonner Audio Legato Unum loudspeakers—struck a remarkable balance between analytical and romantic. I knew something unusually good must be causing that. After a long audition, I told LKV Research’s chief-of-everything, Bill Hutchins, that I thought his Veros PWR+ amp sounded more class-A than class-D and asked, may I please review it?¹

The LKV colors its transparency with a kind of golden-honey quality.

Description

I went to the LKV Research website and clicked Products,