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    • 432 EVO >
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    • Dirac Live Calibrations 2019
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Canor Audio AI 1.10 Tube Integrated Amplifier REVIEW

Written by Terry Ellis 2020
Tubes Triodes and Class A Glory
My first experience of Canor Audio HiFi electronics was at the Munich High End show 2018 and I extremely impressed with them as part of a superb sounding system.  I was impressed by the drive and verve to the sound of this system but it was hard to know how much of this was due to the Canor amplifiers, it turns out quite a bit.
When I was offered the opportunity to review the AI 1.10 amplifier I jumped at chance, it was a fantastic opportunity to find out more about Canor and spend some time with a valve amplifier from a tube specialist company
Arrived on a pallet
The AI 1.10 was delivered on a pallet this I was not expecting, the main packaging box was huge and it was a struggle to get it through my front door.  Removing the amplifier from the packaging its size hit me, its a big amplifier and a heavy amplifier and the feel of its construction is very much "they don't make them like this anymore" impressive.
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Impressive on the inside too 
A big part of the initial ownership joy is taking the lid off the AI 1.10 and appreciating the lovely internals as you install the 4 KT88 tubes. using gloves as I should have done as to not touch the tubes with greasy fingers.  Looking deeper reveals some of Canor Audio key technologies the circuit boards have CMT ™ technology (CANOR ® PCB Milling Technology) which is a way of having the benefits of both point to point wiring and he consistency of circuit boards, very much a cake and eat it situation.  
There are some other key technologies within the AI 1.10 such as a clever volume control system that improves the sound quality but more interesting allows the use of two AI 1.10 amplifiers in a master and slave setup to have 2 mono-block amplifiers without the need for an additional pre-amplifier. 
Good amount of Power too
Its possible to use the AI 1.10 in either Ultra Linear or Triode mode and you select the mode via a button on the front panel.

The AI 1.10 has 20 watts per channel at 4 and 8 ohms in Triode mode and 40 watts per channel in Ultra Linear mode again at both 8 and 4 ohms all Class A   To some this might not seem like a lot but in practice the AI 1.10 drove my KEF Reference speakers which are 87db efficient fantastically well 

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A genuine Black Beauty 
I think a review of the AI 1.10 would not be complete without talking about the lovely front fascia design, the orange glow around the volume control co boned with the dotted LED display is stunning, simply stunning.
Expensive Enough but not crazy
The AI 1.10 costs 6400 euros and is available from select dealers or direct from Canor Audio.  While this is a serious amount of money for a HiFi component, that price is justified by the whole package.  
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Best Sound Achieved so far 
The review of the Canor Audio AI 1.10 coincided with the review of several other fantastic components such as the JCAT M12 Gold Switch and the rebuilding of main music server.  I was very lucky to have a fantastic system for the review of the AI 1.10 but it was also very instrumental in delivering the best sound I had achieved to this point from my review system
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An easy conclusion - Best Amplifier of 2019
I really enjoyed my time with the Canor AI 1.10, in fact I really loved it as an amplifier. I Ioved that the AI 1.10 breaks with the modern tradition that an amplifier has to do at least 4 other things as well as amplify sound.  Its an amplifier first and last and I phenomenal one to enjoy listening to music through. 

I spent about 80% of the time listening to the AI 1.10 in triode mode, there was something about the fluidity of the music presentation that really gripped me, music being the operative word.  That music didn't come at the expense of other important elements such as bass power, presence and control.

The AI 1.10 is a very lovely thing to touch, interact and spend time with and of course listen to.  If I have two main gripes with the AI 1.10 they would be the rear of the remote control gets a little sticky for some reason and there is no home cinema bypass input.  There are also no balanced inputs if that is also important to you but this is true of a lot of tube amplifiers.
 I have reviewed a lot of amplifiers in my time and a lot of amplifiers in 2019.  I dont think it would be right to have an amplifier in your system that produced the best sound you have ever achieved and not award that amplifier the best of 2019 status.  So that is it the Canor Audio AI 1.10 is my best amplifier of 2019.
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Contact Us - terryellis@pursuitperfectsystem.com

Copyright Pursuit Perfect System © 2017

  • Home
  • ARTICLES
    • Why bother recording the sound from a HiFi System?
    • FREE Dirac Live Calibration with an AVR30
    • How much bass do I need? More than you think
    • Building the Ultimate Audio Music Server.. Again !!
    • Are you DIAMOND WIRING your Speakers??
    • The Importance of Leading Edge Clarity
    • Full system to Review has got me thinking
    • Best Products of 2018 AWARDS
    • Widescreen Weekend – Bradford’s Not-So-Little Secret
    • Festival of Sound Audio and Music Show 2018 Review
    • A week of High End Audio
    • A Special Guest and A/B Listening Session with Tellurium Q
    • Munich High End Show 2018 Review
    • Visit to Henley Audio
    • Building the Ultimate Music Server - Hardware
    • Isolation is a Powerful thing
    • Oppo says Goodbye - Time to Upgrade
    • Does Software Affect Sound Quality
    • Special Listening Session
    • The Dolby Atmos Project
    • Bristol Sound and Vision 2018
    • The Hi-Fi Show Live 2017
    • Indulgence Show 2017
  • EQUIPMENT REVIEWS
    • 432 EVO >
      • 432 EVO Standard Server REVIEW
    • ARCAM >
      • Arcam AVR 850 Review
      • Arcam P49 Review
    • Audio Analogue >
      • Maestro Anniversary Integrated Amplifier REVIEW
    • AUDIOQUEST >
      • Audioquest NightOwl Carbon Review
      • Niagara 7000 & Thunder Power Cable Review
      • Oak & Coffee Cables Review
    • Audiolab >
      • Audiolab M-DAC nano REVIEW - One for the Commuters
      • Audiolab 6000A & 6000N PLAY REVIEW
    • Blue Aura >
      • Blue Aura V40 Hybrid Amplifier REVIEW
    • Boenicke Audio >
      • Boenicke Audio W5 Speakers REVIEW
    • BOWERS & WILKINS >
      • Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 Review
      • Bowers & Wilkins 603 Speakers REVIEW
    • Canor Audio >
      • Canor Audio AI 1.10 Tube Amplifier REVIEW
    • CHORD ELECTRONICS >
      • Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler REVIEW
      • Chord Electronics Hugo TT2
      • Chord Electronics DAVE Review
      • Chord Qutest Review
      • Chord Hugo 2 Review
      • Chord Hugo TT Review
      • Chord 2Qute Review
      • Chord SPM 1050 Amplifier Review
    • Cyrus >
      • Cyrus ONE CAST Streaming Amplifier REVIEW
    • Eclipse >
      • Eclipse TD510z MK2 Speakers REVIEW
    • FOCAL >
      • Focal Utopia & Elear Headphones Review
    • FURUTECH >
      • Furutech NCF Booster & Signal Booster Review
      • Furutech FI50 (R) NCF IEC Review
    • German Physiks >
      • German Physiks Unlimited Ultimate REVIEW
    • Gryphon Audio Designs >
      • Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier & DAC REVIEW
    • iFI Audio >
      • iFi Audio ZEN DAC REVIEW
      • Ifi Micro iDSD Black Label Review
      • iFi Audio xCAN Headphone Amplifier DAC REVIEW
    • JCAT >
      • JCAT USB CARD XE REVIEW
      • JCAT Net Card FEMTO Review
      • JCAT Signature USB Cable & USB + Lan Grounding Cable REVIEW
    • IsoAcoustics >
      • IsoAcoustics GAIA II Speaker Isolators
    • KEF >
      • KEF R7 Speakers REVIEW
      • KEF Reference 3 Speakers Review
      • KEF Muo Stereo Pair Review
      • KEF M500 Headphones Review
    • Leema Acoustics >
      • Leema Elements Integrated Amplifier
    • LUXMAN >
      • Luxman L509X Review
      • Luxman L505UX II Review
      • Luxman C-700u & M-700u Pre & Power Review
      • Luxman M700 Ultimate Review
    • Mark Levinson >
      • Mark Levinson No.585 Review
    • Melco >
      • Melco N100 REVIEW
    • MCINTOSH >
      • McIntosh MC275 VI Review
      • McIntosh MC152 Stereo Amplifier Review
    • Monitor Audio >
      • Platinum PL100 mkII
    • MUSICAL FIDELITY >
      • Musical Fidelity Nuvista 800 Review
    • NAGRA >
      • NAGRA Classic Integrated Amplifier
    • NAIM >
      • Naim Uniti Atom - Hands On demo
    • OPPO >
      • Oppo 203 Oppo Mod Upgrades
    • PS AUDIO >
      • PS Audio Directstream Dac Review
    • Quadraspire >
      • Quadraspire QPLUS HiFi Supports Case REVIEW
    • REL Acoustics >
      • REL HT/1508 Predator Subwoofer REVIEW
    • Tellurium Q >
      • Tellurium Q Statement Cables
      • Tellurium Q Black II Speaker Cable Review
      • Tellurium Q Black Diamond Speaker Cable Review
      • Tellurium Q Silver / Silver Diamond Cables
      • Tellurium Q Silver Diamond Cables Review
      • Tellurium Q Silver Diamond SPDIF Cable Review
    • Tungsten Grooves
    • Wave High Fildelity >
      • Storm Reference Digital Cable your Chord DAVE will love it
    • Wharfedale
    • Wilson Audio >
      • Wilson Audio TuneTot Speakers REVIEW
    • YBA >
      • YBA Passion Pre 500 & Power 650 Review
      • YBA IA350A Integrated Amp / Dac Review
    • UNISON RESEARCH >
      • Unison Research Unico 150 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier Review
  • Dirac Live Home Calibration Service
    • Dirac Live Calibrations 2019
  • YOU TUBE CHANNEL
  • About Us
  • Freelance Video Production
    • PMC Miles Davis Dolby Atmos Remix Video
    • Photo shoot for UK fastest growing hard surface repair specialist Fixation