This listening impression and setting guide is written by NuPrime senior product manager and audiophile:
The Omnia A300 is the first streaming integrated amplifier from NuPrime. There are bound to be comparisons with the other integrated offerings like the IDA-8 or the IDA-16. To say that it sits between the IDA-8’s slightly warm nature and the IDA-16’s neutral and large sound is probably insufficient to describe the A300’s sound signature.
Firstly, to listen to the A300 on its own without comparison, one may wonder where the A300 excels. All the desirable sonic attributes such as detail retrieval, tonal accuracy, and imaging are all up to the usual NuPrime standards. Yet, it doesn’t have the unique sound characteristics of the IDA-8 or the IDA-16 that one would immediately notice and relate to. The overall presentation is of an even tonal balance, calm and collected, to avoid edginess.
So while the other amps will likely make an impression of how they sound and provide a picture of what music genres they favor or matching equipment, the A300 aims to accommodate a wide range of equipment and genres. Not forgetting that this is a streaming amplifier that most people would use the A300 to stream music from their servers or online streaming services, the slightly safe approach would make sense for such a product. And this is only true when the A300 is set to the FLAT EQ with the 8R output setting.
The A300 comes with two output settings for the power amplifier matching with higher or lower impedance speakers. While one could easily follow the speaker’s nominal impedance rating to set the output, the abundance power output means that the 8R setting would have no problems driving a number or lower impedance speakers as well. And this is where you can begin to tailor the A300’s sound. The 4R setting increases the speed and dynamics, making for a more exciting listen, and some users would prefer this sound over the calmer and slightly more accurate sounding 8R setting.
The various EQ presets also allows users to add some flavor to the A300’s sound without sacrificing its detailed and composed nature. While the FLAT setting works quite well for online streaming services, many would favor the Loudness EQ with higher bit-rate and less compressed material. This setting brings about fullness in the sound, which makes the soundstage somewhat wider and deeper. Though other EQ settings may be associated with musical genres, it is entirely worth experimenting with optimal system matching in different setups.
Finally, before assessing the A300, the amp requires quite a fair bit of running-in like other NuPrime amplifiers. At least 50 hours is recommended for the sound to open up and gain an extra degree of tonal richness.
