The T+A PA 3100 HV Integrated Amplifier just may be Your Last.
By Steve Huff
This is a long one my friends. Feel free to sit back, relax and enjoy!
It was a very cold and rainy November night when I left home to pick up a heavy crate that was sitting in a cold warehouse just waiting to be delivered to me via freight.
We live out in the woods in a very rural location that is also very private and secluded. When it gets dark outside it is DARK outside! Even so, I wanted to make the trek as this delivery was one I have been waiting to experience for many years. I just didn’t have the patience to wait for the delivery a few days later. Yes, I review audio gear and hear exciting things all of the time but this one was special for me. Besides, I do these reviews only because I love ❤️ everything about HiFi/Music and have for close to 40 years.
This passion and excitement is what leads me to do things like drive over an hour (one way) in the dark pouring rain on 2 way rural wooded roads to pick up a big 110lb crate.
The last time a big rig drove down my long (1200 ft) driveway to deliver an audio piece it got stuck and tore up my property/grass so this time I decided to go pick this one up. I would also be able to get it much quicker as it was Friday and if I waited it would be days before they could attempt delivery. So I made the choice to go get it and hopped into my gas guzzling 2 door 4X4 SUV and away I went into the rainy darkness. Good thing I have LED headlights as they work wonders in the darkness. I sure needed them tonight as it was dark as coal outside.
On my way to the freight company to pick up the T+A
I had that excitement as I was driving like I was a kid at Christmas but instead of waiting for Santa, T+A was the one bringing the excitement to me this Holiday season.
I made it without issue as expected and when I saw the freight company still lit up into the night I pulled right in. They were expecting me after all as I had called them just a couple hours before to let them know I was on my way.
When I walked into the building I saw a somewhat compact all in one wooden crate/pallet with a big “T+A” stamp on it right there next to me as they had it all ready to go. It was housing the very high end German brands $24,800 USD PA 3100 HV Integrated amplifier. This was an amp I have been so curious about for many years, and there it was ready to go home with me.
A forklift driver came out and whipped it right into the back of my truck since it was over 120 lbs or so. I phoned ahead to my wife and let her know I would need her help to get this in the house, somehow. An hour and ten minutes later I was pulling down our driveway and with the luck of the audio gods, we managed to unload the crate to the front porch. I then unboxed it from the wooden crate on my front porch and even though it was dark out we do have porch lights : )
The crate looks as if it has been through some stuff in its lifetime but it made it safe and sound, even with one broken foot. This is some serious packaging for an 88LB integrated amplifier! One of the feet appeared broken here as well.
JAGUAR
Before we get going I want to thank Darrin at Jaguar Audio. He and his shop set this review unit up for me and Jaguar is a full on T+A Dealer that carries the entire T+A line. Check out their website HERE. I believe they even do home installs and setups of HV gear with purchase but speak with Darrin on that.
When I first installed the 3100 HV and got it all ready to play the words I muttered under my breath were “Game Over”. You can not really see it due to the bad phone photo but it is that large box in the middle. Speakers in for review are the Pahmer Audio Craftsmen “Victoria”.
I must first talk about the quality of this piece.
This is a “Game Over” kind of integrated amplifier, it just is. Yes you can pay more and yes you can get different when it comes to looks and sound but you will not find “better” when it comes to a one box solution. The question is, does the T+A bring the flavor of sound and design you enjoy?
Truly though, there is mot much further up you can go in the integrated amp world when it comes to all out quality without spending at least 2-3 times as much, and even then, you will get more of this or more of that which are again, just differences. This T+A integrated gets close to exotic level separates in one insanely well made box. There are no corners cut in build, parts or engineering. Period.
This big boy is all analog without one single digital bit inside so this is not an all in one lifestyle product but rather an all analog integrated amp with a bit of an old school vibe, especially for this 55 year old audio fanatic. I always hear the term “they don’t make ’em like they used to” and this is true in almost all aspects of life today. Even most brands in audio take the cheap route (to be more affordable) and very few use the best parts available or even make all of their own parts to the highest standards.
Brands like T+A and very few others (Nagra, CH Precision, etc) do just this but these extremely well made pieces will cost you even more. They can also last for decades without one issue or hiccup due to the parts quality and engineering that goes into them.
The truth is that T+A makes these amps much better “than they used to” as the HV line is taking build quality and parts quality to the extreme. I bet this thing could roll down a 100 ft rocky hill and still perform perfectly. It may gain a scratch or two but my guess is that the amp would work flawlessly. I cannot say this for 98% of integrated amplifiers that I have come across.
For me, the HV series surpasses HiFi mega brands such as those with the iconic green meters for build and sound quality refinement and I would expect them to for double the price tag. With that said, T+A doesn’t really compete with this type of brand as much as they do the much more exotic brands like Nagra, Dartzeel, CH Precision, Gryphon, D’Agostino and others. Brands that make cost no object designs without compromise. That’s what T+A does. They make no compromise, heirloom quality, cost no object HiFi for those in the hobby who have elevated their audio systems (and their bank accounts) to this kind of level and as pricey as these seem, they are bringing big value to the very high end with gear that costs less than their competition and without compromises.
No, these are not made to be affordable my friends but T+A’s goal is to make gear that lasts a lifetime and gear that sounds next level. The way I look at this is “would I rather buy one piece, and be happy for the next 10 years” or “would I prefer to buy 10 pieces over 10 years, trying to find audio Nirvana”? The first option that costs more will be the cheaper option in the long run. Instead of buying, selling at a loss and then buying again I think “buying once and buying right” is truly the way to go. I haven’t lived by this rule myself, I admit, but I am in 2025 : )
It’s tough to get much better than this when we are talking about the integrated amplifier. There is a threshold in audio quality and at this level it’s always just about the house sound each brand brings. Things just can not always keep getting “better” but when we hear something exciting and different we often feel as it is better. The reality is again, it’s just different. At this level most integrated amps will be remarkable in sound but it will be the differences in Theory and Application that matter. See what I did there? Lol.
T+A stands for Theory and Application, not what you may have thought it stood for. I admit, it is one sexy piece of audio gear!
No, the knobs are not the “T” and the opening up back is not the “A” : ) The display is not broken (It does say STREAM), rather that is from the camera. I love that you can name the inputs to anything you like as well.
German Made
The PA 3100 HV is 100% made in Germany as well with almost all parts made in house at T+A. This is not a “let’s order all of the parts from China and assemble the amp here in Germany” and then call it “Made in Germany”! Nope, this is as supreme in parts and build as it gets in high end audio for an integrated amplifier. This is partly why this brand is so costly. It’s the engineering and all out quality that goes into each piece that makes them what they are. No snake oil promises here, just real solid engineering.
Electric Avenue
The PA 3100 HV’s sound vibe is about power, energy and drive yet it has a “sort of” tube like output with a big natural “electric” kind of sound that is ever so slightly warm leaning in the midrange but there is some sparkle up top. It also has the uncanny ability to bring forth amazing resolution and dig in deep for those details to emerge in a natural “analytical” way all while having a vice like grip on your bass drivers as well. The power and electric see through the music feeling with this piece can be huge.
By the way, this PA 3100 HV includes an absolutely massive 1000VA toroidal transformer with 120,000µF of filter capacitance.
That’s incredible and pretty rare to see in an integrated amp but this is part of the way T+A overbuilds their products.
The PA 3100 HV uses a Class A/B design in the power section sending 300 WPC into 8 ohms and 500 WPC into 4 ohms. It has big current and voltage with peaks up to 700 WPC. Crazy power here that can drive just about any speaker made. If you want current, drive, power and voltage this just may be your amp.
It’s also dead silent. As in, so quiet that I would be able to hear a dead crisp dried up leaf fall in my room onto the floor. There is zero buzz, hum and things of that nature. It’s due to the quality of build and engineering decisions as well as that 120,000µF of filter capacitance. Many amps that come in to my home in the $3-$10k range often times have a transformer hum. This is again, due to quality of build and parts, which is no where near the T+A level. When buying T+A you will should never have issues with the gear at all. Transformer buzzing is one of my pet peeves. I can’t stand it, especially in a pricey piece.
Unique Build.
The features of the PA 3100 HV are incredible when it comes to build such as using all non magnetic screws and parts to pumping up the voltage on the rails (300+V) to crazy tubes amp levels. This is said to bring a tube like sound and vibe but with massive power. Usually SS amps have about 70-100V on the rails and this is one thing that makes the T+A so unique as they believe this is what makes tube amps sound like they do.
The amp also puts out the first 20-30 watts or so into pure Class A, which is stunning and really the only way I have heard this amp.
In my weeks of listening I never broke 10 WPC according to the VU meters on the front panel and 85% of my listening sat at 1 watt or under, especially at night. That’s pretty incredible to me. Within this class A range there is a sweet refined sparkle up top and a deeply layered midrange with the Nagra HD DAC X, HiFi Rose RD160 or the Weiss 501 MKII feeding digital tunes into the T+A courtesy of a Nagra Streamer. I streamed with Tidal high res as well as Spotify.
With the intense build quality, serious power and over engineered status this amp has been on my radar for many years and in reality, since it came out in 2017. I never assumed I could buy one due to the cost but I have always wanted to experience this amp. The review sample I have here is in the darker Titanium finish and while it was made in 2018 this old boy still sounds and looks as new, being close to seven years old now. Besides one small scuff up top it looks like it just rolled out of the factory in Germany.
From the T+A Website there is more info on some of the construction details…
“In the HV series the signal switching and adjusting functions are carried out by encapsulated gas-tight gold-contact relays, which are totally immune to contact problems due to corrosion, dust, etc., and do not suffer from ageing effects even after many years of operation. The pre-amplifier even employs bi-stable relays, which require no permanent coil current, and this in turn eliminates any adverse inductive effect on the audio signals.
The direct integration of the relays into the circuit minimises the signal paths, and connecting cables – as required for conventional volume potentiometers – are no longer necessary. The volume control is assembled from discrete precision resistors and gold-contact relays. The result is totally precise channel matching, devoid of distortion and hiss.
The entire control electronics are deeply recessed and shielded in the 40 mm thick and fully milled front panel, on the front of which is the luminous and dimmable display (VFD) made of glass with wear-free sensor buttons.”
Yes, even the power button controlled by touch on the glass screen will never ever wear out because it can’t.
Oh, the remote control could be certified as a lethal weapon. It’s large, chunky, all metal and the buttons have a soft luxury feel. It’s also a bit over engineered but hey, it’s leagues better than any remote I have seen with an amp in years. Finally a great feeling and well made remote that I would never lose. This is an RF remote as well and works flawlessly.
The massive remote. In the background the newer HiFi Rose RD160 DAC can be seen. My flame lamps? They are right here and pretty freaking cool.
The big chunky all metal remote control is pretty awesome. If the buttons lit up and the panel was simplified a bit, I think it could be the ultimate remote for the 3100 HV. It’s awesome as it is but I mainly use it for volume and input selection only. As I get older my eyes are not what they used to be so in a dim room it’s really hard to see what each button is for. Even so, this is probably the nicest most well made remote I have seen with an audio piece when it comes to quality. It feels so good in the hand. I do like that the volume rocker is yellow and the power button is red as it makes them easy to find, even in a dim room.
An integrated from many years ago, the Vinnie Rossi L2iSE was gorgeous but even more costly than this T+A by about $3k. It came with a DAC and Phono stage where T+A offers these as options.
There has been only one integrated amp, fully analog, that I have had in house (years ago now) that cost more than this T+A. That was the beautiful Vinnie Rossi L2i SE seen above and the retail on that was about $3k more than this T+A at $27k. The Rossi did have a built in DAC and Phono stage where this would cost extra with the T+A.
In looks, both are eye catchers for sure. The now discontinued Vinnie Rossi was super cool with those directly heated 300B triodes popping out from the top. That amp was and is an end game kind of integrated but if all out “end of the world” build quality in your top “wants” I have not seen better than this T+A HV series integrated amplifier. It just excels in build and sound quality over anything I have experienced within the integrated amp world.
As for that sound? Well, it is just different. The Rossi was less powerful at 100 WPC and had a slightly drier sound vs the more tube like energetic powerful electric flow of the mega wattage T+A, even though the Rossi used 300B’s as the DHT tubes. Yes, the T+A is the one that sounds more like tubes to me though neither sounds just like a tube amp. The T+A does bring some of the tube character hut it will not sound exactly like a tube amp. For me, it’s more like a SET amp on steroids.
Three Facts about the PA 3100 HV:
- I have never heard any SS or tube integrated amplifier, sound quite like this.
- I have never had an integrated amp in here of this all out extreme build quality inside and out.
- I have often wondered just how much better things can get in an integrated amp. Well, this T+A showed me.
Sure, the retail price of this 84lb integrated amp is very high at $24,800 and not for the high end squeamish. There is a reason for these prices other than pure greed and profit though and it is easy to see when you have a T+A piece in your room. I see a value here in the T+A as I know of one or two other exotic level integrated amps I have heard (though not here, in shops) that cost quite a bit more than this one and those were not any “better” than this T+A, in any way, at all. There were merely differences in design and sound. What I am getting at is during the last three months with the T+A PA 3100 HV not once was I truly wanting anything else in its place. I was content and it played well with almost anything I attached to it.
Yes indeed, me and the HV. We have danced, we have rocked, we have meditated, we have chilled out and we have even cried together. Well, I have. The 3100 HV just made it all so damn enjoyable.
The Nagra Streamer was used to deliver the digital tunes for the T+A Evaluation. This has become my fave streamer of all time for many reasons.
Now that I have spilled the beans and told you all just how much I enjoy this piece, let’s talk about the why. Why does this cost so much and what does it sound like?
If I wasn’t already clear on this …This amp is made to an extreme quality level. This one is meant to last decades in use without issue or error. It’s a pure analog amp with massive power and current, with some Class A thrown in as well, and that doesn’t come cheap at this level of execution. It also comes with a five year warranty.
T+A is now celebrating their 47th anniversary so they are not some new company nor a fly by night operation. They take what they do very seriously and only release products that will stand up to the brands reputation. I’ve never heard a bad thing about T+A.
Can SS sound REALLY like Tubes? Well….
There is just something nice about the sound of a very well designed tube amp. My faves of the past have been of the single ended triode variety. These were always so rich in the midband/vocal area and brought out a nice holographic soundstage. The bass was full bodied and maybe not the tightest but the treble made up for it with a revealing but sweet and almost “wet” presentation. These SET designs could also be very transparent allowing us to see into the music easier and with more soul. The mids could be magical. The only issue with these amps, and many see this as a strength, is they do not usually pump out much power. Current? Yes. These type of amps drive more speakers better than most would think but they are still low power amps. I often wondered what a high powered SET tube amp would sound like.
This kind of sound has always been hard to recreate with solid state amplification and never really has been recreated. There have been many over the years in audio who said they have done it, or made “tube like” claims. I have heard some of these and while many were great sounding, some of these designs just sound warm and dull, and that’s not what tubes sound like. Maybe 1967 tubes but not 2024 tubes. Why am I talking about tubes and tube amps in this T+A high powered high voltage solid state amp review?
Sitting next to the HiFi Rose RD160 DAC the PA 3100 HV looks pretty sweet.
Well…
In the past T+A had a tube based series of amps, the V series. That series ran for 12 years. They still have the parts today to service these older amps as well, just in case. This valve line is discontinued now but T+A had an idea to try and make a solid state amp with the sound of their tube designs. Imagine a solid state amp that really did deliver the sound of tubes or even my dream, an amp that can deliver the delicacy of a SET design but with the power and current of the finest solid state. Well, T+A has gotten closer than anyone I know of in the audio game to achieving this goal with the PA 3100 HV and yes it does offer up a unique kind of (pretty incredible) sound.
When T+A started to design the solid state HV line they devised a way to make their amps with incredible power to drive any speaker made yet at the same time, offer up the delicacy and richness of tubes along with the immersive sound of tubes. I did not think this was going to work, and I expected to hear a sharp sounding very “fast” or analytical amp section here. I have heard T+A cam be analytical but that is not what I would call the PA3100HV Integrated.
While pretty neutral and linear this beauty does have a flair with a big bold richness and depth to it in the sound department. A tangible sort of presence that is large, full scale, lit up and present. The bass is dramatic, big, tight and controlled yet still has that solid state impact… major impact. This amp can also do delicacy and transparency very well much like a nice SET design. The midrange area is very detailed yet has a fluidity and tube like nature with the warmth injected in to vocals that have a large life like reproduction in the space. The midrange is gorgeous with this integrated and where the soul lives here.
The details it can bring forth up top is on the next level in refinement and sparkle for an integrated amp. The top end is sweet yet very extended, lively and sweet. There is no roll off here yet nothing sounds harsh or grey, just a nice sparkle that reaches out to gently tickle your ears.
The amp also is fully balanced and uses no op amps. This PA 3100 HV also uses no global feedback in the design and this does bring better sound quality. This is also challenging to implement correctly but T+A does it right.
The system running with the T+A PA 3100 HV, Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s, Nagra Streamer and Nagra Tube DAC. Such a heavenly soulful sound.
But wait, there’s more!
Continuing on with the PA 3100 HV, there are thermal sensors inside that constantly measure the temperature inside and this keeps everything running in the optimal temp range. T+A use nothing magnetic at all here, so no magnetic leads or screws and this costs them 8X more than if they went the way many others go. The level of detail in the build and engineering here really show where your money goes.
This amp or any other piece from T+A is not meant to be a “flavor of the month” but rather a long term, life long (or hobby long) piece to be enjoyed for a long long time. This is also an item that is rare to see on the used market and this is due to no one wanting to part with it once in the system. You can alway tell the really good stuff by the fact that they are rarely sold used (HiFi Tip).
The PA 3100 HV was also built to avoid RF. They even went as far as to make the circuit boards with no right angles in the circuit path. I mean, who thinks of all of this stuff and actually implements it? This amp is overbuilt and for those who love that kind of thing (I do) this is about as good as it gets in the $25k price range for all out quality in an integrated amplifier. Attention to detail is incredible here and nothing with the design is an afterthought but hey, this amp costs what the median price of a circa 2010 new car did, lol. I’d guess this amp would last just as long, if not longer, than a well maintained new car.
It’s also heavy at around 84lbs so keep this in mind. Also keep in mind it does not have the juicy warmth of some tube designs but keeps everything pretty balanced, linear and refined while bringing the transparency, three dimensional imaging and while keeping it all open and clean, with a dash of warmth and a sense of power and ease.
The T+A PA 3100 HV surely has been tugging at my heartstrings for weeks now. In some ways it has warmth and body to bring a transparent and gorgeously weighted rich sound and in other ways I can hear such resolution up top that it brings forth incredible details that awaken my senses. This is not dull nor is it hyperactive. It’s a very well balanced sweet sounding amp.
Now… back to listening.
Weeks Later….
It’s been 2-3 weeks since I last wrote and I am still listening to and enjoying the T+A 3100 HV. No matter if I pair it with $400 speakers like the Elac B63’s, the $7k Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s, The $4k Audio Craftsmen Victoria or $8500 Borresen X2’s, the sound is just so powerful…rythmic and at time bombastic or even delicate and gentle. While it doesn’t have quite the richness and all out surreal nature of my 4-5X more costly (at retail) Nagra Classic amp and Nagra HD Pre that I have here it brings a clearer more alive kind of midrange..electric.
Yes it does the huge soundstage thing, the three dimensional thing and has remarkable precise yet organic imaging. It’s just a big sounding amplifier and again, one that can drive any speaker made.
Sure I could bring in some really pricey speakers from Wilson or Magico as this amp would be worthy of speakers up to $100k in cost but there is just something so intimate and special about these Duet 15’s from Pure Audio Project when paired with the T+A. I love this combo and I have settled on the HiFi Rose RD160 DAC to pair with it during the last weeks of my evaluation.
I was using the Weiss 501 MKII and Nagra Tube and HD DAC X for the first couple of weeks and decided I needed to hear a DAC in a normal price range with this beautiful amp as well. It did not disappoint and sounded remarkable with the T+A. though not as spatial or open as the Nagra or Weiss it has its own charms, that RD160.
The Power of the Sound
The sound of this amp has immense power and feeling and I want to talk about it some more. It doesn’t do the romance and it does not bring a warm bodied liquid flow of sound. Rather the T+A sound here is juicy and alive soudning yet smooth and balanced. It’s more neutral than warm but more warm than cool. It has the ability to unravel layers in the music, as long as your source is up to it.
In fact, I have never heard a finer all analog integrated amp when it comes to the way this amp does depth and layers. My previous faves have been the $13k Pass Labs INT-250, $20k Aavik U-150 and the $7500 Electrcompaniet ECI 6DXii but this one edges those out for me, all of them, as it should for what the investment would be to acquire one of these incredible pieces. The only integrated I would enjoy as much in the exotic realm is maybe the $22k Nagra Classic INT. It has less power though, and while it sounds glorious as well the T+A seems like a better deal with just as impressive of a build.
I get to enjoy, at least for now, a dream system.
The T+A PA 3100 HV with the Nagra Tube or HD X DAC is jaw dropping stunning in this room. Believe me, I feel blessed to be able to hear all of this being a guy so passionate about audio.
Now of course one could buy this amp and hook up modest speakers and a modest front end source and still have a killer amazing sound but I suspect anyone spending $25k on an integrated amp will already plan on or already owns some pretty fine speakers and equipment. This one deserves the finest to be connected to it but it can also grow with you as you upgrade source and speakers down the road. I believe fully that this amp will last decades and T+A are known for their reliability.
The T+A sounds beautiful and can go from grunt to thrash to classical to jazz vocals and ambient chill with ease. It works well with all genres of music and has the power to drive any speaker made. Truly. The PA 3100 HV is a no compromise integrated amp indeed.
SOUND IMPRESSIONS
I like all kinds of music and have listened to all kinds of it with the T+A. Rock, Jazz, Classical, Vocals, Metal, Bluegrass, EDM, Ambient, etc. I have tested it all. One day while sitting here on a chilly morning I cued up an album called “O AVALANCHE” from Regan. This has a mellow laid back kind of vibe with reverb, acoustic instruments and lost of spatial information. The information coming forward was plentiful, well separated, and with a glowing body to the music, but this is how this album was recorded.
This album as a whole has a beautiful vibe for me on this day. The spatial qualities are incredible when the T+A is taking the main stage with a Nagra DAC. With the HiFi Rose RD160 DAC in play the sound was forward, direct and instruments were separated beautifully and the energy was simply awesome. There was a smoothness and refinement as well due to the T+A and the Rose as well.
I listened to the entire album and when the track Headphones came on, I took more notice. It was so right. So good. So in the moment.
Putting in my choice for the ultimate end game DAC, the Nagra HD DAC X, it was as if the sound grew a few feet taller and wider and each instrument was separated in a wider way, a much larger stage. It’s tough to describe this experience but the Nagra is a special piece that can transform almost any system. This is my ultimate dream DAC and I am thrilled that I get to hear it in this system.
The Weiss 501 MKII DAC brings more richness and fullness to the album but I hear that T+A character no matter the DAC I use, It’s beautiful and gentle when called upon and big, bold and dramatic when needed. It’s a chameleon of the most exotic kind and just couldn’t seem to do any wrong here. The Weiss sounds smaller and more in between the speakers vs the Nagra but it’s putting out a wider more well separated stage than the RD160 as well.
I spent the weeks listening to all I could on this amp and all genres sounded just beautiful and without fault. The T+A kept up with the character of being “electric” in sound with excitement yet some full bodied warmth included as well. But this is a clean and quiet amp that just has energy and raw power behind it.
Listening to “Cry” from M. Ward and Folk Bitch Trio treated me to an intimate up close performance in my listening room. Was deep, rich, spatial, detailed, and brought forth the emotion in the song easily. Phew, this is such a great amp. This amp is multi talented.
I have been a fan of Grayson Capps since his debut album. He brings his brand of soulful bluesy rock from New Orleans and his new album called “Heartbreak, Misery & Death” is a treat. I sat and listened to this album in full streaming from Spotify to the Nagra Streamer and while this is not an audiophile recording, even when playing from Spotify I was heavily getting into this album. His voice is ever present, full bodied and his gravely tone was easily dissected by the T+A yet there was warmth in this recording bringing some oomph to the mids which was nice. Oh and I pay for all streaming services. Spotify brings more of a tube vibe, Tidal bringing more wetness and pop, Qobuz sits in between.
I do not feel our high end systems should be only for high res audiophile recordings, which are often times, boring. I feel a pricey amp should sound fantastic with all music and the T+A does amazing here with this album. It has a deep full bodied midrange and Graysons vocals are rich, weathered and tired at times, but it’s good music. A guitar and a guy is sometimes all I need to ease my mind. Yes, even high end gear can make non audiophile recordings sound so so good and at times, even magical.
The T+A can do it all, and without breaking a sweat. It’s not a jack of one trade, it’s a master of all. With this said it will not add romance to poor recordings as this one will show you what the recording is made of, warts and all. This is not a romantic amp, nor is it a hyper energetic amp. It really sits in between and while not analytical, it does have some analytical tendencies but even so, it does so with weight and this avoids any lean or hard sound. This amp sounds “Lucious”.
ADD ONS
This amp also has some options one can add like a phono stage and even an EQ board that allows for room correction. Adding these will of course add to the cost of the amp. These were not in my review unit.
T+A also makes a massive external power supply for this and their power amp which you can see above. This piece gives the 3100 HV a boost in performance, especially if driving tough loads says T+A. Again, this one will cost you but if one is building their ultimate system I believe the power supply would be a worthy investment indeed.
Conclusion
This T+A PA 3100 HV is now, without question, the finest integrated analog amp I have ever had the pleasure to hear and experience. Not only in the sound quality but also in the design, build and even the weapon worthy remote control. This is one hell of an over engineered HiFi Audio integrated amp. While it may seem crazy to spend this kind of cash on a stereo integrated amp, you can spend a lot more and not get much better, if any. Just different. I can not imagine a better built piece but I am sure one exists somewhere as they always do. Did I mention it also has a pre amp out with RCA and XLR? Yep, that’s here too.
Some quick comparisons…
My Previous Faves in the Integrated Amp Realm
I loved the older Aavik U150 and still do. It’s an amazing integrated that retailed for $20k when new but it doesn’t reach the PA 3100 HV in build quality and all out design inside of the unit. Sound may be a draw but it’s a different sound signature with the Aavik Class D being smoother/darker here and the T+A being more layered, more lit up, more open and resolute with brute force when needed.
I also love the ECI 6DCX from Electrocompaniet but that $7500 amp is a fabulous all in one with streamer and DAC. It’s got an amazing power section and sound quality as well but doesn’t reach the heights of the T+A in sound quality or build. It’s not at the same price point so it shouldn’t but man, that EC amp sounds amazing and I didn’t think I could find much better but here we are. The T+A just has more authority, confidence, attack and realism when it comes to transparency and seeing into the recordings.
I love the Pass Labs INT 250, which weighs even more at 100lbs+. It’s also a gorgeous integrated at around $13k, all analog. It doesn’t get to the extreme design and all out quality of the T+A though, nor is it designed in the same way. They sound different with the T+A sounding more forceful on demand with more heft, body and weight and the Pass having an “always on” kind of delicacy about it with a sharper top end and an (ever so) slightly leaner midrange.
Low volume listening is full and deep with the PA3100 HV, with dynamics and sweet extended treble intact but this also will depend on your speakers. The PAP speakers are wonderful late night but also are 96DB efficient and easy to drive. I often listen with the T+A pumping out 0.2 (not 2 , but 0.2) watts and the sound is lovely at 1AM in my dark room. With the Borresen X2 low volume is even more fleshed out and full sounding. The Audio Craftsmen Victoria bring a more crystalline look into the depths of the music with a cleaner and slightly leaner presentation than the others but they also have a refinement and smooth nature that the T+A easily brought out.
I had very high expectations for the T+A P 3100 HV, with thoughts of it for years and years, and it still managed to impress me more than I could have imagined.
A slew of RCA and XLR inputs, a pre amp out and very well made speaker connectors.
Where to Buy?
This T+A PA 3100 HV review was brought to you by Jaguar Audio who is a T+A Dealer. They arranged this review with T+A and that is how I received a review unit.They let me keep it here for months, without hassle or demands, so that is awesome. I took my time here with this review, more so than the others as I just enjoyed this piece so much. I wanted to stall, so I could keep it longer. A classic reviewer tactic, hahahaha.
Be sure to check out Jaguar Audio as they sell all T+A as well as other high end brands. They even offer in home delivery and set up of T+A HV gear. I am guessing this applies if you local of course but contact them for info on this T+A PA 3100 HV or any other T+A item. They are a reputable and awesome dealer. Tell them I sent ya (I was not in any way paid for this review, nor will I make commissions). I was just supplied a review unit for a while. Darrin is an awesome guy over there and will do you right. I only deal with good and trusted people when buying gear and Jaguar Audio is fantastic.
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