by Rafe Arnott
Micromega is another digital amplification company from France, but unlike it’s closest competitor – Devialet – Micromega delivers on the one-box solution at a significantly lower cost; Starting at approx. $4,400 USD for the standard, 100-watt dual-mono guise.
Like the Devialet, the Micromega features more acronyms for connectivity and playback than most manufacturers can wrap a chassis around: Wifi, Bluetooth, AptX – Asynchronous USB with 24/768 kHz DXD, DSD – DoP, AirPlay, SPDIF, Coax, Optical, AES3, 24/384 kHz Asynchronous LAN, MM/MC phono, balanced (XLR), and unbalanced (RCA) plus the optional Micromega Acoustic Room System (M.A.R.S) for advanced DSP room tuning.
This is a lot to jam into a one unit, never mind that it also has the ability to take a headphone amp with binaural capability.
Paired in Denver at RMAF with the Focal Sopra No. 2 ($13,000 USD) I was once again moved (literally swaying in my seat) by the incredibly life-like expressiveness of the M1.
I’ve heard the Sopra No.2s in a lot of rooms over the past couple years and know them to be extremely transparent, so listening to the Micromega and understanding exactly what it was doing with playback wasn’t difficult, it was musical.
As John Bevier of AudioPlus Services who, along with Barnaby Fry was hosting the room said: “You don’t have to squint to hear the midrange.”
But it wasn’t just the midrange. It was the incredible liquidity of the top end (coupled with real air, and definition to notes) and the outrageous bass which maintained speed and tightness without a hint of fat on it.
When looking at one-box answers to the questions many burgeoning audiophiles have regarding high fidelity coupled with lifestyle on a budget, it’s awfully difficult not to turn those seeking help to Micromega. Not only does the M1 have a small footprint, look gorgeous, and sound truly amazing with outstanding tone and timbre, but with its insane amount of connectivity options, the ability to use a supplied remote or a fool-proof app to run it, the M1 can replace – literally – a half-dozen separates at four times the cost to get this good of sound.
Highly recommended.
