Its been roughy two years since we first laid eyes on EJ Sarmento’s new Statement amplifier. The flagship piece was packing some seriously hefty specs and crushing it with the sound it produced through a pair of KEF Reference 3 Foundry Edition speakers at T.H.E. Show Newport 2016. Pushing forward to the present day, EJ has unveiled the newest version of the amplifier now called the statement nextGEN.
Gone is the display screen but several other key elements are still in play for the stereo power amplifier. The internal design still isn’t an off-the-shelf ice module but rather entirely a proprietary offering from W4S. The Class D amplification wattage has been reduced from a bit of the overkill to a still hearty 250w into 8 ohms (bridgeable to 750). The price has come down slightly as well, now aimed closer to $3,625 as a starting point – a few upgrade options will likely accompany the new product on release.
Along with premium hardware, adjustable sensitivity and the unique orange coloring option, the new statement nextGEN offers 7x faster switching (rise time) from its upgraded FETS. The room sounded effortless through the Acoustic Zen Maestro speakers ($43,000/pair) at Rocky Mountain Audiofest, bringing together both powerful control and subtle finesse for a most enjoyable experience.
Backing up the power amp was Wyred 4 Sounds’ new Roon-ready Music Server ($3k) and the limited edition 10th anniversary DAC 2v2SE ($4.5k). The company has continued to release a steady stream of practical and poignant options that have progressively advanced to a forward destination over the years. As a whole, it makes for a high value proposition for audiophiles with a leaning towards the digital, without have to dig too hard into the piggybank. The new stuff is even a further testament to the design chops of the company, and if the W4S room at RMAF is any indicator we can expect even bigger sound laced with value sensibilities far into the future. Nicely done.
