COPLAND CTA407 > Icon of Analog Audio Technology - Hi-Fi+ Review
In the world of audiophilia, there are products that transcend mere functionality. These products become legends, icons admired for their sonic enchantment and engineering brilliance. Among these rare masterpieces is the Copland CTA407, an amplifier that holds a special place in the realm of high-end audio equipment.
The Copland CTA407 is a tube amplifier, first introduced in the early 1990s. Its production continued only until the mid-1990s, yet it remains one of the most esteemed and sought-after units among audiophiles worldwide. Copland is a Danish company that has become synonymous with quality and precision in the audio world, and the CTA407 is one of the most notable products they've ever crafted.
Design and Craftsmanship
The Copland CTA407 features classic design reminiscent of the golden age of audio equipment. With its large tube housings and aesthetically pleasing elements, it resembles a work of art that can be showcased in any room. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, however, every element is designed with the purpose of delivering the best possible sound quality.
Sound
The main feature of the Copland CTA407 is its ability to deliver breathtaking sound. With its beautiful, warm sound produced by tube elements, this amplifier can transform any music listening session into an unforgettable experience. Its ability to produce rich, deep sound with a wide dynamic range makes every element sound vivid and realistic.
Technical Specifications
The Copland CTA407 is not just a beauty; it's also a technical marvel. With carefully selected components, high-precision switches, and premium tube amplifiers, it ensures the purest and most accurate sound. Technical specifications include output power sufficient for any speaker system, low distortion, and low noise levels, enabling absolute clarity of sound.
Review - Huge tracts of tractability
All this ties into tractability that endeared the original CTA405 to me and has made the transition to the new amplifier wholly intact. When you don’t want to drive the bolts out of it, the Copland is every bit as happy being used at low volume levels and is entirely forgiving of poor recordings. I didn’t test the business of running my television into it; perhaps the last threshold of considering valve amplifiers to be above mundane tasks like that, but I suspect it would be perfectly good at that too.
The result is an amplifier that takes the same effortless all-around ability that Copland delivers across many of its products and balances that ability with useful new skills. Having the means to choose different power valves gives the CTA407 the scope to handle speakers that would have many valve amplifiers wilting under the strain. The new phono stage offers considerable promise for other applications going forward too. Beyond all this pragmatic praise is the more intangible aspect that the Copland makes me every bit as happy as the original 405 did. It has the clout to handle my more cretinous music completely without strain. Still, it retains a delicacy and gorgeous tonality when it’s time to be more decidedly audiophile. I’m sure that the next box to pass through will generate the traditional moment of excitement, but, likely, it won’t be as tangible as this one was.
-Ed Selley, januar 2024
Copland CTA407
Hi-Fi+