R E V I E W

ISSUE 17 2008
Mystre ia21 integrated amplifier

By Marc Phillips

t still surprises me when I encounter people who dont know that Acura is merely the luxury marque of Honda, or that Lexus is Toyotas premium division or that Infinitis are nothing more than gussied-up Nissans. In most cases this is by design, however, with the marketing executives at each division aiming for an identity separate from the more common automotive brethren. By the same token Ive been surprised to hear audiophiles declare that Mystre, a new brand of push-pull pentode tube amplifiers, is nothing more than an upscale product line from PrimaLuna, as if theyd uncovered some vast conspiracy. (Upscale is the operative word here, with Mystre being marketed and distributed by Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio.) First of all, theres no shame in being related to the fine line of affordable, high-performance, high-value tubed products from Durob Audio in the Netherlands, just as there is no shame in being a cousin to a Honda, Toyota or Nissan. If the pedigree is strong to start with, theres nowhere to go but up.
So lets get it over withif you want to be an audio cynic, you can say that the Mystre integrated amplifiers are just another step above PrimaLunas entry-level ProLogue and the intermediate DiaLogue product lines. There.feel better? However, while the Mystre ia11 and ia21 integrateds do roughly approximate the same layout and dimensions as the PrimaLunas, youd be ignoring the extraordinary fit-and-finish, build quality and, of course, the sound. Ive Got The Big One We received both the ia11 and ia21 integrated amplifiers for review, which we ended up referring to as the little one and the big one. The ia21 is step over the ia11 in a few key areas, such as power output (50wpc vs. 40), and the ia21s ability to optimize the amplifier for KT88s and EL34 output tubes through Durobs proprietary Adaptive AutoBias board, which constantly monitors and adjusts the bias of each power tube. By pushing a rocker switch on the side of the ia21 and swapping out the tubes, you can choose between two fairly different sonic presentations in just a few minutes. Just like the PrimaLuna amps, you can use any one of the compatible tubes (EL34, 6L6, 6550 or KT88) and do not require matching in either amplifier, thanks to their AutoBias system. The ia21 takes this a step further by allowing you to slightly fine tune the auto bias for the EL34 or
6550/KT88 tubes to take advantage of the higher power disspation in those tubes. When I talked to Kevin Deal, he told me You can still take advantage of the different tubes in both amplifiers due to the AutoBias, but by being able to further optimize the AutoBias for the two tube types in the ia21, we were able to get a bit more power in the larger version. In addition to these useful features, the ia21 also uses larger power transformers than its little brother. Both models, however, feature a highquality 24-step volume By pushing a rocker switch knob and soft-start on the side of the ia21 and circuitry that preserves the life of the tubes over swapping out the tubes, you can choose between two fairly the long haul. Overall, different sonic presentations the ia21 is a substantial in just a few minutes. beast, weighing in at approximately 60 pounds. With its beautiful pianoblack gloss finish and its extraordinary build quality, the ia21 accomplishes quite a bit at its relatively low price of $3000. Serve Me Up A Set Of EL-34s Please I started listening to the ia21 with the KT88s installed. After letting everything break in for a few weeks, I felt that the ia21 retained many of the same qualities as the PrimaLuna amps Ive heard, such as the ProLogue One and DiaLogue One, with just a touch more refinement. (continued)

2008 Printed with permission from ToneAudio. All rights reserved.
In other words, the ia21 with the KT88s offered a warm, immediate and slightly forward presentation that made an excellent first impression. My only reservations concerned a lack of real power and authority in deep bass performance, and a slight loss in detail in the treble. I also noted a little bit of shallowness in overall soundstage depth as well. But none of these minor flaws were deal-breakers, and after two or three weeks, I felt that the Mystre ia21 was a solid performer and a good deal. When I swapped out the KT88s for the EL34s, however, my opinion of the ia21 changed radically. The soundstage exWhen I swapped out panded in every direction, crethe KT88s for the ating a sonic presentation that EL34s.The soundstage was more suited to my personal expanded in every preferences. The immediacy in direction. the midrange, for instance, reminded me of my days as an SET enthusiast, especially in the way that solo voices would just hang eerily in the air between speakers. With the KT88s in place, the voices sounded similar, yet crowded into a smaller space. The EL34s allowed those voices to roam around freely, almost leisurely. These sonic qualities suited more intimate types of music, such as Jakob Dylans solo CD, Seeing Things. The ia21 really underlined Rick
Rubins participation in this recording, maintaining the same spare and haunted sensibilities that characterized his work with Johnny Cash. In the opening cut, Evil Is Alive and Well, Dylans voice was so well-rounded and present that I felt like I could get up from the couch and walk around him a few times as he sat there. I had the same impression listening to Bonnie Prince Billys latest recording, Lie Down in the Light, feeling as if I could tell Will Oldham was in much better spirits since 2006s melancholy The Letting Go. Through the immediacy of the presentation, I could hear his mood change from one recording to the next as if a headache had slowly subsided. In the following weeks, I switched back and forth between the EL34s and the KT88s several times. I know the latter tube has its fans, and many listeners may appreciate its more authoritative and forward sound. The delicacy of the ia21 with the EL34s, however, was too compelling to ignore. For me, the choice is obvious. Lets Not Forget the Little One

I did have a chance to listen to the ia21s little brother, the ia11, after I sent the ia21 home. For me, the smaller Mystre shared the same overall character with the ia21 with the KT88s in place.

(continued)

The lack of truly deep bass was perhaps a bit more In fact, if you are familiar with PrimaLuna amplifinoticeable, as was the relatively shallow soundstage. ers, youll know that the reliability on these units are But seeing how the ia11 is $1000 cheaper, these among the absolute highest in the audio industry. shortcomings are more than reasonKevin Deal has reported a defect rate able, although my first instinct was to of one-half of one percent on PrimaLuEverything about the wonder how an EL34 option would Mystre integrated na gear, the best hes experienced in amplifiers has been transform this amplifier. 33 years of business. He has the same designed around high level of confidence in the new Both amps share the same gorconvenience, reliability Mystre gear as well. geous glossy finish. The little one, at and ease of use. 45 pounds, is still a substantial maEverything about the Mystre chine. The only problem I had with either amplifier integrated amplifiers has been designed around confrom an aesthetic standpoint was their ability to attract venience, reliability and ease of use. Its clear that dust. I do live on the edge of a forest, and its the both Upscale Audio and Durob Audio have targeted time of year when you can see a lot of things floatthose audiophiles who want to take the tube ampliing around in the air. But owning either Mystre is fier plunge but are worried about tube replacement tantamount to owning a black car if you want them costs and the potential danger of tube failures, espeto look nice, you need to dust them off every couple cially around kids and pets. The beautifully-finished of days. Or at least you do in my neck of the woods, tube cage will keep everything out of harms reach. pardon the pun. With the Adaptive AutoBias circuit in place, you wont have to worry about setting the bias on each It Takes a Village to Build an Amplifier individual output tube. Youll also get thousands of hours of music before you have to replace those The only remaining consideration on whether tubes. Finally, if youve ever dealt with Kevin before, or not to buy the ia21 depends upon your opinion youll know he has enough EL34s and KT88s in on Chinese-built electronics. Indeed, while both stock to get you through the next several decades Mystre and PrimaLuna are designed in The Nethof listening sessions. erlands by Durob Audio, the amps are manufactured in China. Both the folks at Durob Audio and Kevin Deal have taken great pains to ensure that all Mystre amps are submitted to the highest quality control and manufacturing oversight. In my opinion, however, bug Kevin for as many EL34s as possible. With these in place, the big one becomes a true giant in the world of integrated amplifiers.

Second Opinion

By Jeff Dorgay
The Mystere ia21 MSRP: $2999 MANUFACTURER Mystre USA www.mystere-usa.com
As a testament to PrimaLunas build quality, I still have my original ProLogue 1 that I reviewed for The Absolute Sound almost five years ago and it has performed without a hitch. Finally about ready for a retube, it has performed flawlessly in my system and that of a couple of friends that I have let borrow it. (only to become hooked on the tube thing, I might add) I had the option to try both of the Mystre amplifiers (review on the ia11 soon) with an extremely wide range of speakers and I suspect Marcs lack of bass was due to an incompatibility with his Gibbon 9s. I had fantastic luck with the Harbeth Compact 7s and the Stirling Broadcast LS3/5as. Heck, they even did an admirable job powering my MartinLogan Summits which are notorious for giving tube amplifiers a hard time. I do agree with Marc however, on the EL34 vs. KT 88 thing. Its up to you in the end, but I really found the seductive nature of the EL34s hard to beat. A good compromise if you go with the KT88s to take a bit of the edge off that presentation is to swap out some NOS 6SN7s for the stock ones. This will bring you about half way between the two sounds. Similar to my experience with other PrimaLuna amplifiers, a great variation on the theme that works well with the Mystre amps is the 6L6GT. If you want that vintage McIntosh sound, there is a little less power on tap, but definitely a more syrupy, woody sound. I borrowed my old JBL-L166s back from staff writer Jerold OBrien and had a blast listening to 70s rock. Im sure an old pair of Advents or even some Altec 19s might be very cool if you are in this kind of a mood. Just plug in a set of 6L6s and get in the time machine! The best part of the journey is that you dont need a 40 year old amp with questionable capacitors to get it! A quick peek under the chassis reveals point to point wiring, very good parts and a fanatic attention to detail. They never looked this good in the old days! When you are done, drop your tubes of choice and return to the present day. How much fun is that? Extended listening with the Harbeths was a major treat. I was very excited about how musical this amplifier sounded, yet posessing more resolution than the ProLogue series does. I think for a lot of people, the Mystre ia21 could become the central hub of a very high quality music system on a reasonable budget. l

2008 Printed with permission from ToneAudio. All rights reserved. ToneAudio is published 6 times a year at tonepublications.com.