The PS Audio HCA-2 is a very interesting amplifier, so interesting that we decided to publish a brief report of my first impressions, before its full review that will appear in the next issue. For the (pseudo) technical description, you will have to wait until the complete review is published, or to read it at the manufacturer’s web site; some interesting notes, though: it’s the first amp with a switching power stage aimed at the audiophile market to be distributed in Italy. Even more interestingly, it’s got some peculiarities which make it interesting for a hard core audiophile like I am, such as: Class A, intrinsically balanced, discrete components input stage; Extreme care given to its PSU (which includes the main components of PS Audio’s own ultimate Outlet filter and a beefy power transformer); Low overall feedback and, last but not least, the PS Audio name, synonym of value and excellent sound. This brand has been revived some years ago with a production initially consisting of a line of excellent mains power regenerators (which we hope to review soon), then with power and mains cables, then with power amplifiers, a preamp and a soon-to-be-released subwoofer. As from what I’ve heard during my first listening sessions, this amp is no exception.

This amp wasn’t a major letdown in my system, even if it replaced a power amp the current version of which costs five times the price of the HCA-2. I would go as far as to say that the kind of sound it provides is really interesting and defendable even much out of its price range, as it is enthusiastic, dynamic, sure-footed, detailed and fast. Some colorations, more of the subtractive than of the additive kind, and therefore easier to forget, will need some more time to be completely identified by myself. The soundstage is more forward than the line joining the speakers baffles, but it’s not so forward to become unreal or too intense.

Soundstage height seems to be excellent; focus is a little bit more diffuse than my reference, more tube-like than solid state-like, as a little bit tube-like is a certain mid-high frequency sheen, a slight over-emphasis on sibilants I detected on some recordings. Somewhat puzzlingly, it’s also more noisy than my reference – puzzlingly, as we’re used to think about “digital silence”, but this amp has, in fact and sound-wise, very little to do with digital as we are used to know it. But the slight drawbacks I found might well be due to the little settle-in and run-in time I gave to the unit so stay tuned for a stable and complete description of its features.