Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Totally Wired

Summary:
This amplifier is an extraordinary piece of equipment that should be considered alongside some of the very best solid state amplification available such as BAT, Levinson, Audio Research etc. Build quality is excellent thats why it weight 18kgs I suppose. I have this amp driving Thiel CS2.3 speakers, fed by a Meridian 508.20 CD Player and the results are magnificent. This amp has serious power which allows it to control my Thiels right down to the lowest octaves producing tight, tuneful and powerfull bass notes. It is totally transparent and does not emphasise any part of the audio frequency above another. It has no character of its own like some other solid state high-end, it just seems to allow whatever signal it is fed to be accurately reproduced through the speakers. In summary, I am still enjoying the sound from this amp after 18 months use, it still makes me smile everytime a buy a new CD and it makes classic recordings like some of Elvis Presly's 1960 studio work come totally to life. As you improve your source / speakers, this amp improves with it. Perreaux seems something of a secret in the UK & US, I don't know why products of this quality, build and value do not seem to gain the recognition that they should. Highly Recommended.

Strengths:
Powerfull & tight bass, No apparent character of its own, tank like build quality.

Weaknesses:
Remote a bit dissapointing

Similar Products Used:
Krell KAV 300i, Plinius 8200, Conrad Johnson PV10AL / Musical Fidelity P270 combo.

Price Paid:  $1695.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
Well, after shoveling more money through this hobby than I ever thought I would, I have found an integrated piece that I would heartily recommend for audiophiles on a budget. I had just finished creating a great separates system and decided to downsize. I was expecting an integrated amp to sound horrible after having a reference separates system. What I got was a total shock to me. I bought this from Audio Advisor as a demo piece and told the guys there that I am extremely particular about my equipment and wanted basically a perfect piece. So my quick plug here is that AA delivered an excellent piece, and I am extremely happy. Anyway, back to the review. This is one solid chunk of metal at 40+ pounds. The build quality is superb!!. I needed a piece with balanced inputs so I would not have to discard my beloved Kimber KS1111s. This piece has Tiffany connectors all around, a coupler switch so you can separate the piece as an amp or preamp, and nicely placed connectors on the back. The handles (ears) on the front are a little funky and you should plan on some extra rack space (depth) if you plan on leaving them on. I took mine off. The sound from this beast is extremely rich with a very taut and extended bass. The soundstage is OK, but what can you say after listening to separates, It's a very coherent amplifier and easily drives my 4 ohm Thiel 2.3s. I would call this amp fairly neutral in sound, maybe just on the dark side of neutral, but mids and highs sound wonderful. I listened to several other integrateds that did not come close to this piece. For buying something on a whim because of it's power ratings and features, I just did not go wrong here. This piece killed both a Krell 300i and 300il. I thought this was much closer to the plinius although I would describe the Plinius as a bit drier, but on the bright side of neutral.

Strengths:
Build quality, bass extension, ability to power just about any speaker at 200 into 8 ohms, and 300 into 4 ohms, richness of music, features.

Weaknesses:
Soundstage could be a little larger. Would be great to have balanced line out for bi-amping, but at $1695 you can't touch this piece.

Similar Products Used:
Krell 300i, 300il, Plinius 8200, Classe separates.

Price Paid:  $2600.00

Summary:
Awesome integrated amp!! I am honored to be the first reviewer of this quality piece. When I first received the amp the sound was very bright and thin and the bass was lacking in weight. After 7-8 days of full burn-in the amp really started to sing. This is the best integrated amp that I have ever heard and as good and I believe better than the seperates I have used and listened to in the past. The sound is very liquid and neutral and very detialed and the bass is the best I have heard to date. I'm not sure what the secret is in New Zealand but it seems they have found the answers to the audiophile game. The bass has a lot of weight but not over done and is extremely detailed. The 200iP is 200watts of pure power and runs in class A for the best possible sound and then switches to class A/B if driven hard. I personally like the look of this piece and it has a very expensive digital volume control that should never wear out. It seems that Perreux's build quality is over done in that it is built better than units costing over $4000 and the unit is made with solid, heavy aluminium with pure gold RCA outputs and a balanced CD output if you have balanced cables. I give it a strong 5 stars, it is that good. Go listen and hear for yourself, but make sure it has been broken-in for at least 100 hours in your own home before getting critical as I see reviews on equipment that are not true because people audtion units at a store and the unit or interconnects, speaker cables, speakers, amp etc. has not been broekn-in and you are not hearing what the unit really sounds like. So I have found the only way to get a true opinion of any piece is to take the unit home for a 14 day audition and let it burn-in for the whole time, this does not mean turn the unit on and let it set for 14 days, you have to play music through any equipment for the entire 14 days at moderate levels and LEAVE THE UNIT ON AT ALL TIMES to keep the unit charged. This is the best way and the only way to burn-in new equipment. Hope this helps.

Strengths:
Oh that bass, Liquid mids and treble. Can easily drive any loud speaker. Digital volume control will never wear out. Build is second to none.

Weaknesses:
Not as well known in the US as it is in other countries, not really a weakness though. Still thinking...........

Similar Products Used:
Bryston 3B and B60, Electrocompaniet ECI4, Krell Seperates, Musical Fidelity A300, Manley Stingray Tube integrated