“Indeed, in my months with this outstanding design I came to the conclusion that for those who prefer the compact footprint of an integrated versus separates, who seek versatility of choice with its input options, and, most of all, listeners seeking an amplifier capable of both high power and musical nuance, the Norma Revo IPA-140 is something of a must-audition.” —Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound
Given Italy’s exceptional history in the fine arts, as well as the country’s impact on modern commercial design—from automobiles to furniture, espresso machines to fashion—it’s little wonder that high-end Italian audio components are likewise striking things to behold. A prime example is the Norma Audio Revo IPA-140 integrated amplifier reviewed here.
Based in Cremona and steeped in that city’s history of exceptionally fine fiddle makers, Rossi and his team at Norma aim to merge their sophisticated technical know-how with a keen sensitivity to music. As the company’s website states: “The result of this endeavor is a unique sound, which represents a synthesis of parameters usually set one against each other: dynamics, speed, and absolute transparency are combined with extraordinary musicality and total lack of listening fatigue.”
A cornerstone of Norma’s design philosophy is a dedication to low-noise, fast, and ultra-wide-bandwidth circuitry. In the case of the Revo 140, the latter is spec’d at a doubletake-inducing >2MHz. That’s megahertz, or greater than two million hertz. Uh, yeah, that’s pretty wide bandwidth alright.
Power-wise, as the unit’s name implies, the Revo delivers a healthy 140Wpc into 8 ohms, and doubles that to an impressive 280Wpc into a 4-ohm load, something I came to appreciate with my power-hungry, 4-ohm Magnepan 1.7i’s.
Sonically, the Revo is powerful enough to effortlessly drive the great majority of today’s speakers, but its inherently neutral balance and understated sonic elegance mean it’s no brute when it comes to expressing musical nuance. And as mentioned above, effortless power is something one really appreciates with speakers like Magnepans, which truly sing with enough juice to get them on their feet.
Indeed, in my months with this outstanding design I came to the conclusion that for those who prefer the compact footprint of an integrated versus separates, who seek versatility of choice with its input options, and, most of all, listeners seeking an amplifier capable of both high power and musical nuance, the Norma Revo IPA-140 is something of a must-audition.
