Boulder Amplifiers 2150
The Boulder 2150 delivers explosive dynamics, iron-fisted bass control and startling transparency from its pure Class A, 1,000W platform. Stereophile heard exceptional speed and woofer grip, while Jay's Audio Lab praised its window-clear resolution, deep layered staging and effortless authority. It is a formidable reference for demanding full-range loudspeakers.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
96/100
Value for Money
83/100
Pros
Exceptional transient speed, punch and start-stop bass control with demanding loudspeakers.
Highly transparent, pure presentation with outstanding resolution and detail retrieval.
Deep, layered soundstage and powerful, unstrained dynamic headroom.
Exceptionally robust construction and relatively cool-running Class A operation.
Cons
Its ultra-high price makes it a limited-value proposition despite the flagship performance.
At 220 lb per monoblock, installation is physically demanding and Boulder recommends four people for moving them.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers hear an exceptionally clear, fast and controlled presentation, with immense power delivered without a sense of strain. Its neutral, highly resolved character is paired with strong spatial layering and unusually firm control of demanding loudspeakers.
Transparency Resolution
96/100
Stereophile found greater speed, transparency and detail resolution than its darTZeel reference, with the entire frequency range tightening up. Jay's Audio Lab calls the 2150 pure and window-like, saying it never sounded fuzzy, veiled or as though a curtain sat between listener and speaker.
Tonal Balance Musicality
93/100
Jay's Audio Lab describes the 2150 as neutral and among the most pleasant amplifiers it has heard, while also calling it spectacular in every respect. The presentation appears highly revealing rather than overtly warm or romantic, so source and speaker character remain clearly exposed.
Dynamics
97/100
Both reviews emphasize extraordinary transient speed and authority. Stereophile heard accelerated punch, speed, and start-stop control, while Jay's Audio Lab describes relentless slam, thrust and impact that never seemed to run out of gas, even when maximum bass weight was required.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
Jay's Audio Lab reports that the 2150 delivers the full soundstage picture from top to bottom. It particularly notes multiple layers of information extending behind the speakers, suggesting notably deep and organized imaging.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
96/100
The 2150's execution is unusually substantial: its output stage uses 80 bipolar devices clamped to an 80-pound billet-aluminum, nonresonant heatsink, and it is specified to double peak power from 1,000W into 8 ohms to 4,000W into 2 ohms. Jay's Audio Lab calls the construction top-notch, brick-like and bulletproof, while Stereophile notes that this pure-Class-A design runs relatively cool.
Value for Money
83/100
At $99,000 per pair, the 2150 sits among ultra-high-end monoblock peers such as Stereophile's reference darTZeel and the Griffin Mephisto discussed by Jay's Audio Lab. Reviewers regard its performance and construction as commensurate with a serious flagship purchase, but Jay explicitly says it is not a great value because it remains a great deal of money.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Peak Power, 8 ohms
- 1000W
- Peak Power, 4 ohms
- 2000W
- Peak Power, 2 ohms
- 4000W
- THD, 8 ohms, 1000W
- 20-2 kHz: 0.0008%, 20 kHz: 0.0035%
- THD, 4 ohms, 1000W
- 20-2 kHz: 0.0009%, 20 kHz: 0.0045%
- THD, 2 ohms, 1000W
- 20-2 kHz: 0.0014%, 20 kHz: 0.0090%
- Frequency Response
- -3dB @ 0.015 Hz, 200 kHz
- Equivalent Input Noise (EIN), 20 kHz BW
- 1.5 μV
- Magnitude Response, 20 to 20 kHz
- +0.00, -0.04 dB
- Magnitude Response, -3 dB at
- 0.015 Hz, 200 kHz
- Voltage Gain
- 26 dB
- Input Impedance
- Balanced: 200kΩ, Unbalanced 100kΩ
- Common Mode Rejection (Balanced only)
- 60 Hz: 90 dB, 10 kHz: 70 dB
- Inputs
- 3-pin balanced XLR
- Output Connectors
- 2 sets of 6 mm / .250-inch wingscrews
- Weight
- ¯¯Amplifier: 220 lbs. (99.8 kg), Shipping: 319 lbs. (144.7 kg)
- Power Requirements
- 100, 110-120, 220-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz, 250W nominal, 5000W at maximum output
- Amplifier Topology
- Pure Class A to full rated output
Manufacturer's Description — Boulder Amplifiers
The 2150 Mono Power Amplifier is the beneficiary of 30 years of amplifier design. It replaces the renowned 2050 Mono Power Amplifier, a benchmark product that stayed in continuous production for almost 18 years.
Having the perfect template to build on, we analyzed, improved, and evolved the 2150 into something much greater than its predecessor. It outperforms it in every way and as a result earned Stereophile magazine’s Amplification Product of the Year award. After all, we don’t aspire to benchmarks. We outdo them.
Boulder's most powerful continuously manufactured amplifier: 1000W into any load
Computer designed surface-mount circuit boards secured in custom-machined frames, each damped to eliminate mechanical distortion
Dual toroidal transformers, potted and installed in a welded steel enclosure: transformer hum is not permitted
Boulder Link for turn-on and turn-off of amplifiers and to send status messages to the display of any Boulder preamplifier
12V trigger connection for remote turn-on by most surround-sound processors and control systems
Two 99H2 gain stages (one for + audio and one for - audio), a third-generation descendent of the 990 gain stage used in recording and broadcast studios world-wide
Supervisor board monitors and controls all aspects of the amplifier's operating status
Dual gain stage design maximizes bandwidth by incorporating the majority of gain in the first stage
Designed as a fully-balanced, true monaural amplifier for ideal loudspeaker interface
Full Class-A biasing actively managed with an analog circuit that reduces heat and improves efficiency
Massive instant power delivery and damping from 80 bipolar output transistors
Dual speaker connections via easy to connect, high-current speaker terminals to accommodate bi-wired loudspeakers
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Boulder Amplifiers 2150
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Ana Mighty Sound — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- Audio Advisors — in-store — West Palm Beach, Florida, United States (website)
- Audio Element — in-store — Pasadena, California, United States (website)
- Audio Gallery — online and in-store — Las Rozas de Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Y Cine — online and in-store — Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain (website)
- Class A Audio — in-store — Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia (website)
- David Lewis Audio — in-store — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (website)
and 35 more verified dealers
