Bricasti Design M25 Stereo Amplifier
The M25 pairs lifelike neutrality with seemingly inexhaustible bass control, bringing immense scale, vivid vocal texture and a beautifully ordered soundstage to demanding loudspeakers. Michael Zisserson found its presentation exceptionally natural, with concert-hall air, effortless dynamics and compelling musical presence. Fully differential power delivery makes this a formidable reference-grade stereo amplifier.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Delivers neutral, highly lifelike sound with exceptionally convincing vocal and instrumental detail.
Combines powerful, seemingly bottomless bass with strong loudspeaker control and effortless dynamics.
Creates an expansive, precisely organized soundstage with convincing hall ambience and spatial definition.
Exceptionally solid construction, with a precision-fit aluminum chassis and high-quality balanced and RCA connectivity.
Cons
Its abundant power and dynamic force can feel excessive in already forceful systems or with heavily compressed recordings.
Input-trim adjustment requires a small screwdriver, which the reviewer found less reassuring than a more user-friendly control.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
The review describes an unusually lifelike, controlled presentation, combining neutral tonal balance and a highly orderly stage with substantial low-frequency authority. It also reports striking vocal and instrumental realism, though the amplifier's sheer force could occasionally feel like more than the system required.
Transparency Resolution
94/100
Michael Zisserson heard previously unnoticed subtleties in Holly Cole's voice and describes vocals as feeling real. String tone retained breath, air, body, and woody instrumental character rather than becoming smoothed over or generalized.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
The M25 is described as neutral in tonality while delivering a lifelike rather than merely hi-fi presentation. The reviewer repeatedly emphasizes true-to-life instrumental and vocal character, with music presented as emotionally immediate and convincing.
Dynamics
91/100
The review praises the M25's abundant power, drive, and dynamic capability, while its low end is said to be weighty, powerful, and seemingly inexhaustible. There is one practical caveat: in the reviewer's system, that capability could at times feel like more than was needed.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
The amplifier earns praise for an impeccably tidy soundstage and for reproducing the air and enveloping ambience of a concert hall. Choral sections were clearly defined in space, reinforcing the impression of stable, naturally dimensional imaging.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
The review highlights an exceptionally precise solid-aluminum-billet chassis, high-grade copper binding posts, and both balanced and unbalanced inputs. It also reports cool-running behavior under demanding listening, while the 150W/300W/600W output ratings and input-level trim support flexible integration with substantial loudspeaker loads.
Value for Money
85/100
The reviewed retail price is $18,000. The review is highly enthusiastic about performance, but it does not directly compare the M25's value against competing amplifiers or make a clear claim about whether that asking price is especially compelling.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
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Specifications
- Total Harmonic Distortion
- THD+N less than 0.005% 20hz-20kHz at full rated power into 8 and 4 ohms.
- Power
- 150W into 8 ohms, 300W into 4 ohms, 600W into 2 ohms.
- Frequency response
- 10hz-150kHz, within 0.5db.
- Signal to Noise
- greater than 85db at full rated power.
- Power Topology
- Fully Differential.
- Balanced Input
- XLR connector 200k ohm impedance.
- Unbalanced Input
- RCA connector 100k ohm impedance.
- Weight
- 90 lbs.
- Shipping Weight
- 110 lbs.
- Finish
- Anodized Aluminum.
- Mains Voltage set at factory
- 100, 120, 220, 230, 240 VAC, 50 Hz - 60 Hz.
- Trigger In
- TRS connector for 5V external trigger.
- Input Trim
- 0db, -6db, -12db, -18db of attenuation.
- Power consumption
- 60W standby, 2W idle.
- Warranty parts and labor
- 5 yrs limited.
Manufacturer's Description — Bricasti Design
The Bricasti Design
Model 25 Stereo Power Amplifier
The M25 stereo amplifier finds a special place in the Bricasti family of amplifiers through its implementation of a dual mono transformer design, essentially creating a hybrid of the traditional single transformer M15 stereo amplifier and its larger M28 mono-block brethren. The M25 is rated at 150 W / 300 W / 600 W per channel into 8ohms, 4ohms and 2ohm loads respectively.
Dual Mono
The M25 integrates seamlessly with superb current delivery in a smaller footprint for those desiring additional power but lack the needed space for hefty amplifier pairs. Dual transformers render a beautiful sense of depth and dimension while a single-transformer design like the M15 stereo amplifier excels with impressive imaging and detail as both channels lock to a single transformer.
Fully differential
Like the entire line of Bricasti amplifiers, the M25’s fully differential balanced design delivers a fast, low distortion, open and harmonically accurate musical experience. Paired with any of the Bricasti line of fully differential digital to analog converters, a truly balanced system can be enjoyed.
Perfect match
The M25 is designed to play nice with your line of equipment. A unique feature like trim control lets you properly gain stage the M25, critical with todays digital sources driving the amplifier directly. Stillpoints isolation devices have been designed directly into the feet for maximum isolation from vibration.
Handcrafted in the USA
All of our products are crafted in the old world tradition, in a classic brick mill building in Massachusetts USA by a team of individuals dedicated to excellence.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Bricasti Design M25 Stereo Amplifier
- Akalın Muzik Ltd. — in-store — İstanbul, Turkey (website)
- Alma Music & Audio — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Audio Archon — online and in-store — Libertyville, Illinois, United States (website)
- Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
- AV Solutions - Italy — online and in-store — Aosta, Valle d'Aosta, Italy (website)
- East End Hi-Fi — online and in-store — Brookhaven, New York, United States (website)
- Erdal Stereo — in-store — Erdal, Vestland, Norway (website)
- Fat Cat Audio — United States (website)
- Fred's Sound Of Music AV — in-store — Portland, Oregon, United States (website)
- Jordan Acoustics — in-store — Christchurch, England, United Kingdom (website)
and 27 more verified dealers