Dartzeel NHB-108
The Dartzeel NHB-108 Model Two pairs deep musicality with firmer bass control and wideband composure. Stereophile found its presentation exceptionally involving, while measurements confirmed stable bandwidth into demanding loads and output beyond specification. Its luxurious, visibly engineered construction completes an amplifier built to make music feel immediate, flowing, and substantial.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
88/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Exceptionally musical, involving presentation that communicates the essence of recordings without sounding showy.
Strong bass grip and useful power headroom; testing exceeded rated output at 155Wpc into 8 ohms and 230Wpc into 4 ohms.
Wide, stable bandwidth with flat audioband response into loads of 2 ohms and above.
Cons
Runs hot under sustained output and requires generous ventilation around its heatsinks.
Measured distortion is relatively high, a trade-off associated with its no-global-feedback design.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
The available listening coverage is exceptionally enthusiastic about the NHB-108 Model Two’s musical communication, while the technical coverage supports its wide bandwidth, controlled bass, and clean behavior under load. Spatial performance is not directly explored in the supplied reviews, so there is less certainty about its imaging character than its musicality and grip.
Transparency Resolution
88/100
The Model Two is described as offering wider bandwidth and no phase shift down to very low frequencies, while measurements found a smooth residual distortion-and-noise waveform that was associated with good sound quality. These findings support a clean, open presentation, although the supplied listening review does not specifically discuss low-level detail or treble resolution.
Tonal Balance Musicality
96/100
The listening review calls it “among the most satisfyingly musical amplifiers to ever sing in my system” and praises its “exceptional embrace of music's essence.” Rather than impressing through overt sonic showmanship, it is said to seduce through its natural connection to the music.
Dynamics
92/100
The Model Two adds output devices, increases rated output to 150W into 8 ohms and 225W into 4 ohms, and is said to bring bass grip close to the company’s NHB-486 monoblocks. Measurements slightly exceeded specification, reaching 155Wpc into 8 ohms and 230Wpc into 4 ohms, supporting the impression of firm control and useful headroom.
Soundstage Imaging
78/100
The supplied reviews do not directly describe stage width, depth, image focus, or layering. The strong musical praise suggests an engaging presentation, but it does not establish a specific spatial signature.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Stereophile found the earlier NHB-108’s fit and finish the equal of virtually any audio component it had encountered. For the Model Two, the revised output stage improves bass grip and removes the former low-impedance speaker switch requirement; measured performance remained stable into loads of 2 ohms and above, though its warm-running operation demands generous ventilation.
Value for Money
85/100
At roughly $63,000–$64,000, the NHB-108 occupies an uncompromising luxury-amplifier segment. None of the supplied reviews directly compares its asking price with competing amplifiers or offers a clear verdict on whether it represents especially strong value among its peers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
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Specifications
- Nominal Output Power
- 150 watts RMS @ 8 ohms 225 watts RMS @ 4 ohms
- Power Stage Gain
- 26 dB @ 8 ohms
- Analog Input Impedances
- BNC Zeel 50 ohms, 1 Hz to 1 MHz RCA line > 30 kohms, 5Hz to 100kHz XLR > 30 kohms
- Speaker Output Impedance
- < 0.33 ohms from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (measured under 8 ohms)
- Frequency Response
- 0.8 Hz - 600 kHz, +0, -3 dB
- Rise Time
- < 0.8 µs
- Slew Rate
- > 88 V/µs, peak-peak
- DC Output Voltage
- ± 50 mV
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
- < 1 % from 7 Hz to 77 kHz within the output dynamic range
- Temporal Distortion
- None, at any level and load, as specified above
- Crosstalk
- < - 90 dB from 20Hz to 20kHz
- Signal to noise ratio
- > 112 dB (A) @ nominal power
- Power consumption
- 50 watts @ idle, 900 watts @ maximum output power
- Size in mm
- 440 x 350 x 170 (WxDxH). Total deep with handles : 415mm
- Size in inches
- 17.32 x 13.78 x 6.7 (WxDxH). Total deep with handles : 16.4 inches
- Net weight
- 30 kg
Manufacturer's Description — Dartzeel
Often envied, never equalled.The NHB-108 is the ultimate dual-mono amplifier.Get ready for an audio experience that you've «Never Heard Before».
The NHB-108 was the first power amplifier designed and built by darTZeel.
The NHB-108 has earned legendary status among critics and music lovers alike. Its immediate success and multiple awards helped to quickly establish darTZeel in the premium market.
Regularly updated over a number of years and now reinvented in a «model two» version, this ultra-rapid, dual-mono amplifier is the high-end offering in the NHB series.
With power output of 150 watts per channel and its circuits patented worldwide that prevent global negative feedback, the NHB-108 model two connects effortlessly with any type of speaker, unleashing its full magic and capability.
High-tech
With two power supplies, two transformers, two audio circuits, and two coolers, the darTZeel model two is very much a dual-mono power amplifier in every respect.
The power supply cord is the only sign that everything is housed within the one chassis.
Ultimate elegance
The NHB-108 is the culmination of two decades of research and development.
Hervé Delétraz meticulously explored the possibilities for reproducing music in all its emotional richness and splendour.
The end product is an electronic audio circuit that has been greatly trimmed back to offer exceptional simplicity, which no one before thought possible.
Hervé Delétraz holds the patents that have made development of the NHB-108 possible.
His universal circuit diagram forms the basis for all our products, before applying the little touches that make a darTZeel.
Awakening the senses
In the relentless pursuit of perfection, everything must be considered down to the slightest detail.
darTZeel amplifiers delight not only in terms of how they sound, but also how they look and feel.
Through its toughened mineral glass panel, one can admire the fine-brushed, crescent-shaped bus bars made from 24-carat gold and the carefully partitioned internal layout that gives this exceptional amplifier its unique character.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Dartzeel NHB-108
- The Audio Association — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- Absolute Sounds — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Alma Music & Audio — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Ana Mighty Sound — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- Ars Antiqua Audio — online and in-store — Boadilla del Monte, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- ATR - Audio Trade — in-store — Eltville am Rhein, Hessen, Germany (website)
- Audio Absolute — in-store — Tambon Bang Khun Kong, Chang Wat Nonthaburi, Thailand (website)
- Audio Exotics — in-store — New Territories, Hong Kong (website)
- Audio Natali — in-store — Montecatini Terme, Toscana, Italy (website)
and 24 more verified dealers