Trafomatic Audio Rhapsody
The Trafomatic Audio Rhapsody redefines 300B expectations with tactile, extended bass, lucid midrange presence and explosive dynamic realism. hi-fi+ heard a rare live-musical immediacy, while HiFi News praised fast transients, stable imaging and fatigue-free sheen. Its 20W parallel single-ended Class A design is a sumptuous, spacious performer for sympathetic high-sensitivity speakers.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
91/100
Value for Money
88/100
Pros
Unusually deep, tactile bass for a 300B amplifier, with convincing weight and agility.
Exceptionally natural, present midrange and vocals with strong musical engagement.
Fast, vivid dynamics and convincing soundstage depth across compatible loudspeakers.
Cons
Its 20W output makes efficient loudspeakers and modest room-volume demands important for best results.
Ultimate top-octave treble extension and cymbal resolution fall short of the best reference amplifiers.
No built-in phono stage, DAC or balance control.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers describe an unusually capable 300B design: richly natural through the midrange, forceful and extended in the bass, and notably vivid dynamically. Its presentation is also spacious and convincing, although the very highest treble and ultimate image layering fall short of the finest rivals.
Transparency Resolution
91/100
Audiokey found transparency and resolution to be among the best in the 300B field, while Hi-Fi News heard precise, authentic transient detail and quieter silences via the balanced input. The consistent caveat is at the top octave: cymbal energy and the furthest treble extension did not quite equal the reviewer’s reference amplifier.
Tonal Balance Musicality
96/100
The Rhapsody earned especially emphatic praise for its midrange, described as possessing humanity, naturalness and corporeal presence beyond many competing amplifiers. Hi-Fi News also found it sweet and warm without becoming overtly lush, while hi-fi+ praised its melodic ease, accuracy and live-musical connection.
Dynamics
94/100
Both major listening reviews were struck by its dynamic authority: hi-fi+ called its range occasionally shockingly real, and Hi-Fi News praised fast, crisp and convincing transients across very different loudspeakers. Audiokey also heard tactile, weighty low bass and agile upright-bass lines, though the 20W output means speaker sensitivity remains important at higher levels.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Hi-Fi News heard a rock-solid central image and real stage depth rather than a flat, cut-out presentation. Audiokey found the stage deep, broad and believable, with good layering and volume, but noted that its layering was not quite as pristine as the very best.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
The 32kg amplifier uses in-house transformers, a parallel single-ended Class A circuit with four 300B output tubes, and dedicated 4- and 8-ohm speaker terminals. Reviewers also reported faultless operation, excellent ergonomics, and a well-considered complement of RCA and balanced inputs, although the minimalist design omits onboard digital and phono facilities.
Value for Money
88/100
At roughly $20,000-$25,000, the Rhapsody is a serious luxury purchase, but reviewers portray its performance as commensurate with that level, particularly for listeners seeking 300B character without the usual bass and dynamic compromises. Hi-fi+ judged it sufficient for the overwhelming majority of systems and rooms, while the reviews stop short of direct price-to-peer comparisons or bargain language.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Output power
- 2x20W
- Class of operation
- Parallel Single- Ended (class A)
- Tubes complement
- 4x 300b, 2x 6SN7
- Inputs
- 3xRCA + 1xXLR
- Outputs
- 4 – 8 ohm
- Input sensitivity
- 0.5V rms THD %: 0.55% – 1W
- Frequency bandwidth
- 10Hz-75KHz (-3dB)
- S/N Ratio
- 80dB
- Input impedance
- 100K
- Power consumption
- 280VA
- Input voltage
- 230V/50Hz( 100-120-220-240V available on request)
- Size
- 470×370 x260mm
- Weight
- 32kg
Manufacturer's Description — Trafomatic Audio
Rhapsody is the pinnacle of our decades of experience in developing State of the art valve amplifiers
The name itself is the expression of our devotion to the Music and the Art.
By definition it implicates the profound roots and legacy to the ancient Greek Art of the rhapsodists in performing Epics, to the most modern compositions, where the one-movement work structure of highly contrasted moods, colours and tonality, is expansive and yet unified in structure.
The 300B valves are a piece of great audio history that are represented in the Rhapsody in the best and most refined way. The naturalness, the drive, their tonality and rich colour pallets are unmistakable. All of those virtues are combined and moved a step further by Trafomatic dedication into the deep understanding of the cyrcuit. The result is a endlessness adventure in discovering undisclosed hidden places in your favorite recordings.
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
By Frederick Mercury – The Queen
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Trafomatic Audio Rhapsody
- Absolute Sounds — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Haven — in-store — Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands (website)
- CASQUES HEADPHONES — in-store — Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
- Decibel+ — online and in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- Don Better Audio — online and in-store — Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States (website)
- Ears Unlimited — online and in-store — Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- EVA Acoustics — in-store — Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands (website)
- Hear This — in-store — Newport Beach, California, United States (website)
- Hearken Audio — online and in-store — Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Heartbeats + Headshells — in-store — Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States (website)
and 5 more verified dealers