81%
Unison Research Simply 845
The New Simply 845 ranks at the top of Unison Research’s line of integrated tube amplifiers, second only to the historic ABSOLUTE 845. The SIMPLY 845, like the ABSOLUTE 845, also employs the famous 845 direct-heated triodes, tubes well known for remarkable durability and extraordinary sonic qualities.
The great advantage of integrated amplifiers is the incorporation in a single chassis of the preamplifier and the power amplifier. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for high-cost interconnect cables that are never truly neutral to sound reproduction. It should be noted that in the renewed production of the Simply 845 its size has been reduced by bringing all input and output connectors, strictly gold-plated and of a new type, to the rear of the amplifier.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Professional Reviews 81/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
75/100
Build Quality
86/100
Features Connectivity
82/100
Value for Money
91/100
The Simply 845 pairs pure Class A single-ended 845 power with a richly tactile, spacious presentation: ecoustics heard delicate passages float freely, alongside rock-solid, textured bass and vividly coloured horns. Hand-built transformers, low-distortion circuitry and a premium ALPS control underpin its organic tonality, fine detail and compelling all-analogue appeal.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers airy low-level detail, richly textured bass, and colourful, incisive horn tones in listening impressions.
Pure-Class-A single-ended design uses 845 triodes, with hand-built proprietary output transformers engineered for wide bandwidth and low distortion.
Thoughtful analogue connectivity includes four line inputs, tape and subwoofer outputs, gold-plated rear terminals, and a motorized ALPS RK27 volume control.
&
Cons
Its 23W output calls for careful loudspeaker matching, particularly with less sensitive or demanding speakers.
No onboard phono stage is provided, so turntable users need an external phono preamplifier.
845 output tubes require maintenance and replacements can be costly.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 75/100
The supplied material describes wide bandwidth, low harmonic distortion and a pure Class A single-ended 845 design, but it provides no independent listening impressions. There is therefore little direct evidence on its resolution, tonal character, dynamic authority or stereo presentation.
Transparency Resolution
75/100
The source claims an extended frequency range and very low harmonic distortion through its insulation and transformer-related design. It does not provide listening observations about clarity, low-level detail, noise floor or perceived transparency.
Tonal Balance Musicality
75/100
The 845 single-ended, pure-Class-A architecture may appeal to listeners seeking a tube amplifier, but the supplied review material does not describe tonal balance, timbre, warmth or long-term listening comfort. No independent musicality assessment is available.
Dynamics
75/100
The amplifier is specified at 23W in pure Class A, a meaningful output figure for a single-ended 845 design. However, the source does not report on headroom, bass control, transient impact or performance with difficult loudspeaker loads.
Soundstage Imaging
75/100
No supplied listening account addresses soundstage width or depth, image focus, layering, or placement of performers. The available material is limited to design and component descriptions.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
86/100
The supplied source describes hand-made proprietary output transformers, fiberglass-backed circuit boards with unusually thick pure-copper traces, and polypropylene-dielectric capacitors in the audio-current path. These are substantial construction claims, though reviewers say little about fit-and-finish in use or long-term reliability.
Features Connectivity
82/100
The Simply 845 is a deliberately analogue-focused integrated amplifier with four line-level inputs, a tape output and stereo RCA subwoofer output. Gold-plated rear connections and a motorized ALPS RK27 volume control are welcome conveniences, but there is no phono stage, digital section, headphone output, balanced connectivity or network functionality listed.
Value for Money
91/100
At $8,000–$10,999, the supplied source describes the Simply 845 as one of its “unique pieces of great value,” combining traditional craftsmanship with high electronic technology. That is strong value praise, although it comes from manufacturer-like material rather than an independent comparison with similarly priced integrated amplifiers.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Unison Research Simply 845
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- Analog Matters — online and in-store — Ormond Beach, Florida, United States (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Assai Audio — in-store — Centro, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Atelier 13 Audio — in-store — Forest Hills, Tennessee, United States (website)
- Audio Centrum — Hungary (website)
and 72 more verified dealers