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Theta Digital
Intrepid
Multichannel Amplifier
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Description Model:
Theta Digital Intrepid
Price: $3500 USD (additional $250 for
silver alloy cover)
Dimensions: 17.63"W x 6.25"H x 20.5"D
Weight: 58 pounds
Warranty: Three years parts and labor
(with product registration) |
Features
- Sculpted-aluminum faceplate
- Balanced differential design
- 1100VA power supply
- Nichicon electrolytic and Wima film capacitors
- Balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs
- Gold-plated binding posts
- Detachable IEC power cord
- RS-232 port
- 12V DC trigger
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Design
The Theta Digital Intrepid is a five-channel amplifier
boasting 100Wpc into 8 ohms and 200Wpc into 4 ohms. One of the things that sets the
Intrepid apart from other amplifiers is its use of a single, massive 1100VA power
transformer and a 35A bridge rectifier for all five channels. Rather than isolating each
channel, Theta Digital reasoned that -- as it is rare that all five channels of a power
amplifier will be going flat-out at one time -- it would make sense for any single channel
confronted with a full-level signal to have access to the entire current capability of the
transformer. Theta Digital says that unless all five channels are driven to full power,
the channels not driven all that hard effectively lend their portion of the
transformer’s power to the active channels. In theory, it might be preferable for
each channel to have its own completely independent, massive power supply. In practice,
power supplies are expensive and add significantly to the price of a power amplifier and
unless price is no object (isn’t price always an object?), this may be the most
practical approach. Theta Digital claims that any single channel is capable of
130W.
The Intrepid is one beautiful and impressive amplifier.
Mine came with the optional brushed-silver alloy cover as opposed to the standard black
powder-coat finish. As frivolous as such an expenditure may seem, the fact is that a lot
of people spend at least as much time looking at their gear as they do actually using it.
There’s absolutely no reason that a product in this class shouldn’t look as good
as it sounds. Not that the Intrepid’s good looks boil down to only the cover -- oh,
no. The faceplate, which also conceals two easy-on-the-hands handles, is a beautifully
sculpted work of art. Without doubt, it’s the best-looking amplifier ever to
grace my system.
 On the front of the amplifier
are the standby/power switch, an LED indicating standby/power, and another indicating
thermal overload, which I never saw light up. Around back are five single-ended RCA and
five balanced XLR inputs, the main power switch, and a fuse. The five pairs of binding
posts are plastic-capped gold-plated five-ways of sturdy construction yet pedestrian
appearance -- well, it is the rear of the amp, after all.
Although the power the Intrepid packs isn’t quite
enough to drive my 85dB-efficient 4-ohm Magnepan MG3.6Rs main
speakers the way I usually like to drive them in my larger theater room, I
could redline the Intrepid all day and never get it to burp. It would get warm but not
hot, and it would keep on playing. One of these days I hope to get a chance to listen to
Theta Digital’s more powerful, 225W Dreadnaught
II amplifier, but for
now I can say that I enjoyed putting the Intrepid’s pedal to the metal.
Some home-theater amplifiers may
exhibit ground-loop hum. As a possible workaround for this, some people may choose to
float the ground on the amplifier. However, Theta Digital warns strongly against floating
the ground on the Intrepid. In my own experience, I had no such problems with the Intrepid
in my theater comprised of a cable-fed VCR, two subwoofers, a laserdisc player, a CD
player, a DVD player, and a preamp.
Performance
An amplifier with the Intrepid’s bloodlines begs a
pairing with high-end speakers and so the Intrepid also spent a good bit of time in my
two-channel rig -- initially so I could really zero in on its fundamental sound
characteristics. Over the full-range Silverline Sonata II loudspeakers the Intrepid
sounded unusually accomplished. With a tonal balance that is just a touch forward of
absolute neutrality, it had an engaging and friendly balance. Midrange clarity was very
good -- better than I expected. Treble was equally extended and gracious with a highly
palatable combination of extension and detail, nicely balanced against an overall friendly
character. Stereo imaging was first-class as well, as the Intrepid threw solid images and
had a nice sense of depth.
I found the Intrepid’s bass capabilities somewhat
surprising. Overall, bass performance is very good with an excellent sense of dynamics and
power. The level of bass detail just fell short of my twice-the-price reference monoblock
amplifiers (Herron M150s). Theta Digital’s Dave Reich encouraged me to try passively
biamping my speakers to hear yet more bass drive, but I never felt the need to do so. The
fact is that I liked what I was hearing, and doubling up on 100W channels seemed like
overkill with the 95dB-efficient Silverlines.
With those in mind who use
their multichannel system as much for music as movies, I did a lot of multichannel music
listening and I was always pleased with what I heard. The Intrepid throws an excellent
sense of expansive space and fills it with solid instrumental images. Try the new
multichannel SACD release of Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow [Sony/Epic ES 85440] and
witness the well-developed music-in-the-round soundstaging populated with uncommonly
tangible image outlines.
In the theater, the Intrepid sounded no less accomplished.
For those who use their multichannel system primarily for movies, my one caveat regarding
bass detail will be completely inconsequential. There‘s plenty of detail for the
types of bass found in movies, even if one uses full-range speakers and not subwoofers. In
the opening scene from Monsters, Inc. where Sully is roused out of bed only to hit
the deck for a set of push-ups, the Intrepid produced a healthy room-filling thud
as he first hit the floor. Later in the movie, when our big, blue hero rescues little Boo
from the laugh extractor, pushing it away from her and finally disjointing the machine,
the result is some equally impressive room-shaking bass energy. And wait till you get a
load of the trash compactor scene!
The opening scenes from Mission: Impossible 2 are
also incredibly well served by the Intrepid. Both the bass drums from the music score and
the bellowing footfalls from the scene with the Spanish dancers come across sounding as
good as I’ve ever heard them -- clean, powerful, and intoxicating in their expansive
and enveloping nature. Equally accomplished and intoxicating is the portion of the Hans
Zimmer soundtrack that accompanies the scene where the two cars spin out of control and
almost fall over the cliff.
Another highlight occurred when I tried Roy Orbison’s Black
and White DVD, and "Dream Baby" in particular. Orbison’s voice comes
across sweet and smooth. The Intrepid did an excellent job placing the vocals,
instrumentals, and backing vocals within an easily perceptible stage with real depth. Tom
Waits’s keyboards on "Blue Bayou" had an almost ghostly presence and the
soft guitar accompaniment shimmered in a chorus of the various guitar voices --
each separate and distinct, but as one. This DVD contains a softly recorded drum kit. No
trouble with hard sibilants from the snare, cymbals, or high-hat here. (Come to think of
it, I don’t remember ever being bothered by them.) The Intrepid did a good job of not
letting them fade into obscurity. Percussion had a silky yet detailed texture that
remained sturdily present.
"Lea" opens with some velvety strings that just
floated across the stage, while some tuneful percussion in the form of xylophone and
bongos kicked in for a kaleidoscope of tonal colors. It all seemed the perfect complement
to one of the sweetest voices ever to grace a stage -- all presented in perfect context.
Eventually the all-around refined nature of the Intrepid
reminded me that it doesn’t take a rock-em-sock-em soundtrack to show off a good
product. Sometimes, as they say, the devil is in the details, and a great product can make
even the most uneventful soundtrack succeed if it can preserve those details and render
them in a natural way. The Truman Show is a great example. The first scene shows
what I mean. Truman (Jim Carrey) is looking into what he thinks is his bathroom mirror
(it’s actually a camera, broadcasting his image to millions of TVs) and all that is
heard is his slightly muffled voice contrasted by the sweet, clean, and almost celestial
music wafting throughout the room. The soon-to-follow high school dance where Truman gets
the second glimpse of his true love is another excellent example, as my room was suddenly
transformed into a gymnasium filled with music. On and on it went -- a solo piano
backdrop, rain showers on the beach, string quartets -- all the things that one takes for
granted when immersed in a movie. They add sonic legitimacy to what is on the screen
without ever drawing attention to the soundtrack itself, unless one is writing a review.
Comparison
As compared to my reference Rotel RMB-1095, which costs
less than two-thirds the Intrepid’s price and offers twice the stated power, the
Intrepid made a strong showing. Both amplifiers have a friendly yet honest tonal balance,
and both amps have a nicely detailed and transparent midrange with the edge going to the
Intrepid. The Rotel had an advantage in two areas. It had slightly better bass detail and,
with more power, obviously drove my speakers louder with more ease.
But the Intrepid had it all over the Rotel in the way it
behaved at levels significantly below its maximum output levels. Unlike the Rotel, the
Intrepid’s musicality and tonal colors do not fade at low volumes. The Rotel can
sound great, but you have to push it before it does. Not so with the Intrepid -- I
had easy access to its charms no matter the program material or volume level.
Conclusion
At first blush the Theta Digital Intrepid amplifier looks
to be, shall we say, not inexpensive. Upon closer inspection one must consider that there
are five 100W channels of exceedingly high-quality sound under the hood -- and oh,
what a great-looking hood it is, too. Now that I’ve lived with the amplifier for the
better part of two months I’ve come to see it as a very good value. Its fundamental
sound quality is of high order and those looking to expand into a multichannel system
without wanting to compromise two-channel performance will want to give heavy
consideration to the Theta Digital Intrepid. Ultimately, I think the only people who
won’t be happy with the Intrepid are those with speakers that demand more power. For
everybody else, the Intrepid represents a refined amplifier that will engender real pride
of ownership for years to come.
| Review
System |
| Speakers - Magnepan MG3.6R (mains),
MGMC1 (surrounds), and MGCC2 (center), Velodyne SPL800 subwoofer (2) |
| Preamplifier
- McCormack MAP-1 |
| Source - Sony DVP-NS500V DVD player |
| Cables
- JPS Labs |
| Monitor - ProScan PS36700 direct-view
monitor |
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