"Reference Award" – Germany's i-fidelity.net
"A Five-Star Performer with a Three-Star Price!"
- Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
Upgrade of Vincent's Most Successful Amp, Now with 24/192 DAC and Bluetooth Streaming
Vincent's most successful amplifier of all time has been revised and upgraded as the new SV-237MKII. This new "third edition" of the hallowed SV-237 is improved inside and out. The chrome elements on the front panel have disappeared, giving the SV-237MKII a modern and elegant appearance. Vincent also modernized the inputs. The addition of Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to easily stream your favorite music from your cell phone, tablet, or computer.
As with the SV-237MKII's predecessor, digital music signals can be sent to the amplifier either via an optical cable or a coax cable. But the DAC has been upgraded. The built-in D/A converter module from Burr Brown (PCM 5102) has a bit rate of 24 bit / 192 kHz for processing high-resolution music files, letting you enjoy every musical detail through Vincent's famous hybrid circuitry.
"Everything About It is First Class"
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity calls the SV-237MKII "a five-star performer with a three-star price!"
According to reviewer Craig Chase, "The Vincent SV-237MKII goes well beyond being a high-value audio component. It can serve as the centerpiece for a high-end audio system. It can hold its own with a variety of high-end speakers. Its performance on both the Diptyque 140 Mark II planars and the DALI Oberon 9’s demonstrated a versatility that is hard to find for such a modest price… Everything about the Vincent 237MK II is first class."
Vincent's Hybrid Technology
The SV-237MKII uses hybrid technology. For Vincent, hybrid means "the best of both worlds." Two 6N1P NOS tubes in the preamp section contribute naturalness and warmth to the sound. For enhanced dynamics during the final amplification, four transistors in the power amp section deliver up to 250 watts (RMS) power per channel.
The SV-237MK II shares all the best attributes of its predecessors, including the basic circuitry. It will drive even 'difficult' loudspeakers effortlessly – and without any noise that all too often characterizes the use of tubes in other manufacturers' designs.
"It Can Be a Roaring Lion or a Purring Housecat"
"Hats off to the SV-237! It is the best amplifier in its price range and we are happy to honor it with our 'Reference Award' status," raves a review of the original-model SV-237 at Germany's i-fidelity.net. "Anyone who associates tube amplifiers with a cozy, warm, and cuddly sound will be surprised by the SV-237. It grasps the music with vigor, easily following every lightning-quick change in tempo. Depending on what you're listening to, it can be either a roaring lion or a purring housecat."
The Musicality Shines Through
The hybrid tube/transistor design of the SV-237MKII brings you luxurious 'golden age' sound and solid state reliability. The second stage of the preamplifier section uses a pair of 6N1P-EV vacuum tubes. Their greater voltage level provides improved signal stability with higher spectral purity that brings out the fine details of a recording. The musicality of the tubes shines through! The sound is never cold or analytical. And it delivers a full ten watts in pure 'Class A' mode. That's over 95% of your listening!
The revised circuit design also delivers greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio. You'll enjoy the explosive experience of a live performance thanks to the excellent dynamics. And enhancements to the volume control let you control the level via the included wireless remote.
The SV-237MKII has three line level analog inputs, pre-out and record out, and four pairs of speaker outputs for bi-wiring. The front panel includes tone controls, which is a great feature when implemented correctly, as Vincent does, and it adds to the 'golden age' feel and performance of this component. A tone 'bypass' control switches the treble and bass controls out of the circuitry. Another great idea from the past is a 'Loudness' switch, which restores a lot of the dynamics when you're playing your SV-237MKII at low volume.
Digital Inputs
In addition to its analog connections, the SV-237MKII has optical digital and coaxial digital inputs for your AV gear, along with a Bluetooth 5.0 wireless input. Digital-to-analog conversion is provided by a Burr Brown PCM 5102 DAC, offering hi-res 24/192 sound.
Read on for a close-up look at the original-model SV-237 from Audio Advisor President Wayne Schuurman.
"The SV-237MK is Big and Powerful and Rich," Says Audio Advisor President Wayne Schuurman
Have you ever tried to explain to a friend or acquaintance what high-end audio is about? The new Vincent SV-237 tube/hybrid stereo integrated amp is an ideal illustration. It's an update of the legendary SV-236MK that won reviewer praise and was a best seller in its price class all over the world. The SV-237MK is three things high-end audio products are or at least want to be. It's big and powerful and rich.
It's Big…
In an age of gear getting smaller, thinner, and lighter, the Vincent SV-237MK is the exact opposite. It's a big, full-sized component. The chassis is a full 18" deep, including the rugged, heavy-duty five-way binding posts. Now try to pick it up. You'll discover it weighs every ounce of the claimed 45 lbs.
It's Powerful…
Forget the wimpy, low-wattage amps produced by the competition! With its heavy-duty toroidial transformer, the SV-237MK delivers a full 150WRMS into eight ohms and over 250WRMS into four ohms. Turn it on and you'll immediately detect something very different. It's called bass! And most amps just can't give you the full impact of the music. The SV-237MK's bass varies with the music, and it's awesome, rock-solid, and real. Your non-audiophile friends have most likely never heard bass like this before. Kudo's go to the excellent power supply designed by German engineer Frank Blohbaum.
It's Rich…
One more thing sets the SV-237MK apart from ordinary audio gear. It's the rich, full sound of music amplified by tubes. The SV-237MK is biased to deliver a full ten watts in pure 'Class A' mode. That's over 95% of your listening! The combination of vacuum tubes and 'Class A' biasing gives instruments and voices a warm liquid texture that only the most expensive solid state gear can approximate.
