Many of you may be familiar with the Monarchy Audio SE-100 mono-block amplifiers. I reviewed the original SE-100 Delux amplifiers back in July of 1998 for another publication and followed that a few months later with a review of an improved version that in my view was a considerable improvement on an already nice-sounding amp. Now, 15 years after Monarchy Audio’s C.C. Poon introduced the original SE-100, comes the first major re-design of the amplifier in the SE-100 Delux Mark 2.

Indeed, Monarchy Audio is touting this amplifier as the first “major improvement” in 15 years. These improvements, according to the manufacturer, are:

*Virtually noise-free, hum-free, thump-free operation
*Greater stability (will drive 2-Ohm loads)
*Much lower distortion (due to dramatically lower noise floor)
*Improved protection circuitry
*Distinctly purer sound
*Dual low-noise bridge rectifiers

Admirably, Monarchy Audio has held the price to $1,179 per mono-block or $2,358 per pair. How much of an audible improvement did all of the above actually make? We shall see.

[Note that Monarchy currently has the SE-100 Delux Mark 2 on sale for a substantial discount. Additionally, there is a “Special Edition” version that costs $100 more per amplifier and its rated power at 4 ohms is a bit higher at 200 watts/channel. Older SE-100s can be updated to Mark 2 status for $300 per amplifier or $500 for a stereo pair. Details and descriptions of the modifications are available on Monarchy’s website.]

Description and Features

The SE-100 Delux Mark 2 is a smallish single-ended class-A solid-state design that weighs a mere 22 pounds per amplifier (24 pounds for the SE version) and is rated at 100 watts into 8-ohms and 160 watts into 4-ohm loads. Cosmetically, the SE-100 Mark 2 appears extremely similar to the original version with its half-inch thick black anodized aluminum faceplate and familiar laser-engraved Monarchy Lion emblem. Upon closer inspection one will notice the rack handles are now oval and much more robust and there are twice as many vent slots in the top cover. Additionally, “Mark 2” is laser engraved on the rear panel.

Monarchy offers the amplifiers in both 117-volt and 230-volt versions. The front panel contains a lighted Power Off/On toggle switch, while the rear panel contains the AC female IEC connector, both RCA and Balanced XLR inputs, and one pair of heavy-duty 5-way speaker binding posts.
 

The SE-100 Delux Mark 2 is quite compact in its scant 9”W x 5”H x 12”D dimensions and I was certainly surprised by its surprisingly robust, clean, full-bodied presentation. Be advised that the large heat sink fins that flank the sides of the chassis are a bit sharp when handling, but since one can easily lift the amps by grabbing a convenient front-panel handle, this is not a big deal if reasonable caution is observed.

Upon some urging from my editor, Mr. Larry Borden, I queried Monarchy’s C.C. Poon as to whether or not amplifiers of this weight and dimension could truly be “Pure Class A.” Mr. Poon’s answer was rather enlightening, and here it is:

“The SE-100 runs in class A mode up to just about 30 watts, then slides into class AB. But the class distinction is actually irrelevant with ultra high speed MOSFETS:

Class A mode was used with amps using bi-polar power transistors at the output. These transistors operate into the low megahertz range at best, and mostly only in the kHz region. The class A mode can help eliminate cross-over distortion with bi-polar outputs.

The MOSFETS used in the SE-100 can operate into the Gigahertz region. They are so fast we cannot measure any cross-over distortion. So by running them in class A and then sliding into class AB at higher power, we get the best of both worlds — great sound at lower output where the amp runs warm, and high efficiency at high power output without running the amp much hotter.

Also, even the front panel, which is 3/4-inch thick aluminum, is utilized for heat dissipation. This is in addition to the heat-dissipating fins on the two flanges. The entire chassis is made with 3/8 inch aluminum; added to the base of the heat-sink fins, the aluminum is also 3/4 inch thick, so the entire heat-dissipating capacity of the amplifier is much higher than it seems at first glance.”

Smooth, rich, and detailed
When I first inserted the SE-100 Mark 2 into my Magnepan system in place of my VTL ST-85 tube amp I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first switched the amps on there was a bit of a mechanical thump (not through the speakers) and a slight mechanical hum that diminished to insignificance in a few seconds. Playing Cake’s “War Pigs” from B-Sides And Rarities (Upbeat Records 032307-06), I thought to myself something like, “Oh no, these amps are really bright!.” But as the amps played on, the brightness abated and the presentation became quite smooth and musical. In fact, the sound in the midrange was so sweet and smooth on John Mayer’s Continuum CD (Aware/Columbia 82876 79019-2) that his bluesy tunes lulled me into a very relaxed and pleased state of mind. The guitars were particularly appealing in that I could detect little (if any) difference between their sound through the Monarchy amps versus the same tracks played with the VTL ST-85—at least in the VTL’s tetrode mode. The sound was, in a word, “soulful.”

Be that as it may, I later switched the speaker cable from the SignalCable Silver Resolution to the less bright Speltz Anti-Cable speaker wires. Curiously, with the SignalCable the soundstage was deeper and the instruments better layered although it seemed a touch brighter and a bit less dynamic. With the Anti-Cables the soundstage moved more forward, became more dynamic and a little less bright. Overall, I liked the Speltz cables better for this application. I was already using the Speltz Anti-Cable interconnects between my Parasound class-A preamp and the Monarchy amps. This Speltz-to-Speltz configuration provided the best overall sound with the Magnepans.

After many listening sessions I became quite impressed and enamored with the sound of the Monarchy amps. I found them to exhibit a classic class-A type of sound, with deep powerful bass, a warm tube-like midrange, and very focused and detailed high frequencies. It’s the type of sound that can really seduce the listener.

In fact, I was so impressed with the Monarchy’s performance in the Magnepan system that I brought them downstairs to power my NSR Sonic Research Sonata D3 speakers in my large-room system. I’ve had all kinds of excellent amplifiers in this system, so I was very interested in hearing how the diminutive Monarchy amps would stack up. My most recent amps in the NSR system were the Wyred 4 Sound STI-500 class-D integrated, and the Spectron Musician II Mk-II (upgraded with Mk3 boards).

Playing Bela Fleck’s “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo,” from the CD of the same title (Warner Bros. 9 26562-2) I was impressed yet again by the Monarchy’s smooth musical midrange and by its very powerful punchy bass. You could feel that Hippo strut its lazy stuff across the floor, and Bela Fleck’s banjo sounded very natural and convincing without turning harsh or biting. In fact, for a time I preferred the Monarchy amps to the W4S and the Spectron because of the Monarchys’ innate smoothness and the bit of extra warmth and oomph they demonstrate in the bass. I even called a couple of my friends and told them that the Monarchy amps were going to be my new amps of choice.

Moreover, I was surprised at how loud and coherent the Monarchy amps could play in my large 14’ x30’ room. Listening to Fleetwood Mac’s live album, The Dance (Reprise 9 46702-2) the SE-100s belted out tunes like “Don’t Stop” at fairly loud volume with great bass energy and midrange presence, and without losing their composure in any way. And as loud as I played the SE-100s they never got “hot” like many class-A designs. I could comfortably grasp the heat sinks and hold them without any worry of burning my skin. This would indicate adequate heat-sink capacity for the amount of power being dissipated, which should lead to greater reliability and longer life.

Caveats
As time went on, and I did more listening I began to notice things like the extra dynamic bloom of the W4S STI-500 and also its superior resolution of detail. As great as the Monarchy amps sounded, they could not quite match the STI-500 in those areas. This being the case, I realize that many audiophiles would choose the Monarchy amplifiers at the end of the day for their extra warmth and smooth, harmonically convincing midrange without harboring the need to go for that last ounce of resolution and detail. And it is not like the Monarchy amps aren’t good at resolving detail by any means; they are just not quite world-class. Although the Monarchy’s bass is full and robust it is not as controlled and articulate as it is through the Wyred 4 Sound STI-500.

I should say a word or three about the SE-100’s treble, which I found to be very well focused and clean sounding. Cymbals really shimmer and will do your tweeters proud. My only complaint, if I have one (and this would be speaker and room dependent) is that the lower treble is just a touch more prominent than that of other amps I own. I don’t see this as a large flaw by any stretch. The amps are not sibilant, edgy, or strident; they just seem to have a touch more low-treble energy. If I were to guess, I’d say the slight prominence is somewhere in the vicinity of 6 kHz and on many of my recordings it seems like more of a plus than a minus. It serves to make recordings a bit more vivid and lively, and truth-be-told, the W4S STI-500 has a similar quality.

Summary
In my view, the recent changes that C.C. Poon has made to the SE-100’s circuitry are completely worthy of his Mark 2 designation. The new SE-100 Delux Mark 2 has more powerful bass, a more naturally sweet tube-like midrange, and better focused more refined treble reproduction than the original SE-100. In spite of its physical similarities to its predecessor, it is a different and much improved amplifier.

For those of you who may be looking for a solid-state amplifier, that sounds as good or better than many revered push-pull tube amplifiers, your search could be over. Without hesitation I can recommend the SE-100 Delux Mark 2 amplifiers to those who require moderately high power that sounds as smooth and sweet as music itself.

Specifications
Frequency Response: -0.1 dB from 20Hz to 20KHz at 1 Watt
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Greater than 120 dB below rated FTC (Full Bandwidth)
Slew Rate: 50V/microsecond
Input Impedence: 40k-Ohm
Input Sensitivity: 1.5Volt Peak-to-Peak for full output
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.01% at full rated FTC power from 20Hz to 20kHz.
Intermodulation Distortion (IMD): < 0.05% from 250 mW to full rated FTC power
FTC Output Power:
100 Watts RMS on 8 Ohms (Both Basic and Delux versions)
160 Watts RMS on 4 Ohms (Delux version)
200 Watts RMS on 4 Ohms (Special Edition, consult factory for details)
Power Bandwidth: -3dB from 5 Hz to 100kHz
Damping Factor: > 100
Voltage Gain: 26 dB.
Dimension: W9”x H5” x D12”, Net Weight 22 lbs, Gross Weight: 25 lbs.
AC Voltage: 117/234V 50/60Hz
Power Consumption: 180 Watts Idle, 250Watts full power

Monarchy Audio SE-100 Mark 2 Delux Mono Amplifiers
Price: $1,179 USD each

Manufacturer
Monarchy Audio
380 Swift Ave., #21
S. San Francisco, CA 94080
Phone: 650-873-3055
Fax: 650-588-0335

E-mail: monarchy@earthlink.net
Website: www.monarchyaudio.com