Change of scene: »La Folia« is still regarded as the longtime referee in nearly all listening tests. The medieval dance music, played by the Atrium Musicae de Madrid, was also pressed on SACD under the Harmonia mundi label in 2003, and this one is now being sold for collector’s prices. Almost incredible how the Vincent was piecing together guitars, flutes, violins, upright basses, castanets, percussion instruments and voices into a melodic roundel with a fireworks of dynamics. The amp kept the complex sound themes perfectly apart, working out the individual character traits in a conceivable manner.

No false associations, please

Who associates valve amplifiers with chimney fire and plush sofa, hence a cosy, warm and cuddly type of sound, will be taught better by the SV-237. It grasped so relentlessly and followed every lightning-quick change in tempo with practically no delay. Depending on the musical content, it was alternating between the roles of a biting feline predator or a hand-tame pussy cat.
For instance during the atmospherically dense live recording of the now 78-year-old Leonhard Cohen at the O2 arena in London. The Vincent managed to conjure up the concert complete with sparklers and the blaze of lighters galore into the living room. Cohen’s voice was so authentic, just like I had heard him at the open air concert at the Waldbühne in Berlin last year. With the emphatic slide guitar and the nasally-sweet sound of the saxophone, it was able to awaken the same goose bumps again like live in Berlin then.

Chapeau! The SV-237 is the best amplifier in its price range and is awarded the reference medal by i-fidelity.net.