Audio Analogue Verdi Settanta

By Brent Burmester

October 2008

Audio Analogue Verdi Settanta integrated amplifier. $2799

The Audio Analogue Verdi amplifier (Click for larger image)
Rear panel of the Verdi (click for larger image)

Another review, another Audio Analogue. Like the subject of my outing in the August edition, the CD playing Rossini, the Verdi Settanta integrated amplifier wears a handsome Italian suit of silver, with pinprick blue LED accoutrement. Once again, however, its the little lights inside the box that make the difference, as this amp boasts valves, readily verified by a nosy through the ventilation slots on the lid. There revealed are two little bottles lying prone on the circuit board.

Sexy septuagenarian

When I tell you this is a 70W per-channel machine, you'll have reason to doubt me. Seventy watts? From two little valves? No, not really. The valves soup up the pre-amp stage, whereas the speakers are driven by transistors. For this reason, the Verdi Settanta is dubbed a hybrid design. Just before we move on, lets shed some light on the name: Verdi is clear enough, he was the infamous Scottish drum and bass pioneer, now making a living as a guerrilla graffiti artist on the streets of London. What does Settanta mean? It's Italian for, wait for it… wait for it… seventy.

The black stuff

Nicely made inside and out, the Verdi exhibits a clean and pleasing design. Large handsome gold-plated binding posts decorate the rear panel, which is also noteworthy for something not so always found these days. It's a little finger-tightened screw to clamp a grounding wire to the amp's case. That can only mean one thing: an in-built phono stage! Actually, it could mean provision is made for a phono upgrade if the amp comes without as standard, but that isn't the case here. It turns out the phono stage accommodates both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, and it works rather well. More on that in a moment.

Natural hybrid

As a hybrid, with delicate valves feeding muscular silicon, careful power regulation is a must. Consequently, the Verdi's weighty toroidal transformer features separate feeds, one for the pre-amp stage with the wee lightbulbs, and another for the solid-state power stage section. Squinting at the circuitry inside the box, I could make out high quality capacitors, and squinting at the online documentation, I could make out that the output transistors are LM3886Ts from National Semiconductor.

Start it up and the Verdi charms with a little warm up procedure, muting while the tiny lights on the fascia trace a circle around the volume knob. Cute. The actuation of the volume knob itself is slightly disconcerting. Volume is controlled by microprocessor, not a simple potentiometer, and the knob twists against spring resistance, rather than revolving freely. It takes a bit of practice to gain precise control of the loudness, by this route, but most users will resort to the remote control anyway. On that subject, the remote offers full command of the Verdi's companion source, the Rossini CD player, and other Audio Analogue devices.

Straight talk express

Once it's warm and ready to grind, those seventy watts in the Verdi go to work with poise and precision. Muse's Supermassive Black Hole rocks out very effectively: bass is tight and well controlled, no obvious bloat or overhand, but then again I'd hesitate to call it commanding. This is by no means a weedy amp, but neither is intent on crushing everything in its path.

To find further insights into the Verdi's qualities I tried it out with Jethro Tull's Living in the Past, on both CD and vinyl, via my Garrard 401 and Goldring 1022. Diction is very clear, with excellent resolution of acoustic guitar and incidental percussion on both. If anything the phono stage creates a better soundstage and fuller-bodied sound, and I'm taking care not to attribute these qualities to the source. Still, line level play is also very good, showing particular strengths in terms of transparency. Unlike some amps that like to push fine detail into the foreground with a little high end emphasis, the Verdi simply knows what's being played and tells you about it. Easy listening in the very best sense.

Indeed my lasting impression of the Verdi Settanta is an unflustered even-handedness. Complex compositions and simple arrangements are handled with a straightforwardness that makes it most improbable that this amp comes from the company responsible for the lusty Rossini player. Perhaps that's the magic of the pairing – one filled with drama and passion, the other a paragon of composure, ensuring emotion does not veer into excess.