New Boulder 866 Integrated Amp ?
 

This $12K amp is coming on the market very soon. Could this be the Holy Grail we have been waiting for ? :banana:

https://soundstageaustralia.com/inde...866-integrated

It certainly looks unique!

https://soundstageaustralia.com/imag...lder_866-1.jpg

I’m not sure pictures do it justice.

RMAF this year qualified my taste in Boulder along with a few audiophile friends and now my dealer.

I'd like to see Boulder gear live!
Seems like it's very solidly built.

https://soundstageaustralia.com/imag...lder_866-2.jpg

Rick721.......From the front the Boulder 866 looks like an accordion that hasn't been squeezed closed. A bit too eclectic for my eyes.

Holy Grail? Probably not. :rolleyes:

Dan, a good amp must be able to breathe. https://www.audioaficionado.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

Here's a review on their older Boulder 865 :music:

http://tonepublications.com/review/b...ted-amplifier/

Bart.......That's funny, but you are right. It just amuses me how a company will put effort and expense into creating a unique design trying to make a statement that separates them from the competition and then come up with something like the look of this new Boulder integrated amp. When the first drawings were presented to the decision makers someone in the room had to have laughed, at least a little. It's probably my inherent sense of symmetry that triggers this reaction, but I could not own an audio component that looked like the 866.

My thought is, with looks like that it must sound incredible. How else could Boulder hope to ever sell it. :D

Here's inside pictures of the all new Boulder 866

https://google.com/search?q=boulder+...BGNT5SF9F7IR67

Well I think it looks awesome

Atleast they made an effort to design something and not just another box

Bart - you are far too kind. The front and rear are good, but the sides look....... well, "not quite right", shall we say. Wonder if this might not be the final iteration? Was not on their website as of yesterday. Plus, it needs a volume knob.

No volume knob, I believe it will be all controlled by app or remote. We saw this in progress when a group of us visited Boulder during RMAF. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ll say it does look better in person. If I recall, the design of the cooling fins promotes upward air movement through them (don’t ask me how).

It looks incredibly odd to me too. :dunno:

Have owned two pieces of gear that did not have a volume knob. Found it to be a pita. Whenever I was up putting on an LP or CD or whatever would almost always have to go back and get the remote. Two of the buttons have an up or down arrow, so perhaps those are volume.

Hopefully, the digital data display will not be so small that one needs reading glasses to decipher. Another huge pita for us 'older folks'.

Yes, I had the same experience when I was using my Linn Klimax as a preamp. Wasn’t bad when playing digital, but when I changed to vinyl it was a nuisance.

I like Boulder gear but I would have to see this one in the flesh. I'm not sold on the industrial design from the photos.

Agree.

Looks good. I want to see it in black.

I’m good with that

Boulder only does black as a custom order for a significant upcharge. They do all their own machining of the billet aluminum in house, and black requires sending it out to be anodized. They discourage it.

Saw some of their products in black, its worth it.

There is no remote available for it, but there is supposed to be an android app, no apple iphone app yet.
And it looks a lot better in person, I agree with this.
I'm disappointed in no knob, no XLR outputs to push to a headphone amp, and no headphone jack.

The first review seems to have hit the shelves so to speak. I have heard this amplifier. It is smoother and ever so slightly warmer than I expected. The built in dac is far better than I expected and the vice like grip on the Wilson Sasha speakers I heard it driving was a complete surprise. Simply amazing at its price point.

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/...866-integrated

The unit I experienced had a remote that is through a usb “dongle” and I used an iphone and an ipad to control it through its app. Its a very nice integrated and thats from a perspective of a person who once owned an ARC GSI75 and a Nagra Classic integrated and currently own ARC ref pre and amp. Very nice indeed. Its likely a game changer for the $20,000 and under integrated category.

Why boulder devices have only balanced connectors?

Because balanced is a superior connection in virtually every measurable way. Noise rejection, etc. Single ended adapters are available that enable the use of single ended cables.

I'd like to hear this against Moon 700i V2, Diablo 300, PASS INT-250, in the 175+ watts per channel integrated category.

More finessed than the Pass, I can’t speak to the others. Ive not been moved to demo Simaudio but that experience was years ago. The int250 is an older design now in 2020 and I suspect Pass has new models forthcoming. The 866 is pretty special as I wasn’t smitten when I demoed the 865 years ago. There is so much wonderful gear available these days, we are truly fortunate to have so many viable choices.

I've had the INT-250 for 3+ years and very happy with it. But so many integrateds, such little time as I sail into my mid-60s with an itch for 'something different' for really no reason other than it's been 3+ years now.

Can you expand on your comment 'more finessed than the Pass' please? I don't understand what that means.

Hi aardvarkbark. A disclaimer to begin, the Pass is a great amp. We each have different preferences, speakers, rooms, optimal volume levels, etc, etc. I could live happily ever after with the Pass. I preferred the Boulder and I enjoy ARC ref tube gear as well. You are correct, finesse is very subjective. I encourage you to go and listen when you are able with familiar gear, etc. You may not agree for your tastes. To use a car analogy, the Pass is like a Corvette at idle and the Boulder is like a Porsche. When you goose the throttle, the Boulder is actually quite surprising. At modest volume levels, to my ears, it is very rich and then a dynamic snap hits you when you weren't expecting it. Always absolutely composed. YMMV

I purchased the 866. Its a very musical integrated which is extraordinarily easy to operate and listen to. Hoping my wife will listen more now. Flipping on 5 boxes vs picking up her ipad. A very musical and versatile amplifier and, within reason of course, I wasnt constrained within a given price range. Sound came first (and Im a tube lover for decades and I still have a couple of tube based systems), then features and then convenience. All boxes checked. Good luck to all.

Very cool, congratulations.

Congrats, indeed. :thumbsup: Is one of those designs that almost 'shocks' one, then slowly 'grows' aesthetically.

Did you purchase the fully loaded version or straight analog?

Loaded version, i wanted the ability to casually stream to the internal dac. Surprisingly good. I was biased against the sound quality of an internal dac. I was wrong, its very good. I still have a three piece digital rig but I dont turn it on every day now....

Congratulations! What speakers are you playing it through? What are you experiencing with thermal heat generation? Are those sinks gimmick or do they dissipate?

Wilson Sasha ii in this system. The heat sinks work well, its never more than warm to the touch in a well ventilated purpose built console style cabinet, even after a spirited listening session.

Each day I am more impressed, especially with the dac section. I will soon be testing the dac via the digital outs from an Aqua Linq. I await the arrival of a new aes/ebu 110 ohm digital cable.

A lot of raves on the Boulder Facebook on the new Boulder 866 Integrated amp!

This could the amp you buy and keep for life!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/BoulderAmplifiers/posts/

Here's the Boulder 866 amp with the new Magico A5 speakers!

WOW! very clean Uncolored Sound !....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGRVc2waFDk

A firmware update just came out from Boulder and loaded without a hitch. It is now a Roon endpoint, seamlessly integrated. Volume and power on-off from within the Roon app. Just the way a high end product and support should work.

If I was in the market for an integrated amp this would be at the top of my list. Looks like an amazing unit, Enjoy!