I bought the unit from someone on Audiogon and then had him ship it directly to Parts Connection for Mods. The unit would hardly ever turn on from standby mode and would constantly shut down if I could get it started. I was very disappointed with Parts Connection and the amp. I bought a Marantz PM11S1 for a great deal on Audiogon, and WOW, what an amp. However, it developed a small problem in the pre-amp stage, and I had to take it in. So in the meantime, I had to use the Mambo...while playing it, it just stopped. For what ever reason, it was never generating enough power to not only get started, but to play music like it should, I was told by Deltronics in Woodridge, IL, as they fixed it. So, I plugged it in after Deltronics fixed it and.....it turned on immediately, and it got hot!! Perfect, just what I wanted as this is a 50 watt, pure class A amp! So, I kept it plugged in all night and took the Marantz out and put this in. WOW!!!! What a difference from my first go around with it. Detail galore, rhythm and focus. I use Legacy Classic HD, very sensitive, so it's a good match. I cannot overstate how good this amp now sounds. The Marantz has a bit more body to the sound, but the Mambo is very detailed and nuanced. Well recorded jazz, like Hank Mobley, Soul Station on XRCD is unreal...lifelike as hell. So, I recommend if you can get one for $7-800 and you have moderately sensitive speakers, you will not be disappointed....punches way, way beyond its $$$.

The Mambo has enough power to run inefficient speakers, such as Magnepan 1.6r's, with great detail and musical presence. As a class A amplifier, the Mambo runs warm, but excessive heat has never been issue. It is attractively designed. In the two years I have owned it, I have had no technical issues whatsoever. Both amplifier and silver metal remote are well-constructed and should last a long time. Build quality is excellent.

Heavy at 50 lbs. No headphone jack.

This is a 50 wpc class A integrated amplifier, silver, with remote.

Customer Service

I have had no need of service and would not expect to.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, Aiwa, Eico, McIntosh and Marantz

Great build quality. Smooth, but detailed sound.

Heavy! (50 lbs). No headphone jack. No preamp out. Minor stuff, IMO.

After using this amplifier for 2 months, I really don't know why it seems to get overlooked by so many buyers. It has a great balance of smoothness and clarity and it plays more powerfully than its 50 wpc would indicate. It's easy to find harsh, detailed amps out there. It's also easy to find soft ones that make vocals sound veiled and recessed. The Audio Refinement is a perfect example. The Mambo has a smooth midrange, but with detailed highs and solid bass. I experience much clearer midrange tones than with my Arcam A75+. Just today, I was in a local hi-end dealer and I A/B'd the Mambo directly against the Krell, Bel Canto and Creek and, while each amp had qualities that I liked, the Mambo held its own with the best of them. Look - sound is subjective and a matter of taste to be sure. All i'm saying is, don't overlook the Mambo for some other amps that seem to get more press. If you're shopping for an integrated, check it out. Oh yeah, it's got an upsampling DAC. I don't think it's going to improve the sound of any modern hi-end player, but the amp is worth the money just as an amp.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam A75+, Audio Refinement Complete Music Hall Maverick SACD player.

Wife Acceptance Factor Class A Power Remote (metal) Power Cord Built-in-Dac (Upsamples) Sound Build Quality (China)

None noted.

This is a great amp. It compares very favorably to the Joilda 302B with upgraded tubes I had previously. Decided to get something that was more convenient and easy to turn off/on or leave on for extended periods. After an extended search of reviews and some listening I settled upon the Mambo. Walter (who is outstanding to deal with - there is no one better in Audio retail) had a great deal on a demp so I went with it. It has Class A power so it sounds very warm yet detailed on the Celius speakers I have. It also has a decent upsampling dac built in. I now run my iTunes via an Airport Express wireless into the dac. Apple has a mini to optical that works great. The files are AAC so there is some information lost but for casual listening it is wonderful. If I want to really sit and do critical listening (which I never have time for) I can use the CD player and the music is heaven. The wife acceptance factor was huge -- its a neat looking unit. It for me makes more sense for my lifestyle to have a ss integrated/system that gives me huge amount of flexibility. Roy Hall did an outstanding job designing this unit. I have had seperates (tube - AI, CJ and AR and ss) and some decent and not so decent integrateds, with out a doubt this unit blows them away except for the 302B. I loved the Jolida and there is no doubt that for the money it is the best bargain in the world...however, this is close. If your in the market for a new integrated I would encourage you to check it out. With the Celius I get a decent soundstage with a warm open sound and the right amount of detail. Maybe my ears are getting old but with the iPod and a digital feed to the built in dac it works for me. My thanks to Roy and everyone at Music Hall for going out on the edge to create a product like the Mambo.

Similar Products Used:

Have mostly had seperates except for the: Jolida 302B (Great Unit) NAD 317 (Great...for second system) Older MAC Integrated Older Yamaha Integrated Concept Reciever (good with old Advents)