VITUS AUDIO SM-103 monos

Six years have passed since Audiodrom reviewed the Vitus Audio´s SS-102 power amplifier. Since then there have been changes in the company´s line-up: the SS-102 has been replaced by a new SS-103 that featured modified regulators in its powers supply and that received ´voicing´ equalizers on board to adjust the sound to the listener’s preferences. Some things have not changed at all, like that Vitus Audio does not share any details about their amplifiers’ internal topology. The sound of Vitus Audio amps was always a bit on the warm and thick side of neutrality – I have not auditioned the SS-103 personally but I was told that it was a more open sounding amplifier, and the SM-103 monoblocks are said to improve on it even more.

The SS-103 stereo power amplifier was strictly symmetric dual-mono design, two mono amps in one chassis in fact. The SM-103 separates these two into two chassis system. Vitus Audio claims that the SM-103 monos use selected and paired components (like transistors and resistors) which qualifies them to sit at the top of the company’s Signature range. Although the SM-103’s are already expensive, you should know that there is the Masterpiece range in Vitus Audio’s catalogue that features MP-M201 mono amplifiers – these is a four-piece set of oversized boxes that weighs 300kg. The SM-103’s weigh 75kg and deliver 100 W (Class A) and 150 W (Class AB) into 8 ohms each. These are rather conservative figures as watts are cheap today, but during my auditioning I never felt that the power would be missing.