T+A PA 1100 E Integrated Amplifier with DAC

The PA 1100 E is an integrated amplifier from the T+A E Series, it delivers 140 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 250 watts into 4 ohms.

It has 3 pairs of RCA analogue inputs and 1 XLR analogue input, but in addition to the conventional array of analogue inputs the PA 1100 E also features an integrated DAC with a USB-B input (perfect for a Melco or a computer like a Mac Mini), 2 optical inputs, 2 coaxial inputs plus Bluetooth.

The USB input will support bit depths/sample rates up to 32 bit/384kHz and DSD256, the optical/coaxial inputs support up to 24 bit/192kHz

Having the onboard DAC is a great feature, firstly it offers superb performance, but it increases the flexibility of what you can do with the amplifier and it also keeps the box count down which is becoming increasingly important for many people.

There are also 2 cost options available for this amplifier which further enhances the feature set, the first option is a Moving Magnet or Moving Coil Phono Stage which is £405, the other option is an HDMI board, with 2 inputs and 1 ARC enabled output – very useful if your amplifier is in the same room as your TV and you would like to integrate everything together, connect your Sky Box and Blu Ray Player into the PA 1100 E then on to the TV.

Whilst the PA 1100 E is T+A’s entry level integrated amplifier the performance on offer here is anything entry level!

The tonal balance is natural and organic, it sits just on the warmer, rounded side of neutral and it is incredibly easy and engaging to listen to. It never shouts at you and it can form the basis of a system that you can listen to for hours without ever getting fatigued with strident artificial detail. It paints an expansive holographic soundstage,  one you can easily get lost in, with a Melco N100 connected via USB it makes a for compelling and compact 2 box system, anyone with an ageing CD player that has a digital output can give it new lease of life by connecting it to one of the digital inputs.

There are a couple of filter options available when using the digital inputs which can make a subtle but audible change to the music, there is no right or wrong filter setting, it is very much down to personal preference and it is certainly worth spending some time comparing them.

Build quality is typical T+A which is nothing less than you would expect from a high end German manufacturer!

The PA-1100 E is on demonstration now and as ever part exchange is welcome.