03/10/2026
Christiaan Punter of Hifi-Advice.com had the privilege of doing the first ‘extensive listening period’ PA1 review. The amplifiers found their place in his setup and since he felt no reason to switch back to his reference amplifiers, they just stayed there for a few weeks. And then it happened. At the end of the review period Christiaan sat down to compare the PA1s with his reference system and to his surprise “the PA1s were actually nimbler, more immediate, and more communicative. (…) They excel in the area I find most important: letting the music speak for itself.”.
Christiaan became so enthusiastic about the PA1s that he offered them his “HFA Favorite” award and decided to buy them… We copy an excerpt of his review below, but please make sure to read the full text at Christiaan’s Hifi Advice website.
“The PA1s sound relaxed and unhurried, but definitely not slow or thick. They are highly lyrical and engaging, very articulate, nimble, and dynamically expressive. They can be incredibly fast, but only if the music requires it. They don’t always sound fast, which can translate to a dry or staccato rendition or shortened decay. Impressively, despite their communicative nature, they never shout or try to impress. Instead, these amplifiers disappear altogether, and you simply forget about them. And that is the highest praise I can give an amplifier. The PA1s aren’t cheap, but I can honestly say nothing in that price range comes close.”
Continue reading in the blog: https://www.grimmaudio.com/reviews/hifi-advice-pa1-sets-a-standard-for-transistor-amplification/
