Allnic M-3000 Mk 3 Mono Block Amplifier review

We recently reviewed, and were immensely impressed by, the Allnic H-7000 tubed phono stage (H-7000 review). It proved to be essentially flawless in performance, with a rich feature set to dial in the desired sound. And so it was with great anticipation that we accepted an opportunity to review Allnic’s M-3000 Mk 3 mono block power amplifiers.

The M-3000 design has been in Allnic’s lineup for a number of years, and with the Mk 3 designation, it now uses KT170 tubes to produce 240 watts per channel into 8 ohms in pentode mode and more than 100 in triode mode. These amplifiers are simply beasts, weighing in at 80 pounds per side. The M-3000 Mk 3 is only outgunned in the lineup by the 400 wpc M-5000 Titan mono block. The M-3000 Mk 3 sells for $30,000 per pair.

Aside from changing the power tube complement, there are numerous other differences between the current model and the previous two. As well as producing more power output, the Mk 3 also features Allnic’s K.S. Park’s optimized circuit design and obsessive gain tube / transformer matching. Like the MK2, the MK3 lets the listener switch between pentode and triode modes with the button on the front of the chassis.

Along with circuit changes Mr. Park made for the MK3 to maximize performance from the KT170s, larger power and output transformers are employed. These are, of course, the Allnic in-house produced permalloy-based transformers. A few other tube changes were also implemented, with the driver tubes now being 5654 in the input position, among others. The Mk 3 chassis is larger, and the power button now resides on the front panel as well.

The M-3000 Mk 3 is relatively feature-rich for a tube amplifier. There are retro power tube current old school meters on the top of the chassis, two per side, both RCA and XLR inputs, 4 and 8 ohm speaker terminals, fuse protection for each power tube, and a soft start circuit, which is always welcome. Incidentally, 8 and 16 ohm terminals can be installed by special order.

We unpacked the amps carefully, taking into account their weight and the preinstalled tubes. The tubes were very well protected with smart packaging and are housed during normal use in glass chimneys. We made sure the amps were well ventilated and separated from other electronics. Our review samples arrived in a silver finish, but can be ordered in a black matte finish as well.

Set Up & Use:

The M-3000 Mk 3 amps were dropped into a system consisting of the excellent Boenicke W11SE speakers (https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/boenicke-audio-w8), a Rogue RP-7 preamp, a Bryston DAC, the aforementioned Allnic H-7000 phono stage, SOTA and Rega turntables, and Clarus cables all around. Everything was plugged into Bryston and Audience power conditioners. We used XLR connections from source to amp.

We listened to a wide variety of music, both analog and digital, and of various vintages. We allowed the amps to settle for about a week before doing any critical listening. No special tweaks were employed; it was essentially plug and play. We did get quite a few amazed looks from visitors who marveled at the visual appearance of the amps, as the industrial design evokes the feeling of an exotic machine, with bulb-like KT170 tubes emitting a soft orange glow.

Once serious listening began, it only took a few days to formulate a basic understanding of what the Allnic mono blocks were about musically. There seemed to be reserves of power, and we never seemed to be able to stress the amps out. Along with that solid-state-like power and control, there was the unmistakable tonal beauty of tubes, with all the colours and midrange magic, with seemingly no restrictions at the frequency extremes.

We did not go easy on the M-3000 Mk 3. We threw everything at it, from heavy metal to free jazz and many genres in between. The amps were able to unravel even the most complicated musical passages with little or no effort. The amps had no trouble driving the Boenicke W11SE speakers to realistic sound pressure levels without breaking a sweat.

The 24/96 remaster of Use Your Illusion I and II, by Guns N’ Roses, was a true highlight. This was the band’s long-awaited followup to their debut, Appetite for Destruction, and it pulled no punches. The sprawling two-volume set, released simultaneously in 1991, is an epic statement where the group expanded their sonic palette and also kept ties with their influences, everything from punk to metal, with AC/DC, the Sex Pistols, and Aerosmith as touchstones.

The 24 bit remaster simply eviscerates the original CD and betters the mid-1990s Mobile Fidelity CD as well. The amount of mix detail and sheer energy that came through was remarkable. The tonal qualities of the acoustic and electric guitars and the spacious drumming were amazingly textural. The same goes for Axl Rose’s lead vocals, with all of his melodic venom shining through. Tracks like “Civil War,” “November Rain,” and “Don’t Damn Me” had fantastic cohesion and presence.

A recent release we have been enamoured with is Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1982 by the legendary Turkish drummer and percussionist Okay Temiz. The 24-bit remaster captures the incredible live energy of Temiz and his band, and it was sourced from the original master tape. The group explodes out of the gate and as the set progresses, we hear Turkish motifs interwoven with experimental jazz and fusion. It’s one of those recordings where the listener feels that they are on stage with the musicians. The Allnic amps were the perfect conduit for this otherworldly musical stew. Temiz’ whirlwind drumming and the sax and electric guitar lines, often in unison, were amazingly present.

We spun quite a few vinyl albums, and one of our favourite listening sessions was when we played an original 1967 pressing of The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. It was a delight to hear the group pushing the boundaries that started with Sgt. Pepper, released earlier that year, and adding instruments like Mellotron, Hammond organ, and George Harrison’s slide guitar. There was quite a bit of studio experimentation, The M-3000 Mk 3 made these well-worn tracks come to life, unfolding layers that previously sounded congealed. The distinction between each of the voices and all the baroque touches provided a splendid time for all.

A 24-bit digital download we have been enjoying immensely is Makalicious, by the superb world music band Makatumbe. It is really well recorded and features everything from African grooves to Arabic folk songs, Cumbia, and reggae. The drums and percussion are high energy and the vocals challenge the listener not to sing along, despite being in numerous languages. The Allnic monos made this album sound like a celebration, with the bass drum hits rendered with precision and the various instruments playing ethnic grooves, like accordion and clarinet, sound absolutely full-bodied and delightful. We had this album on repeat because the Allnics maximized the fun factor the band laid down in the studio.

The cohesion the M-3000 Mk 3 displayed was across all the major frequency bands. Nothing felt left out or overemphasized. Shouldn't all expensive and hyper-engineered amplifiers display a beautifully balanced sonic spectrum? Of course, but not all do. Designers and audio engineers will always, even subliminally, add their own bias, just as a record producer may imprint their own stamp on an artist’s recordings. It seems to me the good people at Allnic are really interested in both transparency and providing the best possible musical experience.

That being said, the Allnic amps produce that rich harmonic midrange that is unmistakable from well-designed tube gear, but without an artificially lush syrupy sound, especially in pentode mode. The high frequencies are silky smooth without being dulled. And the bass is not only deep and articulate, but nimble.

Pentode vs. triode

One of the attractive-sounding tuning features the M-3000 Mk 3 has is the ability to switch between pentode and triode mode on the fly, just by pressing the switch on the left side of the front panel. We did extensive listening comparing both with different genres of music.

We found triode mode to be warmer, rounder, and slightly darker, and especially enjoyable with music with heavy percussive qualities, as well as with electronic ambient music. There was more thump on bass drum and toms, and a rich midrange.

Pentode mode was more open, more transparent, and a bit more spacious. There was definitely less lushness and a bit more emphasis on the leading edge of notes and percussive hits. Ultimately, what the listener prefers will come down to the speaker and the program material.

Summing up

We believe many audiophiles have sought out the holographic midrange of high-end tube gear and the output power and resolution of the best solid state gear. The choices are few and far between. We believe Allnic has produced gear that leaves no stone unturned with respect to transparency, musicality, power, and organic rendering of any style of music. The KT170 tubes are certainly one reason why, and of course their nickel alloy transformers, which to all intents and purposes are state of the art.

In fact, it may be the transformers that are ultimately responsible for the incredible focus and imaging the M-3000 MK 3 produce. The tonal beauty and accuracy these amps produce is a rare thing in our experience.

The M-3000 Mk 3 were amazingly quiet amps, both mechanically and sonically. Allnic has clearly done a superb job of avoiding any tube microphony or resonance, both through design implementations and careful tube selections.

Conclusion

The Allnic M-3000 Mk 3 KT170-based mono amps are simply everything an audiophile could hope for from tube-based power amplifiers The sonic palette is complete in every way and checks every conceivable box. There is power to spare, reliable and hassle-free performance, and most importantly, breathtaking musical performance. The sound is also customizable via tube rolling, and on the fly pentode or triode mode switching.

The M-3000 Mk 3 are expensive, but when you dive into the parts’ quality, no-compromise design, and overall quality of build, it is a case of near perfection coming at a cost. There are no free lunches. The M-3000 Mk 3, paired with several speakers, proved to be an absolute dream in our system over the course of many months, superb and unmatched musically in our experience. A must-hear for tube lovers who are shopping for one of the best and most practical power amplifiers money can buy.

THE COMPANY

ALLNIC AUDIO

US Importer:

Kevalin Audio: info@kevalinaudio.com
+1 503.292.5592
7275 NE Avalon Drive Corvallis
Oregon, 97330, U.S.A 

Specifications:

Output power

• 240w (8Ω load, at 1KHz) Pentode

• >100w (8Ω load, at 1KHz) Triode

Distortion

• 0.17% at 1KHz at 10w

Frequency response

• 20Hz - 20KHz Flat

S/N ratio

• -80dB (CCIR, 1KHz)

Damping factor

• 8 at 8Ω load at 1KHz

Voltage gain

• +28dB

Input impedance

• 100KΩ (single-ended, unbalanced)

Input sensitivity

• 2.0V for maximum rated power

Fuse

Mains: AC 10A, 250V – 6x20mm slow-blow for 110/120V regions AC 5A, 250V – 6x20mm slow-blow for 230/240V regions

KT170s: 0.5A, 250V - 6x20mm slow-blow

Tubes (per chassis)

• KT170 x 4 (power tube)

• 6S4 x 2 (second stage drivers – equivalent to 6S4A)

• 5654 x 1 (first stage driver – equivalent to 5654W, 6AK5, 6AK5W, EF95 and CV1762)

Dimensions

• (W x D x H) 430mm (16.93 inches) x 430mm (16.93 inches) x 290mm (11.4 inches)

Weight

• 36 kg/79.4 lbs net per mono block. • 43 kg/ 94.8 lbs shipping weight per mono block

ALLNIC M-3000 Mk 3 MONO BLOCK AMPLIFIER - REVIEW