Mr. Poon, 
I got the new pro yesterday; its wonderful. 
I can hear a clear improvement right out of the box. 
The bass seems much fuller and more powerful.
The amp has the same refinement and excellent treble is even
sweeter sounding. I LOVE the amp.
The gain is still a tad to high but its an improvement over the previous amp for sure.
I will have a tube preamp in three weeks and I will let you know if the pairing worked.
Even if it doesnt, I am VERY pleased with the amp.
 
Thanks,

Earl Cline
 
 

Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:56:23 -0400
From: RICK CORVIN <RCORVIN@XTN.NET>
Subject: Phone conversation Friday 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time

Mr. Poon,
Thank you so much for calling me back and helping me with speaker hookup
question. I have had the 70 Pros for several months and listened to them
in unbalanced mode. I just picked up a good, older, balanced pre-amp to
try them balanced. I am not a symphony conductor and my ears are older
and definitely untrained but my system now sounds the best it ever has.
My search now starts for a better pre-amp (too bad your model 33 does
not have remote and a few more features).
Sincerely,

Rick Corvin

P.S. I will be looking for opportunities to complement  your products
and customer service on the audio web sites.

Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 17:06:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Duc Nguyen <ducdnguyen@sbcglobal.net>
Subject:  SM-70 PRO 
To: Microwise <microwisesystems@earthlink.net>

Hi Ming, how are you?

Yes I did pick the amps up yesterday at 2:00Pm.
Today I play a couple of hours with my system and they work fine, as good as I expected.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Regards.
Duc.
 

From: "ruyterm@audiomartins.com.br" <ruyterm@audiomartins.com.br>
Subject: Report, news and possible small order...
Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 00:22:10 GMT
(From Brazil)

Dear Mr. Poon,
Hope you and the business are OK.
Despite late, it´s time to report what are the impressions, so far, about 
the products we experimented.
First, let me talk about the pair of SM70-PRO. They were very appreciated 
by the costumers who listened to them in our show-room, specially after 
isolating (or dumping) them against vibrations with the Aurios MIBs (and, 
since last week, with the Still Points). It´s simply incredible how much 
better they perform when we use under them Aurios or Still Points (the same 
may happen with other efficient antivibration devices as well). I wouldn´t 
dare to demonstrate them, from now on, without antivibration treatment, or 
send them, at last, for review, without guarantee that the reviewer will 
assess their performance using such kind of devices. With them, the 
monoblocks performed as authentic top quality products, matching 
performance of much more expensive competitors, like BAT VK-60 (hope I did 
not exaggerate in the comparison)... Full bodied sound, refined and liquid. 
Congratulations, Mr. Poon! No sales, yet, but a nice beginning.
I reported these impressions to the editor-in-chief of the main high-end 
magazine in Brazil, and I seemed to succeed in impressing him, because he 
compromised to review them, possibly, next month or at most next July. It 
is my experience that only after a very strong review sales start to happen.
 
 
 

From: <davidauerbach@mindspring.com>
To: "Microwise" <microwisesystems@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2003 19:56:05 -0500

Ming,
The SM70's are the GREATEST. 
But as Mr. Poon says on the first page in the sm70 manual
(if you use single balanced xlr cable from preamp to amp),
"Now you have a truly Balanced amp, with the output signal summing to the speaker terminals." 
And these British "Monitor Audio" Speakers are the best I have ever seen..........And 
the "adcom" preamp is wonderful............Wish you were.
David Dauerbach
 

Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 08:13:12 -0700
From: Myra & Bill Galther <galther@pvtnetworks.net>

I received the third SM-70 on friday, warmed it up and made a few 
preliminary measurements, which are at least as good as the others.  So, I 
put the system together and it sounds wonderful!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  It has never sounded so good.  It has 
also never been this quiet.   It is difficult to tell if it is even on, if 
nothing is playing.  The dynamics are great, and there is power to spare.

Thank you for your partnership in improving my sound system.  It doesn't 
get any better than this.  I am thoroughly happy and satisfied.

I will be happy with a 4th SM-70 as you offered.  I spoke to June about it 
last week on Tuesday and sent the last SM-70 PRO back on Thursday as I 
told her I would.

Thank you again.  Dealing with you has been a pleasure.  Your commitment 
to satisfied customers is obvious and deserves commendation.   I'm sure 
you'll be hearing more from me during my "optimizations".

Warm Regards,

Bill G.
 
 
 
 
 
 

From: TTOTPT@aol.com
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 23:32:45 EST
Subject:  22C and SM70
To: monarchy@earthlink.net

Mr C.C. Poon,

I really like your products 22C and SM70 mono's.
They have really exceeded my expectations. 
Does the 33 have the same volume increments as the 22C? 
I like how smooth it is and the number of steps. 
I have had over 20 preamps and the 22C is killer. 
This is also the best DAC I have used.  Thanks for your support

Tim 
From: TTOTPT@aol.com
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 01:06:34 EST
Subject: SM70
 

Hello,

I just purchased a used pair of SM 70's and they sound incredible.  I have had at least 8 amplifiers in the last year and these mono's are on the top of my list.  One question concerning speaker connections.  In the manual there is a diagram that displays the woofers polarity being reversed.  I am using the SM70's in mono with XLR connection. 

Tim 
 

From: "Luc Benac [CTF Systems 2001 Inc.]" <lbenac@ctf.com>
To: "Microwise" <microwisesystems@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 12:12:10 -0800

Dear Ming,

I have received the SM70 and DAC33 and enjoy them very much. I found the
combination outstanding for the price paid.
I intend to purchase another SM70 when I am back after new year, could you
let me know by -mail of any offers or sale discount on the SM70 in January.
Thank you.
Regards,
Luc.

Luc Benac
Director of Finance
CTF Systems 2001 Inc.
 

Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 11:39:17 -0400
From: ROLF E HAGELGANS <prpixel@prodigy.net>
Subject: Re: SM-70

To: microwisesystems@earthlink.net
Just wanted to let you know that I received the SM-70 two weeks ago.
Arrived fine.  Have been listening to it and really enjoy its tube-like
sound.  Very pleased with the amp and the transaction.  I am going to keep
your name on file for future purchases.

It was a pleasure doing business with you.

Thanks,
Rolf Beck
Emma Beck

From: TTOTPT@aol.com
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 01:06:34 EST
Subject: SM70
To: monarchy@earthlink.net

Hello,

I just purchased a used pair of SM 70's and they sound incredible. 
I have had at least 8 amplifiers in the last year and these mono's are on the top of my list.
 One question concerning speaker connections.  In the manual there is a diagram that displays the woofers polarity being reversed. 
I am using the SM70's in mono with XLR connection. 

Tim 
______________________________________________________________________________________________

From: "Didier Deparis" <didier.deparis@netplus.ch>
Subject:  versus 845
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 21:06:14 +0100

Mr. Poon , i am happy to tell you i have made some comparaisons beetwen  sm 70 pro  versus   845  valve :
The preamp  who  was  used  for both  was the Mystery One from Unison Research ,a very good valve preamp specialy designed  for  their  monoblocs  amps  named:  Smart 845   (Unison Research ) 
The source was a dvd audio /video  Meridian  flagship  model 596
one sm 70 pro was used in stereo mode 
Differences:
 845 : liquid sound , pleasure to hear  , soundstage ,coherence, the combinaison is my favorite for valve amplification .
 sm 70 pro :more  transparency , more high ,more deep , more bass ,equal sounstage,less liquid, less coherence  (normal i suppose with a non dedicated preamp)

 Conclusion :

 i have always love  the  Unison Mystery/845  combo (best than other valve combo i had owned) but sm 70 are not in their maximum configuration (stereo mode and not with dedicated preamp) so i think i will go further with monarchy product   and i will sale my unison research  nearly.

I have few questions please:

-do you plan a new preamp (model 44 ?) i have forgot to ask you this question from the begining.
-If not i will probably order a model 33 with piggy back(not for tube), it is possible to have twice piggy back ? ( 1chip +one chip more soldered on the pins of the original)
 I understand it can sound fool for you but i want the maximum of sound quality from the model 33 even if is it the last 10 per cent .
-a friend of me ask me if there is  a Monarchy dealer yet in France .

                                                      Best regards
                                                        Mr. Deparis

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2001 20:19:03 -0500
From: Mike Klein <klein@loyno.edu>
cc: "C.C.POON" <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Subject: Quality products and support
 

I wanted to take the opportunity to praise the products, service and 
support of one of the smaller of the high-end manufacturers, Mr. C. C. 
Poon of Monarchy Audio. Both he and his company deserve all the support 
they can get.

I have used the Monarchy Audio DIP and the DIP 24/96 for some time, and, 
thus, am familiar with the company. I became interested in purchasing a 
high quality amplifier at a very reasonable price. I visited his web site 
(http://www.monarchaudio.com) and read some of the reviews posted there. 
My speakers are built by a friend and present a somewhat difficult load to 
drive. I called the company and talked to Mr. Poon about my concerns. He 
suggested that his SM-70 Pro amplifier would be able to handle the job. I 
purchased one with the background intent of later purchasing a second amp 
and running the pair in bridged mono mode.

After the first amp arrived and warmed up I was immediately sold. The 
sound qualiity from 45 amps was astounding. Plenty of detail. Plenty of 
low end. Plenty of sublety. I knew then I would have to get the second amp.

I called and ordered a second SM-70 Pro. When it arrived a few days later, 
I hooked it up, but heard a loud hum! Several phone calls and emails later 
Mr. Poon helped me to identify and eliminate a ground loop! His level of 
concern and professionalism should be a model for other manufacturers to 
follow.

The SM-70 Pro is an outstanding product and easily better than amps 
costing much more.
 

Mike Klein
Metairie, LA

From: "Tim" <timt@home.com>
To: <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Subject: 
Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2001 15:13:59 -0400
 

Hi there,

Well, I just wanted to let you guys know that I love my New Monarchy SM-70 (s).
I am running them in mono and they SOUND GREAT!
I have a question regarding the low noise rectifier upgrade. 
Where can I purchase the rectifiers and what is the cost.
Hope you can help me out 
Thank Tim

"GREAT AMPS"

Subject: Netherlands User comment: SM-70

From: "Robert Simon" <robertms@euronet.nl>
To: C.C.POON <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 03:15:03 +0200
Subject: sm-70 review

Dear CC Poon
Finally, as promised a long while ago, I've written a review of the SM-
70. It's long, personal, hopefully accessible, and quite positive
(needless to say). I will be posting it probably tomorrow both on
AudioReview, and on the AudioAsylum. I've pasted it below so you
can have a preview. Do feel free to quote from it or reprint it if you so
desire, where you like. The only thing I did not add to this is my great
interest in the SM-70 Pros, which are unfortunately beyond my
means. But I do continue to get enormous pleasure from my SM-
70s, and am glad to pass the good word on Monarchy Audio.

Best,

Robert
 

From: "Robert Simon" <robertms@euronet.nl>
To: C.C.POON <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 20:57:51 +0200
Subject: reviews posted

Dear CC Poon,

Just wanted to let you know that I posted my review of the SM-70s
on Audio Review and the Audio Asylum. Hope that these have some
positive influence. And given the fact that I'm soon about to expand
the size of my listening area, I hope that one day I'll be able to get
my hands on the SM-70 pros, about which I've heard wonderful things,
and given my experience with the SM-70s, I expect that these must
be pretty excellent amps.

I'm sending once again a copy of my review, since I corrected some
typos I found in the last version I sent you.

Best,

Robert
 
 

To put things in a nutshell: the Monarchy SM-70s are fine amplifiers,
and though it should be said that they are a great value for the
money (I paid roughly 1400$ for a pair), I believe that perhaps more
importantly the SM-70s offer a marked degree of real quality to
audiophile diehards as well as casual listeners.

Some personal background: I'm a lifelong music lover (and concert-
goer), and have very slowly and deliberately put together a collection
of 2000+ cds and roughly 1000 albums. Probably 90% of this is
classical music, with the rest divided between jazz, folk and pop.
Until something like a year or so ago I spent my money on music,
and lived happily with relatively lower-priced audio equipment. I've
always been distressed by the idea of assembling expensive high-
end systems--even assuming money would not be a barrier--around a
tiny collection of "audiophile" vinyl and/or compacts. I fully accept
someone's decision to focus primarily on the quality of sound and
sophistication of equipment, but for me my audio budget went
towards putting together what I consider to be a good and
comprehensive music library.

Not to say that quality of sound was entirely unimportant to the
equation: my pre-"major-upgrade" system consisted of a nice Rotel
integrated, an old, workhorse Pioneer cd player, and a pair of B+W
CDM1-SE speakers (no accessories, and generic cabling).
Pleasurable music listening was more than possible with this, and I
did have many opportunities to listen to high and super high-end solid
state and tube-based systems, which opened my ears to the
potentials of audio reproduction (and sometimes to the potential
lunacies of audio gear-o-philia).

In any case, when I decided it was time to put together my own
modestly high-end system, the first component I looked for was an
amplifier. I set approx. 2500/3000$ as a price limit. I did lots of
shopping around and listening, within the constraints of what was
available here in Holland. On the new and used market this search
led to Bryston, Musical Fidelity, Duson, Krell, Pass, Densen, and a
few others. My interest was in a solid-state design (valves perhaps in
a few years from now). But solid state without electronic glare, with
the ability to offer detail, delicacy, and the wonderful sense that
notes and voices hang in space. Also dynamic headroom, ability to
produce palpable bass, high frequencies without harshness, and the
capability of driving a wide array of speakers (this last being one
main reason, along with price, that I chose not to take the valve
route). Also: I'm not enamoured of highly analytical systems, which
to my mind is not the same as neutrality (this said from my live-
performance experiences).

While I found much to recommend the Bryston and Pass amps to
my tastes (and to a lesser degree the Densen), parallel research in
audio magazines, on-line magazines, email conversations and word-
of-mouth sources brought Monarchy audio to my attention. What I
put together was this: the Monarchys seemed, at least via reviews
and discussion, to fit the bill, a solid state design offering dynamics,
delicacy, articulation and glare-free sonic operation. And at a price
that would allow me more money available to spend on the rest of my
system upgrade.

Going the Monarchy route involved two big risks however. First, of
course, buying equipment I'd never heard first-hand. But I figured that
such  a risk is sometimes worth taking in the context of a global
marketplace, where expanded options and possibilities have to be
balanced against direct contact with locally available equipment. And
second of all, buying from a small company at the distance of an
ocean and a continent was a daunting prospect. But I'd heard very
positive things from people who'd done business with Monarchy, and
then I gave a telephone call to Mr CC Poon, the man behind the
company--in numerous phonecalls and emails before and after I
bought the SM-70s, he was unfailingly courteous, straightforward and
informative. And always modest (though confident in his equipment)
and low-key: I never got the feeling that he was doing any kind of
hard-sell.

So I bought the amps, dealt with European custom tariffs (the overall
price still remained comparatively low), and set them up. No shipping
damage. After only a little break-in time my impression was this: a
real and expansive soundstage, an effortless ferreting out of detail, a
sense of coherent presentation of instruments and voices, and
perhaps best of all, a liquid sound, that offered up, with vivid clarity,
the flow of complex orchestral passages (eg the Scherzo of Mahler's
5th, conducted by John Barbirolli) in a way that made me lose
awareness of sound mediated by plastic, wires, cones and circuits.

The Monarchys anchored my system upgrade. Next better cabling
(including Harmonic Tech Pro-9 speaker cables, and interconnects
by Van den Hul and Monarchy). And then, selling off my Rotel, which
I'd been using for some weeks as a pre-amp, after lots of comparison
shopping and some in-house tryouts, I again went the sight-
unseen/sound-unheard route and mail-ordered the Morrison ELAD.
This is another subject altogether, but once again, anchored to the
Monarchys, I experienced a very tangible expansion of soundstage
and detail-retrieval (the ELAD promises no sound coloration, at which
I believe it succeeds eminently), all the while the system maintaining
its liquid character.

With one dissatisfaction however: though I much liked the precision
of my B+Ws, I'd always found them on the overly analytical side,
occasionally producing a degree of what I take as artificial-sounding
separations and insistent emphases, and at times a harshness that
undermined my much-cherished liquid sound. (And I do recognize
the contribution of cd-based music reproduction to certain sonic
unpleasantries).

Next, I moved from my Pioneer cd player to the AhTjoeb, with a pair
of NOS Philips E288CC Gold Pins. Again, another story, but another
system improvement and at a very modest cost, an improvement
particularly in the area of increased frequency range, and cd glare
reduction.

The next and biggest hurdle for me was a pair of new speakers.
Given the SM-70s' roughly 75w rms capabilities in bridged mode, I
worried about their ability to drive a wide range of speakers, which
was one of the reasons I opted for a solid state design in the first
place. I have a listening area of roughly 11' w x 17' l, not enormous,
but given the fact that I will listen to large-scale orchestral and choral
works at substantial volume levels, the power abilities of the amps
offered potentially significant constraints on my speaker choices.

A series of email and telephone conversations with CC Poon
followed, and as usual he offered a low-key and confident appraisal of
the Monarchys' capabilities in terms of my situation and interests. I
dragged my Monarchys with me all over Holland (an advantage of
small-sized equipment), and hooked them up to any number of
speakers. Finally wound up in one audio shop, and over a number of
days, tried them with models of Magnepan, Sonus Faber, ProAc,
and Vienna Acoustics. I fixed finally on the ProAc 1.5s, and the
Vienna Acoustics Beethovens, and then finally the Beethovens,
which offered, with my Monarchys, this indefinable quality of
musicality. The Beethovens are marvelous speakers, with a sound at
once natural and coherent, a pristine high frequency, detail without
over-analysis, a full-bodied middle and a solid, deep bottom end.
With my Monarchys, I found myself forgetting that I was auditioning
equipment, and the deal was done. Except for one thing: at the shop,
I replaced the Monarchys with a Krell 150w amplifier, and gave this a
try. Yes, there was an increased sense of "slam" as they say, but I
found this aggressive, rather than impressive, and the Monarchys
were able to offer, at equal volume,  what for me was equivalent detail
retrieval, soundstaging, transient response, etc., with a superior
liquid and musical sense. The Beethovens are not an exceptionally
easy drive--91 dbl sensitivity, 4 ohm nom. impedance dipping to
around 2 or so--but in the audio shop, and then in my home, the
Monarchys have matched very well with my speakers, and I've never
had any problems with clipping.

Of course if my listening area was larger, I couldn't say if the
Monarchys would be entirely up to the job--they are 75w amps--and
perhaps in another setting at high(ish) listening levels they might
slow down, run out of juice. But that's something I can't comment on
and am not presently faced with.

The final chapter in this very long story is that as the last element of
my system upgrade I got myself a nice "entry level" analog front end,
a good price (here in Europe) on a Pro-ject 6.9 tt, a Goldring Eroica
LX cartridge, and a Lehmann Black Cube phonostage. I'm spending
probably 75% of my listening time now on vinyl (which totals at least
a few hours a day), and without wanting to repeat myself on the
virtues of the Monarchys, or extol the wonderments of vinyl sound,
the amps are excellent partners to records, to the sonic richness and
presence of analog sound reproduction, as usual maintaining a
striking level of clarity.

My system and sound are far from perfect, and I see areas for
improvement, both in terms of components, and room treatment and
arrangement (with great effort I just shifted into a long-wall speaker
placement, which so far seems pretty interesting). And the upgrade-
bug seems unavoidable, with the potential for better performance and
equipment lurking around every corner. I don't have any real
criticisms of my Monarchys, at least not in my present system, and
room setup. I have heard it said that the Monarchys can be
somewhat forward in their soundstage presentation, but I've not
experienced this. Soundstage certainly is a matter of
room/equipment synergy, along with everything else, and though I
dream of a concert-hall depth soundstage, I've found that the best
first steps one can take to make alterations here involve simple and
creative room and system rearrangements.

I do like listening to my music, and I listen very seriously, and a lot.
And as it stands the SM-70s have proven to be extremely fine
amplifiers, at an exceptional price. And Monarchy is a good
company to do business with.

From: "Ryan Tew" <rtt5@email.byu.edu>
To: "C.C.POON" <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Subject: Just wanted to let you know
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 23:17:06 -0700

Hi Mr. Poon,

I have now had both my SM-70 PROs up and running in my system now for the last few months. 
I just wanted to tell you that this is the best sound I have heard from my speakers ever. 
They sound fantastic.  Everything is so realistic and natural sounding. 
I am headed toward the utalization of balanced inputs soon. 
Well thank you very much for such a wonderful product.  Keep up the good work.

Regards,
Ryan
 

From: "Ryan Tew" <rtt5@email.byu.edu>
To: "C.C.POON" <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Subject: Just wanted to let you know
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 23:17:06 -0700

Hi Mr. Poon,

I have now had both my SM-70PROs up and running in my system now for the last few months. I just wanted to tell you that this is the best sound I have heard from my speakers ever. They sound fantastic. Everything is so realistic and natural sounding. I am headed toward the utalization of balanced inputs soon. Well thank you very much for such a wonderful product. Keep up the good work.

Regards,
Ryan
 

From: Ed Whitesell <whitesll@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Re: SM-70/SM-70 Pro

Hello Mr. Poon,
I just wanted you to know that you have another happy customer!
I received the SM-70 and model 33 last Friday. I got them home and hooked 
them up that evening and have been enjoying them ever since. I am quite 
impressed with the improvements these components have made to my system.
I have 3 questions for you.
1. What benefits to the sound might I expect if I decided to get another SM-70
and use them as monoblocks? Remember my speakers are quite efficient and I 
currently listen (at moderate levels) with the volume knob set ~9:00 or 
less. Would the added power cause me to keep the volume level knob lower 
(say ~8:00 or so) have a negative effect on the sound impact.
To phrase my question another way, are the amps as dynamic running so far 
below their maximum power (mili-watts instead of watts)?
2. Why is the on/off switch on the rear of the model 33? Is it intended to 
be left on all the time?
3. What is the normal break-in period? I have been listening ~10 hours so far.
Thank you so much for all the advice you have given me, and for making such 
a fine product so affordable.
Best regards,
Ed Whitesell

To: monarchy@earthlink.net
Subject: Customer Review

Hello Mr. Poon:

Just wanted to tell you that I received the SM-70 and I am totally
satisfied. This is the best sounding amp I have ever owned. Please see
the review that I posted today on Audio Review.

http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/Amplifier/product_3204.shtml

I will be carefully investigating your other products!

Thanks,

Greg Ewing

Preview of the SM-70 PRO by Sam Ho, Chief Editor, Hi Fi Review. 
Signal Source: Accuphase SACD
Preamp: Audio Note M6
Speaker : PMC IB-1 Monitors(Transmission Line)
Power Amps: 4 x MONARCHY SM-70 mono blocks.
Software: Peter, Paul and Mary "Green Fields" 1962

"The three performers stand right in front of us. You 
can almost touch them.
"We substituted the SM-70's with the Mark Levinson No. 434
mono blocks, costing over HK$100,000. The feeling of flesh and blood,
the in-your-face presence, is simply not there any more. 
"The SM-70 ranks supreme in the mid to ultra high response.
The sound field is deep and wide. 
It does show a little weakness in the bass, and drums lack just a
hair of full impact. 
In terms of value, no other brand name amp is the equal
of four SM-70's, regardless of price.
Full review appears in the Jan 2001 issue. 

To: "C.C.POON" <monarchy@earthlink.net>
Subject: SM-70/pro

Dear Mr. C.C. Poon,
 

Last week, on Monday the two Monarchy SM-70/PROs
arrived. I installed the two monoblocks, switched them
on, and have yet to switch then off...
I started listening to some of my current favorite discs.
I am very satisfied with these amplifiers!
It's rather strange, one plays a favorite disc,
and all of a sudden hear things in that record you
never heard before.
The effect these amps have on my system is such
that especially pianos sound much smoother. Also,
the positioning of the instruments is more apparent.
(And I like pianos a lot, for instance Dave Brubeck,
but also Milt Jackson and his Modern Jazz Quartet.)
So, to summarize: I can say that I am very happy
with these amplifiers.
Best regards,
 Johan Blouw
 
 

Mr. Poon,

     I just finished posting a review for you on the
audioreview website.  I hope that it helps to bring
you more customers.  If anyone contacts me through
e-mail I will share my positive experiences with the
SM-70 amplifier.  Thanks again, and if I get the money
together, I will purchase another and run them as
monoblocks.  Right before I got the SM-70 in my
Kinergetics Research Chiro C-200 began acting up.  I
put in an e-mail to them (Kinergetics) a week ago and
have heard nothing back.  I believe that it is still
under warranty so we'll see how they handle it.  The
SM-70 is holding it's own rather well against the 42
pound 140 Watt C-200.  I was surprised.  Thanks for
making such a well made and reasonably priced piece of
audio equipment.  As I had written before, I wish I
had purchased the 22B DAC instead of the MSB Link III
DAC.  I had an engineer modify the unit by replacing
many of the capacitors and resistors with higher
quality ones.  The sound is now acceptable, but not
what I would consider great.  I have ended up spending
more money than if I would have just purchased the
Monarchy DAC outright.  If the DACs ever go on sale
just let me know and I'll see what I can do.  As a
student, I don't have a whole lot of disposable
income.  I used to have money but went back to school
after being out in the workplace for about ten years. 
 I will keep saving up and we'll see how it works out.
 Thanks again!

A Happy Customer who wishes that he had more money to
spend on your products,

Chris Henderson

Bound for Sound Report 
Martin G. DeWulf 
Editor & Publisher 
108 East Division Street 
Kewanee IL 61443 
309.856.5515 
309.853.3193 fax 
e-mail at bfshifi@cin.net
 

I received the amp on Wed as promised. It is definitely an improvement
to my Classe integrated amp which I am now using to only drive the
bass. The SM-70 drives the highs.

The improvement is much larger than any upgrade in speaker cables,
capacitors, interconnects, isolation, etc. 

If there are any DIY tweaks available, please let me know. How about a
remote control for the power switch?

Regards and thanks,
Guillermo 

The Sm-70 has arrived in good health and is currently burning 
in on my system.   I am very impressed with it. I will be 
demonstrating it to a customer this weekend and if he likes it
as much as I do, it should result in a few sales.

Thanks for your fast service

Jack DuMoulin
JMD Consulting

Just got the amp on Wednesday and I must say the first thing I noticed
 was the clarity and detail.  The amp just resolves the detail so well.
 Also the amp creates a feeling of greater depth and spaciousness of 
sound...its so great...I just ended up on the couch listening to 
a piece I normally tire of but listened to it all the way through. 
(I am comparing it with my ADCOM GFA-535II).  I removed the ground pin
 from the power cable because of the hum. 
Does this affect the warranty in any way? 
I assume it does not because it was in the manual. 
Thanks again for your help and great product.

Regards,
Ryan
 

Just got the amp on Wednesday and I must say the first thing I noticed was the clarity and detail.  The amp just resolves the detail so well. Also the amp creates a feeling of greater depth and spaciousness of sound...its so great...I just ended up on the couch listening to a piece I normally tire of but listened to it all the way through.  (I am comparing it with my ADCOM GFA-535II).  I removed the ground pin from the power cable because of the hum.  Does this affect the warranty in any way? I assume it does not because it was in the manual.  Thanks again for your help and great product.

Regards,
Ryan

The new SM-70 
Pro amps are wonderful, and when used in the mono mode, they 
constitute a new standard at the price point. 

Marty
Bound for Sound Report 
Martin G. DeWulf 
Editor & Publisher 
108 East Division Street 
Kewanee IL 61443 
309.856.5515 
309.853.3193 fax 
e-mail at bfshifi@cin.net
 
 

te: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 21:37:32 -0400
To: "C.C.POON" <monarchy@earthlink.net>
From: Doug Burkett <dburkett@infinet.com>
Subject: Re: Gary Galo's review of Monarchy Audio SM-70

Dear Mr. Poon,

You certainly may use my comments on your web site, with my best wishes for
your continued success. I am looking forward to many, many years of satisfying
listening with my SM-70s. I also read the article on the SM-70 supply rectifier
mods. I don't doubt Mr. Galo's impressions of the improvements. I am an EE, 
so this modification is quite within my capabilities. The price is certainly
reasonable. Even so, I must say that I don't feel terribly motivated to do the
modification. I'm enjoying the music quite enough, as is.

I want to tell you another experience I had with these amps. I had been using
them for a couple of months, then one night, late, I listened to Rostropovich's
recording of Bach's cello suites. This is one of my favorite CDs. At the end of
the first movement of the 3rd suite, I realized I had been holding my breath
for some time. Now, you can't take credit for Bach's genius or Rostropovich's
skill, but your amps did something (or didn't do something) amazing, to let the
music through to me like that.

Thanks again,
Doug Burkett
Eaton OH USA
 

At 02:48 PM 9/25/00 -0700, you wrote:

Dear Doug,

Many thanks for your kind comments.

We rely on word-of-mouth from customers to do our business.
Would you let us post the following comments in our Website
under a new column called "User Comments"?

Many thanks.
 

C.C.POON
 

At 10:01 PM 9/24/00 -0400, you wrote:

Dear Mr. Dell,

In April of this year I purchased two SM-70 amps from Monarchy Audio. 
Mr.Galo's review of the amps in your #5 issue is dead on in terms of sound
quality, but not in terms of the problems he had. My amps don't hum (and
any hum at all *really* annoys me), they don't blow the fuses, and they
don't have much of a turn-on thump; more of an innocuous click.

Mr. Poon promptly answered my pre-purchase questions by email, and the 
lady taking my order was courteous and efficient. The amps were delivered
promptly and well-packaged. The manuals are clear and to the point. The
build quality is simple, clean and solid, just as I like it. This has to be
the most pleasant purchasing experience I have had in a long time.

I am using unbalanced inputs, so I can't speak to Mr. Galo's comments on
the improvements from this option. However, even with single-ended inputs,
I hear the same detail and articulation that Mr. Galo mentions. It's a
cliche, but these amps are really forgettable in the sense that I can
quickly forget about the equipment and drop into the music as soon as I
start listening.

My system has been evolving for over twenty years. There are now two
components in my system that I hear no reason to change: my SM-70 
amps, and my Magnum-Dynlab Etude tuner. But there's still the CD player, 
speakers, and preamp... plenty of fun left!

I also want to mention that I am really excited about the new audioXpress
magazine. I had let my Speaker Builder subscription lapse, and I was always
curious about Glass Audio, so I'm very much anticipating the new
combination. Like most audio enthusiasts, I have subscribed to most of the
present and past audio magazines. Audio Electronics is the only one I  kept.
I can't begin to describe how much enjoyment your publication has given me,
and for that I thank you. Perhaps the highest compliment I can offer is
that I have *never* felt like I didn't get my money's worth from any issue.
I am sure you will keep up the good work.

Perhaps the only change I would like to see is a few more equipment
reviews, which you promise for audioXpress. Great! How about a review of
the Musical Fidelity X-ray CD player? I'm really curious about that one.

Best regards,
Doug Burkett
Eaton OH USA

 At 10:29 PM 9/27/00 -0400, you wrote:

Dear Mr. Poon:

Just wanted to write to tell you how pleased I am with SM70 pro's, 24/96 Dip 
and Model 33 combination DAC/preamp. The first SM70 Pro was doing quite
well all by itself in combination with the 24/96 dip and the model 33 Dac/Preamp. 
I was impressed with how easy it was to listen to CD's which now sounded 
smooth, and more natural instead of the compressed highs and tinny sound that 
has bothered me about this format from the beginning. Then when I received 
the second SM 70 Pro and the balanced connectors the improvement was 
incremental again. The transparency of the inner voices, airiness of the 
upper strings became even more pronounced. Most importantly for me as a 
professional musician I did not get "ear fatigue." I auditioned many 
components during my search for equipment but nothing was as pleasing to my 
ear, (and I might add the ear of friends) including equipment that cost 3 and 
4 times as much and which was supposed to be more "powerful." My thanks for 
your patient answers to my many questions and for the prompt and well packed 
way the equipment was shipped to me. 

Regards,
Brad Buckley
Bassoonist, Contrabassoonist the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra 

Brief Reviews by Gary Galo
The SM70 amplifier is an excellent performer, particularly when used as a
monoblock. It is incredibly punchy and dynamic, belying it's modest power
rating. The excellent inner detail and rich harmonic presentation are
amazingly satisfying during long-term listening. These amps really shine
when used in the balanced mode, fed by the Monarchy 22C or 33 D/A
converter/line amp units. 

The SE100 is a world-class amplifier, delivering the finest soundstaging I
have ever heard from my system. The individual detailing of instruments, and
the superb sense of air and space, make the SE100 worth far more than the
asking price. These amps also mate superbly with the Models 22C and 33
feeding the balanced inputs.

Anyone looking for an entry-level D/A converter will find the Model 18B a
steal at the close-out price of $299.99, and Monarchy's "parallel DAC chip"
mod improves the performance even further. This is an ideal, cost-effective
way to upgrade any inexpensive, stand-alone CD player. 

Gary Galo,
Review Editor
Audio Electronics Magazine
www.audioxpress.com