Reviewer: Glen Wagenknecht
Sources: Audio Space CDP 8A CD Player, Wyred4 SoundMusic Server
DACs: Wyred4Sound DAC-2, Grant Fidelity Tube DAC 11, Ideon Ayazi
Preamplifier: Audio Space Reference 2S, Tortuga Audio LDR6 Passive
Amplifier: Bel Canto 200.4, Tapping TP22
AV Receiver: Pioneer Elite SC-25
Main Speakers: Audio Space AS-3/5A,  Mark Daniel Maximus Mini Monitor, Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofer
Rack: Codia Acoustic Design Stage 3000 BAB
Stands: Charisma Audio Function Stands , Target Stands
AV Speakers: JohnBlue M3s  Axiom M22 v3s, VP160 & QS8s
AV Subwoofer: Paradigm PW-2200
Desktop Audio Speakers: Swans M200 MkIII
Desktop DAC/Pre Headphone Amp: DA&T U-2
Cables: Arkana Physical Research Loom, Audio Art SE and Classic cable looms, JPS Labs Ultraconductor 2 speaker cables, Madison Audio Lab E3 Extreme 1 Interconnects/Extreme 2 speaker cables, Signal Cable Silver Reference interconnects and speaker cables, digital optical and coax cable, Audio Sensibility Impact SE balanced interconnects, Statement S/PDIF and Impact USB digital cables, DH Lab Power Plus AC cable.
Resonance Control: KAT Audio Terminator 1 Feet, Solid Tech Feet, EquaRack Footers, Weizhi Precision Gold Glory footers, Boston Audio TuneBlock2 footers, Audio Exklusiv Silent Plugs, Audio Exklusiv d.C.d. Base and d.C.d. Footers, Superspikes, CA Electronics Standard Cones, Feet, Cable Clamps, Isoacoustics L8R130, Aperta and L8R200 SUB speaker stands
Powerline conditioning: Exact Power EP15A, Noise Destroyer power filtration GutWire Ultimate Ground cable
USB conditioners: Ideon 3R Renaissance
Accessories: TrueHarmonix Black Magic CD Mat   Herbie's Super Black Hole CD Mat
Main Room size: 12' x 17'
Home Theatre: 10.5' x 16.5'
Review Component Retail: $1'695 introductory price until 1/04/18, $2'695/pr for the monos. As of April 1st, it will be $2'695/3'695 for the stereo/mono versions.


George Tordai
's company Audio Zone is no stranger to these pages. High praise and awards have followed this Canadian firms's successive product launches since 2003. Their transformer attenuator Pre-T1 hit hard into affordable territory with phenomenally high performance and build. Likewise their Amp-1 and Amp-2 earned high marks for intensity and honesty of presentation. Their 45- and 50-watt output was sufficient to drive the majority of speakers with grace but a little short of yeoman chutzpah for bear-to-drive monsters. Audio Zone's bigger D-1 stereo amp and beefier D-2 (and D2SE) mono amplifiers pumping 100/200w into 8/4Ω or double that addressed that shortcoming with tweaked Hypex solutions married to beefy linear power supplies. Those beasties kicked with muscular sophistication and were again received with high acclaim. It's been a few years since and Mr. Tordai and designer Michael Thompson have obviously been hard at work in their snowy workshop preparing the launch of their next-gen D2. Were they due for another laurel leaf to add to their collection?


Mr. Tordai personally dropped off the new amplifier. Partway through the review, designer Michael Thompson came by to do a disassembly and show off the finer details of construction. The latest D2 is a fundamental departure from the original in parts and execution. The Hypex module was retired in favour of Pascal, the linear power has been replaced with a highly regulated switching supply that satisfies Mr. Thompson's requirements and which he finds superior. Times have obviously changed. The new amps throw a respectable 250/500wpc into 8/4Ω down the speaker cables (the mono versions up the ante to 700 into 8) and boast 2Ω stability. The Pascal modules are quite formidable and also loved by Gato Audio. Audio Zone apply their own tweaks over the stock boards with extensive attention to noise and protection. To paraphrase their website: "A specially selected instrumentation amplifier handles input interface duties vs. more traditional single op-amp solutions. Additionally a version with JT-10KB-DPC input transformers replaces the active circuitry by special order and for high-noise environments. There is a shielded line filter as well as an electrically and magnetically shielded supply cover to combat noise."