Pathos Classic One MKIII Hybrid Integrated Amplifier

The best of both worlds: a balanced, class-A 6922 tube preamp section meets a high-bias, class-AB solid-state power amp stage

Why choose between vacuum tubes and solid-state, when you can combine the air, harmonics, and musicality of tubes with the dynamic swings and deep, fast bass of stolid state, all packaged in beautiful Italian design?

Italian manufacturer Pathos Acoustics does things right, with ultra-high quality components used in daring circuit designs. All manufacture is done in-house or close to Pathos’ factory in Vincenza, Italy.

“We buy the tree”

That wood front panel? Well, Pathos’ story is best told by a tree. Specifically, the entire padouk tree trunk that’s bought by this Italian audio manufacturer, then cut into planks in-house, with the final pieces hand-polished by the son of the Pathos owner himself.

The panel may not contribute to the sound, but this approach says everything about the great sonics you do hear. Having control of entire manufacturing processes from start to finish means that the Pathos TT is the very best amp it can possibly be at its price-point. These are the very best amps Kevin has heard, and it is Pathos that he has picked for his reference system at home. 

The Classic One

After having won over the international audiophile community with state-of-the-art reference amplifiers, Pathos stepped up to the challenge of creating a more inexpensive product it could be proud of.

The Classic One, though built to a lower price point, received all the know-how and expertise acquired developing reference products.

Classic One represents a new standard in its price category: it successfully blends in a single chassis a preamplifier and power amplifier, completely separated from each other, with individual power supplies.

The preamplifier stage is purely tube, balanced, pure class-A, extremely low noise, with high intrinsic linearity and with zero feedback. It provides an exquisite tube sound in terms of transparency, air, harmonics and refinement… in one word, musicality.

The power stage is a solid-state power amplifier, high-bias current, class-AB, designed to be comfortable with every load. It provides speed and dynamics, without losing that tube magic. The volume control is motorized and remote-controlled, the remote is hewn from solid wood. Power supplies are over-specified and damped, just the way we like them at Upscale. 

Internally, you will find carefully selected components, pure silver Pathos wiring, gold plated terminals, and the highest quality chassis materials.  

Monoblock Operation

The Classic One can be bridged to mono and output 180 W into 8 ohm. Use two Classic One’s volume controlled by a single remote for preamp-less monoblock amplifiers. Or, you can use them as monoblocks with a conventional preamp down the road.

Specifications

Type: Integrated amplifier in Class A/AB, hybrid circuit with input tube stage, bridgeable
Output Power: 2 x 70 W @ 8 Ohm, 2 x 130 W @ 4 Ohm, 180 W @ 8 Ohm in bridged mode (mono)
Inputs: 1 balanced XLR, 4 unbalanced RCA
Frequency response: 2 Hz – 100 kHz
THD: <0.05%
Signal/noise ratio: 90 dB
Input impedance: 100 kOhm
Dimensions (WDH): 9″ x 19.6″ x 5.5″
Weight: 28.7 lb