The Stereo Box E is a compact stereo integrated amplifier rated at 2 x 21 W into 8 ohms (40 W into 4 ohms), with an MM phono input, an internal DAC for optical and coaxial sources, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, a headphone socket and a subwoofer output.
Stereo Box E: inputs and power
It gathers everything a stereo system needs into one unit: seven inputs, an all-analogue preamplifier and a low-noise power stage. Volume is set by a motor-driven analogue potentiometer, which the supplied Control it 1 remote can also operate. Rated power is 21 W per channel into 8 ohms and 40 W into 4 ohms, at 1% distortion.
Three of the inputs are analogue: phono on RCA with an earth screw, suited to MM, MI and high-output MC cartridges, line on RCA and line on a 3.5 mm jack. The three digital ones, two optical and one S/PDIF coaxial, pass through the internal converter and serve, for instance, a television or a CD transport. The seventh is Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX and aptX HD, for listening from a phone, tablet or computer.
On the output side are isolated speaker terminals that take banana plugs of 4 mm, spade lugs or bare wire, an RCA socket for a subwoofer and a 6.3 mm socket for headphones: plug them in and the signal switches over to them automatically. A USB-C port at the rear supplies power to a streamer, which then needs no adaptor of its own. The case is steel, with a brushed aluminium front and buttons; the manufacturer proposes it alongside the CD Box E and the Tuner Box S3 DAB+.
Specifications
- Type: stereo integrated amplifier with DAC and Bluetooth
- Power output: 2 x 21 W into 8 ohms, 2 x 40 W into 4 ohms (1% THD)
- Response 20 Hz - 20 kHz: within -0.3 / -2.5 dB into 4 ohms
- Signal/noise: 90 dB, A-weighted
- Stereo separation: 60 dB at 1 kHz
- Harmonic distortion: under 0.12% at 5 W into 4 ohms
- Gain: 25 dB
- Phono in: MM on RCA, with earth screw
- Line ins: one RCA and one 3.5 mm jack
- Digital ins: two optical and one S/PDIF coaxial
- Bluetooth: 5.0 with aptX and aptX HD over A2DP
- Subwoofer out: one RCA
- Headphone out: 6.3 mm jack with automatic switching
- Speaker terminals: 4 mm bananas, spades or bare wire
- Power: 20 V / 3 A DC, from 100-240 V mains, 50/60 Hz
- Standby draw: under 0.5 W
- Size (width x height x depth): 206 x 51 x 115 mm (186 mm)
- Weight: 2 kg, adaptor excluded
- Finishes: black, silver
