Argent Pur GaN Monobloc Amplifiers Reviewed

Argent Pur is best known as an audiophile cable company that specializes in pure silver cables. Silver cables (including power cables) have a cult following because of their detailed sound. Few, if any, companies that make silver audiophile cables have ever endeavored to make a semiconductor-based Gallium Nitride power amplifier. Let’s agree that this is both cool and ambitious, to say the least.

At $5,900, the Argent Pur GaN-FET (that’s what you call them, “GaN-FET”) monoblock amplifiers are pricey by new “switching” amp standards. but not pricey at all by traditional high-end audio standards. for which these amps should and will be judged. As you might expect, you get completely solid silver cabling inside, which is a unique perk. Under the hood, these monoblock amps pump out 250 watts per channel (doubling down to 500 watts per channel into 4 ohms), which is lots of power to drive today’s best speakers. Externally, and unlike most of the new-school switching amps on the market today, you get gorgeous metal work and a rock-solid build quality. How do these amps sound? We are getting to that. How do they compare sonically to the other GaN, Hypex and/or Pascal chipped audiophile power amps? We’ve got you covered there, too. 

What Makes the Argent Pur GaN Monoblock Amp So Special? 

• The internal use of silver cable is quite unique to Argent Pur. I can’t think of one other audiophile electronics company going to this level of extremes to maximize the potential of a semiconductor-based power amplifier. 
• Unlike nearly every other GaN amp out there, especially monoblocks, the Argent Pur monos are built fantastically and look even better. The metal work creates the look on the Argent Pur monos that an audiophile expects from their amps. 
• Like all GaN amps, the Argent Pur monoblocks create virtually no heat. I love my Pass Labs XA-25 and have picked it over every one of the GaN amps that I’ve reviewed, but the difference is slight, and the heat from a Class-A amp radiates in my closed-door equipment rack. Let me put it this way: I leave the Argent Pur amps on all day, every day, but only turn on the Pass Labs Class-A amp when I am using it, and I shut it off afterwards. 
• The Argent Pur monos use barely any power from the wall. Another huge advantage of GaN-FET amps is that they don’t draw from the wall (meaning everything the wall has to offer) the way a class-A power amp does, which keeps your electric bill in check, while still providing that airy, open, colorless sound with a bit of tight bass impact that we all enjoy. 
• Any reasonable speaker can be powered by the Argent Pur Monoblock power amps. Now. if you tell me that you have a legacy pair of THIEL CS5s or some ancient Acoustats, I would change my opinion here, but any modern speaker that I’ve reviewed in the past 10 to 15 years can be driven, and driven well, by the Argent Pur monoblocks. 
• If you see a comparable form factor to Orchard Audio GaN amps, you have a good eye. Not only are they small monoblock amps designed to likely be placed right next to your speakers, like many of Orchard designs, but internally, the head designer of Orchard is also involved. Leo Ayzenshtat designed the ULTRA-balanced modules, which is likely why they sound so familiar. Orchard sells these modules to DIY audiophiles as well as to OEM audio manufacturers which is where Argent Pur lands. 
• There are both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs available to you. Orchard amps, for example, need an adaptor to do RCA (unbalanced) connections. This can save many an audiophile some meaningful money on having to buy new cables. Argent Pur would like you to try some of their silver cables and by all means – it is worth your time to listen. 
• The Sorbothane feet used in the Argent Pur amps are a really nice touch. They remind me of the feet on the Classe DELTA Stereo Amp, which also were fantastic, but that amp costs twice the money and is Class-AB. 

Why Should You Care About the Argent Pur Monoblock Power Amps?

An audiophile looking for the best from the world of uber-high-end Class-AB power amps, or Class-A power amps, can get a lot of the performance that they seek for often a fraction of the price. Moreover, many of the headaches that are associated with the aforementioned amp designs are gone, be they size, weight, heat, or power consumption without many (or any) of the sonic advantages. For people downsizing their systems, GaN amps are very alluring. For people who like the sound of a Class-A amp, but don’t want to deal with the grief, a GaN-FET design like this one offers the best of both worlds at just under $6,000.

Some Things You Might Not Like About the Argent Pur Monoblock GaN Amplifiers …  

• The small form factor of the Argent Pur Monoblocks is great for people who will place their amps next to their speakers, but not as great for those who have their amplifiers in equipment racks. I understand the appeal of having amps near your speakers, but that is a look and logistics that I can’t live with. While the Argent Pur amps fit nicely on a standard shelf in my double Middle Atlantic equipment rack, I personally would have preferred that these gorgeous amps came in a one-chassis package. Sonically, this makes zero difference on the performance of the amps, but having your system dialed-in is important for many audiophiles, too, and your rack is part of that. 
• There are no lights or controls on the front of the amp. Everything is on the back, which wasn’t an issue for me because I had full access, but I did enjoy looking at the gauges on amps like the SPL Performer 1200s amp, which doesn’t happen with the Argent Pur monos as much. 

Listening to the Argent Pur Monoblock Amps … 

My reference system is currently comprised of a BlueSound Node streamer, as well as a Bricasti M5 (review forthcoming) Roon-controlled endpoint/streamer. I am using both the Anthem STR and SPL Director MK2 DAC/preamps at about $4,000 each. I’ve had many different GaN power amps in my system over the past 12 months, including ones from ADG Productions, Orchard Audio and beyond. My current audiophile reference standard amp is a Class-A design from Pass Labs in the XA-25. I have had Stenheim Alumine Two.Five and SVS’ impressive Ultra Evolution Pinnacle $5,000 per pair floorstanding speakers, as well as the Estelon Aura $20,000 floorstanding speakers(review pending). My current reference speakers are Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s, which were used for much of the review.  

For my listening with the Argent Pur amps, I stuck with some pretty standard, mainstream audiophile music that allows me the familiarity to really explore the nuanced details that you can hear (or not hear) with the Argent Pur monoblock amps in your signal path. On “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1)” from Pink Floyd’s The Wall (Qobuz) the first thing that stuck me was the absence of a house sound or any kind of notable coloration. Tube guys don’t value this the way people like me do, who might have a little bit more of a pro audio background. I want an amp to provide power and control but not sonic flavor, if you will. I liked being able to hear all of the details from the spacey David Gilmour trills. What I liked even better was the rare but burning power chords that had a subtle burn to them and sounded just spectacular on the Bowers & Wilkins 802. 

Going with a more modern and recently controversial Foo Fighters track (Dave, what were you thinking bro?) “Medicine at Midnight” from the similarly named 2021 album release, I liked the openness of the drum sound, which sounded a lot like my reference Pass Labs. I didn’t think the low end was quite as tight, but by no means was this much of an issue, as this is a slight sonic detail. The layering of the vocals in the chorus was really good, too, as these amps have a fantastic control of my speakers. Overall, the sense of space was just excellent with the Argent Pur amps in my rig. There is just so much to like about Gan-FET amps, and these take an audiophile’s highly detailed, even obsessive approach to the design. Every possible design element was up for discussion and likely addressed in these new-school audiophile amps. 

With more volume and a non-four-time signature, “Spoonman” from Soundgarden’s Superunknown (Qobuz), was a sonic treat with the Argent Pur mono amps in the loop. I like the snap to the snare drum, which had a lot of energy, but no brightness. I was hyper-sensitive to the issue of brightness, as that can be a concept that people don’t like about silver cables, but never once did I feel like this was an issue or concern with the Argent Pur amps. They aren’t bright as much as they are resolved, detailed and dynamic. 

Will the Argent Pur Monoblock Amps Hold Their Value? 

There is so much demand for GaN-FET and the other semiconductor amps that the number of audiophiles looking to try said power amp will greatly outnumber the amount of used product in the market. That is a good indicator of future retained value. I think my test samples were serial numbers 13 and 14, thus not many of these amps have been built just yet. The idea that these amps aren’t from a blue-chip electronics manufacturer like, say, Pass Labs (they aren’t going to make GaN amps anytime soon) or Audio Research or Mark Levinson might factor into the long-term value but how much? That’s hard to say. Overall, your investment is likely going to be pretty safe with the Argent Pur monoblocks. 

What Is the Competition for the Argent Pur Monoblocks?

The first product that came to mind for the competition section was the Atma-Sphere mono amps,which are $6,150, and recently reviewed by Mike Prager. They are not as physically gorgeous as the Argent Pur amps, but they do come from a very reputable, (formerly?) tube amp designer in Ralph Karsten. They are both monoblock designs, priced at the same point and relatively small. This is a solid, direct comp for the Argent Pur mono amps. 

The ADG Productions Tempo di GaN amp at $5,500 is another direct competitor that was one of the first players in this exciting, new-school world of power amps. I like the ADG Productions one chassis design, but that again has nothing to do with sonics. The AGD Productions reportedly only outputs 100 watts per channel into eight ohms, where the Argent Pur pumps out a more respectable 250 per side. For that, I would opt for the Argent Pur in a direct comparison. 

Here’s where things get tricky. They Orchard Audio Starkrimson Mono Premium amps blew my mind at $2,500 per pair. They are a lot, lot, lot like the Argent Pur monos, but without the silver internal connections and the excellent case (among other details). They don’t look as fancy, but they sound very close for less than half the price. In terms of value, the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Monos are really strong. With that said, there are plenty of audiophiles who want the extra goodies and extreme attention to detail, and they are willing to pay for that. The Nth degree of performance is often what this hobby about, and the Argent Pur monos deliver on that concept. 

Final Thoughts on the Argent Pur Monoblock Amps …

It is about time that somebody got extreme with a semiconductor amp. Boris Meltsner’s AMPED 2400 is a good example of this concept but an exception – not the rule – as this super-fun part of the hobby is very much focused on value first. Argent Pur takes an extreme and uncompromising approach that will appeal to the more advanced audiophile who is looking for something just a little bit more special. 

The Argent Pur Monoblock amps sound fantastic, in that they don’t sound like an amp. They deliver clean, dynamic, open, layered sound like I get from a Class-A amp, but without the downsides of heat and energy use. There’s not much to not like about the Argent Pur GaN-FET monoblock amps. They’ve been a welcome houseguest here, and I am sad to see them go, but they will make a brief visit to Mike Prager’s audiophile system, as he wants to shoot them out versus some of the Class-D and other more traditional amps that he has on hand. I bet he will enjoy them just as much as I did.