Melody Valve MN845 Monoblock Power Amplifier Review

So what Gives?

The day arrived when the EnKlein David and T-Rex were to be shipped out and I was told I had but 2 or 3 weeks left on the Melody Valve pieces before they needed to ship as well. I figured the remaining excellent EnKlein Taurus and Tel Wire Connect (the only long run of single ended interconnects I had available) would suit the task of completing the reviews just fine. The Sunday following the change, I began my listening session and things simply were not what they had been. The holographics were greatly diminished; the “magic” was all but gone. My notes from the previous two months were reduced to a work of science fiction. I am not going to belabor this except to say that I was back to square one with respect to the Melody Valve MN845 monoblocks. System #2 in this review then came into being. Gone were the David interconnect and T Rex power cords, the Enklein Taurus Reference power cord and Zephyr interconnects were inserted. The Telwire Connect was substituted in for the long run between amps and the Melody Valve single-ended only line stage. I ran things in for a few hours and to my disappointment, while the system sounded great, it was not near the level of refinement achieved previously with the now absent EnKlein cables.

I then decided to make yet another change. System #3 came into being the following week. It included my reference Pass Labs XP-20 line stage, and cabling was then fully balanced throughout using the EnKlein Zephyr and Taurus Reference. In other words, I had effectively reverted to my standard system with just the Melody Valve MN845s changed in for the Pass X350.5. This pretty well set the review back on course and finally made the evaluation more about the amplifiers than about the cables. So then, what of the Melody MN845s? Retained was the highly seductive midrange. The holographics were there yet opaque and not nearly as convincing. The apparent noise floor was low, but absent were some of the details I had heard previously in system #1. The MN845s top to bottom consistency was still quite impressive but with somewhat of a light touch on the bottom end. It is important to note that when the upgraded power cords were inserted shortly afterward, bass remained a bit light but the upper bass seemed to gain consistency with the rest of the spectrum, as well as a sense of buoyance and speed.

After firmly establishing the sound as it was, I then switched amplifiers and moved once again to the Pass X350.5. This proved to be quite revealing. I always commended the Pass for its neutrality and indeed, I still find it to be quite neutral. However it seems to come at the expense of liveliness. The MN845s proved to be faster, more agile, and with greater apparent extension. Bass performance, though seemingly lighter was more in tune with the music. The grain-free liquid midrange of the MN845s made the Pass seem sluggish and less refined than I once thought. Indeed, the Melody MN845s had made their mark simply by being better able to portray the musical event. The MN845s enabled the Eficion F300’s to sing at a greater level of consistency, vigor, and oneness than with any other amplifier I have tried.

By this time, I had been given a very generous extension of time with the Melody P2688 and MN845 units, so there was no apparent rush to pack up either of the two components. My busy tax season came and went. Meanwhile EnKlein, though unable to resend the “David” interconnects due to the heavy demand and apparent shortage, sent over a set of their Aeros (pronounced Eros) silver cables. These are the second best in their line below the David and happen to also be constructed with “Dragon Skin.” That not-so-long awaited trickle down! …and so the essay pauses for another time.

Summary

To say that this was an odd set of circumstances that led to writing this review would be an understatement. As I mentioned in the P2688’s review, the way the events unfolded can be viewed as my making a rookie mistake in terms of review process. However, I believe it can also be viewed as more true to the life experience of fellow audiophiles who are on the journey to construct or configure their own versions of nirvana.

At this point, to say that I am not only impressed but a bit astonished as to how enamored I am of the Melody MN845s is overstating the obvious. Experiencing these wonderful amplifiers has made me come to realize what I had been missing when my system was anchored by uncooperative speakers. In the case of the Eficion F300’s, I would say that the Melody Valve MN845s breathe life into the speakers in a way that the Pass Labs X350.5 cannot. To be honest, I have no idea how Melody Valve Hi Fi can manufacture, ship, distribute, and support these amplifiers at a US MSRP of $13,599 per pair. As those allotted days draw to a close, I know that the time will come when eventually, we will part ways and they will indeed be sorely missed. Kudos go out to Melody Valve and to Angel City Audio, their US distributor, for bringing stateside a product of such distinction.