he next generation of Boulder integrated amplifier will begin shipping in all-analogue form, closely followed by the streaming analogue and digital version.
Boulder Amplifiers has announced the immediate release and shipment of the 866 Integrated. The 866 is a part of the 800 Series and the successor to the highly successful 865 Integrated Amplifier.
The 866 Integrated is Boulder’s first integrated amplifier to feature the option of digital inputs.
Cost Saving
Value was a focus when designing the 866, and significant effort was put into the efficiency and cost reduction of design and manufacturing than any previous product from Boulder.
Cost savings include circuit board production (up to a 25% reduction for some boards), casework and power supply cost reductions, reduced loading and turns for metalwork machining, material efficiency, and the reduction of production and testing time.
Increased Power per Pound
More than twelve years after the release of the original 865, this has enabled Boulder to price the all-analogue 866 at $12,250 (UK pricing: £13,499) with 200W of power output into an 8-ohm load. That’s quite a saving when you consider the 865 was priced at $14,000 and 50W less power output than the new 866.
Additionally, the analog+digital 866 also includes full digital capabilities and higher power output but costs only $450 more than the 865.
Ins and Outs
The Boulder 866 integrated sports three pairs of full-balanced inputs around the rear and a 7-inch full-colour customisable touchscreen display upfront with input indicators. You can also upload photos for each input, which is a neat touch.
The new integrated amplifier also features a new protection scheme that allows for higher current output and peak power delivery.
Updates come via either Ethernet or USB.
The analog+digital version adds Toslink, S/PDIF, and AirPlay capabilities. You can also use the Boulder 866 analog+digital integrated as a Roon endpoint or use UPnP/DLNA wired and wireless streaming over Ethernet.