CHoco Sound EMEI Integrated Amp Review

CHoco Sound EMEI Review : CHoco sound is the offshoot of Chinese HiFi company Kinki Studio whose value and price busting amplifier the EX-M1+ is a product I have raved about at its retail price. In the UK it will set you back £2,850 and from world distributor Vinshine Audio, $3,000. In Euro’s the price is more than competitive too.

Personally I thought the sound quality of the EX-M1+ is up there with the pricier £5,250 Hegel H390 which has been a stalwart of my reviews for some time. I got together with a friend who owns Wilson TuneTot speakers and we both agreed in our tests that the Hegel H390 and Kinki Studio EX-M1+ offered similar overall qualitative sound quality. It is hard to separate them with these types of smaller average sensitivity and relatively undemanding speakers I usually feature on my channel. Think Dynaudio Special Forties, PMC twenty5i range, or the brilliant GoldenEar BRX

CHoco Sound EMEI Review

The CHoco sound EMEI, whilst departing from the type of dynamic and incisive sound that I prefer, similar to the sound in the EX-M1+, the EMEI is still punching way above what is possible at this type of price for the sonic signature that it brings. I recall the days of owning a Cyrus 6DAC that got nowhere close to the dynamic drive, resolution and natural tonal instincts of this EMEI amplifier. I doubt anything in your local UK chain dealer with the dealer margins and without direct to consumer model, will!

One only can imagine what the Kinki Studio pre and power amp combinations of the EX-P27 pre-amp and EX-M7 power amp will achieve……? Both of these units cost about the same as a Hegel H390 in GBP and admittedly a 2-boxer, but if sound quality at price is your bag and you have already moved down the super-integrated route and sonic quality is indeed the improver to the H390, then it won’t take much convincing to move back to separates! There is also the consideration that most using the H390 are using an offboard DAC in any event and making any issue around multiple boxes moot. The requirement for a digital section in the H390 is down to Hegel’s SoundEngine2 processing necessity which no doubt bumps up cost.

CHoco Sound EMEI Review – how does it compare to the EX-M1+

Much of the price disparity has to do with the fact that gear coming out of China goes one way…. no expensive, multiple shipping, container price hellraising is involved in a world of higher energy fuel costs. It means distributors like Vinshine, under the guidance of reviewers like me who tell it like it is, can save you megabucks if you are prepared to ignore going for a VW car as it’s all you know, much like your well promoted, easily available, reviewed to death, shilled by the usual reviewer suspects, higher priced home amplifier gear.

I have been badgering Kinki Studio for some time to try these amplifiers in light of my positive experiences of the EMEI and the EX-M1+ and I’m hoping regardless of other distributor oars in the race, to find out what this Chi-Fi can do, and I use that term affectionately! Watch this space, but in the meantime enjoy my EMEI review. Some specs below;