Audio Research Reference 330M Monoblock Power Amplifier

The Audio Research 330M Monoblock Amplifier isn't just another piece of high-end audio gear—it's a statement. It stands as the finest amplifier ever created by Audio Research, a brand with over 50 years of trailblazing excellence in tube amplification. Built for those who demand absolute sonic perfection, the 330M redefines control, clarity, and dynamic life. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be at the heart of a live performance, this is it. Every nuance, every breath, every thundering crescendo—delivered with the vice-like grip of 330 watts of meticulously refined power.

This is an amplifier for those who accept no compromises. For those who believe music isn’t just something you hear, it’s something you experience. The 330M puts you in the conductor’s chair, and the orchestra plays just for you.

Key Features

• Monoblock Design: Pure, isolated power for each channel with zero crosstalk, so your left and right channels remain faithful to the original recording.
• Ultimate Power: 330 watts per channel to command even the most power-hungry speakers with grace and authority.
• Handcrafted Brilliance: Every 330M is hand-built and tested by master technicians to exacting standards, ensuring absolute perfection.
• Vacuum Tube Supremacy: Featuring (6) KT170 power tubes with an all-tube signal path that delivers warmth, richness, and dimensionality that solid-state amplifiers can only dream of.
• Silver-Soldered Connections: Premium silver-soldered signal paths eliminate weak points in the circuitry for unparalleled signal integrity.
• Auto-Bias System: Intelligent self-adjusting tube bias ensures optimal performance day after day, year after year.
• Custom-Built Transformers: Designed and manufactured in-house, these transformers ensure efficient, lossless power delivery to your speakers.
• Precision Controls: 12V trigger inputs, RS232 control, and auto-off functionality give you seamless integration into luxury home systems.
• Pristine Build Quality: Heavy-duty steel chassis, non-resonant design, and premium-grade components ensure long-lasting reliability and timeless beauty.

The 330M Listening Experience

Authority Without Aggression

The 330M is all about power on demand. You’ll feel it in the low end—deep, commanding, and composed bass that shakes the room but never rattles your senses. The highs? Delicate, airy, and vivid, like whispers from a concert hall. The midrange? Rich and textured, like velvet draped over stone. It's a sound profile that’s powerful but never pushy—the sonic equivalent of a heavyweight champion in a tailored suit.

Dynamic Precision

Some amplifiers flatten out dynamic range, but the 330M lets every peak and valley of your music shine. You’ll hear the subtleties of every brushstroke on a snare drum and the full, thunderous impact of orchestral swells. It’s this ability to capture subtlety alongside sonic power that separates the 330M from the pack.

Handcrafted Brilliance

Audio Research doesn’t "mass-produce" anything—they craft. Every 330M amplifier is hand-assembled in the USA with painstaking attention to detail, quality control, and performance testing. With decades of tube amplifier mastery, you’re getting the best of the best, no compromises. This is why Audio Research products are found in the most exclusive listening rooms around the world.

What's Inside the 330M?

• Custom-Built Transformers: Built in-house by Audio Research’s legendary design team, ensuring your amp’s power is delivered with precision and efficiency.
• KT170 Power Tubes: The most advanced and robust tubes in the market, providing unparalleled power, warmth, and musicality.
• Large-Capacity Power Supply: Ensures unyielding performance, even when the music demands sudden, explosive power.
• Premium Resistors and Capacitors: No corner-cutting here. Only the finest parts are chosen to support optimal signal purity.

How It’s Built to Last

The 330M is a lifetime purchase. The amplifier's robust chassis and precision-machined components are all designed to endure years of use while maintaining peak performance. Audio Research’s world-class customer support and service team are always on standby to keep your amp running smoothly for decades to come.

What Makes the Reference 330M Different?

Masterful Materials
Every material in the 330M is chosen for performance, not cost-cutting. Copper-rich capacitors, ultra-pure bus wiring, and hand-selected vacuum tubes work together to create a soundscape that is as rich as it is precise. The 330M doesn’t just play music—it breathes life into it.

Better Capacitors
Each capacitor used in the 330M is tested to the hundredth and hand-matched to ensure perfect left-right balance. This attention to detail results in fewer components on the crossover board and an even smoother frequency response.

Better Coils (Inductors)
High-gauge, air-core, copper-wound inductors are used throughout the 330M’s circuit. Each coil is tested to the thousandth for inductance, and coil tolerances are kept to within five hundredths. The result? Lower distortion, enhanced clarity, and an open soundstage.

Better Wiring
All internal wiring is copper, with shorter wire paths to ensure signal integrity. Connections are silver-soldered to prevent signal loss and ensure unmatched durability. No excess wire. No shortcuts.

Better Connections
All critical connections use silver solder. From the terminal lugs to the crossover board to the driver terminal block, every connection is tested and secured. This isn’t just craftsmanship—it’s mastery.

Better Resistors
If resistors are required, two high-quality resistors are used in parallel to share the load. This reduces thermal stress and improves overall lifespan. As always, each component is tested and hand-selected to ensure absolute precision.

The Listening Room Difference

At The Listening Room, we’re not just another hi-fi dealer—we’re a third-generation, family-owned business dedicated to exceptional sound and service. Our deep expertise with Audio Research products allows us to offer personalized setup advice and guidance to ensure you’re getting the most from your 330M. If you’re looking for more than just another "big box" buying experience, welcome home. We’re here to help you achieve your audio dreams and guarantee the best service you've ever received. Contact us about the Reference 330M and we'll provide you with the exceptional concierge-level service you deserve for purchasing this level of audio excellence.

Specifications

• Power Output: 330 watts per channel
• Circuit Design: Pure Monoblock
• Amplification Class: Pure Tube Circuitry
• Tube Compliment: (6) KT170 Power Tubes, (1) ECC83 & (1) 6H30 input, (1) 6550 & (1) 6H30 Power Supply
• Frequency Response: 10Hz - 60kHz (-3dB)
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >105 dB (unweighted)
• Input Impedance: 100K ohms
• Power Requirements: 120-240V AC, 50/60 Hz
• Input Sensitivity: 1.5V for full output
• Output Terminals: Custom, high-grade gold-plated binding posts
• Chassis: Heavy-duty, non-resonant steel
• Dimensions: 8.75" H x 19" W x 19" D (221 x 483 x 483 mm)
• Weight: 101 lbs (45.8 kg)
• Warranty: 3 years parts and labor (1 year on tubes)