The Copland CTA408 Integrated Amplifier, from the Danish high end manufacturer, is intended for those who prefer the ease of a single chassis amplification, still wanting the performance of separates. It has separate MC and MM phono inputs, Monitoring in/outputs, Headphone amplifier and a start-up procedure that helps prolong the tube life.

During the last decades, advances in technology has offered new possibilities for circuit optimisation, using components and technology mainly unavailable for the previous designers of tube amplifiers.

Inside the CTA408 is one of the most “carefully conceived tube amplification engines available”. According to Copland. The driver stage tubes are supported by MOSFET circuitry. There are numerous individual power supplies, designed to operate with constant power, thereby isolating power stage fluctuations from entering the input stages and eliminating reverse modulation towards the AC supply grid. It has a dedicated Class A headphone amplifier, (speaker output mutes on headphone insertion) and a J-FET- Phono-amplifier. It also has active RIAA equalisation employing more than one hundred discrete components inside a noise-shielding box of its own.

The output transformers are Copland in-house design, fine-tuned for optimal power bandwidth. The massive core size of the transformers prevents core saturation, and they are able to transfer full power well below 20Hz to the loudspeakers with a minimum of phase shift. Multiple layers of interleaving wires ensures linearity. The extended high frequency performance reduces the requirements for internal lag compensation after the amplifiers 15dB negative feedback loop is closed.  The amplifier power plant is based on the KT150 power valves. These valves are the latest variant of the legendary 6550/KT88 power valves. The huge power tubes are very pleasing to look and therefore, Copland have decided to make them visible behind lateral perforations on the front panel.

Output power:                       2x75W into 3 ohms or 8 ohms load

Nominal speaker imp:         4 & 8 ohms

Line input impedance:         50 K ohms

Phono input impedance:     47 K ohms (MM)    /     50, 100, 470 Ohms (MC)

Line Inputs sensitivity:         250 mV

Phono sensitivity:                 3.0 mV (MM)         /      0.26 mV (MC)

Frequency response:          5 Hz – 100 kHz -3dB

T.H.D:                                  Better than 0.9 %

Signal / noise IHF-A):         Better than 90dB

Phase:                                Non-Inverting

Global Feedback:                15 dB

Vacuum tubes:

4 pcs. KT150

2 pcs.12BH7

2 pcs. 6072A / 12AY7

Power consumption:           Max.400 W

Dimensions:                       435mm (w) x 220mm (H) x 460mm (D)

Shipping weight:                  26 Kg

Headphone amplifier Section:

Output Impedance:              9 ohms

Gain:                                  17.5 dB

Frequency response:          10 Hz – 200 kHz / -3dB

The Copland CTA408 integrated valve amplifier is available from January 2019, exclusively through Absolute Sounds – Copland’s sole UK distributor. The UK RRP is £6,398 inc. VAT.

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