Do I have to feel guilty if I deliberately ignore the core of a product? Loewe markets its multi.room amp as a two-channel all-round solution for all aspects of multiroom and AV networking – endless possibilities with sophisticated ease of use. What I’m seeing is one of the cheapest ways to get a powerful bi-amping setup – with a few very useful extras.
We talked about the Loewe multi.room amp in a “sneak preview” a few issues ago, although “preview” seems almost an exaggeration: we really just got to cradle the device in our hands for a few moments and have Loewe’s head of hardware, Alfred Hassaoui, outline the main features of the concept. However, as described at the time, we were so impressed by the features of the handy integrated amplifier that we ordered a test unit right there and then. The idea behind Loewe’s wonder box can be summed up as follows: The manufacturer from Kronach in Upper Franconia sees the power bar as the logical conclusion to its increasingly sonorous TV world. The latest generation of fascinating screens can be wirelessly networked with a constantly growing range of soundbars, subwoofers and active speakers. There are virtually no limits to the logical interconnection. A soundbar can be the center or take over the entire “front stage”, active speakers can do “surround” or transmit TV sound and music into adjoining rooms – on their own or as stereo sets.
If you already own passive speakers, you don’t have to consign them to the second-hand market: With the multi.room amp, they can also be integrated into the network concept and easily used as rear surround speakers or as a stand-alone system in adjacent zones. What’s more, as the networking works bidirectionally, sources connected to the amp can be forwarded to wireless colleagues in the home network – making the little powerhouse an independent command center if desired. However, due to a lack of compatible televisions or other “sound models”, we were unable to verify this. Being the hopeless hi-fi nerds we are, we were only marginally interested in the sophisticated AV concept anyway. What caught my attention from the very first second was the price of just under 1000 euros as well as a number of small details that prove that Hassaoui and his development team are no strangers to hi-fi. Loewe’s “Head of Electronic Engineering” even seemed noticeably proud during the interview that the Kronach-based company had set foot in this world again after a long break.
The first of these details are unexpectedly clever speaker terminals. The gold-plated “plugs” can be pulled out to reveal openings in which banana plugs can be anchored. Alternatively, you can screw bare wire ends or spades into the removable plug attachments, then plug these back into the housing – a practical assembly aid that avoids fiddling and exasperated cursing.
Directly above the terminals are an analog line-in, a regulated line-out and a mono tap for a subwoofer. To the left is a LAN connection (including a loop-through point) and an ARC HMDI input. The latter makes it possible to feed a TV (including non-Loewe models) into the multi.room amp and to level the amplifier via the TV remote control. The LAN socket or the WLAN, which is also implemented, offer unrestricted access to network standards such as Chromecast, AirPlay 2, DTS Play-fi or Spotify Connect. The amplifier can be supplied with music and movie sound directly from a computer, smart device or TV. The multi.room amp is also “Roon Tested” and can be voice-controlled via Google Home or Alexa. Finally, Bluetooth and a USB port for music storage media round off the connectivity options. And just in case that needs mentioning at all: All digital signal connections are of course high-bit capable.
The operation of the compact amplifier is a real stroke of genius – the Loewe designers have managed to pack all these options into the amp without menus or convoluted setups. Initially, we assumed that the HDMI connection would provide access to some kind of on-screen menu. But far from it: it is “merely” an audio signal input. You simply connect the amplifier to your home LAN network or press the WPS button on the back for direct Wi-Fi access without the hassle of entering a password – and it’s available to all compatible devices and apps. In the Tidal interface (Windows 11), for example, it immediately appears as a Chromecast device. More in-depth options such as balance control or a simple but very useful bass/treble control can be accessed via the remote control – an LED bar on the front of the amplifier displays the set values. At first glance, you might think that the grid of illuminated segments is a little crude, but in practice the controls worked perfectly. The principle even turned out to be an advantage: rather than staring at digits on a display, you just rely on your ears.
In normal operation, the colors of the light bar index the currently “armed” input. But don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize a code table: the multi.room amp has an automatic signal system and switches its inputs automatically. After a few minutes without a signal, the amplifier goes into standby; the (re-)activation behavior can be switched between “permanently off” and “wake on signal” via a hidden function. There are a small handful of hidden setup features, which are very well documented in the enclosed quick start guide. The manufacturer also offers an app (my Loewe) which, once installed on the smartphone, turns out to be an excellently structured instruction manual. Another “hidden feature” is a limiter that can limit the maximum wattage of the built-in power amplifiers in 13 stages (12 level stages and mute). The amplifier can be scaled from 2 x 12.5 to 2 x 300 watts (4 Ω each), which irritated us somewhat: Figures of up to 1200 watts of pulse power per channel appear in the data sheets. However, this seems to indicate the raw capabilities of the installed Class D modules. Even if the actual output remained somewhat obscured, the multi.room amp proved to be a thoroughbred powerhouse in the listening room, capable of handling any loudspeaker, no matter how diva-like.
One last exciting feature – and here we come back to the beginning of the story – is the mono button on the back. In view of the decent performance at a manageable price, this puts you in the mood for bi-amping. Doing this digitally could hardly be easier: Several multi.room amps can be cascaded via a LAN loop-through point. Analog is equally straightforward: as the signals from both stereo inputs are combined, there’s no need to worry about wiring – each of the two stereo in connections is valid. Of course, it would be nice if the amplifier could be set to a power amplifier mode (deactivated level control), but you can’t have everything. Now you’re probably wondering how the little black one sounds. In a word: amazing! As Loewe considers its amplifier to be close to a television, I had soundtracks waft around my ears on a whim. “Kronos Unveiled” by Michael Giacchino, for example (The Incredibles). This is just the thing for the little powerhouse: the amplifier doesn’t have the slightest problem with the abyssal low frequencies of this deliberately “Bond-y” track. It does a great job of revealing how the instruments were miked: While strings and wind instruments play in a huge hall, the flutes with their direct “room sound” have an almost hauntingly intimate effect. The clarity with which the amp stages the lively organ arpeggios in Hans Zimmer’s “Cornfield Chase” (Interstellar) is also wonderful.
Warm and sonorous, the sounds continue to build up over two minutes. Although it is almost drowned out by the mid-frequency clutter, a piano becomes increasingly recognizable in the final seconds of the track before the track ends abruptly in a short reverb tail. As luck would have it, two sonorous tube amplifiers were parked in the listening room during the test, which I won’t name in detail for reasons of piety. Just this much: they are four and seven times more expensive than the Loewe. Of course, tubes are something else. Above all, the larger of the two amplifiers plays noticeably livelier than the amp, and both also sound nuances more transparent. However, the multi.room amp is the clear winner, especially with the aforementioned soundtracks – or with any other type of “music with elevated power requirements”. With around twenty times more headroom, it is not only more tolerant of high listening levels, but also maintains calm and clarity in critical passages. As you can see, this affordable little all-rounder should not be underestimated: Under the hood is an extremely mature amplifier!
Accompanying Equipment
CD players: Audio Note CD 3.1x, Esoteric K-05XD | Streamers/mediaplayers: Lumin X1, Aavik S-580, Linn Klimax DSM | Preamplifier: Electrocompaniet EC 4.8 Mk II | Integrated amplifier: Aavik I-580 | Power amplifiers: Luxman M-10x, Burmester 216 | Speakers: Wilson Audio Sasha DAW, Audio Note AN-K SPx | Cables: WestminsterLab, AudioQuest | Racks: Finite Elemente, Solidsteel
Integrated amplifier Loewe multi.room amp
Concept: Stereo integrated amplifier with D/A converter, comprehensive networking, multiroom and many easy-to-control options | Analog signal inputs: 1 x line-in (cinch) | Digital signal inputs: 1 x HDMI (ARC) | Other inputs: LAN, WLAN, USB (for music data carriers), Bluetooth 5.0 | Analog outputs: Line-Out (RCA, variable), Subwoofer-Out (RCA mono, variable, can be switched off via “Sub” button) | Other outputs: LAN loop-through point | Speaker connections: Single-wire for bananas, bare wire and (with a bit of fiddling) spade terminals | Amplifier power: 2 x 600 W pulse power (manufacturer’s specification) at 4 Ω, limited to 2 x 300 W | Bandwidth: 20 Hz to 20 kHz | Streaming services: Amazon Music, Napster, Pandora, Qobuz, Tidal, iHeart Radio | Other network services: Roon Tested, UPnP, DTS Play-Fi, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Alexa | Special features: multiple units can be cascaded; hardware mono switch; button for rear/front mode (for multiple models in surround use); multi-room function, controllable via Play-Fi app or from other compatible sources; bass/treble control, power limiter and more … | Scope of delivery: Power cable, quick guide, remote control | Finish: matt black plastic housing | Dimensions (W/H/D): 27/8/27 cm | Weight: 2.2 kg | Warranty period: 2 years | Price: around €1000
Loewe Technology
Industriestrasse 11
96317 Kronach
Phone +49 9261 990
loewe@loewe.de