M100 Mark II

Design Philosophy

After many years of research and development in vacuum tube amplifier design, our goal for the new generation of hybrid tube amplifiers is to build upon the outstanding achievements of MAVIS’s previous product generations. Every engineering solution, from circuit topology to the selection and integration of tubes and components, has been carefully optimized to achieve what we define as the ideal sound: natural, accurate, and emotionally engaging music reproduction.

* Zero Feedback

Many hybrid amplifier designs available today combine a tube preamplifier with a solid-state power amplifier featuring multiple gain stages. Such designs often rely heavily on negative feedback, which can diminish the natural character and fine detail of the original recording, resulting in a sound that is harder, drier, and less emotionally engaging.

While feedback can offer certain technical advantages, excessive use often compromises the musicality of the listening experience. For this reason, the MAVIS Master Series hybrid tube amplifiers are designed according to a Zero Feedback philosophy, minimizing the use of feedback to preserve the most natural, accurate, and lifelike sound reproduction.

Zero Feedback is one of our core design principles. By eliminating unnecessary feedback, our amplifiers preserve the integrity of the original musical signal, allowing every performance to be reproduced with exceptional realism, transparency, and emotional expression.

* Output Transformers and Interstage Transformers in Hybrid Tube Amplifiers

Output Transformers (OPTs) and Interstage Transformers (ITs) are among the most critical and costly components used in high-end tube amplifiers. They are widely recognized as the optimal solution for achieving natural, highly faithful sound reproduction.

All MAVIS electronic products are designed and engineered to maximize the performance of transformer-coupled amplification. By optimizing every aspect of transformer design and implementation, we achieve what we believe to be the most natural, lifelike, and high-fidelity sound reproduction possible.

Today, MAVIS Tube Hybrid Transformer amplifiers are uniquely engineered to incorporate both Output Transformers and Interstage Transformers. Our proprietary OPT and IT technologies are the result of continuous research and development since 2008 and play a vital role in the outstanding performance of both our all-tube and hybrid tube amplifier designs.

Every OPT and IT transformer is designed and manufactured in-house by our highly skilled technicians, ensuring uncompromising quality, precision, and consistency.

* Point-to-Point Construction

Point-to-point wiring is one of the most demanding and labor-intensive methods of amplifier construction. It requires extensive craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and highly experienced technicians, making it significantly more costly than conventional PCB assembly.

The benefits, however, are substantial. Point-to-point construction provides exceptional durability, long-term reliability, ease of servicing, and outstanding electrical stability. For these reasons, it remains the preferred construction method for many of the world’s finest high-end tube amplifiers.

Every MAVIS Tube Hybrid Transformer Amplifier is meticulously hand-wired using the point-to-point method. This uncompromising approach reflects our commitment to craftsmanship and represents one of the defining standards of every MAVIS electronic product.

ENGINEERING SOLUTION

The M100 is a high-power hybrid tube amplifier featuring a dual-chassis design. Each chassis contains an independent power stage for the left (L) and right (R) channels, optimizing power delivery and heat dissipation.

In this configuration, one chassis houses both the driver stage and the power stage, while the second chassis is dedicated exclusively to the power stage. This architecture enhances channel separation, improves thermal management, and contributes to superior overall amplifier performance. This amplifier is engineered to deliver exceptional control, dynamics, and musical performance.

The M100 incorporates six (6) large transformers, including four (4) Output Transformers (OPTs) and two (2) Interstage Transformers (ITs), making this transformer architecture a signature design feature of the MAVIS Master Series hybrid tube amplifiers. It represents one of the most distinctive engineering solutions in the development of MAVIS hybrid tube amplifiers.

The large, meticulously designed Output Transformers contribute significantly to the amplifier’s exceptionally quiet background and its smooth, warm, and natural tonal character. At the same time, the carefully optimized tube driver stage preserves the emotional expression and realism of the music, delivering exceptionally refined high frequencies and a rich, transparent midrange. Complementing this, the solid-state output stage provides outstanding control of the low frequencies, producing deep, powerful, and well-defined bass with excellent coherence and authority.

The synergy between these technologies enables the M100 to reproduce music with remarkable refinement, realism, and emotional engagement, creating an immersive and captivating listening experience.

The M100 is capable of driving loudspeakers with sensitivities as low as 85 dB with excellent authority in small to medium-sized listening rooms. When paired with loudspeakers rated above 90 dB sensitivity, it can effortlessly drive large floor-standing speakers equipped with substantial bass drivers, even in listening rooms of up to 60 square meters.