Soundnews Reviews the Crescendo CHORUS: "It Almost Feels Like Living in the Future"
- Laiv
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Big thanks to Sandu Vitalie from Soundnews for putting the Crescendo CHORUS through its paces. With 107,000 subscribers and over 380 reviews covering everything from IEMs to flagship amplifiers, Soundnews has earned a reputation for thorough, measurement-backed, no-nonsense audio reviews. When Sandu talks about amplifier performance, people listen.
What makes this review especially valuable is how Sandu tested the CHORUS. He ran it as a single stereo amplifier first, then as dual monoblocks, using speakers that demand serious power (86 dB sensitivity, typically driven by amplifiers delivering 500 to 1,000 watts per channel). That is a real-world stress test, and the CHORUS stepped up.
The single biggest takeaway? Transparency. Sandu describes the sound as pure, uncolored, and incredibly revealing of micro-detail. He notes that the GaN-based design delivers faster transient response than any transformer-based amplifier he has tested, and that the CHORUS gets remarkably close to his own reference monoblocks in terms of clarity and resolution. Coming from a reviewer who tests gear at this level, that is saying something.
Running two units as monoblocks took things further. Sandu reports a dramatic improvement in dynamics, bass quality, and soundstage, with the sound canvas expanding by 40 to 50 percent. He also found zero channel crosstalk and no dynamic compression, even at extreme volumes.
In the interest of transparency: Sandu notes that a single CHORUS unit can run out of grip in the bass with very demanding, low-sensitivity speakers. That is to be expected from a 50-watt amplifier driving speakers designed for 10 to 20 times that power. The dual monoblock configuration resolves this entirely, which is exactly why we designed the CHORUS to bridge so easily. He also recommends pairing the CHORUS with an active preamplifier for best results, which is solid advice we agree with.
Watch the full review at https://youtu.be/vkt8kSoPPgU. Sandu goes deep across 12 chapters covering design, internals, stereo impressions, monoblock impressions, power output, soundstage, resolution, and a head-to-head comparison. It is worth every minute.
LAIV Designing Dreams, Yours Specifically! 🎶
Credit: Sandu Vitalie
Owner & Editor @ Soundnews and YouTube channel