The Ianus Protos is the most accessible expression of Aries Cerat's groundbreaking TriodeFET technology. While it occupies the entry point to the Ianus range, there is nothing entry level about its performance. Derived from the acclaimed Aperio power amplifier, the Protos delivers a level of drive, refinement and musical engagement that belies both its size and price.
Unlike the larger Geminae integrated amplifier, the Protos employs TriodeFET technology in a unique single-ended, single-stage topology. From the input to the loudspeaker terminals, the entire signal passes through just a single amplification stage. The result is exceptional purity, transparency and immediacy, allowing music to flow with remarkable naturalness.
Despite its elegant simplicity, the Protos is an exceptionally capable amplifier. It has the current delivery to control demanding loudspeakers while retaining the finesse and low noise floor required by the highest sensitivity horn systems. It is one of those rare amplifiers that feels equally at home regardless of the loudspeaker it is partnered with.
One of the Protos' greatest strengths is its ability to grow with a system. During our most recent visit to the Aries Cerat factory in Cyprus, we had the opportunity to hear it partnered with every Aries Cerat preamplifier, culminating in the flagship Aether. Each step revealed another level of performance, demonstrating that while the Protos is a superb integrated amplifier in its own right, it also provides an exceptional foundation for a future reference system.
Compact by Aries Cerat standards, yet uncompromising in ambition, the Protos captures much of the company's design philosophy in a remarkably elegant package.
The Ianus Protos is the most accessible expression of Aries Cerat's groundbreaking TriodeFET technology. While it occupies the entry point to the Ianus range, there is nothing entry level about its performance. Derived from the acclaimed Aperio power amplifier, the Protos delivers a level of drive, refinement and musical engagement that belies both its size and price.
Unlike the larger Geminae integrated amplifier, the Protos employs TriodeFET technology in a unique single-ended, single-stage topology. From the input to the loudspeaker terminals, the entire signal passes through just a single amplification stage. The result is exceptional purity, transparency and immediacy, allowing music to flow with remarkable naturalness.
Despite its elegant simplicity, the Protos is an exceptionally capable amplifier. It has the current delivery to control demanding loudspeakers while retaining the finesse and low noise floor required by the highest sensitivity horn systems. It is one of those rare amplifiers that feels equally at home regardless of the loudspeaker it is partnered with.
One of the Protos' greatest strengths is its ability to grow with a system. During our most recent visit to the Aries Cerat factory in Cyprus, we had the opportunity to hear it partnered with every Aries Cerat preamplifier, culminating in the flagship Aether. Each step revealed another level of performance, demonstrating that while the Protos is a superb integrated amplifier in its own right, it also provides an exceptional foundation for a future reference system.
Compact by Aries Cerat standards, yet uncompromising in ambition, the Protos captures much of the company's design philosophy in a remarkably elegant package.