THE MOLA MOLA KALUGA MONO-BLOCK AMPLIFIERS - REVIEW
The Mola Mola Kaluga Mono Block Amplifiers
The Mola Mola Kula integrated amplifier with on board DAC and phono stage so impressed us, that when we were offered the chance to review the Kaluga mono block amplifiers there was no hesitation. These shoe box sized amplifiers are deceptive with regards to their relatively small footprint, as they are absolute powerhouses, offering up 400 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and a whopping 700 watts per channel into 4 ohms! The Mola Mola Kalugas sell for $17,200 a pair.
We covered the history of Mola Mola and lead designer Bruno Putzys in our Kula review, so we won’t cover that ground again. Suffice it to say we had high expectations for these standalone mono amps based on our experience with the Kula amplifier section. The Kalugas arrived packed immaculately in a James Bond style attaché case, and set up was as straightforward as can be. The amps side by side are smaller than most integrated amps, and weigh approximately 15.5 lbs each.
Inputs around back include RCA, XLR for signal, and IEC jack for power. A pair of top shelf Japanese made Furutech binding posts complete the picture, which incidentally are b-wired directly to the amplifier board with Kubala Sosna cable. This allows for optional bi-wiring of speakers that provide this option. In appearance, the Kalugas are in line with the Mola Mola aesthetic, which is modern industrial elegance. Of course, internally it features Putzys’ proprietary Class D design. We would suggest taking time to read about it, and there is plenty of information available online if you are interested.
Set Up & Listening:
We set the Kalugas up with the fully balanced Rogue RP-7 tubed preamp front end. Also in tow were a Sonore microRendu streamer, Bryston BDA-3 DAC, an Audio Hungary Qualiton phono stage, a Rega Planar 6 turntable, and Magnepan 1.7i speakers. Cabling was Audio Art Cable and Black Cat. All components were plugged into Audience and Bryston power conditioning.
The Kalugas were run balanced out of the Rogue preamp. The only “tweak” aside from Audio Art Cable power cords was a Symposium Svelte Shelf to minimize resonances. The amps were left powered on at all times for best performance on demand. The amps ran slightly warm to the touch.
First up, we streamed a number of Elvis Presley’s best recordings, from the time period covering 1968 to 1971. During this time he was given superb material, a great producer, and the best studio musicians of the day. The first album to come out of this was From Elvis In Memphis. The 96 Khz remaster is top notch, with even all of the recording artifacts of the day intact.
We did pull out some actual vintage folky vinyl to enjoy. First up, a stack of Tom Rush albums, all recorded between 1967 and 1972. Perhaps my favorite is his self titled album from 1970, released on Columbia records. This superb album features a mix of originals, and songs by Jackson Browne and James Taylor, as well as some traditional material. The arrangements layer horns, lapsteel and strings over Rush’s vocal and guitar. The Kalugas made this dusty old gem sound fresh and vibrant, even shining a light on some of the quaint studio effects of the time. This alone was worth the price of admission!
We then went on a slight Jose Feliciano binge, pulling several of his early albums off the shelf. Feliciano initially made an impact with some tasteful covers of various hits of the day, like “Light My Fire” and “California Dreamin”, mixed in with well known classic Mexican folk songs and originals. The Kalugas made Feliciano’s pure soul voice induce goosebumps, and we kept bringing the stylus back to the beginning.
Circling back to digital, we streamed various ripped SACDs from our local library, including a stack of recently issued Mobile Fidelity remasters. The Eagles, David Crosby, Dire Straits, Vanilla Fudge, and many more have all benefited from MoFi’s secret sauce. To our ears, these DSD remasters overtake all previous digital versions. The Kalugas elevated these recordings and spotlighted the smooth analog sound of DSD.
Are the Kalugas perfect? No audio component is. But they are certainly more neutral than some similarly priced tubed designs, and more efficient than similarly priced Class A/B amps. The ability to deliver a lot of current without breaking the grid is just one part of the trick, the fact that it is delivered with such sophistication is the main attraction.
How do the Kalugas compare with the Kula integrated? Impossible to say with certainty, since the Kula left our domicile many months ago. However they are clearly cut from the same cloth. It really depends on how much you want to tinker. The Kalugas obviously allow you to juggle any preamp and source you like, while the Kula can be ordered with world class phono and DAC add ons.
The Kalugas provided the same weight and total control of the speakers, and ultimately the same precision as the Kula. Definitely not any less. The word that kept being thrown around was “effortless”. Listeners were especially taken by how smooth and revealing the top end was. For us, the midrange was where the magic was to be found. It was crystalline, open and intoxicating. Perhaps the area where the Kalugas outshine most, if not all amps we have had in the system prior, is in dynamics and shading. The transition from soft to loud passages was skilful and this may be why the Kalugas were equally effective musically at low, medium and high volumes. This may be – and this is just conjecture – due to the exceptionally low noise floor.
I would have liked to have heard the Mola monos with a high end solid state preamplifier on a par with the Kalugas, but those are not easy to find. I am partial to tube preamps for enhanced harmonics and a holographic midrange, and there are plenty to choose from commensurate in price with the Kalugas. But that is all a matter of personal taste. If one was a digital listener only, a DAC preamp would make a lot of sense. If fact, the Mola Mola Tambaqui may fit the bill. It was reviewed by our esteemed Editor In Chief here: https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/mola-mola-tambaqui
Conclusion:
The Mola Mola Kaluga mono block amplifiers, at approximately 17 grand, deliver far more sonic goodness than their price indicates. Yes, 17 grand is a lot of money, but within the context of a market that gives us power amplifiers of all designs that are priced at many multiples of the Kalugas, these amps are to be reckoned with.
The Kalugas offer a clarity, definition and punch that will make most speakers sound just about their best. Of course, hearing is believing, so auditioning these amps with your speakers is a must. To these ears, the Kalugas made our Magnepans sound their very best up to this point.
In all candor, if we had the scratch to lay out for these amps, we would grab them, and call it a day. They deliver sonic purity with real depth, and are easy to situate in any set up. The Kalugas offer up enough power for any application we can foresee, and they look darn attractive. Mola Mola had proven to be a major force in not just Class D amplification, but in the high performance audio industry, period. Amazing amps. We happily award the Mola Mola Kalugas with our top award—The DIAMOND AWARD
Manufacturer: MOLA MOLA
Mola Mola
Kattegat 8
9723JP Groningen
Tel: +31(0)505264993
Distributor: GTT Audio
+1 908 850 3092
av@gttaudio.com
www.gttaudio.com