For years, audiophile convention dictated that serious sound required a towering stack of separate components - monoblocks, dedicated power supplies, and a load of interconnects behind the rack. Lately, though? New Zealand’s JAVA Hi-Fi is making a very strong case for the integrated amplifier.
In a recent review for Tracking Angle, reviewer Ken Redmond put the JAVA Hi-Fi 'Double Shot' Integrated Amplifier through its paces. Calling it the Swiss Army knife of the lineup, Redmond took a close look at how designer Martin Bell packed a fully balanced pre-amp, dual-mono DAC, MM phono stage, and 400 watts per channel into a chassis that looks more like high-end mid-century furniture than an industrial powerhouse.
A Different Approach to Design
The first thing that hits you about the Double Shot is its aesthetic. Instead of massive heatsinks and a cluttered, flashing front panel, you get a clean 8mm aluminium fascia with two rotary dials, wrapped in CNC-machined wood veneer (walnut or ebony, in satin or high-gloss).
"The quality of integrated amplifiers is improving significantly, to the point where I no longer miss the performance of separate components. Instead, I find myself questioning whether all those extra devices, cables, connectors, and power supplies really provided as much benefit as I once believed." — Ken Redmond, Tracking Angle
Spin it around, and the rear panel reveals a seriously capable hub: four pairs of balanced XLR inputs, fixed and variable XLR pre-outs (perfect for adding a sub), ETI Research binding posts, a built-in moving magnet phono stage, and an updated USB DAC using dual Analog Devices AD1865 non-oversampling chips.
Light-Based Volume and GaN FET Power
What really sets the Double Shot apart under the hood are two key choices: Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs) for volume control - which bypass traditional mechanical wipers to keep the signal path pristine - and high-speed GaN FET (Gallium Nitride) output stages.
Early Class D amps could sound fast and punchy, but sometimes turned up top with a slightly mechanical, thin glare. JAVA’s GaN implementation changes the script entirely.
"Think about the leading edge of a snare drum, the pluck of an acoustic bass string, or the instant a piano hammer strikes a string. The JAVA reproduces those events with exceptional immediacy, but, and this is important, it doesn't stop at the transient. The harmonic body and decay follow naturally... It's fast without sounding threadbare." — Ken Redmond, Tracking Angle
Power That Breathes
With 400 watts into 8 ohms (doubling to 800 into 4 ohms), you'd expect a heavy, authoritative grip right out of the gate. But Redmond noted that the Double Shot doesn't force its muscle on you - it simply opens up when the music demands headroom, keeping complex arrangements - like Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain" - totally uncompressed and distinct.
Above all, it's an amplifier that gets the rhythm right. Spinning funk cuts and acoustic jazz, the timing locks in naturally:
"The bass was tight without becoming overdamped, the drums had snap, and the performance moved as a whole. The amplifier didn't pull the recording apart into a collection of audiophile images. It kept the relationships between the musicians intact. My foot was moving." — Ken Redmond, Tracking Angle
The Verdict
If you're looking to simplify your rack without giving up reference-grade resolution, dynamic snap, or genuine musical engagement, the Double Shot is well worth a listen.
You can read the full Tracking Angle review here.
Got questions about system matching or want to arrange a demo? Give us a call on 01592 407700.
