CES & THE Show 2011 • Hot Product

The Boulder 3050 monoblocks ($180,000/pair) are about as extreme as amplifiers get. Each one uses 120 bipolar output devices to produce 1200-1500 watts, requires 240V AC and weighs 450 pounds, including its granite base. The many cavities and compound angles of the heat sinks make machining them tricky and time-consuming. The first one required a week on Boulder's CNC mill. Boulder says there will be a matching 30-series preamp and phono stage at some point in the future.