Unison Research Simply 845 and Fidelity Imports: CAF 2023

In a world that seems to be in complete disarray at the moment, one needs to find genuine beauty anywhere that they can find it. Driving home from CAF 2023, I kept checking my iPhone for updates from family and friends in Israel and thinking about which components really stood out for me. Hi-Fi as a distraction is not the worst thing.

Most of them were not new. The $9,995 Unison Research Simply 845 Integrated Amplifier has been available for a number of years and Fidelity Imports continues to showcase this particular amplifier for some rather obvious reasons.

The sound quality is second to none and the industrial design makes one reach for their wallet almost instantly.

I have long held the belief that audio components reflect the culture of the people behind them; the Italian obsession with design, craftsmanship, beauty, and quality is reflected in many of the products that are produced by brands like Audio Analogue, Opera, Gold Note, Sonus faber, and Unison Research.

Having grown up in the pizza business and on the border of Toronto’s largest Italian neighborhood, my soul has always felt very much part of the Azzuri.

Italians care about the little things that make their cars, clothing, shoes, cuisine, wine, firearms, and audio components very different; strip away the design beauty, and one is left with products that not only strive to be unique, but are often temperamental, seductive, and quite emotive.

Having reviewed the excellent Unison Research Triode 25 Integrated Amplifier in 2022, I was rather curious to experience the next level of their products; albeit through a system well out of my price range.

Steve Jain directed me to the room featuring the Simply 845, a pair of Opera Callas Diva Loudspeakers, Innuos ZENith Music Server, and Unison Research CD Uno CD player.

The Simply 845 utilizes a pair of 845 tubes in a single-ended configuration that outputs 23 watts of Class A power.

The amplifier uses handmade in-house custom transformers, ECC82/12AU7s in the preamp stage and an ALPS RK27 motorized volume control; the unit is also self-biasing so all one needs to do is install the tubes and the unit takes care of the rest.

4 line level inputs and 2 sets of outputs (1 subwoofer, 1 tape) for those keeping score; one does need to add their own external phono stage for vinyl playback.

The 67 pounds of metal and wood are housed in a rather compact 14 1/2″ x 10 1/4″ x 22 1/2″ chassis.

The Opera Callas Diva are 90 dB/2.83 Volt/1 meter, which on paper seems less than ideal for the Simply 845. The 4 Ohm impedance (drops to 3 Ohm) did not inspire confidence that the low end would deliver very strong bass response and that it might struggle with complex dynamic passages.

Fidelity Imports chose a variety of music but none of it gave me the opportunity to experience electronica or bass heavy tracks.

Single-ended amplifiers with something like the 845 triode can offer strong dynamics with the right speaker and also reproduce those delicate passages with incredible purity and tone.

Listening to a number of chamber and acoustic tracks, the Simply 845 delivered the best of both worlds; musicians hung in the air in front of the loudspeakers, and the front of the room was awash with fleshed out strings and vocals that pushed only slightly forward of the loudspeakers.

One of those moments that made the show worth attending. The Callas Diva require a lot more power to show off their capabilities, but the combination with the selected tracks was just beautiful to experience.

A review of the Unison Research Simply 845 is already in the works for January/February 2024.

For more information: unisonresearch.com