Plinius Hiato Integrated Amplifier (TAS 201)

Benchmark Performance

The Plinius Hiato is a beast of an integrated amplifier. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s big, heavy, and at an indomitable 300Wpc simply outguns most of the competition. Plus it loves teaching loudspeakers how to behave. For me the Hiato recalls the New York street scene from the movie Crocodile Dundee, where our hero, an Aussie from the outback, is confronted by a mugger brandishing a modestly sized switchblade. To the assailant’s horror a bemused Dundee takes in the situation, then smoothly unsheathes and contemplates his own horrifyingly long Bowie knife. Shifting his eyes between the mugger’s weapon and his own, he utters the immortal line, “That’s not a knife; now this is a knife.” Spend a few hours with the Hiato and you know exactly what he means. Now this is an amp.

In the language of the Maori of New Zealand, Hiato means “harmony” or “bring together.” In an e-mail exchange with Plinius senior technician Aidan Moody noted that Hiato “came about from the need to build on our recent evolution of products with a integrated unit of the same high caliber.” Its beginnings can be traced to the Odeon multichannel amplifier and, later, the 225W SA-201 amplifier. The Hiato’s added muscle is courtesy of twenty output devices (ten per channel) and a commensurately larger power supply than the SA-201. The preamp stage is derived from the current flagship Tautoro, while the optional phonostage clones design and topology directly from the Koru phono preamp. Moody noted that “special attention was paid to noise sources such as power rails and control data in particular. PCB’s were carefully laid out to ensure correct treatment of signals and appropriate distances to isolate any unwanted effects from the audio. Wire and track lengths are equal and layout is highly symmetrical to ensure channel equality.” Additionally, key choices in components, connections, and wire types were also made.

The Hiato carries over the wrap-around front panel from the Odeon and 9200. Stylistically, the quasi-industrial look with its exposed blue subchassis has aged well. Grab handles at the rear will aid the courageous few who attempt to hoist the Hiato into a rack. Per current Plinius practice, the broad front panel houses no “big-screen” numerical display—a potential source of noise. Rather, each input is indicated with a row of bright micro-LED pin-lights. A single gently pulsating beam signifies the Hiato rests in Standby mode. There is a change to the mute feature as it’s now only accessible from the remote control. In a pinch, I like being able to mute from the component as well. The Hiato offers four line-level inputs with WBT RCA connectors, an optional all-new phono input (derived, as noted, from the high-performance Koru and adjustable for gain and loading), and balanced XLR inputs for CD and Line One. There’s also a home-theater bypass, a ground-lift toggle, remote IR output, 12V triggers, and a 3.5mm front-panel jack for portable media. Four pairs of speakers terminals are provided for biwiring. In a harmonious nod to going green, the Hiato also adheres to the latest international standards to eliminate substances harmful to the environment. Finally, there’s an aluminum full-function remote with the kind of nightstick heft that would make a prison guard proud.

It’s fair to say that I’ve been TAS’s unofficial Plinius reviewer for a few years. Recently I’ve written about the 9200 integrated, the CD-101 player, and the powerhouse SB-301 amplifier. [I lived with the Plinius Odeon multichannel power amplifier and thought it was of reference quality.—RH] Let me be clear from the outset—the Hiato is not just a beefed-up 9200. Nor is it an SB-301. Its sonic character has the Plinius signature—rich though not overly ripe mids, solid tightly controlled lower octaves, and superbly extended treble. Where the 9200 seemed to show its musical best from the midrange outward, the Hiato starts from a deeper place, virtually redefining the nature and timbre quality of low-frequency extension in this segment of the market. Rocket-sled transient attack has always been a staple of Plinius designs, and that hasn’t changed. But the Hiato is even more dynamically resourceful than previous integrated models by virtue of its massive power supply. There’s little to no sense of compression; with dynamics it throws lightening bolts. The only thing comparable to the experience of listening to the Hiato through a major speaker system like the Magico V2 (to be reviewed in our next issue) would be joining the circus and having yourself shot from a cannon.