CES & THE Show 2012 • Hot Product

Intelligently designed and very powerful: this sums up the Anthem Statement M1 mono amp ($3499 each). It's a 1000-watt (at 8 ohms; its output doubles into 4 ohms) class-D amp that makes use of some novel technologies. Foremost among these is the M1's proprietary load-monitoring system. This uses a digital signal processor outside the signal path to monitor line voltage, output current, ground-fault detection, temperature, and DC voltage at the output, ensuring the greatest possible power from either a 120V or 240V line.

Part of the M1's "heat pipe cooling system" can be seen in this photo -- it runs between the heatsinks and across the amp. Details on it were sparse, but, in general terms, the copper pipe contains a liquid that cools the amp's circuits, and it is especially effective when multiple M1s are mounted one atop another.

While the Statement M1's low-to-the ground form gives it obvious application for home theater, it's aimed squarely at audiophiles. A pair of the amps sounded big, authoritative and a touch sweet driving Paradigm Signature S8 v3 speakers.