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Paired with some nice desktop speakers the 4733 actually makes an ideal computer audio amplifier with its then ample 2wpc. European 47 Labs distributor Sead Lejlic adds that headphone usage was the 4733’s intended original focus so internally the same circuitry feeds the headphone jack at the front and the speaker terminals at the back. Only one of these outputs may be used at any one time. The reason for this dual option, Sead explains, is that some high-end electrostatic headphones like the classic Jacklin Float or certain Stax models don’t come with a standard 6.3mm plug.


From a computer enter via USB or S/PDIF via an M2Tech hiFace or equivalent and you are all set. But the 4733 can actually drive high-sensitivity speakers. When the speaker terminals get frequently cleaned, even the tiny contact area between clip and wire worked remarkable well. After we swapped speaker cables to have bare wire ends for the spring-loaded 47 Lab terminals on hand, the 4733 drove our 107dB Avantgarde Duo Omega speakers with ease. Granted those are 19 ohms and the bass systems of these horns are self-powered so the 4733 multi-purpose box from Japan had a very easy load to face.



As 4733 buddy 47 Labs has the 4734 power amp. At 15cm slightly wider than the tuner and preamp/DAC, it’s still a Tom Thumb or Lady Thumbelina of audio but perhaps on steroids. Rated at 60wpc into 4Ω the amp can be used with many if not most loudspeakers. Input connectors are of the RCA variety while the loudspeaker terminals accept bananas, spades or bare wire. The relatively high weight of the 4734 is due to the large toroidal transformer that dominates the innards and is visible through the cooling slits.


Integrated tastes are served with the Model 4736. Here again there is the small form factor plus an extra iPod entry. Since the 4736 has no DAC it is only able to process the analog output of an iDevice. What 47 Labs did though is adjust the input characteristics to match those of an iPod output where either the headphone or dock outputs may be used. Besides the iPod input on the front there are three pairs of RCA inputs on the back. Above the frontal input selector sits the volume attenuator to control the 25wpc on hand. A pre-out and the same loudspeaker terminals as used with the 4734 complete this model.




Which gets us to 4735, a model number we had already skipped. Behind it hides a CD transport slash CD player. Again 47 Labs went for the minimalist nudist style meaning no tray with accompanying slot mechanism. Here the naked top-loader is covered by an extension of the Midnight Blue signature aluminum flip. The CD gets clamped between this lid and transport spindle whilst being held in place by a magnet. Simple and elegant. During play a part of the disc protrudes from beneath the lid to be prone to some dust from static attraction. A Furutech Destat then becomes a welcome accessory. The transport itself is no longer a Sanyo unit but sourced from Teac. Since the 4735 is also a complete CD player, the onboard DAC is once again NOS and the same no-fuss 16-bit Philips 1543 as in the 4733. Output is via RCA terminals or digital S/PDIF on coax. Basic controls are on the top.


With this plethora of small 47 Labs gear in house it was not easy to choose from the many possible combinations. In line with their design philosophy we started with the simplest combination - 4735 CD player and 4736 integrated amplifier. Interconnecting the two was a supplied length of offbeat Stratos cable. Loudspeakers on duty were either the Vaessen Aquarius eggs or the Arcadian Audio Pnoe horns. Even on the sensitive horns the player/amp combination proved blessedly bereft of any spurious noise or hum. The CD player however was acoustically noticeable whilst spinning if the listener remained at close range. At the listening position however the motor whirring was virtually inaudible. With the Aquarius the little amp had to work harder as their 12-inch woofers consume a bit of power but the 25wpc proved more than capable of putting out a realistic image if the recorded ensemble wasn’t too large. Soundwise there was a lack of any distinct signature. There was no emphasis on certain frequency bands and the sound was simply clean with sufficient punch and directness.