Goldmund Telos 1800 Mono Power Amplifier

The Goldmund Telos 1800 is a reference Class A/B monoblock power amplifier delivering 420 watts RMS into 8 ohms and 550 watts RMS into 4 ohms. As Goldmund’s most compact current monoblock, it brings the company’s proprietary Telos amplification architecture, 600 damping factor, 110dB dynamic range, 2,500VA toroidal transformer and 78,400µF capacitor bank into a more manageable chassis while retaining the power-supply and speaker-control engineering developed for Goldmund’s larger amplifiers. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Designed and assembled by hand in Switzerland, the Telos 1800 is built for demanding passive loudspeakers and reference two-channel systems where high current delivery, extremely low output impedance and precise control of driver movement are fundamental to performance. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

420W Into 8 Ohms

Goldmund specifies maximum output power at:

420W RMS into 8Ω at 1% THD
550W RMS into 4Ω at 1% THD

Maximum unloaded output before clipping is 170V peak-to-peak. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The combination of substantial output power and high-current power-supply architecture gives the Telos 1800 the ability to drive large passive loudspeakers while maintaining control during demanding dynamic passages.

Goldmund Telos Class A/B Amplification

At the center of the Telos 1800 is Goldmund's proprietary Telos amplification technology, an architecture the company has continuously developed since the 1990s.

The Telos circuit operates in Class A/B and combines highly linear analog circuitry with a wide-bandwidth architecture. Goldmund's design philosophy focuses not only on generating power, but on maintaining low distortion and controlling the loudspeaker driver throughout its movement. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

This distinction is central to Goldmund's amplifier engineering: raw wattage is only one component of the amplifier's ability to control a loudspeaker.

600 Damping Factor

The Telos 1800 has a specified:

Damping factor: 600 at 1kHz / 8Ω. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Goldmund achieves its speaker-control performance by reducing amplifier output impedance to an extremely low level. The objective is tighter electrical control over the driver's movement, particularly large woofers where uncontrolled overshoot can produce delayed energy and excessive bass bloom. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

For systems built around large full-range loudspeakers, this ability to stop a driver accurately can be as important as the amplifier's ability to accelerate it.

2,500VA Toroidal Power Transformer

The Telos 1800 is built around a substantial:

2,500VA toroidal power transformer. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Goldmund redesigned the power supply for the Telos 1800, replacing the architecture used in its predecessor, the Telos 2500 NextGen. The company specifically cites improved efficiency, increased output capability and greater stored energy as objectives of the newer design. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The transformer is resin-treated to reduce mechanical and electrical vibration, while the amplifier's heavy chassis provides additional mechanical stability.

78,400µF Capacitor Bank

Supporting the transformer is a custom power-supply capacitor bank totaling:

78,400µF. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The energy reserve is designed to respond quickly when the loudspeaker places sudden demands on the amplifier—for example, during a bass transient or rapid shift from a quiet passage to a high-level orchestral peak.

Goldmund specifically redesigned the Telos 1800's capacitor banks around the requirements of the amplifier rather than relying on a generic power-supply implementation. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Less Than 0.05% THD+N

The current Telos 1800 specifications state:

THD+N: <0.05% from 20Hz–20kHz at 30Vrms output, unloaded

and:

SMPTE IMD: <0.05%, unloaded. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Goldmund's Telos architecture is designed around maintaining linearity through the complete amplification chain while separating high-current and low-current sections to reduce unwanted interaction between them. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Less Than 3µV Output Noise

Goldmund specifies an exceptionally low:

<3µV output noise from 20Hz–20kHz

with the analog input terminated using RCA shorting caps and the amplifier unloaded. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Low residual noise becomes increasingly important in highly resolving systems, particularly when the amplifier is partnered with efficient loudspeakers capable of exposing noise originating upstream.

110dB Dynamic Range

The Telos 1800 provides a specified:

110dB dynamic range

measured with a 22kHz flat measurement bandwidth, true RMS and unloaded output. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The combination of a low noise floor, substantial voltage swing and high power reserve allows the amplifier to preserve both very low-level information and large-scale musical transients.

Analog XLR & RCA Inputs

The Telos 1800 accommodates both balanced and unbalanced analog systems with:

1 × balanced XLR input
1 × unbalanced RCA input

Maximum analog input level before clipping is:

1Vrms. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Gain is specified at:

35dB.

This makes the Telos 1800 a natural partner for Goldmund's Mimesis preamplifiers while allowing it to integrate with appropriately matched reference preamplifiers from other manufacturers.

Digital Input & Output

Unusually for a reference monoblock power amplifier, the Telos 1800 also provides:

1 × RCA digital input
1 × RCA digital output

with a maximum digital input level before clipping of:

-6dBFS. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The digital connectivity reflects Goldmund's broader system architecture and its long-standing integration of digital signal handling within the Telos platform.

High-Current Speaker Connections

Speaker output is provided through:

2 × binding posts — red and black
1 × Goldmund Speaker 4B connector. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The dedicated Goldmund connection allows the Telos 1800 to integrate directly into compatible Goldmund system configurations, while conventional binding posts maintain compatibility with standard high-end speaker cables.

RS232 System Control

An RS232 command connection is provided for system integration. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

This is especially relevant when the Telos 1800 becomes part of a larger professionally designed system where amplifier operation needs to integrate with control and automation.

Ground Lift

The rear panel includes both an AC earth binding post with bridge connection and a ground-lift switch. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Ground management can become important in complex reference systems containing multiple source components, processors and amplification channels, where differences in grounding architecture can contribute to unwanted hum or noise.

Mechanical Grounding

The Telos 1800 incorporates Goldmund's Conic Feet, a central part of the company's Mechanical Grounding philosophy.

Rather than allowing unwanted vibrational energy to accumulate within the amplifier chassis, Goldmund designs the mechanical structure to provide a controlled evacuation path into the supporting surface. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Mechanical behavior is treated as part of the amplifier's electrical performance rather than simply an industrial-design consideration.

Seamless Aluminum Chassis

The Telos 1800 is housed in a substantial micro-blasted aluminum chassis with gently sculpted sides that follow Goldmund's current industrial-design language.

The aluminum enclosure also functions as electromagnetic shielding, helping isolate the amplifier circuitry from external EMI. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Thick aluminum panels and a substantial passive radiator provide thermal management without requiring a cooling fan.

112-Pound Monoblock Construction

Each Telos 1800 measures:

17.4" W × 11.1" H × 18.2" D
44 × 28 × 46 cm

and weighs:

51 kg / approximately 112.4 lb per amplifier. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

A stereo system therefore uses approximately 225 pounds of amplification before cabling or equipment support.

The physical scale reflects the 2,500VA transformer, substantial energy storage, passive thermal management and mechanically rigid construction inside each chassis.

Hand-Built in Switzerland

Goldmund states that its amplifiers are designed, assembled and individually configured by hand in Switzerland. Internal components are tested before assembly, followed by final testing of the completed amplifier. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

For a component at this level, Goldmund treats electronics, mechanical construction, thermal behavior and final calibration as parts of a single engineering process.

Grey or Black Finish

Current Goldmund documentation specifies:

Standard International: Grey with grey top ring
China: Grey with gold top ring
On Request: Black. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

For The Grid's U.S. listing, I would present Grey as standard and Black as special order.

Technical Specifications

The specifications above follow Goldmund's current Rev. C specification sheet and Rev. D user manual, rather than older Telos documentation. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

Telos 1800 vs. Telos 2800

The Telos 1800 sits directly below the Telos 2800 in Goldmund's current monoblock hierarchy, but the distinction is more substantial than the model numbers suggest.

The Telos 1800 delivers 420W into 8Ω and 550W into 4Ω from a 2,500VA transformer and 78,400µF capacitor bank. The larger Telos 2800 delivers 450W into 8Ω and 590W into 4Ω and increases the power supply to 3,200VA and 109,600µF. Both maintain a 600 damping factor and 110dB dynamic range. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

So I would not market the 1800 simply as a dramatically lower-powered 2800. Its published output is actually quite close. The 2800's major step upward is also in power-supply scale and energy reserve, while the 1800 delivers much of the same current-generation Telos performance from Goldmund's most compact monoblock chassis.

Goldmund Telos 1800 at The Grid HiFi

The Goldmund Telos 1800 combines 420 watts into 8 ohms, 550 watts into 4 ohms, a 600 damping factor, 2,500VA toroidal transformer and 78,400µF energy reserve in Goldmund's most compact current monoblock. For reference systems where loudspeaker control, transient speed and extremely low noise matter as much as maximum output power, it occupies an important position in the Telos range. Goldmund| The Art of Sound

The Grid HiFi can design the complete system around the Telos 1800 with Goldmund Mimesis preamplification, Eidos digital sources, Goldmund passive loudspeakers, reference analog front ends, cabling, power management and equipment support, including amplifier and loudspeaker matching.

Considering the Goldmund Telos 1800? Call The Grid HiFi at (713) 218-8120 to arrange a private audition and build the complete reference system around it.