Bask in the Glow of Audiophile Tube Music Reproduction
Introduced in 1997, the original Manley Stingray has been delighting audiophiles for decades. Now, the Stingray II stereo integrated tube amplifier ups the ante with numerous improvements that ratchet performance up several notches. For the discerning audiophile intent on pure musical enjoyment at home, the Manley Stingray II unabashedly celebrates the innate ability of astutely designed vacuum tube circuitry to convey a euphonic sense of air, dimensional bloom, and enchanting timbral enrichment, while presenting an open, deep, and wide soundstage with pinpoint imaging and focus. In the Manley Stingray II, the sonic magic and romance of glass-bottle electronics realize their full potential, and the amp’s visually pleasing form factor provides a clue to the advanced circuitry that is responsible.
Related Videos: Stingray II Stereo Integrated Tube Amplifier
Masterful Manley design
The Stingray II’s robust hexagonal chassis is symmetrically configured to optimize channel separation and signal purity. This permits the tubes and transformers, gold-plated input connectors, speaker binding posts, and even fuses for each channel to be fitted much further apart than a conventional rectangular layout would allow. Three line-level stereo RCA inputs, a record out and loop return, and a subwoofer preamp output are provided per channel. A 3.5mm line-level stereo input jack and a 1/4-inch headphone jack round out the I/O, a significant upgrade from the original Stingray. When active, the headphone jack reroutes the output from the speaker binding posts and mutes the subwoofer outputs. Manley gear has earned a reputation for its stellar performance through ’phones, and the Stingray II is no exception, performing brilliantly with a wide range of today’s high-end headphones. The on/off switch and IEC mains receptacle — as well as an antenna for the sturdy, all-metal RF/IR remote control — occupy the central rear panel. Manley is well known for its overbuilt power supplies, and the one in the Stingray II does not disappoint, playing no small role in the unit’s huge, authoritative sonic delivery.
Tight bass and more bass
While the Stingray II delivers impressively brawny, tight, and coherent bass response for a tube design — courtesy of its massive high-voltage energy storage — the stereo sub outs greatly enhance its in-room versatility without resorting to the acoustic optimization commonly found in today’s A/V receivers that most audiophiles would consider inorganic and eschew in principle. The Stingray II’s bass solidity, control, and impact are impressive, to be sure; however, in a modern twist on the time-honored bi-amplification technique of using tube amps on top and solid-state for the low end, Manley has provided preamp outputs for powered subwoofers. And while many A/V receivers supply one or more summed mono sub outs, the Stingray II allocates one per channel, which — as golden-eared sound engineers know — provides a cleaner stereo image, assuming your subs are symmetrically positioned in proximity to your left and right main speakers.
Voluptuous musicality with all your sources
Given the Stingray II’s remarkable sonic abilities, you might assume that a high-end turntable/tonearm/cartridge setup would be a match made in heaven — and you wouldn’t be mistaken. While the unit is a marvel of masterful electronics design, it offers no phono input. The thinking is that audiophiles owning an amplifier of this caliber would surely want to pair it with a moving-coil preamplifier of their own choosing. So, in keeping with Manley’s purist design philosophy, the Stingray II remains source agnostic, meaning that any signal you put through it sounds amazing, regardless of the source. In the streaming era, the Manley Stingray II is a breath of fresh air that renders clinical digital streams with a voluptuous musicality that solid-state electronics — and many other tube designs — simply cannot match. One feature you might not expect to see on a modern integrated amp is a tape loop. But again, the existence of such on the Stingray II is in perfect harmony with its audiophile bona fides.
Triode and Ultra-Linear modes
The EL84 output stage of the Stingray II can be switched between Triode and Ultra-Linear modes, which deliver 20 watts and 40 watts of push-pull operation, respectively. Triode mode serves up a euphonic and somewhat ethereal-sounding rendition of the source material — what many audiophiles would consider a classic, vintage-flavored tube sound. Ultra-Linear, as its name would suggest, offers a more modern presentation that’s punchy and hard-hitting while remaining true to the source. Having the two modes available (as well as stereo subwoofer outputs) enables you to achieve your personal sonic nirvana by optimizing the Stingray’s voicing for your room and musical proclivities. However you run it, the Stingray II performs flawlessly, like the thoroughbred that it is.
Living with tubes: Manley makes it easy
Since the 1980s, Manley’s sole business has been tube electronics. Thus, as a Stingray II owner, you are in good hands, whether you’re a valve veteran or a tube novice. The Stingray II ships well packaged with its tubes already installed, but you will need to periodically bias them. Of course, pursuant to the company’s attention to detail, Manley includes a digital multimeter. If you’ve never biased tubes before, not to worry — the Stingray manual covers the process in detail and company President and CEO EveAnna Manley even takes you through it step-by-step in a helpful video. Eventually, after years of service, the tubes will need to be replaced, and Manley again has you covered with complete re-tube kits available on its website. The handpicked tube complement comprises two large-plate Russian 12AT7EH input tubes, two 12BH7EH dual-triode driver tubes (the EH in both cases stands for Electro-Harmonix), and eight new-old-stock Russian EL84M output tubes.
A remote like no other
The Stingray II includes a remote control that works on radio frequencies (RF), which means it’s omnidirectional and even works through walls. Manley has even thoughtfully included infrared (IR) capability to facilitate integration into existing systems using a universal-learning remote. In this age of flimsy plastic remote controls, the one that comes with the Stingray II is noteworthy due to its robust all-metal construction. The remote offers control over volume, balance, input switching, mute, dim, insert, and standby. Each input can be individually trimmed to match and optimize the system gain staging of your input devices. You also get remote control over the various display options.
Modern conveniences
The elegant blue LED displays surrounding the front-panel Input and Volume digital encoder knobs may be dimmed or switched off entirely after a user-specified time period, or alternately, a random “Starlight” sequence can be selected, with the speed and intensity tweakable to taste. All your custom settings are hard written into memory when you put your Stingray II into Standby mode and retained if power is subsequently interrupted. The Stingray II also features a unique sleep timer that is programmable directly from the remote. The timer may be set in increments of 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes and triggers a sequence whereby it gradually lowers the volume and puts the unit into Standby mode. This is ideal for quick naps, proving, once again, that the Stingray II is the stuff audiophile dreams are made of!
Manley: Tubes Rule
As America’s leading pro audio resource, Sweetwater’s relationship with Manley goes back decades. But Manley’s history is actually rooted in high-end consumer electronics, which have continually been manufactured in the company’s Chino, California labs alongside its professional gear. Precious few audio manufacturers have demonstrated design mastery in both the professional and home audio spheres. Occupying a lofty perch in this elite pantheon, Manley has further distinguished itself by specializing exclusively in tube designs, fastidiously handcrafting its equipment using top-drawer parts and adhering to stringent component tolerances to deliver the uncompromising build quality that is baked into every unit. From tube microphones and preamps to audiophile-grade home amplifiers, Manley’s painstaking attention to detail results in products that consistently demonstrate the everlasting veracity of the company mantra: Tubes Rule!
Manley Stingray II Features:
- All-tube, low-feedback stereo integrated amplifier design
- 3 stereo line-level RCA inputs
- 1 stereo line-level 3.5mm TRS mini-jack input
- Switchable Triode and Ultra-Linear modes
- Subwoofer out per channel
- Tape loop (insert) with bypass switch
- Individual sealed gold contact relays
- 1/4-in. Headphone output (mutes speakers and subwoofer output when active)
- Logic-controlled Volume and Balance functions
- Output tubes: 8 x EL84 (ships with Russian NOS EL84M)
- Driver tubes: 2 x 12BH7EH dual triodes
- Input tubes: 2 x 12AT7EH (ships with 12AT7EH large-plate Electro-Harmonix Russian)
- Maximum output power Ultra-Linear mode: 32W x 2, 1.5% THD @ 1kHz into 5 ohms
- Maximum output power Triode mode: 18 watts x 2, 1.5% THD @ 1kHz into 5 ohms
- Frequency Response: 15Hz–58kHz, -1dB
- Gain: 35dB at maximum volume
- Optimum speaker load: 5 ohms
- Damping factor: 2.4
- Headphone jack output impedance: 53 ohms
- Remote control type: RF (radio frequency) and IR (infrared), user selectable
- Sleep timer: 15, 30, 45, 60 minutes
- Remote control, digital multimeter, detachable IEC mains cable, and comprehensive owner’s manual included
