The Enleum 54R Integrated Amp is like no other.
By Steve Huff
Welcome back my music loving friends! I have another integrated amplifier to talk about today and this is one that I never expected to hear or review but am so glad I was able to experience it. This is a very special piece and hits the top of the peak, of the mountain… the summit of audio performance for those who enjoy a very immersive connection to the music. What the Enleum Amp 54R does is quite different from any other integrated amp I have ever heard. Yea, I mean when it comes to both sound and looks.
Also, I want to sincerely thank Darin over at Jaguar Audio who helped with this review by getting a sample sent to me to check out for a month or so. This is his personal demo unit and he is letting me burn it in and review it. He told me “you do not need to review this, just tell me what you think and keep it for a month”. Wow, what a great guy. Darin has been an Enleum dealer for a long while, and for good reason. He loves the sound himself and really great dealers sell what they love.
The uniquely designed Amp 54R. The caps are on the bottom (covered of course) and the amp sits atop the big transformer which acts as a foot of sorts. The front bottom has the lights that show us volume and mode.
OK, on to the review!
Where to begin? How about with the brand Bakoon? Well, I will not say much about that except without Bakoon there would be no Enleum. The mastermind behind Enleum, a Mr.Soo In Chae started out at Bakoon where there they made some of the most memorable and yet virtually unknown to the masses amplifiers. They had a unique design, unique sound and won Red Dot awards consistently for their artistic type of styling vibe. I love when companies design audio products that look different from the same old same old standard boxes. Those Red Dot awards have been well deserved indeed but these amps are much more than just a pretty face. In fact, listening to an Enleum amp can be a surreal experience at times depending on the system synergy.
The Bakoon Amp 13R is highly regarded and even sought after today on the used market.
A few years back I reviewed and really enjoyed the Enleum Amp 23R. Even today the little 23R has a spot in my favorite integrated amps of all time list. The main reasons are the small size and certainly most of all, the sound quality, which is lot like this flagship 54R in some ways . That 23R is an addictive little amp indeed and it kept me listening into the wee hours of the night again and again. It’s also the only amp to date that I have had in here that had my wife crying tears during a listening session, but that was a system thing as well. Everything just clicked with that setup and the 23R was running the show back then with some Fleetwood Deville speakers. There was a quality about this little amp that just lit up the music from the inside.
The Amp 23R is awesome and it’s also well regarded as a headphone amp.
I really dig the Enleum vibe of design and sound. I also love the name “Enleum” which also means “Enlighten” because that’s what the integrated amplifier I am talking about today does. It brings light to every recording I play through it. It truly does seem to enlighten the music which then brings that direct to my ears, brain and then heart.
So yea, I really enjoy this brand for all it stands for and does. One thing to note about Enleum is that they are a small batch manufacturer. They do not make a ton of these and each one is hand crafted vs mass produced. Parts are carefully chosen and I get the feeling that Mr. Soo In Chae may just be a perfectionist as the 54R is quite a sight to see (and lift) in the flesh. This is some serious engineering here and this is not just another integrated amp in a sea of average. Instead this is again, something special, unique and small batch.
The Design
I am sitting in my listening seat as I write and I am listening right at this moment to the Enleum Amp 54R power some remarkable T+A Talis R300 speakers. The sound is deliciously ethereal and almost surreal but engaging, immersive, lit up and yes…magical. This amp has this effect on almost any speaker I hook it up to but the design is something else. I have never seen an amp look like this though the all in one digital Devialet Astra has a similar flat style though the Astra is an “all in one” that houses a phono stage, DAC and streamer. The Enleum does not have a streamer or DAC, it’s an integrated with two inputs via RCA and this sample that I have here also includes one hell of a phono stage for MC carts and they say you will not need a step up transformer here for those low output MC carts.
The amp is flat and underneath we see the capacitors sticking out and exposed though they are covered of course and the amp floats on the large transformer that acts as the stand for the amp. The volume dial is hidden cleverly under the front and it’s small, easy to grip to its knurled design and it’s super cool as it is 100% hidden. You just reach under with your finger and spin the dial to the left or right for up and down. The power button is also underneath so this keeps it all clean and modern looking. This amp was designed in California and was built in South Korea.
The rear has the inputs and connections which are pretty basic with two RCA in and one Phono in. There are also proprietary connections for use with future Enleum gear. Finally there is a metal remote that uses rubberized buttons and it’s pretty sweet as well.
Quality Costs Us.
This amp is not cheap my friends and this one comes in at $25,000 USD.
Wow, that sits in the same ballpark as the monstrous tank like T+A 3100 HV, the all in one Devialet Astra and other big name or exotic flagships. So yes, this one will hurt the bank account or credit card but it can offer a lifetime of enjoyment with critical listening that is so deep and detailed that I like to say that this amp creates an atmosphere of music. It really does with my Icon 12 and Fleetwood Helios. It is spectacular to experience. It’s an experience more than a listen, and each night when I turn it on I know I am in for a deep listening treat that will allow me to dive in to the music with a soundstage that has layers, massive depth and width. Imaging is perfection and allows us to hear things I truly have never heard so clearly and as exposed with other amps.
Associated Gear used to Evaluate the Enleum Amp 54 R over a one month period.
Speakers:
T+A Talis R300 – Small two way speakers made of aluminum and wow, these are insanely good. They challenge my Icon 12 while being small and less than half the cost (in smaller rooms).
Icon 12 from O Audio – My main reference for all of 2025 these are just speakers I have bonded with for their scale, warmth and awesomeness.
Buchart E50 – Buchardt’s best passive speaker and under $5k.
Fleetwood Sound HELIOS Speaker – Just…WOW. $5k USA Hand made and all in all possibly the best thing I have had in all year when its come to the performance. This speaker is the definition of a giant killer.
DAC:
Garlubidor Divinity – A wonderful $1800 R2R DAC with a hair of warmth and fluidity that sounds much nicer than its price would suggest.
Fezz Equinox – A tube DAC made in Poland with detail, airy highs and clean performance.
Eversolo Z10 – The dedicated DAC from the stream kings is a perfect mate to the Eversolo T8.
Audio Mirror Wave Tube DAC – Best DAC I have ever heard in my life, no joke. This thing is insane and come sin at $22k yet I prefer it to the $50k Nagra tube DAC. It sits with the Nagra HD DAC X which is over $100k. Yea, this DAC is insanely amazing, immersive, detailed. holographic and has a special way of dealing with each instrument within a track.
Streamer:
Eversolo T8 – A streaming Transport that does what I need.
Amps:
Vinshine/Kinky DAZZLE – A reference flagship that can meet or exceed most $20k + integrated amps. I bought this one for my own personal reference system use and love what it brings to the table. Impact, dynamics, power, punch, detail, body, big clean bass and a sense of power.
Devialet Astra – If Apple made HiFi, this would be it as it is an all in one that is slick is it gets. Smooth, gorgeous sound and has all one needs in one box.
The giant killers known as the Fleetwood Helios has been a sublime treat with the Enluem Amp 54R
Setting It Up
When I first unboxed the Enleum Amp 54 R I was happy to see that it shipped in an all metal flight case to keep it safe during shipping. I just had a heavy 70lb integrated show up damaged due to UPS throwing it around and it was just in a normal box. The Enluem Amp 54R is not a back breaking kind of heavy beast but does come in around 40lbs-50lbs or so by my best guess.
When I placed it in the system and removed the Devialet Astra that was in play I was not sure what to expect. I hooked up the Eversolo T8 for streaming and after testing the Z10, Divinity, Equinox and the Wave DAC, I stuck with the Audio Mirror Wave for most of my listening. It is a stunning and remarkable DAC and sits in line with the Enleum in price. The Wave DAC is $22k, the Enluem AMP 54R is $25k. They are a stunning match indeed.
I tested all of the speakers I have here with the Enleum. It was all out magic with the O Audio Icon 12, insanely magical with the Fleetwood Helios and sounded stunning with the T+A Talis R300 as well. Yep, did well with the E50’s as well but the real magic was with the Helios and Icon. My all out fave combo had to be the Icon 12 but the Helios was even more addictive to listen to. We will start with the Icon 12. For power conditioning I own and use a Puritan Audio PSM 156 NFR with Ground Master City Ultra.
The volume dial is hidden underneath of the amp 54R.
Listening
When I fired up some music from Tidal using the Eversolo T8 to the Audio Mirror Wave DAC I was in absolute awe of the presentation from my Icon 12 speakers with the Enleum amp running the show. I have never heard the mighty Icon speakers more immersive, open or magical. These are normally warm in my room, with a huge fat midrange and airy top end. The low end can be thunderous or as gentle as it gets but now I was hearing the Icon in an all new way.
The soundstage was as wide and tall as I have heard with the Icon 12 and the sound was also organic and rich, so big and real and the transparency jumped up a couple of levels.
Listening to Hanging Valleys “Behind The Backs of Houses” via Tidal I close my eyes and let my worries wash away in a sea of sound. This is an immersive type of track and it has a gentle flow and spatial vibes. With the Enleum 54R in voltage mode I was just sucked in for hours of listening. The music was indeed “enlightened” from within it seemed. It was also smoother in sound vs the Dazzle which is a bit more impactful and bold. This led to me sinking into my seat and staying for the long haul.
Moving to “Wicked Game” from Nobody’s Wolf Child on Tidal it was an experience to behold with the Enluem, Audio Mirror Wave DAC and the O Audio Icon 12. It was as if the sound was being materialized in the air in real time and these huge speakers vanished in the room. It was like an atmosphere of music was being created in my space and it was incredible. Vocals were rich, chesty and huge with big body to the track.
I then put in the Fleetwood Sound Helios and was wowed even more so than with the Icon when it comes to soundstage width, depth and height as well as imaging and midrange purity. I tested the 54R in Voltage and Current mode here and both sounded alive, real and just incredible. These speakers do something very special in the sound department and offer up a real, a live…a big big BIG sound. It’s again, as if the speakers do not exist and the music is just being created in the air around the speakers with some music. These Helios have a more open sound than the Icon’s with a more forward midrange but that midrange is smooth, huge in sound and OMG real.
Listening to Depeche Mode from their new Live in Mexico album the opening track ‘My Cosmos Is Mine” was one heck of an experience to behold. The sound was just massive in scale with the small Helios filling a stage that was wall to wall, floor to ceiling and with amazing depth. When the vocals hit…I got goosebumps all over as I WAS THERE in the 7th row or so…at least I saw it in my minds eye. This track sounds amazing with the Dazzle as well but the Enluem is a touch smoother, more organic and sweeter where the Dazzle is more powerful, dynamic and impactful.
The bass performance of all speakers I hooked up the Enluem too was top tier as well. The 54R has more bass presence and solidity vs the 23R, and I would also say there is an extra layer or two of refinement with the 54R. Even so, that lit up from within vibe is still here with the 54R and it was a superb match to the Helios.
With the T+A Talis R300 the Bass was rather insane. These speakers have an all aluminum enclosure and have bass performance to rival almost any full size floor stander. These are full range and have the biggest most controlled bass I have ever heard in a bookshelf speaker. Seriously. The top end of the R300 is very extended and airy. The midrange is clean, clear and open and the bass, just wow. These are audiophile kind of speakers as they Dazzle the brain with dynamic energy, precise imaging and haunting female vocals. These are super clean in sound but also has a touch of humanity to avoid fatigue, of which they do not do.
Playing a Christmas classic from Mel Torme “The Christmas Song” I was treated to bringing Mel back from the past and he was crooning for us in our listening space. If I had a hologram of Mel I would have sworn he was here, live again.
Back to the Helios…I cannot believe this speaker (above) cost $5k for the pair and are made here in the USA, using old school pride and workmanship as these are indeed “high end” in every way from design, build, looks and in sound as well. A great buy for anyone wanting something special in a speaker for far less than the usual cost. Yes, you can buy a $1500 speaker or even a $3500 speaker but they will not be anywhere near the Helios in performance. I will review these soon.
I also have to say that the Audio Mirror Wave DAC is simply out of this world good, as in, best I have heard any DAC sound. It’s a system transformer for me and it’s gonna be tough to send it back. I never heard a DAC like this one but will talk more about it in my upcoming review. For me, this DAC was as major as a speaker change. It has had me immersed like no other all while allowing that organic connection to the music. It’s as real as I have ever heard. Meshed with the Enleum and the Icon and Helios speakers I was in audio heaven indeed.
High Voltage
The Enleum Amp 54R is unique as it does run in two modes, take your pick and match the best mode to your speakers. Both have their place and both sound different but similar. In High Voltage mode I heard the most energy, the most get up and go and in this mode the Enleum puts out 100 WPC into 8 ohms. When we swap over to High Current mode that drops to 60 WPC but the 54R does something unique when in high current mode.
Here is some info from AI on the 54R current and voltage mode…
- Current Input Stage: The AMP-54R processes signals in current rather than voltage, optimizing performance for moving coil (MC) cartridges and creating a purer signal path for a minimalist setup.
- JET Bias System: A software-controlled bias mechanism that adapts in real-time, providing the sonic benefits of Class A (always on) but with efficiency closer to Class AB, dubbed “Smart A” or “Super A”.
- HV vs. HC Modes:
- HV (High Voltage): Delivers full power (around 100W @ 8 ohms), suited for demanding speakers.
- HC (High Current): Reduces power (around 60W @ 8 ohms) but increases bias current by 50%, ideal for sensitive speakers needing high current drive.
