At last year's Bristol Show, we met Ultrafide Audio's Ultra Sigma pre/power combo. This year, Ultrafide unveiled the Dias-U8 high-power class AB amplifier in Bristol, where it was joined by the Ultra Sigma combo, powering a pair of Kudos Audio Titan 808 loudspeakers pictured below. Ultrafide Audio is the hi-fi arm of world-renowned British pro audio manufacturer MC2 Audio & XTA Electronics.

Rooted in Greek mythology, Dias was the original name for Zeus - the king of the gods, a symbol of strength, authority and mastery. Ultrafide proudly states that the Dias-U8 "can deliver up to 1KW per channel with a superior and legendary class AB power output design."

The Dias made its public debut at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, where we were told it would be made in limited numbers initially.

Ultrafide's Dias amplifier is a Class AB design featuring a unique sliding bias created by Terry Clarke and refined by Alex Cooper, both considered legends in pro audio. The manufacturer states that Dias-U8 can deliver a massive 1KW per channel. We are also told that this is coupled with a no-compromise over-engineered linear 1000VA toroidal PSU alongside a dual-mono platform, which promises "unparalleled low noise, audio purity and superior performance."

Borrowing from the company's pro audio background, the Dias-U8 uses MC2 Audio's unique floating drive technique. Here, the output stage is controlled by a single op-amp IC powered by floating rails that track the power output signal. They say this enables a simple, effective, reliable, overall control loop that gives a characteristically "open and natural sound," even at high power levels.

The design features thirteen premium power devices (per channel) mounted on a copper bar, thermally coupled to the custom heatsinks for balanced current sharing and high total current capacity without risk of damage.

Meanwhile, the brand says that due to particular attention to detail concerning component placement, no 50Hz noise can be picked up from the power supply. Furthermore, separate ground return current paths are used for each channel, ensuring total silence between tracks.

Mark Bailey, product specialist at Ultrafide Audio and MC2, told StereoNET:

With the Dias-U8, Alex and his team got to work, and we believe the end result is going to completely change the game for what's considered possible within hi-fi, offering a new perspective for audiophiles who take their sound seriously. Similarly sized products to the Dias-U8 can cost up to three to five times what it does, so although it's a big investment, we believe it delivers outstanding value for the quality you get.

The Dias-U8 weighs in at 50kg, so you might well need a tour crew to move it into place. But, it is powerful, heavy-duty, and a statement piece that has taken three years of development by Alex Cooper and his engineers.

We've had word that Ultrafide is looking at £27,500 inc VAT as a ballpark figure for the Dias-U8. We'll share any further information we get when it lands.

Visit Ultrafide Audio for more information