Fezz Audio Titania Review: Driving the B&W 803 D4 with KT88 Power
In the integrated amplifier lineup of the Polish manufacturer Fezz Audio, the Titania is the most powerful model, delivering 45 watts per channel and operating in push-pull Class AB1 mode.
Externally and functionally, the amplifier is deliberately concise. The design is neat and restrained, with a choice of four finishes — black, white, red, and burgundy. A protective tube cage is included as standard. Functionality is intentionally minimal: three pairs of unbalanced RCA inputs, a volume control with remote operation, and an HT Bypass (pass-through) input for integration into a multichannel home-theater system. Nothing more is added, and nothing feels missing. This is a classic tube amplifier executed with modern discipline.
Fezz Audio also offers Titania monoblocks based on the same circuit. When combined with the company’s Sagita preamplifier, they can be used either as conventional monoblocks or in more complex configurations, such as bi-amping, should higher output power be required.
Tubes, Circuit, and Transformers
The Titania is built around KT88 output tubes (four per amplifier), with ECC83 tubes in the input stage. Officially, the amplifier is optimized for KT88s, and with the supplied tubes, there is no sense of compromise the sound does not feel provisional or “set up for later upgrading.”
At the same time, the Titania’s robust power supply and automatic bias system have led many experienced users to successfully experiment with larger KT-series tubes such as KT120 or even KT150. While such substitutions should always be confirmed with a dealer or the manufacturer, the circuit itself does not appear unduly restrictive, making the amplifier more flexible in practice than its official positioning might suggest.
A key technical feature and one of Fezz Audio’s genuine differentiators is the use of toroidal output transformers, manufactured by the company’s sister brand Toroidy. Unlike the EI-core transformers commonly found in tube amplifiers, toroidal designs offer lower leakage inductance, reduced stray magnetic fields, and wider bandwidth. In listening terms, this directly translates into faster transient response, cleaner treble extension, and a notably neutral presentation with less stereotypical tube coloration.
Construction
Internally, the layout is logical and clean, following a double-mono philosophy. Auxiliary circuits, including the remote control, are separated from the main signal path. Assembly is PCB-based rather than point-to-point, which may appear utilitarian at first glance, but inspires confidence in long-term reliability and consistency.
The transformers themselves are enclosed, making visual inspection difficult. However, with a loudspeaker as revealing as the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, transformer quality quickly becomes audible — and in this case, it clearly plays a central role in the amplifier’s sonic character.
Test System
- Speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4
- Source / DAC: Mytek Manhattan II
- Streaming Transport: Aurender
I have previously reviewed the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 in detail, and readers familiar with that review will already know how revealing and demanding these loudspeakers can be — making them a suitable reference for evaluating amplification quality and control.
Listening Impressions
Keith Jarrett – The Köln Concert
From the opening piano passages, the Titania demonstrates a fast, articulate midrange with no excessive warmth. Piano tone is natural and harmonically complete, with clearly defined attacks and long, coherent decays. The 803 D4’s Continuum midrange driver exposes even small inconsistencies, yet the presentation remains stable and believable.
The diamond tweeter reveals extended, clean highs without artificial sweetness. The amplifier neither sharpens nor softens the leading edges unnaturally, resulting in a presentation that feels honest rather than embellished.
Patricia Barber – Company (Modern Cool)
Bass articulation is well controlled, though not overdamped. The lowest registers are slightly softened in weight, but remain structured and intelligible. Rhythm and timing are preserved, and the amplifier never loses composure.
Vocals are rendered with excellent presence and body. Barber’s voice is neither pushed forward nor recessed, and image placement remains stable. The soundstage emphasizes depth and proportion rather than exaggerated separation.
Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances
This recording quickly reveals the amplifier’s dynamic limits. At realistic listening levels, the Titania maintains clarity and tonal balance even during dense orchestral passages. As dynamics scale up, the amplifier signals its ceiling gently and musically, without hardness or collapse.
With the 803 D4, this behavior is clearly audible — but also well controlled. The limitation is one of scale rather than quality.
Dire Straits – Private Investigations
Low-level detail reproduction is a strong point. Quiet passages remain expressive and intelligible, even at reduced volume. As intensity increases, the amplifier favors coherence and musical flow over aggressive edge definition.
Guitar textures are smooth but readable, vocals remain clear, and there is no sense of congestion. The presentation is engaging without becoming analytical.
Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa
Spatial reproduction is particularly convincing. The Titania creates a continuous, believable acoustic space with natural reverberation and silence between notes. String tone is delicate and controlled, with beautifully extended overtones that fade naturally into the recording space.
The 803 D4 reveals no artificial spatial tricks here — the atmosphere feels organic and immersive.
General Character with B&W 803 D4
Paired with the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, the Fezz Audio Titania does not sound like a stereotypical tube amplifier. There is no excessive warmth, no syrupy midrange, and no intentional softening of textures. Instead, the sound is balanced, fast, and surprisingly neutral, with excellent microdynamic resolution.
The toroidal output transformers play a decisive role here, contributing to the amplifier’s agility and clarity. At the same time, the musical integrity and tonal completeness typical of tube amplification are preserved.
Conclusion
Structurally and conceptually, the Fezz Audio Titania is an excellent example of modern tube amplifier design rooted in classic principles. The minimalism is purposeful, the execution is solid, and the engineering choices — particularly the use of toroidal output transformers — clearly shape its sonic identity.
With the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, the Titania proves itself capable of driving demanding, high-resolution loudspeakers at realistic listening levels. It does not attempt to imitate a high-power solid-state amplifier, nor does it rely on tube coloration to impress. Instead, it offers a balanced, controlled, and musically convincing presentation.
More power is always tempting, but within its intended operating range, the Titania remains composed, engaging, and emotionally communicative. For listeners who value musical coherence, tonal honesty, and long-term listening comfort, this amplifier represents a very mature and thoughtfully engineered solution.
Pros And Cons:
Pros:
Exceptional Speed: Toroidal transformers provide a fast, transient-rich sound atypical of many tube amps.
Neutral Tonal Balance: Avoids “syrupy” coloration; delivers honest, transparent midrange and treble.
Build Quality: Robust, logical internal layout with a choice of striking finishes.
HT Bypass: Includes a dedicated input for seamless integration into home theater systems.
Cons:
Power Limits: 45W is impressive, but may struggle with high-volume playback on low-sensitivity speakers.
Minimalist Features: No built-in DAC, Phono stage, or Headphone amp (it’s a pure analog specialist).
Size/Heat: Like most KT88 designs, it requires significant shelf space and ventilation.
Tube Rolling Limits: While flexible, it is officially optimized specifically for the KT88 family.
Fezz Audio Titania Specifications:
- Type: Full tube stereo amplifier
- Maximum power: 2 x 45W
- Class: AB1, push-pull
- Output impedance: 4.8 ohm
- Frequency response: 18Hz – 103kHz (-3dB)
- THD: < 0.2%
- Inputs: RCA 3 pairs
- Power consumption: 225W
- Lamps used: ECC83 x2, KT88 x4
- Dimensions: 420x410x175 mm
- Weight: 17.5 kg
