16. June 2026

Canor Verto D4S and Virus I4S: super test of the amplifier-DAC combo by Stereo NL:

In its July 2026 issue, the specialist magazine STEREO tests the new combination of integrated amplifier and D/A converter, the Canor Virtus I4S and Verto D4S – with a result that is well worth noting:

“After a convincing run through the measurement lab, with tiny distortion levels and minimal residual noise, we were eager to find out whether the first transistorized duo from Canor would confirm the sonic impressions we had previously gathered from the Slovakian company’s test devices.

There was not much need for further discussion: what these two slimline components had to offer, both individually and as a team, was simply a joy. In particular, the ease with which the duo could switch between the most varied demands – from Martha Argerich’s feather-light, floating piano keystrokes to kick-bass tones from Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson that hit you squarely in the gut – kept us spellbound by the performance.

Admittedly, compared with more muscular rivals, the I4S occasionally lacked a tiny bit of pressure at the lower end, which one might colloquially describe as a somewhat less fat bass. To make up for this, nothing became blurred; structures in the lower registers remained precisely audible without ever sounding thin. Voices from Lyn Stanley to Joni Mitchell stood vividly and in the right dimensions within the room, while sibilants were free from any hissing effects and full of natural nuances and tonal colours.

Even the aggressively priced Eversolo DAC-Z10 could not pull ahead: sometimes it had a tiny advantage, sometimes the D4S did, without it being possible to crown a winner. It depended more on the music material and personal taste than on a question of quality. However, the Canor clearly has the better tactile quality.”

When the duo played together, the fine-tuning was spot on, and there was no need to dwell on this or that detail, as the performance of this team clearly directed attention toward relaxed musical enjoyment without ever lacking excitement.

Rather than waiting around nitpicking individual details, this combo excelled at presenting music as a coherent whole, with the ability to give notes time and space for their attack and decay. Tonally, the presentation was slightly on the lean side, with generous spatial imaging. With solo voices or a choir, a tingling experience unfolded, so that the gateway to rarely heard music seemed to open almost by itself. And is that not one of the most beautiful experiences a HiFi system can offer a music lover – opening access to music that had previously been ignored?

Test result Verto D4S
Measurements: good (1.7)
Features: good (2.4)
Handling and operation: very good (1.3)
Practical score: 2.0
Sound description: light-footed and elegant, gentle, with high resolution
Sound points: 89/100

Test result Virtus I4S
Measurements: good (1.8)
Features: good (1.9)
Handling and operation: good (1.6)
Practical score: 1.8
Sound description: fast, tonally lean but not bright, precise and resolving
Sound points: 79/100

Find a retailer