Little known in France, the Unitra brand was nevertheless one of the pillars of hi-fi in the 70s and 80s, particularly in Eastern Europe. Today, the Polish manufacturer is reborn with a clear ambition: to restore the word “hi-fi” to its former glory. With retro designs, modern engineering and top-tier musicality, Unitra combines yesterday and today in electronics without compromise. Son-Vidéo.com is proud to welcome this historic brand to its catalog, with three highly anticipated models: the Unitra CSH-801 CD player, the Unitra WSH-605 integrated amplifier and the flagship Unitra WSH-805.
Unitra, a new European heritage
Founded in Warsaw in the 60s, Unitra was the spearhead of the Polish electronics industry for many years. The company produced a wide range of audio equipment: amplifiers, turntables, tuners, speakers and even tape recorders. At a time when music was a luxury, Unitra symbolized high fidelity that was accessible to all. In its heyday, Unitra was a vast consortium with no fewer than 28 production plants and over 100,000 employees. The brand was a fixture in almost every household in Poland and Eastern Europe. Although the brand gradually declined in the late 80s, its name has remained engraved in the memory of several generations of Eastern European music lovers. In 2021, Unitra made a spectacular comeback, led by a team of passionate engineers who set out to breathe new life into this legend. Their goal: to create a range of instruments with an assertive vintage design, equipped with modern technologies and handcrafted in Poland.
Unitra WSH-805: the reference amplifier
The flagship of the range, the Unitra WSH-805 is a high-end integrated amplifier designed for the most discerning audiophiles. Inspired by the legendary Unitra WSH-205 launched in 1970, it features the same retro design, with an aluminum chassis, a double needle VU meter on the front panel and a full control interface including massive metal knobs for adjusting the balance, volume and tone, as well as toggle switches for activating or deactivating the amp’s various functions.
This exceptional amplifier adopts a dual-mono architecture, with separate power supplies for each channel. This symmetrical design maximizes channel separation and limits interference, for an accurate reproduction over an extended bandwidth from 6Hz to 110kHz. A special feature of this amplifier is its ability to operate in either class AB or class A, thanks to a front-panel selector switch. It can develop up to 80W RMS into 8 ohms and 125W into 4 ohms in class AB, or 8W into 8 ohms and 16W into 4 ohms in class A. This dual personality allows the user to adapt the sound character to their tastes and the type of speakers used, with an energetic restitution and deep bass in class AB or soft, rich sound in class A. Low-noise components and a current feedback topology ensure a distortion rate of under 0.0008% and a signal-to-noise ratio of over 102 dB, guaranteeing extremely transparent sound.
Entirely analog, this Unitra WSH-805 offers a wide range of connectors, with no fewer than 5 RCA inputs, including a phono input compatible with MM and MC for connection to any turntable. An XLR input is also available, as well as a direct input for use as a power amp with an AV receiver, for example. What’s more, a pre-out output lets you connect an external power amplifier or a subwoofer, while the headphone output lets you listen in total privacy. Last but not least, the double speaker terminal allows up to two pairs of speakers to be powered simultaneously or separately.
The flagship Unitra WSH-805 is available to order for €4,999 from Son-Vidéo.com.
Unitra WSH-605: the versatile integrated amp
The Unitra WSH-605 integrated amplifier offers a versatile solution with analog and digital inputs, without sacrificing the brand’s signature vintage aesthetic. Metal toggle switches, massive potentiometers and a brushed aluminum front panel pay homage to the golden age of hi-fi. Like the Unitra WSH-805, it allows you to adjust the tone (bass and treble), as well as the balance to suit any configuration. These settings can be disabled for live operation.
Class AB amplification delivers 70W per channel into 8 ohms and 110W into 4 ohms, enough to power demanding floorstanding speakers with ease thanks to a high current capacity and damping factor. Technical measurements are impressive, with a distortion rate of 0.0013%, a signal-to-noise ratio of 108 dB, and an extended frequency response up to 75kHz. The integration of error-correction technology reduces distortion without the need for excessive feedback, guaranteeing a more natural, vivid sound reproduction.
Thanks to its ESS Sabre converter, the Unitra WSH-605 amplifier directly handles digital signals up to 24-bit/192kHz via its two optical and two coaxial inputs. This means music lovers can connect a network player, TV or CD player, without the need for an external DAC. The integrated MM phono input completes this versatility, allowing you to connect a turntable, while the four RCA inputs can be used to centralize all hi-fi sources. Finally, a pre-out allows you to connect a subwoofer or an amplifier, while the headphone output is ideal for night-time listening.
The Unitra WSH-605 is also available to order from Son-Vidéo.com, priced at €3,099.
Unitra CSH-801: the return of the CD player
The Polish manufacturer is also putting the CD back in the spotlight with the new Unitra CSH-801 player. It features a vintage design that matches the rest of the range, while integrating a top-illuminated E-Ink display on the front panel. The latter can display the track currently playing, the artist’s name and the playback time. The playback mechanism takes advantage of the anti-vibration chassis to ensure optimum playback of commercial CDs, as well as burned CD-R and CD-RW discs.
At the output of the playback mechanism, the Unitra CSH-801 implements a 32-bit/384kHz DAC, capable of processing high-resolution PCM signals with extreme finesse for the unbalanced RCA output. This player can also be used as a CD transport, thanks to its optical and coaxial outputs, enabling you to connect an external DAC of your choice.
The Unitra CSH-801 CD player is now available to order from Son-Vidéo.com, priced at €2,199.
Far from trends and all-connected devices, Unitra defends an authentic vision of high fidelity: a living, natural sound, and equipment that’s designed to last. This artisanal approach is reflected in the choice of materials, the meticulous assembly and the absence of technical compromises. Each Unitra model exudes passion and respect for the audio signal: a 100% analog design for the WSH-805 amplifier, a high-performance DAC for the WSH-605 and a CD player that restores the physical format to its former glory. Their neo-retro design, both timeless and distinctive, evokes a time when music was enjoyed with the eyes as well as the ears.
