Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM Streaming Amplifier, Walnut High Gloss

The Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM is a streaming integrated amplifier with 2× 250 watts that combines power amp, D/A converter and network player in a single housing.

NPM isn't a model number here, but stands for Network Player Module – Gato Audio's network module that turns the amplifier into a Roon Ready streamer. Instead of stacking a streamer, a converter and an amplifier on top of each other, you get exactly one unit. This version has a lid of genuine walnut veneer under high-gloss lacquer.

Why the Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM?

Because substance and convenience aren't mutually exclusive here. 2× 250 W at 8 Ω and 2× 500 W at 4 Ω from a Class-D power stage drive even a large floorstander with authority. Conversion is handled by a Burr-Brown PCM1794, which upsamples every digital source to 24-bit/192 kHz. The Network Player Module plays Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer, finds your NAS via DLNA/UPnP, and registers on the network as a Roon endpoint. Two analog inputs, USB, coax, Toslink and Bluetooth with aptX HD are also on board. In short: there's little that can't be connected here.

What you experience

A unit that doesn't look like technology in the living room, yet sounds like technology in the best sense. The walnut veneer gives the aluminium housing warmth without smelling of retro. Sonically, the DIA-250S NPM stays calm and controlled: firm bass, clean midrange, a background where simply nothing hisses. And if you don't want to subscribe to a streaming service, you're not missing anything essential – internet radio, NAS, USB and the analog inputs work entirely independently of that.

Who is the DIA-250S NPM suited to – and who isn't it for?

Straight talk: the DIA-250S NPM suits you if your living room and your system share the same space and both need to look good. It suits you less if you already own a separate high-end DAC or streamer – then you'd be paying for built-in technology you don't even use. Vinyl fans need an additional phono preamp, since a phono stage is missing. And if you're filling a very large room or running low-efficiency speakers, you're better served by the DIA-400S NPM.

Our verdict

The DIA-250S NPM is the rare combination of furniture piece and powerhouse. If you want a full-grown system without your living room looking like a server room, this is the right choice. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil we check beforehand whether room, speakers and network work together – that saves surprises after delivery.

"This is a remarkably well-sorted and extremely flexible amplifier, with a sound treading a confident path between power and poise, drama and delicacy." – Hi-Fi News, 2019 (Sound Quality 88%)

Technical data

• Type: streaming integrated amplifier with DAC and network player (NPM = Network Player Module)
• Output power: 2× 250 W at 8 Ω / 2× 500 W at 4 Ω
• Power stage: Class D
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.5 dB)
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): < 0.01% at rated power
• Signal-to-noise ratio: > 110 dB
• D/A converter: Burr-Brown PCM1794, upsampling to 24-bit/192 kHz
• Network player (NPM): Roon Ready, DLNA/UPnP, Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer built in; controlled via the mconnect Control app (iOS/Android)
• Network: Ethernet (RJ45) or Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Audio formats: FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, AAC, MP3, WMA, OGG, Monkey's Audio, MQA (via Roon) – up to 24-bit/192 kHz, including gapless playback
• Digital inputs: 1× USB Type B (asynchronous, up to 24-bit/192 kHz), 1× coaxial RCA, 1× optical Toslink (up to 24-bit/96 kHz)
• Bluetooth: 4.2 with aptX HD (up to 24-bit/48 kHz)
• Analog inputs: 2× unbalanced RCA (20 kΩ), 1× balanced XLR (40 kΩ)
• Output level: line outputs 1× XLR and 1× RCA (75 Ω), volume-controlled; input 1 switchable to fixed level via Direct/HT mode
• Headphone output: none – connect a headphone amplifier to the line outputs
• Speaker connections: 2 pairs of gold-plated binding posts (banana-compatible)
• Power consumption: < 1 W standby / 23 W idle / max. 1000 W
• Housing: non-magnetic aluminium housing, high-gloss lid
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 32.5 × 10.5 × 42 cm
• Weight: 10 kg
• Finish: Walnut high gloss (genuine veneer)
• Origin: designed and built in Copenhagen, Denmark
• What's included: amplifier, power cable, RC-5 remote control with CR2032 battery, Bluetooth antenna, user manual

Frequently asked questions

What does NPM stand for on the Gato Audio DIA-250S?

NPM isn't a model number, it stands for Network Player Module. Gato Audio uses it to build a network player directly into the DIA-250S: Ethernet and Wi-Fi, Roon Ready, DLNA/UPnP as well as Tidal, Qobuz and Deezer. Without this module, the amplifier would still be a DAC integrated amplifier, but not a streamer.

What's the difference between the DIA-250S NPM and the DIA-400S NPM?

Primarily the output power: 2× 250 W at 8 Ω for the DIA-250S NPM versus 2× 400 W for the DIA-400S NPM. The network module, D/A converter and connections are the same. The 250S covers normal to large living rooms with reserve; the 400S is meant for very large rooms or difficult speakers.

Can I connect headphones to the DIA-250S NPM?

Not directly, since there's no headphone output. Instead, you use the line outputs in XLR or RCA, which follow the volume control, and connect a headphone amplifier there. To keep the speakers silent while doing so, you switch them off with a long press on the standby button.

What finishes is the DIA-250S NPM available in?

The DIA-250S NPM comes with a lid of genuine walnut veneer, in black high gloss or in white high gloss. It can also be finished in high gloss in an individual custom colour. This page shows the walnut version. The four variants don't differ technically – it's purely about looks.

Why buy the Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM at HD Zürisee?

Because a streaming amplifier is more than a box in a carton. We advise you on room, placement, speaker match and network, handle the warranty correctly as an authorised dealer, and deliver on request including installation by our own technician. A call, an email or a WhatsApp message is all it takes.

Goes well with

Warm-voiced floorstanding speakers suit the walnut lid just as well as compact bookshelf speakers. For the analog side, you'll find the right complement among the turntables and in the cables selection.