| POWER AMPLIFIERS - UNDER £800 |
| PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW |
| Power Amplifiers |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| AMC 2200 |
£150 |
Mar 99 |
Super value separate with first-rate sound staging. Midrange subtleties sometimes suffer but at this price .! |
| Arcam 9P |
£400 |
Dec 96 |
A detailed and open sound gives great atmosphere to all types of music. |
| Arcam Alpha 10P |
£600 |
Jul 98 |
This power amp lags behind the best of the competition, and the build is flimsy. |
| Audio Analogue Donizetti |
£575 |
Apr 98 |
As smart as an Armani suit, they sound powerful in a natural, organic manner |
| Aura PA100 |
£749 |
Mar 97 |
A smooth, sweet powerful sound free from the rough brightness that afflicts many solid-states. |
| Creek A43 |
£399 |
Mar 99 |
Shows what a skilled designer can do, even when hooked up with a passive pre. A very realistic approach. |
| Cyrus Power |
£449 |
Feb 96 |
The Cyrus Power is simply impressive in all respects. |
| Cyrus SmartPower |
£600 |
Jan 01 |
Confident, musical and a joy to use. The competition is tough but they stand their ground admirably. Great upgradability. |
| Exposure 2010 Power |
£599 |
Jan 02 |
A fine sounding, powerful and musical combination, but faces stiff competition. |
| Linn LK100 |
£650 |
Apr 98 |
Well built, but judged purely on a musical basis they fall short. |
| Linn LK240 |
£750 |
Aug 97 |
The LK240 plays tunes exceptionally well, tonal colour and image precision are not its forte though. |
| Meridian 505 |
£795 |
Aug 97 |
Crisp, clear images are set in a broad spread between the 'speakers but the 505 lacks stage depth and grunt. |
| Monarchy SM-70 |
£595 |
Jan 99 |
The Monarchy is a smooth, warm amp most at home with 'speakers that are easily driveable. |
| Moth 30 Power |
£249 |
Mar 99 |
Refined approach with the lighter acoustic music but lacking a little in overall clout. |
| Moth Stereo 60 |
£549 |
Dec 95 |
This power amp unfortunately suffers from sharp sounding treble and poor depth. |
| Munrio MP1 monobloc |
£600 |
Jun 00 |
Solid and dependable way to monobloc a system. Fast and powerful solid state sound. Slightly metallic with small scale works. |
| Musical Fidelity X-A50 |
£500 |
Jan 98 |
Very smooth, sweet and musical performers, not over-analytical but very involving. |
Naim NAC 122 Pre &
Naim NAP 150 Pwr |
£625
£750 |
Jun 01 |
A more gripping and thrilling sound at this price you will not get, but this combo won't be to everyone's taste. |
| Quad 77/67 |
£600 |
Jul 96 |
With good punch, speed and attack its not bad at all but can be a little uninspiring. |
| Rotel RB-971 |
£225 |
Mar 99 |
70 Watts a channel helps give lucid presentation with deep sound staging. Perhaps on the bright side. |
| Shearne Phase 3 |
£689 |
Apr 97 |
The Phase 3 possesses impressive clarity, detail and dynamics. |
| Sony TA-FB904R UK Special Edition |
£280 |
Oct 00 |
Strong forward sound with plenty of clout which could ultimately be a tad tiring. |
| Talk Tornado 1 |
£500 |
Jun 97 |
A flexible power amp with a strong, controlled sound, but won't suit all tastes. |
| Technics SE-A1000 |
£400 |
Feb 97 |
Smooth, warm sound has plenty of grunt when needed and is very enjoyable to listen to. |
| Thorens TTP 2000 |
£500 |
Jul 95 |
Its best feature is the key on/off switch, otherwise its a case of poor sound quality and engineering. |
| POWER AMPLIFIERS - £800 - £1499 |
| Chameleon Ruby |
£995 |
Jan 96 |
Well specified and powerful, but dry and short of life. Suits Rock on bass-heavy 'speakers. |
| Chord SPM 400 |
£1325 |
Mar 98 |
This amp has it all - detail, transparency, slam and rhythm. In a word, excellent. |
| Crimson CS630C |
£800 |
Nov 98 |
These monoblocs have a tonal richness and bass speed rare amongst powerful amps. |
| Croft Series V |
£800 |
Jun 96 |
Fast, clear and detailed sound will win friends in both the transistor and valve camps. |
| Delph Da Capo |
£1469 |
May 95 |
Quality bass and a clear midband but the treble can be harsh at high volume. |
| DPA 200S |
£1245 |
Jul 93 |
Serious audiophile product at an affordable price. Well constructed, pleasant to use and fine sounding. |
| Galactron Power |
£1200 |
Nov 95 |
Smooth sound but dull balance make the Galactron suitable for bright systems. |
| HD Audio Duo |
£1185 |
May 95 |
Not dissimilar to the Audiolab monoblocs, the sound has a sweet top and amazing clarity. |
| Heybrook Signature II |
£1051 |
May 97 |
Not quite as transparent as it could be but impresses with its smoothness and tonal colour. |
| Meridian 556 |
£950 |
Nov 99 |
Impressive with high octane music, but lacks that bit of warmth to bring out the best in laid-back material. |
| Meridian 557 |
£1400 |
Dec 96 |
Great control and dynamics allied to seductive smoothness. A rare combination of power and delicacy. |
| Musical Fidelity A3cr Pre & Power |
£999
each |
Apr 00 |
A corking duo that set a new sonic standard at the price. Listen and weep! |
| Musical Fidelity X-A200 |
£1000 |
Aug 98 |
Hugely powerful and controlled, the X-A200s are still superbly musical. |
| Musical Fidelity A300cr |
£999 |
Oct 01 |
Power dynamics and transparency by the bucketload, although treble can be a little bright at times. |
| MVL Integral A2 |
£895 |
May 99 |
An excellent performer with any music. It is hard to imagine the A2 being beaten at the price. |
| Myryad MA120 |
£1000 |
Apr 96 |
The sound is a somewhat acquired taste and a little rough in places. |
| Omak Jewel One |
£899 |
Jul 95 |
A lot of amplifier for the money. Big, warm, sweet sound places it ahead of most. |
| Quad 707 |
£800 |
Jul 97 |
The 707 embodies a rare blend of grace and power in its sleek grey casework. |
| Rothwell Rubicon |
£949 |
May 99 |
Low on power at 8 watts but fairly musical for all that. Good resolution of detail and texture. |
| Sumo Polaris III |
£898 |
May 96 |
More valve-like than transistor in sound; highly competent if not spectacular. |
| TAG McLaren 60P |
£850 |
Nov 98 |
Fully justifies the cost with a very musical and revealing performance. |
| VRR Adur |
£1495 |
Jun 95 |
Lovers of light piano-based fare and Baroque music will appreciate this ampís delicacy. |
| POWER AMPLIFIERS - £1500+ |
| Audiovalve Avalon |
£2195 |
Aug 02 |
Good power, rthymic muscle and bass extension for a valve amp, but not the last word in warmth or transparency |
| Audiovalve LC8 |
£1995 |
Mar 95 |
Eschews the traditional lavish tube sound for a brighter and leaner approach. |
| Canary 301 |
£3055 |
Nov 98 |
The 301 puts the 300B's traditional virtues to good use in a push-pull design that will drive most loudspeakers. |
| Cary 300B SE |
£3975 |
Feb 95 |
Cary have a winning amplifier that is a prime example of how a 300B can sound. |
| Cyrus aPA7 |
£2000 |
Jul 99 |
There's no shortage of clarity and control here, but the aPA7s don't come cheap. |
| Etalon Ampli |
£2925 |
Feb 98 |
Very natural, substantial presentation with lots of power on tap |
| Final Music 6 |
£1500 |
Feb 99 |
Battery powered amp puts convincing scale and three-dimensionality into suitably sensitive loudspeakers. |
| Focusrite Red 5 |
£2057 |
Feb 96 |
Powerful, smooth and detailed sound. Not as clinical as some professional amplifiers can be. |
| Gamma Aeons |
£4999 |
Apr 97 |
Sound quality of these monoblocs is impressive but marred by a rather obvious hum. Build could be better. |
| Linn Klimax Twin |
£5000 |
May 02 |
One of the finest examples of a solid state power amp around. Clean sounding and very powerful, it's also super sleek and physically discrete. Get a listen!! |
| Marantz 9 |
£8000 |
Mar 97 |
These monoblocs are superb, producing a beguiling performance of great control and verve. |
| Michell Alecto |
£1989 |
Oct 98 |
The new Alecto is crisper, cleaner and more controlled than earlier incarnations. |
| Musical Fidelity NuVista 300 |
£3300 |
Dec 99 |
Simply beautiful sound and inexhaustible power. Higher price than usual for MF gear - limited edition product. |
Musical Fidelity HT600 &
Musical Fidelity HTP |
£1999
£1999 |
May 01 |
Great sounding and looking A/V combination that's ideal for music and movies alike. Lacks a little bass grip and a tad expensive though. |
| Orchid RC750 |
£6600 |
Aug 96 |
A powerful grip on music, but articulate and detailed too. A rare combination. |
| Quad QC 24 pre & Quad II 40 power |
£3999 |
Jan 01 |
A classic combination of the old and the new. A big modern valve sound with space and depth matched with styling that harkens back to the golden age of the vacuum tube. |
Renaissance Audio
RA-01 |
£6000
pair |
Dec 01 |
Expensive but of exceptional quality. Sweet, timbrally excellent and sophisticated, a treat for classical listeners. |
Rogue Audio M120
monoblock |
£2695
pair |
Mar 02 |
Dark and powerful, the Rogues have plenty of bass and drive if not always tip top control. Work best when cranked up! |
| Samuel Johnson PPA 100 |
£2585 |
Jul 00 |
Very creditable solid-state amplifier with well-maintained power. Clean and full musical sound. Slightly expensive but stylish. |
| Sharp SM-SX1 1-bit amp |
£3300 |
Apr 01 |
Suffers from lack of power and coldness, especially at high volumes, but still manages low level detail. |
| Shearne Phase 1 |
£1999 |
Oct 94 |
Good sound quality and an impressive tonal balance. |
Sugden Masterclass Pre
Sugden Masterclass Pwr |
£2100
£3150 |
Nov 01 |
These are serious amps albeit at a serious price. Beautifully built with a smooth sweet valve-like quality but with plenty of power. |
| Sugden Masterclass Monoblocs |
£5995 |
Jul 02 |
Expensive, make no doubt, but at the very top of the pile when it comes to mucial enjoyment. One of the best sounds to be found in solid state audio |
| Sugden Symetra |
£1550 |
Oct 96 |
The Symetra monoblocs impress with their grip. They run hot and sound warm. |
| Tube Technology Genesis |
£2599 |
Jun 94 |
Valve monoblocs that produce explosive bass, midrange as clear as a bell and shimmering treble. |
| Unison Research Smart 300B |
£4250 |
May 98 |
Powerful, neutral sounding amps thanks to their modified 300B valves, but a little expensive for the same reason. |
| Unison Research Power 35 |
£1525 |
Aug 98 |
A great compromise between delicacy, power and practicality. Very musically satisfying, too. |
| Unison Research P30K Power & C5P Pre |
£1750
£1195 |
Jun 02 |
Fine sounding and classy looking valve combination with both refinement and power. Unusually deep bass for a parallel single ended. |
| Vadis S15 |
£2350 |
Jul 98 |
The S15's purity and clarity are impossible to beat for the money. Bass is not brilliant, but still better than most. |
| XTC POW-1 |
£2000 |
Nov 96 |
This power amplifier is smooth and seductive, although a little pricey. |
