Integrated Amps
Project Stereo Box S
The Project Stereo Box S is a wonderful yet diminutive integrated amplifier that fits in the palm of your hand (pictured above with a CD to show scale). It is remote controlled, has two line level inputs, a line level output (for a headphone amplifier etc) and produces 20 watts per channel. This is the cracking amplifier either as part of a starter system or for a secondary system such as in an office. It is available with either a silver of black fascia.
Project Stereo Box S integrated amplifier: £199.00
Coming soon: Edwards Audio IA1
The IA1 will be the first integrated amplifier launched under the Edwards Audio banner. It’s a 5 input design (which can have either phono or digital input cards added) and produces 50 watts per channel output. More details to follow (available late Feb/March 2012)
Edwards Audio IA1 integrated amplifier: £494.95
+Phono card for above £50.00
+Digital input card for above £100.00
The Brio R’s predecessor, the Brio3, was quite simply one of the very best budget amplifiers we’d come across. It was a simple purist design with absolutely no frills, just a great toe tappingly involving sound. So the Brio R has a really tough act to follow. The new model features larger power supplies, improved component quality and an uprated (MM) phono stage as well as the convenience of remote control.
Sonically the Brio R is a good step forward, it keeps the sheer involvement of the
old model and with it brings a new level of resolution especially apparent as revealing
the recording venues room acoustic, suddenly what was a vague sense of the space
around the instruments and singers becomes very clearly defined in all dimensions.
It doesn’t end there, throughout the frequency range transparency increases to a
similar, and highly appealing degree.
Finishes: Black or Silver
Rega Brio-
Rega Mira 3: £598
The Mira 3 builds upon the strengths of the Brio by adding power and additional refinement
whilst also offering improved ergonomics -
Puresound A10
The A10 is the entry level integrated amplifier from Pure Sound. The design uses
6N3 dual triodes driving a pair of EL84 valves running in push-
Above: The A10 now comes with an attractive acrylic valve cage.
This amplifier is simply great fun. It’s very involving to listen to and has performance that is unheard of at this price point which makes it a bit of bargain, whether it’s going to be used in your main system or perhaps in a second system. This amplifier now comes with a removable valve cage.
Pure Sound A10 integrated amplifier: £679.95
Croft Acoustics integrated amplifiers
The Croft integrated amplifier is available as either a line level version or with
an excellent MM phono stage included. Housed in the same chassis as the rest of the
range, the integrated effectively features a Series 7 power amplifier stage -
Croft Acoustics Integrated Line version: £850.00
Croft Acoustics Integrated phono version £1,000.00
The Aeolos is an integrated valve amplifier from the impressive Greek manufacturer Tsakiridis. Housed in their gorgeous polished stainless steel chassis, this substantial amplifier produces a sound that is brimming with energy and excitement. It has four line level inputs, a tape output and produces 35 watts per channel from four 6CA7 (EL34) valves connected in ultralinear to their in house designed and made output transformers. The driver tubes are four 12AT7 (ECC83) and parts quality throughout is remarkably high for the price point.
I mentioned this amplifier was substantial in the above paragraph, and my pictures have rather failed to show the scale of it, it may measure a reasonable 29cm width, but its depth is a chunky 48cm (excluding cables), but thanks to its well positioned feet accommodating it on most hifi racks shouldn’t be a problem.
As ever, we’re amazed at the value for money available from this European brand, this amplifier looks like it should cost several times its price and has a sound that punches well above its weight too. Anyone that thinks that valve amplifiers sound soft and gutless should audition this amplifier, it has great grip and bite making for a very toe tapping and involving performance, but one that doesn’t lack refinement when required.
-
Puresound A30
The Puresound A30 is the result of collaboration between Days of Guangzhou Ltd (a transformer manufacturer with 20 years experience) and Guy Sergeant, a UK based audio engineer formerly of Audio Innovations, JPW and Heybrook.
Unusually at this price point the A30 is a pure class A design with two valve rectifiers
and a choke smoothed power supply. It uses Electro Harmonix 6550 output valves in
an ultra-
It features auto bias so there’s no need to make any adjustments when changing output valves and uses high quality parts including an Alps volume control and SCR coupling capacitors. This amplifier now also comes with a removable valve cage as shown below.
We feel this amplifiers sound redefines what’s possible at this price point and we’re convinced it will become the benchmark that others will be judged by.
Pure Sound A30 integrated amplifier: £1479.95
Consonance Cyber 10 Signature
The Cyber 10 uses a pair of 2A3 valves in push pull configuration per channel to produce 11 watts per channel. Not only does it have the midband magic that only directly heated triode amplifiers can reproduce but it also combines it with the functionality of remote control and a valve cage (not pictured).
It prefers fairly efficient speakers to work at its best, but we’d recommend any good design with sensitivity from 90dB and upwards.
Consonance Cyber 10 Signature: £1,795.00
Croft Integrated R
Croft have just released their range topping integrated amplifier. Built in the standard croft casework this amplifier is live level only (quite simply because there is not enough space inside the box to include one) and costs £1,700. More details to follow.
Audion Sterling EL34 SE integrated
The Audion Sterling EL34 uses a single El34 per channel in single ended topology, producing 12 watts per channel. Like all good single ended amplifiers these have remarkable speed and openness, and an ability to drive speakers that belies their low rated power output. This amplifier features 6 line level inputs
Two versions are available, the mk1 which has uses a PCB and the Anniversary (pictured above and below) which is hard wired and features superior components, output transformers and polished top plate.
Audion Sterling EL34 mk1 integrated: £1,700.
Audion Sterling EL34 Anniversary integrated: £2,200.
Consonance Cyber 10 Anniversary
This is a special edition of the Cyber 10 Signature (detailed above) produced to celebrate their 15th anniversary. This amplifier features various refinements including using 5AR4 valve rectifiers in the power supply and uprated parts in the signal path. I’ve spent only a couple of hours in the company of this superb amplifier, but can confirm it’s a very nice upgrade from the amplifier it’s based upon and in my opinion is well worth the extra cost (which at the time of writing is forecast to be £1,995).
The amplifier pictured here is fitted with the optional Mesh Plate 2A3 valves, which are an extra cost option.
Audio Note Oto SE
The Oto SE integrated amplifier uses EL84 valves in parallel single ended configuration, producing an output of 10 watts and is available with or without an internal an all valve MM phono stage. It’s all housed within the classic Audio Note casework which is available with either a black acrylic or brushed aluminium fascia. As you’d expect with a good single ended amplifier the sound is punchy and dynamic, whilst still being very natural and expansive. It may lack the completely grain less mid band of a 300B SE amplifier but it’s an exceptionally neat package and so involving to listen to that dissecting the minutiae of its performance seems to be missing the point. The phono stage is a very good quality design too, and not simply an afterthought like many. A fractionally more powerful push pull version is available, but we would always recommend this SE version for the best sound quality.
Audio Note Oto SE Line integrated amplifier: £2,555
Audio Note Oto SE Phono integrated amplifier: £2,900
Audion Silver Night 300BSE integrated
The Silver Night is one of my favourite sounding designs -
It uses one 300B directly heated triode output valve per channel driven by a 6H23/6922 input valve and has 6 line level inputs.
Don’t let its apparent low power put you off, it is not only exceptionally fast and potent sounding but also as open and airy as only a good single ended design can be.
Two versions are made, the mk1 is the standard version and uses a PCB for the audio stage. The Anniversary is hard wired and uses higher grade internal wiring (including silver wire in selected stages of the audio wiring), superior grade capacitors and a polished top plate.
Audion Silver Night 300BSE mk1: £2,800
Audion Silver Night 300BSE Anniversary: £3,500
Audio Note Meishu
The Meishu is the largest of the enclosed integrated amplifiers from Audio Note (pictured
above with its lid off). In its very substantial casework nestles a pair of 300B
output valves use in single ended configuration and producing 8 watts per channel.
There are several different versions of the Meishu available, all with the choice
of a black acrylic or aluminium fascia, the standard Meishu, Meishu Silver and Meishu
Silver Signature, all are available with or without an excellent valve phono stage
fitted. The Meishu Silver is uprated due to the fitment of tantalum resistors, copper
foil signal capacitors, many Black Gate capacitors and HiB copper wired double C-
Audio Note Meishu Line integrated amplifier: £5,100
Audio Note Meishu Phono integrated amplifier: £6,195
Audio Note Meishu Silver Line integrated amplifier: £6,775
Audio Note Meishu Silver Phono integrated amplifier: £7,740
Audio Note Meishu Silver Signature Line integrated amplifier: £10,645
Audio Note Meishu Silver Signature Phono integrated amplifier: £12,850
Audio Note Jinro
The Jinro is a line level integrated amplifier using the venerable 211 output valve
used in single ended configuration producing approximately 18 watts. The design is
exceptionally simple, using a C-
Audio Note Jinro integrated amplifier: £16,450
Audio Note Tomei
The Tomei is the intermediary step between the Jinro and Ongaku, it features the
same fundamental ayout but instead uses 6463 valves for the input stage, an interstage
transformer with a copper and silver wiring mix on high quality C-
Audio Note Tomei integrated amplifier: £30,575
Audio Note Ongaku
The Audio Note Ongaku amplifier started life in the late Eighties, it soon became legendary and was undoubtedly largely responsible for the resurgence of interest in the ‘arcane’ use of single ended output stages, both thanks to its exceptional sound and a price tag that redefined the upper levels of hi end audio.
The Ongaku has evolved substantially since these times and now uses transformer coupling between input and output stages (instead of capacitor coupling used in the original), as befits its range topping status the transformers are completely silver wound and responsible for a large percentage of the cost increase over the Tomei. As you’d expect the rest of the components are similarly uncompromised, with larger Tantalum resistors and Black Gate capacitors used throughout. The chassis is available in either brushed copper (below) or piano black finish (above).
Audio Note Ongaku integrated amplifier: £75,760
Home Products Accessories Offers Bespoke Modifications About Features Services Contact Us