Marantz has long been a dominant force in the affordable stereo amplifier market, so when it replaces the long-running, five-star PM6007, we can’t wait to have a listen.

After generations of budget 6000-series amplifiers differentiated only by small tweaks, the Marantz Model 70 marks a notable shift in styling and price, if not content.

Where PM6007 originally launched at £499 / $599 and has been available for around £349-£399 in the past couple of years, the new Model 70 has launched at £749 / AU$1600 (exc VAT) – moving it out of the 'budget' bracket. It's also worth noting that this new amplifier won't be available to buy in the US initially, with Marantz stating it is focusing on the "markets where consumer demand can be more effectively met."

Build & design

While the new Model 70 integrated is clearly based on the former Award-winning PM6007, just compare their back panel layout; it is obvious that the company’s engineers haven’t just been twiddling their collective thumbs for the last half a decade.

The big change is the appearance, of course. This now mirrors the aesthetics of the company’s more premium stereo products (such as the Model 40n), and we like it. To our eyes, it looks classier and more elegant than the more function-first approach of the previous budget model.

The symmetry of the front panel is appealing, as is the trademark Marantz ‘porthole’ display. We are pleased to report that the front panel dials for the volume, balance, tone controls and inputs all feel solid and precise in use, while that small display is crisp, though admittedly not particularly easy to read from a distance.

This stereo amplifier, and partnering CD 70 CD player (£499/ $750), are both available in black and silver finishes. The Model 70’s build feels broadly on a par with the outgoing PM6007, which cost £499 / $599 when launched in 2020, but is now available for notably less.

It is nicely finished, though, and reasonably solid, bar the flex we notice in the back panel when plugging in the speaker cables. Arcam’s similarly-priced A5+ (£749 / $1199) feels more substantial in terms of casework panel thickness and overall solidity.

The Model 70 is supplied with a system remote that also controls the partnering CD player. It looks like a tweaked version of the older amp’s handset, and works well on the whole, being nicely laid-out and easy to use.

There is a bit of give and take when it comes to features compared to the PM6007. The Model 70 gains an HDMI ARC input, Bluetooth (aptX HD) capability and a preamp output over its predecessor. However, it loses one of the two optical inputs, the second set of speaker outputs and the fixed line output.

In general, we have no complaints about the new amplifier’s connectivity. It has three line-level inputs, a moving magnet phono stage, as well as coaxial and optical digital ins.

The addition of HDMI and Bluetooth is a definite step in the right direction, making the amplifier more versatile than before. As with the older amp, there is a 6.3mm headphone output on the front panel.

Inside, you will find that the changes over the PM6007 continue with a different DAC chip (ESS Sabre’s ES9020Q rather than the ES9010K2M), electric rather than potentiometer-based volume control and higher-capacity power supply capacitors (15,000uF vs 12,000uF). Those smoothing capacitors have been moved closer to the power amplifier to reduce resistance. Together, all these changes aim to improve transparency, bass performance and sonic stability.

The use of Marantz’s discrete HDAM amplifier modules, in this case the SA3 version, continues, and power has risen slightly to 50 watts per channel, up from the PM6007’s 45 watts.

A stereo amplifier at this price has to be flexible enough to work in a wide range of systems. It should be forgiving and balanced enough to make the most of budget sources and speakers, while having the sonic stretch to shine with more capable components. The Model 70 certainly meets that challenge well.

We use a range of sources from the Marantz CD 70 and Cyrus CDi CD players right through to our Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer. Record playing duties are carried out with a Technics SL-1000R turntable fitted with a Nagaoka MP-200 moving magnet cartridge. As for speakers, we use our reference ATC SCM50 along with the KEF LS50 Meta and Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2.

Sound

Our first port of call is a comparison of the Model 70 with its predecessor. The PM6007 remains a fine performer for the money, delivering a smooth and fluid presentation that still holds our attention well. However, the new model is clearly better despite sharing a similarly refined tonal balance.

As we listen to Hans Zimmer's The Battle from the Gladiator OST unfurl, it is the Model 70 that sounds clearer and more composed. As the piece builds, the amplifier remains impressively stable, tracking low-level instrumental strands with ease while allowing the listener to sit back and enjoy the whole, if they desire.

In comparison, the PM6007 sounds a little soft and muddled. It manages to reveal the energy and feel but isn’t as tidy in the way the music is presented. Low notes lack impact and definition, while dynamic shifts are more muted.

The Model 70 rams home its advantage when we play the Back On The Block album by Quincy Jones. Here it comes across as the more insightful and revealing performer, beautifully highlighting the wonderful vocal talents of Chaka Khan and Siedah Garrett on The Places You Find Love. We hear more in the way of vocal and instrumental textures, and greater finesse across the board.

The Model 70 retains its predecessor’s forgiving nature thanks to its innate refinement and smoothness, but adds more authority when delivering hard-hitting basslines and challenging dynamic contrasts.

You can add the moving magnet phono stage and digital inputs as additional plus points. With records, the Model 70 retains a good degree of clarity. It delivers Mary J Blige’s No More Drama set with verve and detail, while tonality is nicely judged. It helps that the phono stage’s noise levels are relatively low, too.

The digital inputs are equally capable. The Model 70 is compatible with PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz and shifts between file resolutions seamlessly. There are two filter options – Slow Roll-off and Fast Roll-off – and while the sonic difference between the two is subtle, we consistently prefer the Slow option as we work our way through a variety of tracks. It just sounds more fluid and natural to our ears. As always, try it for yourself, as much depends on taste and system matching.

The positives continue with the new amplifier’s Bluetooth performance. While this input doesn’t rival any of the physical connections for outright quality, it still produces musically enjoyable results when we feed in music from Tidal and Qobuz using our iPhone 14 Pro Max.

So, it should be clear by now that the Model 70 is a talented performer. Its superiority over the PM6007 is obvious; however, it also costs a lot more than its predecessor. That move up in price puts it into a different performance ballpark and up against some remarkably capable opposition, most notably the Award-winning Arcam A5+.

Comparison to the Arcam proves a stiffer test, one that shows that the Marantz doesn’t hold all the cards. Up against the A5+, we find that the Model 70 falls just a step behind in most areas, regardless of input. With the Quincy Jones album, it isn’t quite as rhythmic with the title track, diluting the music’s sense of momentum a little.

Dynamic nuances aren’t communicated so convincingly, leaving the emotional impact of great vocalists like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles slightly diluted. Outright clarity and insight, particularly the interplay between instruments, isn’t as easily followed either.

However, the Marantz is the more neutral of the two, sounding less rich through the midrange and bass, while its lows are just a touch firmer. Absolute detail levels are broadly on a par, and we can still enjoy the Marantz’s lovely top-to-bottom consistency.

Verdict

The Marantz Model 70 amplifier has plenty of appeal. It is well-specified, decently made and works with a wide range of music. Had it been priced closer to the PM6007, we would undoubtedly be proclaiming it a class leader.

However, the move up in price level puts it up against tougher competition and, in that context, it earns a more cautious recommendation.

Review published: 27th July 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam A5+

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Vacuum tube amplifiers have long been central to McIntosh's approach to high-end audio, but it hasn't launched an integrated model in over a decade. Until now – meet the MA2375, a vacuum tube integrated amp fit for the modern day.

It combines a fully analogue vacuum tube preamplifier and power amplifier in a single component, and offers 75 watts per channel. Along with McIntosh Unity Coupled Circuit Output Transformers, it's capable of providing consistent performance across a range of 4-, 8- or 16-ohm speakers.

You know it's a McIntosh just from looking at it, thanks to the polished stainless steel chassis, visible tube illumination and of course those signature blue watt meters. (The fact it bears a striking McIntosh logo in the company's green also helps.)

The built-in Power Guard Screen Grid Sensor (SGS) tech and Sentry Monitor fuse-less protection should ensure it runs for years to come. And its range of analogue and digital ports (including a configurable phono input, subwoofer and preamplifier outputs, Data Ports and an RS232 control port) means it'll play nice with both traditional and modern setups alike.

The MA2375 also has a 5-band analogue equaliser, four KT88 output tubes and four 12AT7 driver tubes, and two 12AX7A and two 12AT7 preamp tubes. The speaker binding posts are gold-plated Solid Cinch, while the Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD) helps it drive more demanding headphones.

The MA2375 is out now, and costs £16,900 (around $23,000 / AU$32,000).

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Chord Electronics will be previewing two new power amplifiers at the High End Vienna 2026 show this week.

First up is the Ultima 7 power amplifier, which is a new addition to the hi-fi brand's flagship Ultima range. The Ultima 7 boasts 135W of power into 8 ohms and is designed to match the Ultima Pre 3 preamplifier in height, which is 13cm.

The new stereo power amplifier features Chord Electronics' advanced Dual Feed Forward technology that promises in "vanishingly low" distortion and "lightning-fast" transient response for excellent dynamics.

It features the same extrovert, space-age styling as the rest of the Ultima range, which includes the Ultima Integrated and the Ultima Pre 3/Ultima 6 pairing, both of which we reviewed to five-star success.

We found the Pre 3/Ultima 6 to pairing to be a "highly analytical beast" with outstanding clarity and insight sitting alongside dynamic finesse. For context, the beefier Ultima 6 power amp offers 180W per channel into 8 ohms and has a height of 18cm, and costs £7500 / $11,260 these days.

Also being unveiled is a brand-new Blade stereo power amplifier with an ultra-slim design built specifically for the custom install market. This model features Class G (Gallium Nitrate [GaN]) amplification and incorporates Chord's Dual Feed Forward technology to elicit high power from a slimline chassis that can be rack mounted.

That's all the details we have so far, and there's no word on pricing either. Final details will be revealed when the two products officially launch in September.

Both new amplifiers are designed by Chord Electronics founder John Franks and handmade in Kent, U.K., and we'll be able to get a first look at them during the High End Vienna show's opening day on 4th June.

Also at the show will be Chord's new Quartet upscaler, which costs £25,000 and promises to "rebuild the timing of a musical performance with a degree of faithfulness previously unattainable in the digital domain."

MORE:

Check out all the latest news and launches from High End Vienna 2026

Tannoy teases exclusive limited-edition speakers to mark its 100th anniversary

Moon expands its high-end Compass range with do-it-all music streamer and 450-watt power amp

Following the recent announcement of the K17 R2R Pro music streamer, FiiO will be adding three more products to its line-up for this year’s High End Vienna 2026 show.

Its latest teaser will please headphone and speaker enthusiasts alike, with news of the new JT9 open-back headphones, the Class A Headphone Amplifier and Level 1 stereo amplifier.

Leading the announcement is the Level 1 amplifier, a retro-styled and compact high-resolution desktop stereo amp rated at 300W of power. It uses an internal DAC based on a Texas Instruments chip.

Physical inputs include RCA line in, USB, and coaxial, while Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity with LDAC codec support lets you stream wirelessly from mobile devices. FiiO has also included dedicated subwoofer and pre-out connections, alongside chunky bass and treble controls for an old-school feel.

The amplifier comes in a wood-accented aluminium chassis, giving it a high-class look for the price, announced at rather competitive $139 / £139.

Further additions to its desktop range include the new FiiO JT9 open-back planar magnetic headphones, which include a custom 95 x 86mm planar driver and ultra-thin diaphragm. Featuring FiiO’s patented dual-coating and uniform magnetic field design, the JT9 promises enhanced “transient performance and tonal accuracy”.

With a claimed 365g weight and foldable design, the JT9 should be comfortable to wear and easy to store despite that large planar driver architecture. The headphones should be easily compatible with a host of devices, with a sensitivity rating of 95dB/mW and both 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm cables included in the box.

FiiO is also planning to release its new Class A Headphone Amplifier. Aimed at fans of high-end headphones, this fully discrete design offers two channels of 1000mW output power, with five selectable gain levels and independent bass and treble controls.

The headphone amplifier’s other features include 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone connections alongside XLR and RCA inputs and outputs.

We don’t have full pricing details for the JT9 and Class A Headphone Amplifier yet, but they are due to be announced at the Vienna High End show on the 4th of June.

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Tannoy teases exclusive limited-edition speakers to mark its 100th anniversary

The Moon 371 was one of the most capable streaming amplifiers we had the pleasure of encountering this year, nailing practically every aspect of performance across build, features and sound quality.

Moon is now adding to its high-end Compass collection, the line-up from which the 371 is taken, with two new models: the Moon 461 power amplifier and the Moon 491 combined music streamer and preamplifier.

At its core, the new Moon 461 deploys 'MDCA' (Moon distortion-cancelling amplifier) architecture. Originally developed for the brand's flagship North collection, the advanced topology seeks to "reduce distortion and improve signal linearity" for a sound that blends "exceptional clarity and precision".

The new amplifier's dual proprietary hybrid power supply modules also seek to improve channel separation and reduce crosstalk, again with the aim of diminishing distortion and preserving sonic purity.

The 461 delivers 450 watts into 8 ohms. Physical connections include balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, as well as twin ethernet ports for connecting to the internet directly.

Moon bills the 461 as being the perfect potential partner for its 491 companion model, with the latter blending music streaming capabilities with a preamplifier, DAC, phono stage and headphone amplifier, all rolled into one.

The Moon 491 uses the brand's 'MiND 2' streaming platform, offering UPnP streaming, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, while most major music streaming services, such as Deezer, Qobuz Connect, Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, are all supported.

The 491 also comes with an integrated phono stage, offering support for both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges

According to John Carroll, managing director of Renaissance, Moon's UK distributor: “As a pairing, the 461 and 491 represent a complete expression of the Compass Collection. Together they deliver outstanding musical performance and system flexibility, while also forming a visually striking statement that will look exceptional in any environment, from contemporary interiors to traditional spaces.”

The Moon 461 is priced at £4450 / $5000, whereas the 491 will set you back £5950 / $6500. Both products will be available from July, and we'll get our first glimpse of the new products at the Vienna High End show next month.

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Read our review of the Moon 371

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The original Naim NAP 500 power amplifier was launched in the year 2000, with the NAC 552 preamplifier joining it in 2002. For more than a decade, this combination was the pinnacle of Naim amplifier performance, and was usurped only when the company launched its ultra-high-end Statement combination in 2014.

Today, that Statement pre/monobloc pairing costs a cool £234,997 / $299,997 / AU$440,000, so there certainly remains plenty of leeway for the NAC 552/NAP 500 DR to thrive.

Given that these 500 series products launched almost a quarter of a century ago, it seems natural to wonder how competitive they are against current rivals. You have already seen the star rating, so you know the answer to that.

However, you should also know that neither product has remained unchanged over the years. Each enjoyed a huge performance boost when Naim added its Discrete Regulator (DR) technology into the respective power supply designs around a decade ago.

It is also worth noting that, while the world of consumer electronics in general moves at a lightning pace, mature technologies such as analogue electronics tend to progress glacially at best. As a result, a well-engineered, no-compromise design from decades ago can still compete at the highest level, as this four-box stereo amplifier proves.

Features

Judged on specifications, the NAC 552 preamplifier (£26,999 / $34,999 / AU$56,500) looks as basic as they come. It is a line-level unit, so if you need a phono stage, digital inputs or Bluetooth connectivity, you will need to add those as outboard boxes.

It isn’t quite from the Stone Age, however, so you do have a remote control.

At least there are plenty of inputs, though all of them are single-ended. Naim’s engineers didn’t see the benefits of including balanced connections on a domestic product when this preamp was designed. The company’s latest 200 and 300 series products, interestingly, do include the option.

Look on the back panel and you will find seven of the company’s long-favoured DIN connectors and two conventional stereo RCA pairs. So, a choice of nine input connections; but look at the front panel and you will find only six input buttons. What gives?

Each input button can be linked to any of the rear-panel connectors, which is the kind of flexibility we didn’t expect in what is otherwise a purist product. Equally, there are multiple line-level outputs for those who still use a recorder, be it reel-to-reel, cassette or digital.

There are two rows of buttons on the NAC 552’s front panel. The top line selects what you listen to, and the lower row decides the source to be recorded – the two work independently, which is handy.

To the left of the buttons, there are dials for volume and balance; these connect to carefully selected motorised potentiometers. No issue with that in principle, though the volume control in particular works in an abrupt way that makes small changes at low levels harder to perform than they should be.

The NAP 500 DR (£26,999 / $34,999 / $53,000) is more limited on the connection front, as power amplifiers usually are. Its input is a three-pin XLR per side, but only two of the pins are connected, so it's a single-ended link. Naim supplies a dedicated lead. A word of warning: if you get the left and right-channel leads mixed up, all you will hear is silence.

Design & build

Take a look inside the NAC 552 preamp and you will find that the sensitive audio circuits are mounted on a heavy brass suspended subchassis to minimise any sonic degradation caused by external vibrations. The assembly sits on springs and floats pretty freely, so the preamp shouldn’t be moved around without the four transit bolts being in place to avoid damage.

The preamp’s power supply is housed in an outboard unit called the 552 PS. Separating the audio and power-supply sections in this way reduces any unwanted mechanical or magnetic interactions.

This external supply weighs in at a robust 13.9kg (compared with the preamp’s 12.9kg) and features a hefty 800VA toroidal transformer. Electrically, it is a split-rail design that connects to the NAC 552 via a multi-pin Burndy cable and Naim’s Snaic 5 (DIN) lead.

The two-box approach continues with the NAP 500 DR power amplifier. Its outboard supply, the NAP 500 PS, packs a massive 1100VA toroidal mains transformer, delivering no fewer than 12 DC feeds, each dedicated to specific parts of the amp’s circuit. The connection between the NAP 500 DR and the power supply is also done using Burndy cables, in this case, a pair.

The Class A/B NAP 500 DR is something of a powerhouse, rated at 140 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load. While this is a pretty generous figure, in reality, this beast sounds considerably more muscular than even that number suggests – but more on that later.

Like the preamp, the NAP 500 DR is a beautifully made unit inside and out, just as we would expect at this level. Its casing opens on both sides in a dramatic gull-wing manner, revealing the internal circuitry.

We note that both these Naims have admirably neat circuit layouts and display obsessive attention to detail when it comes to housekeeping things such as cable routing. Both units are packed with quality discrete components rather than ICs – a deliberate choice made on performance grounds.

Compatibility

An amplifier at this level clearly needs a first-class partnering system. If there are any doubts about your source or speakers, get those sorted out before even thinking about getting this pre/power. This Naim combination is utterly ruthless at exposing flaws, particularly in source components, so it pays to ensure those you use allow the amplifier to shine.

Our reference system already features the Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, which is the natural partner for this amplifier. We also connect a Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart MC record player feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage to play our records. Our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier serves as a good benchmark for this Naim pairing.

As for speakers, our usual ATC SCM50 are pressed into service alongside JBL’s excellent Summit Ama and the Fyne Audio F1-8 standmounters. We use Naim’s own Super Lumina interconnects alongside the company’s NAC A5 speaker cable, as well as our usual premium Chord Company and Vertere leads.

Once everything is up and running, we’re pleased to note that neither Naim unit gets particularly hot in use. So, while we would still recommend placing them in a rack with plenty of ventilation, heat build-up is unlikely to be an issue.

Sound

Ever heard the Radiohead song Everything In Its Right Place? It's an absorbing piece of music, but also a fitting description of this Naim combination’s sound. This amplifier is wonderfully organised and stable. Every instrumental note, vocal track and sound effect gels seamlessly to produce a musical whole that seems more than the sum of its parts.

It is a crisp, direct and bold presentation, one concentrating on conveying the physical aspects of the music while still having the refinement necessary in this part of the market. There is a pleasing no-nonsense quality to the presentation, where the amplifier’s control and composure makes the music feel almost simplified, so effortless does it all seem.

Corny as it sounds, listening to the Naim in full flow feels as though we have a direct link to the music’s emotional core, making it difficult to step back to analyse the results. This combination simply does what an amplifier should, and that’s to make the signal louder without corrupting it in any significant way.

For this to happen, certain qualities have to be present, and in this regard, the NAC 552/NAP 500 DR tick all the boxes. This amplifier sounds impressively transparent, allowing the quality and character of the source and recording to shine through. Excellent detail resolution should be a given at this level, and the Naim duly obliges. Importantly, the verve and energy in the music aren’t diluted, as can often happen in the search for ever-greater levels of insight and clarity.

Listen to a demanding track such as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Naim pairing is happy to let you follow an individual instrumental strand, or simply to sit back and enjoy the experience. The symphony’s savage dynamic sweeps are delivered with ferocity coupled to a degree of authority that eludes all but the very best.

That claimed 140-watts-per-channel figure is healthy, but barely hints at the muscle on offer here. Naim watts, it seems, are different from others.

Yet power is only part of the equation. This pairing’s impressive detail-resolution translates into convincingly realised instrumental textures. There is delicacy where required, of course, but also a sense of palpability that’s uncommon.

The same applies to voices. Mount The Air by The Unthanks is a lovely, natural-sounding recording, and the Naim reveals the full scope of the group's immaculate vocals with real finesse.

Tonally, we have no complaints. This four-box is essentially neutral and refuses to favour any part of the frequency range over another. It sounds authentic in a way that eludes much of the competition.

Our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII shows that it is possible to have a more spacious soundstage, but the Naim counters with class-leading image solidity and focus. Instruments are sharply rendered and locked in position, even when the music gets demanding. To our surprise, the Burmester pairing sounds a little blurred in comparison.

Naim’s products are famed for their rhythmic ability, and the NAC 552/NAP 500 DR is as exceptional as we had hoped for. When asked to play Massive Attack’s Angel, this amplifier doesn’t hold back, delivering a feeling of unstoppable momentum coupled to a full dose of the song’s brooding menace.

Lows are delivered with a thrilling mix of power, agility and grip. It’s an enthralling performance; one which leaves us luxuriating in the music rather than thinking about the mechanics of hi-fi.

Verdict

25 years is a long time for any product to be in production. Having talked to Naim’s representative, there is no sign that this pre/power is going to be put out to pasture anytime soon. We are glad of that.

The Naim NAC 552/NAP 500 DR pairing remains an exceptional performer and is up there with the best we have heard at this level. Highly recommended.

Review published: 18th May 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 3

MORE:

Also consider the Burmester 088/911 Mk III

Integrated vs pre/power amplification: the pros, cons and which is best for you

It’s the pulsating heart of your hi-fi system and, as anyone who’s read this publication knows, to ignore its sonic relevance in your setup would be foolish in the extreme.

Several long-established and highly revered audio firms started out when one or two individuals shared a common goal: to release a decent stereo amplifier – something better than whatever was currently powering their system.

We have seen and tested many (though not all) of these amplifiers and their successors over the 50-year history of What Hi-Fi?, and here we’ve picked out nine of the very best, in our humble collective opinion.

These little powerhouses have left indelible marks on hi-fi history, paving the way not just for the brands that blossomed in their wake, but for the agile, transparent and joyous music systems we enjoy today.

Naim NAP 200 (1973)

Julian Vereker’s shift from building cars to designing amplifiers and loudspeakers (for London’s Capital Radio, no less) led to the founding of Naim Audio in 1973.

With both Julian and his co-founder Shirley Clarke as directors, their shop in the centre of Salisbury, England, was the birthplace in that same year of the company's first consumer product: the NAP 200 power amplifier.

Vereker originally designed the NAP 200 in 1971 and, although its descendants differ greatly – the line continues to evolve with products like the excellent NAP 100 to this day – Naim still shoots for the same performance goals of pace, rhythm and timing.

Cyrus One (1984) 

The Mission Cyrus One – back when Cyrus was a part of Mission – was a piece of kit very much aimed at audiophiles, despite its budget-friendly price tag.

It had no tone or balance controls and carried plenty of inputs for sources. Early examples had a plastic case to eliminate the distortion effects of eddy current, but later versions switched to a cast metal case – sophisticated for a budget amp.

In the What Hi-Fi? review, we concluded that the inaugural One communicated a precise soundstage, but it was also capable of handling low-level details that other amplifiers "repressed or simply rendered messy".

Combine that sound with the superb build quality, and you had an amp whose performance could rival pricier options.

• Old amplifier vs new amplifier: which is better?

Cambridge Audio P40 (1968) 

Cambridge Audio's first ever product, the P40 integrated amplifier, was also the first ever amp to use a toroidal transformer – a significant innovation at the time.

These days, it's a standard component inside high-end amps; a sure sign that what the firm tried back in 1968 worked out really rather well.

The follow up to the P40 arrived just a few years later in 1970 with the P50, a much more powerful amplifier with a unique active volume control.

However, one glance at the lines and craftsmanship on the P40 is to know that this is a stunning debut amp.

A&R A60 (1976)

Amplification & Recording Cambridge was founded back in 1976. Now known by a far snappier moniker, Arcam (see what they did there?), the company’s success was built on its first amplifier, the A60.

Pictured above is our review from August 1981, though the product was launched five years earlier.

Back in the early 1980s, this slimline integrated amp would set you back £190 and was considered the go-to middle-market amplifier, comparable to the Crimson 510/520 pre/power combination (remember that?). It proved the ideal upgrade from budget champions such as NAD’s original 3020 (which we will get to shortly).

It was a functional unit with a decent array of line-level inputs plus a capable moving-magnet phono stage – hardly a surprise considering vinyl was still the dominant media of the day.

The tone controls were subtle in their action and as such could, on occasion, prove useful when any recording or partnering kit wasn’t quite balanced.

The A60 also had a filter switch which progressively rolled off frequencies above 7.5kHz in a bid to reduce hiss from a tuner or the impact of a pop from vinyl.

NAD 3020 (1978)

A power output of 20W per channel was hardly earth-shattering but, at £85, the 3020 could drive speakers better than pretty much any of its rivals. The 3020 amplifier put NAD on the map, such was its impact.

The story goes that when NAD’s managing director, Marty Borish, hired a quiet audio engineer called Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, the pair noted a space in the market. Edvardsen got the bit between his teeth.

Initially headquartered in London, NAD’s growing team, led by Edvardsen, obsessively experimented and refined the electronic designs, seeking a eureka moment. When it finally came, NAD delivered perhaps the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history.

The original NAD 3020 had a balance that was smooth and full-bodied, delivering a good, coherent sound which worked well with the some of the less–refined budget kit of the time.

The cult-like following generated by the 3020 was so great that NAD would have been foolish to shelve it. In 2013, some 35 years after its initial release, we gave the latest NAD D 3020 iteration a coveted five-star review and a What Hi-Fi? Award.

Burmester 777 (1977) 

As a musician, Dieter Burmester (founder of Burmester Audiosysteme) always wanted to make his sound system reproduce music as naturally and purely as possible, and it was the malfunction of his preamp that led to him fashioning the first Burmester product.

Preamps on the market couldn’t satisfy Dieter Burmester’s high demands, so he built his own from parts of medical machines – the Burmester 777.

According to the firm, the 777 – so named because it was released in the seventh month in the year 1977 – remains a core element of Burmester's products today.

In 2007, Burmester even released a 30th anniversary update in its honour, a preamp called the Burmester 077. Did we like it? You could say that. In our review, we concluded, "If you can afford it, buy it right now."

McIntosh 50W-1 (1949) 

Before you write in, the amp pictured is the 50W2 (two pieces, which form one 50W-per-channel mono amp), McIntosh's fourth amplifier, circa 1951 – think Elvis and Frank Sinatra territory.

Why are we not showing you the original 50W-1? Well, photographs of hi-fi separates from 71 years ago are quite hard to come by, it turns out.

In 1946 Frank McIntosh, a design consultant for broadcast and TV stations, hired Gordon Gow to help him design a high power, low distortion amplifier for his clients. This amplifier would be the 50W-1.

It included McIntosh’s first patented circuit, the Unity Coupled Circuit – still used in the company's current products.

Musical Fidelity Dr. Thomas Power Amplifier (1982)

Musical Fidelity chose to keep the naming of its inaugural product simple with The Preamp. It was released in 1982 and quickly racked up rave reviews.

Evidently, the designer of its shoebox-style power partner, Dr. Martin Vincent Thomas, didn't like the idea of designing 'The Power Amp', and chose to take matters into his own hands when it came to establishing a moniker for Musical Fidelity's first power amplifier. Thus, the Dr. Thomas was born.

With its black acrylic casework and name (what a name!) illuminated in red on the fascia, the 100W+ Dr. Thomas power amplifier cut a fine figure – a great visual match for the similarly-styled Preamp.

It was also surprisingly powerful. Sadly, this casework design was dropped quite quickly – but what a lovely-looking setup it must have been.

Audiolab 8000A (1983)

Audiolab's 8000A caused quite a stir in the early 1980s thanks to its "superb finish and styling" – just take a look at our review (below).

Admittedly, today it looks a lot like a grey-tinged box with lots of dials, but it offered excellent sound and features, including bass and treble controls, a stereo balance control and a separate record selector, so you could "listen to one source while taping another". And the sound was smooth with "plenty of presence and detail".

Audiolab was formed in 1983 by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland, quickly earning worldwide acclaim in that same year with the 8000A – an integrated stereo amp that was both a natural ‘step-up’ from budget models of the time and, latterly, a classic hi-fi component.

Thanks to its fine build and features, the 8000A was great value for money too.

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Musical Fidelity has announced the launch of its new M5xi and M6xi integrated stereo amplifiers.

Adding to the company’s established M-Series of hi-fi separates, each new model promises a combination of “high-end engineering with modern connectivity” to deliver “exceptional power, precision, and musical transparency”.

The M6xi is the more premium of the pair, so that’s where we’ll start. The new model is built around amplifier topology derived from Musical Fidelity’s Titan amp, configured internally as two independent mono power amps and a separate preamplifier delivering 210 watts of power into 8 ohms.

The M6xi's main transformer and power supply are housed within a metal enclosure, reducing electromagnetic interference to preserve audio purity and promising a more natural and transparent performance as a result.

The new amp features a built-in moving magnet / moving-coil phono stage with enhanced internal shielding, again to preserve sonic purity. There are also HDMI eARC, optical, coaxial and USB-C digital inputs on board, as well as four RCA line inputs, a balanced XLR input, a line output and a pre output.

Bluetooth is not on the menu, with Musical Fidelity eschewing the technology to focus as much as possible on pure sound-per-pound performance.

The more affordable M5xi amplifier’s topology is also derived from Musical Fidelity’s established Titan model, but it delivers a slightly lower power output of 140 watts into 8 ohms.

Again, the M5xi is constructed as two independent mono power amps with a separate preamp stage, while premium signal-path components promise “exceptional stability, authority and musical control”.

Like its bigger brother, the M5xi features a moving magnet / moving-coil phono stage equipped with enhanced internal shielding.

In terms of physical connections, the more affordable amp offers HDMI eARC, optical, coaxial and USB-C digital inputs, alongside four RCA line inputs, a line output and a pre output. As above, there is no Bluetooth available here, either.

Both amplifiers deploy a heavy metal chassis with a centrally mounted volume-dial placed front and centre, flanked by input/output selection buttons on either side.

Both amps are available now in silver or black finishes. The Musical Fidelity M5xi is priced at £2099 / €2290 / $2690, while the M6xi will set you back £2699 / €2990 / $3499.

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French audio brand Advance Paris has announced Nova, a range of five audio devices encompassing amplification, streaming, wireless connectivity and rotary remote control.

It claims that the Nova range is its "most advanced and versatile product line to date." The range was first previewed at High End Munich 2025, and sits above the brand's existing Classic and Apex series.

The Nova range includes two integrated amplifiers – the A-i130 and A-i190 (pictured above). The former has 130 watts per channel, and the latter 190. As well as handling amplification, they deal with stereo signal processing and multi-subwoofer capabilities.

The power isn't the only difference between them. The A-i190 uses a dual-mono configuration with two toroidal transformers – one per channel – which gives greater channel separation for a clearer sound. The A-i190 also has more connections, adding XLR inputs and pre-out, two coaxial digital inputs and an MC phono stage, which the A-i130 lacks.

The amps are built around an ESS9017 DAC in quad mode, with a fully configurable Digital Signal Processing (DSP) with equaliser control. Signal routing is managed between speaker and subwoofer outputs via a configurable crossover, while each has a dedicated power supply for the DAC and analogue circuitry.

They both also have HDMI eARC, EQ Room Correction to optimise the sound to your room shape and layout, three optical inputs and one coaxial input. Additionally, there's USB audio with support for DSD, a 6.35mm headphone output and MM phono input with grounding terminal.

Both amps come in black or silver, with brushed aluminium front panels and retro-styled VU meters that can light up in white or the brand's signature blue. You can see the glow of the vacuum tubes through the front panel.

The two new Nova amps also work with the accessories and remote mentioned below.

The first accessory is the A-NTC Streaming Cartridge (pictured). This can be connected to an optical input to add hi-res streaming capabilities (up to 24-bit/192kHz) to otherwise non-compatible systems.

It's powered via USB, and supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, DLNA, and Roon. It can also connect via Ethernet or wi-fi.

You can also add Bluetooth to your system using the A-BTC Bi-Directional Bluetooth Dongle. Not only does this bring wireless convenience to your system, it also supports the higher-quality codecs of aptX HD, aptX AD and aptX LL (low latency, ideal for accurate lip syncing).

Lastly, we have the A-RTR Rotary Remote. This is a heavy duty metal rotary remote that's designed to sit on a table rather than being handheld. It has rotating crown controls to adjust volume, input selection and power. And it's a lot more premium than controlling using your phone.

The Nova A-i130 and A-i190 amps will be available in May for £4250 / $6499 (around AU$8000) and £5250 / $7999 (around AU$10,000) respectively. The accessories will be out soon after: the A-NTC Streaming Cartridge is £399 / $599 (around AU$760), the A-BTC Bi-directional Bluetooth Dongle is £149 / $249 (around AU$284) and the A-RTR Rotary Remote is £399 / $599 (around AU$760).

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Adding a music streamer to my hi-fi has been a revelation – and a frustration

As I sit here, I can lift my gaze and see three large boxes of electronics on my high-fidelity bench. They are a chunky preamplifier, a slightly less chunky power amplifier, and a similarly-sized network streamer/DAC. I’m about to take them away and replace them with one box.

The current three units occupy 0.05 cubic metres of space and weigh nearly 37 kilograms. The replacement box occupies just 0.01 cubic metres and weighs only 4.8 kilograms.

That replacement is, of course, the Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 digital streaming amplifier, launched in 2025 by the Danish company. The Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 combines pretty much all the features of those three boxes. It’s an integrated amplifier, so a pre-and power amp combined. And it has a streamer built in.

Where it also manages to effectively replace my previous three-box solution is power. The TDAI-2210 has a per-channel rating of 105 watts into 8 ohms, and 210 watts into 4. My regular system is 125/250 watts into 8/4 ohms, so on paper at least, the Lyngdorf could be the only box I need to maintain my current listening experience.

What’s also impressive about the Lyngdorf’s spec sheet is that it manages to package it into a relatively compact, full-width enclosure. A huge contributor to the compactness is that Lyndorf embraces “digital amplifier” fully.

Some others hide behind “Class D” in order to eschew the bogey word “digital”, but in reality, this class of amplifier is simply a slightly different form of digital. Instead of the PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) type of digital on a CD or most streaming platforms, it uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation).

To simplify matters, perhaps excessively, this represents the signal by how wide the single-bit sample is. Filter that output appropriately and you have an analogue signal. But the thing is, at the amplifier, before the filter, the signal is all one thing or all another thing. Not a gradual slope between the two. So the output transistors are either entirely on, or entirely off. And that makes them immensely efficient.

Which is why you can get a lot of power out of a small box, with only modest heat dissipation. You can see that embrace in the expansion of TDAI – Lyngdorf says it stands for True Digital Amplifier Integrated.

Once you fully embrace something, you can focus on making it as good as it can be. So Lyngdorf, for example, here uses a volume control at the output stage, instead of between what would normally be a preamplifier and a power amplifier.

Now, I do note that there are actually analogue pre-amp outputs: both RCAs and balanced XLRs. And I’m sure Lyngdorf wouldn’t mind in the slightest if, in the future, you wanted to upgrade the amplification to some of its higher-level standalone power amps. Or you might choose to go for some other brand. Whatever. In that case the TDAI-2210 can become a preamplifier, or even merely a source, should you wish.

But this kind of usage then goes against the ethos of the unit’s fully digital design. Because those two analogue pre-outputs must have a separate DAC, turning everything analogue. Stick with the built-in amps, on the other hand, and it’s fully digital all the way until it gets to the speaker binding posts.

You will notice that there aren’t many controls on the front of the unit. That’s in part because you can do a lot of control using the front-panel touch screen, or even more using an Android or iOS app.

There is a “standard model” of the Lyngdorf-2210 which omits the balanced analogue inputs, two pairs of unbalanced RCAs and the moving-magnet phono input. In other markets, these can be added via a modular upgrade, but here in Australia those extra inputs come as standard (see the back panel above). You’ll need to ask your dealer about the other model if you’d prefer to go down that route.

Likewise, there’s a version with a more complete HDMI module: a couple of inputs and an output which supports 4K/8K. The HDMI socket on the standard model is only for the Audio Return Channel from your TV.

Set-up and use

I used the unit… twice. First I had a pre-production model that allowed me to get a good sense of how it worked. Then I was provided with a production model with the first production firmware, to give it the full review treatment. The former was difficult. The latter was a dream.

Happily, if you buy it you’ll be getting the latter!

I used it with Wi-Fi and with Ethernet, and it worked beautifully either way. I mostly used the app on an iPad – an old 6th gen one – but performance was fine regardless. It is very attractively designed, albeit with a few minor flaws. e.g. arrows for going back to previous screens are sometimes at top left, sometimes at centre bottom. A touch more consistency, please. But, of course, with every control app a little learning is involved, and I soon learned this one.

A couple of features were still being finalised as I reviewed. Apple AirPlay was still to come, as was Roon, as was app-controlled DLNA/UPnP. I should note that DLNA/UPnP actually work perfectly when using another app. I used Bubble UPnP on Android, and mConnectHD on iOS to reliably send music from the enormous library on my Synology NAS to the unit. Finalising this facility within the Lyngdorf app will simply be a nice bonus.

Oh, did I mention that there’s a remote control? It’s RF-connected, so no line of sight required. This is sufficiently comprehensive to allow you to pretty much skip using the app.

But you’ll still want your phone or tablet for Tidal, Spotify or your favourite streaming service. I used both of those, and particularly enjoyed Spotify as it became lossless. (And, yes, I have confirmed that it truly is bit-perfect with a comparison of nearly 150 million samples from seven CD tracks.) Both worked perfectly via their Connect features.

The large volume control on the front panel deserves a special mention. Since everything is digital, and indeed the volume controls the sound at the speaker outputs, rather than at the input level to the power amplifier section, there’s no potentiometer through which the signal runs. The volume knob is a controller.

It feels like all volume knobs should, but almost never are. It isn’t particularly heavy, but it does seem to be of machined aluminium, with most of its mass at its circumference. That gives it a nice momentum which, combined with the almost friction-free control device to which it is attached, allows it to spin rapidly, and keep spinning until you stop it. You can control the volume rapidly and surely.

While on the subject of volume control, this is calibrated in one tenths of a decibel and is shown on the screen in home-theatre-like negative decibels, although it could (in theory) be advanced to +20dB. Spinning the knob allows you to fly through those 0.1dBs, but what about the remote? This also works well, once you learn how to use it. You don’t stab the volume control buttons unless you want the tiniest of change. You hold the button down for a second or more. A second makes a noticeable difference in the level, and thereafter it accelerates, so you can knock off ten decibels in about three seconds. This conveys a sense of being really well thought-out for practical use.

Listening sessions

There isn’t much real estate on the back panel of this unit, but that doesn’t restrict the wealth of inputs, particularly because, as mentioned earlier, the Australian version of the TDAI-2210 comes as standard with extra analogue inputs. As a result, it meant I could use the unit’s own MM preamplifier with a Technica SL-1500C and ATVM95SH MM cart, as opposed to my regular setup of a Thorens TD1600 turntable with a Goldring Ethos MC cartridge and Moon 310LP phono preamp. I did use this on a few occasions, but ultimately the Lyngdorf’s MM input was more convenient.

Now vinyl is, obviously, about as analogue as things get. Yet this unit is very much digital. Which means that all the analogue inputs are converted to digital. What form of digital?

Happily, the front panel shows the answer when you have the spectrum display showing. This also shows the digital format, which for all the analogue inputs is PCM24, 96kHz. That is, the analogue to digital converter creates a high-definition digital version of the input to feed to the system. By using 24 bits of resolution, the system can provide quite a bit of headroom to the vinyl inputs – obviously, it wants to avoid hard digital clipping when fed with a hot input.

This provision means that unpredictable analogue inputs such as vinyl need to be turned up higher for the same playback level as any of the digital inputs. I found for the fairly high music levels I prefer, I usually set the volume to around -20dB for digital sources, and -10dB to -7dB for vinyl playback. A lower output cartridge would require an even higher level. The AT cart is pretty average on that front.

You can tweak the sound output of the Lyngdorf using its RoomPerfect EQ correction system, but for a fair comparison with my regular system, I initially chose to listen without this being applied.

Let’s start with a rare item: Capella Corelli’s 'For ye Lovers and Masters of Musique', on the Larrikin label. This collection of small ensemble baroque works was recorded magnificently in Canberra in 1979, and it contains the incredible Chaconne in g minor by John Blow, and as far as I’ve been able to determine this is the only recording, ever, of this piece. Want to enjoy it? You’ll need a piece of vinyl pressed in 1981.

The Blow piece is solo harpsichord. The other pieces include recorder, violin, basso continuo and such. The bite on the harpsichord was excellent, despite the A-D conversion, and the sound was delivered with a lovely sweetness and absolutely no sense of limitation in the plentiful transients. Indeed, the violin on the following Leclair sonata was also gorgeous. Even more so, with no tendency toward stridency in the violin. It was smooth as, well, silk.

The room acoustics were properly delivered, with perhaps a slightly reduced sense of the bass ambience that I’m used to.

But the bass was strong indeed, and powerful, and tight, on an album I picked up recently in the US. A live recording of Dave Grusin and the NY-LA Dream Band. This was released in 1982 before the CD appeared, and with naive enthusiasm for new tech, proclaims on the cover the use of a “Digital Master” – although the recording itself would have been analogue. It is a truly great sounding album, and through the Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 it retains that greatness. The timing is spot on, and the engaging bite of the bass guitar was as good as it gets.

What I particularly loved was the way the Lyngdorf unit supported my Dynaudio Contour 20i speakers in their immaculate presentation of Steve Gadd’s superb drumming. Every element of each tiny explosion of sound was delivered with proper intensity and control that spoke of a wonderful cooperation between amplifier and speaker. Danish amplifier and Danish speaker? Maybe there’s something in that.

What about digital? I played stacks of music from Tidal and Spotify. All worked perfectly well. I mostly use Tidal because, as I’ve found from testing, it really does provide a perfect copy of the original digital music. And now, so does Spotify (albeit without any proper high-resolution content). But I also spent a lot of time sending music from my network attached storage to the unit with the DLNA protocol (which also ensures perfect delivery).

As I write, I’m listening to Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick in two different stereo 96/24 versions: the original mix, and the 2012 Steve Wilson remix. I confess that I haven’t really compared them in the past, but using this system I did a bit of switching. And it was clear that the transparency of the Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 was first-class. There was a huge level difference between the two versions (the original was quieter), but even after adjusting for this there was a clear instability in EQ across the original and occasional confusion in some of the denser passages that was absent in the Wilson version. But in both the dynamics of the drumming provided a basal component that tied the entire works together.

Before exploring RoomPerfect, I wanted to pay close attention to some music with a modern recording sensibility, in which bass wasn’t limited in deference to the limitations of vinyl. So, back to Tidal and Billie Eilish’s 'When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go' album, which is delivered on that platform at 44.1kHz, but a deeper 24 bits. That’s what the Tidal app says, and what the Lyndorf reports on its display.

The plentiful bass was delivered magnificently, with power and control. The Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 exercised masterful control over the Contour 20i speakers, making them do precisely what the music demanded. Those speakers aren’t the hardest in the world to drive, but neither are they the easiest – nominal four-ohm impedance and lowish (86dB, 2.83V, 1m) sensitivity. So I fired up the track Nature Boy from Primus’ album 'Pork Soda' on Tidal (192kHz, 24 bits!) and pushed it to an indicated -2dB. A normal loud listening level with my setup for streamed music is typically between -20dB and -15dB. At -2dB the music was thunderous but remained perfectly controlled, with a strong delivery of the kick drum, and other bits of the kit tightly delivered, Claypool’s bass strong and his nasal vocal delivery relatively smooth.

We don’t talk enough about high-fidelity systems going loud; I’m a strong believer that they ought to for maximum flexibility, and for occasional maximum enjoyment.

RoomPerfect

Now, how about the way Lyngdorf wants the unit to be used?

I had not accepted the RoomPerfect set-up option at first, but it was easy to find in the settings menu within the app. It talked me through the process, both in the app itself and on the front panel display.

Briefly, you assemble the microphone stand and place the microphone in its clip, then connect it to the dedicated XLR socket on the rear of the unit. The unit responds, telling you where to place the microphone (where your head would normally be while listening), and then it issues test signals, one speaker at a time. These are moderately loud but not unpleasant. Each cycle takes about a minute.

It insists on at least four: the head position and three more at random room positions, acquiring “Room Knowledge”. After this it gives you the option to test some more spots. I did just one more.

After that you can use a “Bypass” switch in the app to switch RoomPerfect on and off to assess whether you like it.

How much difference it makes will depend on your speakers, their placement, your sitting position and things like room treatments. For me it made little difference in mid and high frequency delivery, but it brought forward the mid to deep bass – say the 40 to 80 hertz frequency range. This was particularly clear on the Simple Minds album 'New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)' (on vinyl). I can’t say I was missing these frequencies before applying RoomPerfect, but they added a nice body which may more accurately reflect what the record producers wanted. I assume that the calibration system was compensating for bands of destructive room reflections.

Verdict

The Lyngdorf TDAI-2210 is powerful, sounds great and is extremely versatile. If your budget might stretch into this area, you really should give it an audition; I’d be surprised if you were disappointed.

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Unitra? It is understandable if the brand name draws a blank. Few outside of its native Poland and nearby Eastern Bloc countries would have come across this company before. The original Unitra was formed in 1961 and was a collective of Polish factories specialising in electronics and communication. It was a huge concern, employing around 100,000 people at its peak.

But then the opening up of the Eastern Bloc in the late ’80s saw the company move away from audio products completely. Things went quiet on that front until 2021, when the name was resurrected for audio purposes by a new management team.

The Unitra of today is a proper specialist hi-fi company. It has a broad but concise product range that includes almost every part of the audio chain from sources such as turntables and CD players to amplifiers, speakers and a DAC. There are even Unitra-branded cables for the completists among you.

The brand’s core design priorities include long-term reliability and ease of repair. Those are things that we can all get behind.

The Unitra WSH-805 on test here is the company’s flagship integrated amplifier. If you love all things retro, you will find it impossible to ignore its charms.

Design

To us, it screams 1970s, with its large power meters and multitude of toggle switches. Even the feature set, with the switchable speakers, tone controls, loudness switch (called Contour here) feels very much part of that time, and is none the worse for it.

Elsewhere, we are pleased to note the inclusion of a switchable moving magnet/moving coil phono stage and a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output.

Some may consider the lack of digital inputs a big issue, but in our experience, built-in digital modules in stereo amplifiers rarely impress. If you want a top-class number cruncher, our advice is to go down the outboard route.

We have no complaints about the WSH-805’s analogue connectivity. There are six line-level inputs, including a balanced XLR option, a preamp out and a power amp input. That little lot should be enough to cover most people’s needs in a stereo system context.

Unitra also offers the option to ‘lift’ the ground, which is useful if hum is a problem. There are two sets of chunky speaker terminals, and they can be used together or individually. So, a basic multi-room set-up is possible.

Unusually, the WSH-805’s amplifier circuitry can be switched on the fly between working in Class A and Class A/B mode. This is done by a flick of a toggle on the front panel and results in a notable power output drop from 80 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load to a comparatively feeble 8 watts per side.

Build

Take a look inside the WSH-805 and you will find it is nicely made with the left and right channel circuitry separated all the way from the preamp to the speaker outputs. This kind of dual-mono design approach avoids unwanted interactions between the channels (so reducing distortion), while optimising stereo imaging ability.

This integrated amplifier’s build is solid and functional. This Unitra doesn’t feel particularly refined in the way it operates, though. Switches clunk into place, but without the slick precision we would expect at this level, while the rotary dials don’t feel particularly sophisticated in the way they operate.

The casework is pretty solid, but could do with some damping to quell some low-level buzzes when we tap it.

Yamaha’s A-S3200 (£6499 / $8999/ AU$9999) feels considerably more cultured to use in a way that belies the price difference between the two products, but then so do cheaper contenders such as the Cyrus 40 AMP (£3399 / $4995 / AU$6499) and the Rega Aethos (£3460 / $5395 / AU$7499).

The WSH-805’s party trick is its ‘magic’ toggle switches. They move in response to the remote as well as by hand. We can’t help but repeatedly watch the relevant switch move up or down by itself as we press the appropriate button on the handset.

There are even double movements in the case of the Linear control (tone bypass) being deactivated when the Contour (loudness) adjustment is turned on. Thoughtful.

An amplifier at this level deserves appropriately talented partners. Our main sources are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R record player fitted with either a Kiseki Purpleheart moving coil or a Vertere Dark Sabre moving magnet cartridge.

We use a range of speakers from KEF’s LS50 Meta to the more price-compatible Epos ES-14N and our reference ATC SCM50 monitors.

Sound

While not capable of room-shaking volumes, the WSH-805 still manages to get decent levels from all our speakers, even when used in Class A mode.

In use, there isn’t as much of a difference at normal listening levels between Class A and Class A/B mode as you would expect from the power figures. There is no major shift in the Unitra’s sonic character, either. Class A sounds just that bit fuller, smoother and slightly more expressive to our ears. Class A/B has a better attack and more emphatic large-scale dynamic shifts.

Regardless of bias current, the WSH-805 is essentially an open, bold, and confident-sounding performer.

Feed the WSH-805 with a challenging piece of music such as Orff’s Carmina Burana, and it displays a good degree of control and composure. This integrated amp doesn’t sound flustered when the music becomes complex and can keep a firm grip on individual instrumental strands without struggling.

The presentation is pleasingly large-scale, and the amplifier has a firm sense of grip. It sounds taut, clean and crisp without exaggerating the leading edges of notes. There is plenty of articulation through the midrange, resulting in a deft handling of voices.

Stereo imaging is good too, with the Unitra displaying pleasing focus and stability. Instruments and voices are locked in place, and their stability doesn’t waver as the music builds towards its numerous and rather savage crescendos.

Despite all the positives, we feel there are areas where the WSH-805 could be better. Comparisons with the cheaper Cyrus 40 AMP show that the Unitra’s presentation lacks finesse and natural warmth. It doesn’t seem able to capture the distinctive texture of instruments and voices, reproducing them with a uniform greyness that detracts from the individuality of sounds.

Play anything rhythm-driven, Michael Jackson’s Jam comes to mind, and the Unitra, though relatively surefooted, just doesn’t communicate the momentum of the music with any great enthusiasm.

The same applies to low-level dynamics, the kind that convey the passion of Jackson’s vocal or even the emotion in Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

The Unitra has decent punch, articulate bass and sounds relatively cohesive, but it doesn’t quite seem able to turn all that into a performance that gets to the emotional core of the music being played.

Let’s end this review on a couple of positives. The built-in phono stage is surprisingly capable. It retains most of the clarity of the line stages without introducing too much in the way of hum or unwanted noise. Both moving magnet and moving coil stages work equally well, and that’s not always the case with integrated amplifiers.

The headphone output is similarly talented. It sounds clean and punchy regardless of whether we use Grado’s RS1x, Sony’s MDR-Z1R or Austrian Audio’s The Composer.

Verdict

There is a great deal to like in the Unitra WSH-805. Many will love the appearance and marvel at the automated toggle switches. Most will appreciate the sensibly specified connectivity and the quality of the phono stage and headphone amplifier. The promise of longevity and ease of servicing is another positive.

Despite all these attributes, we can’t help but want more. This is a premium product, and its price brings certain performance expectations. The Unitra is a decent-sounding integrated amplifier in a market sector where exceptional is the norm. Until that changes, our money would go elsewhere.

Review published: 30th March 2026

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 4
• Features 5

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When Quad unveiled a reimagined version of its 1960s 33/303 pre/power amplifier duo in 2023, it proved so popular that an integrated version was highly requested. And so the Quad 3 stereo amplifier was born two years later.

Unlike the 33/303, the integrated Quad 3 isn’t a revived version of an original classic. It’s a completely new and thoroughly modern amplifier designed for today’s demanding customers and their varied listening habits, albeit with a charmingly retro-inspired look.

Build & design

There’s no getting past the eye-catching facade of the amp, so we’ll start there.

The Quad 3’s design takes inspiration from the modernised 33 preamp – the compact size, the controls, the orange-backlit LCD display – while the curved contours are derived from the older, 1950s-era Quad 22 preamp/control unit.

The matte silver fascia is minimally designed and is punctuated with that bright, punchy orange display strip, while the rest of the body sports a dark grey finish.

It’s a nicely made unit and we particularly like that compact size. It sits in between the full-size, bulky Arcam A15+ and the even more compact and tidy Rotel DX-5, and we can see the Quad’s dimensions fitting into many spaces that larger hi-fi wouldn’t.

The front panel of the Quad 3 is adorned with rotary controls mounted flush to the unit, and a larger volume control dial with orange LEDs surrounding it to denote the volume level. The volume dial is nice to use, and we like the way LEDs of varying brightness appear for each volume step.

In fact, it reminds us of a similar design we encountered on the five-star Mission 778X amp. Considering Quad and Mission are owned by the same company, it’s not a huge surprise to see shared designs, and it’s one we’re happy to see repeated on the Quad 3.

The smaller rotary dials are for selecting source, adjusting the balance and bass (up to +3/-3db) and, most notably, the tilt control. This tilt control can trace its origin back to the Quad 34 preamp from 1982, and we find it a subtler way to adjust tone. Instead of separately adjusting treble or bass (as you’ll find on many conventional amps), tilt control allows you to adjust both ends of the frequency range together, pivoting at around the 700Hz mark.

So for a ‘cooler’ sound, you can lift the treble which automatically reduces the same amount of bass (again, in +1/-1db increments), while those wanting a ‘warmer’ tone can go the opposite way, like a see-saw. We think it’s worth playing around with to suit the rest of your system.

Once we get past the rather lovely looks and start using the unit, we start to encounter a few niggles and issues. Firstly – and most egregiously – we wish the text on the display was stronger and had better contrast, as the thin font can be hard to read up close, let alone from afar or at an angle.

The control dials can be a little fiddly to navigate, too. Some on the team preferred using the entire surface of the dial to move it, while others felt it was more natural to adjust it via the bottom lip of the dial that overhangs the display. A little indentation or mark on the dials would perhaps help guide us to the zero point.

The amp comes with a button-laden remote that is useful and responsive, but it feels a little cheap compared with the amplifier itself and with the more svelte, slimline remotes supplied with the Rotel and Arcam rivals.

We wish the button layout was just a little more intuitive, too, especially for changing volume, and that there were dedicated buttons for each input. The source up/down button to change the inputs from afar is pointless when you can’t read the input chosen on the display – and that’s at full brightness/contrast levels.

We find using the source dial on the unit easier to use when switching inputs, but that requires having the amp positioned close to your listening position and within reach.

Features & connectivity

Whereas the modernised 33 preamp is all-analogue, the Quad 3 integrated is a fully 21st-century hi-fi product with multiple digital inputs available. You get optical, coaxial and USB type-B inputs, and even an HDMI ARC input for using the Quad 3 with your TV system. It also has Bluetooth with aptX HD codec for easy streaming from your mobile devices.

On the analogue side, you get two pairs of RCA line level inputs, and moving magnet phono input for connecting a turntable directly. And finally, it has a dedicated headphone amplifier circuit with a 6.3mm headphone jack, just under the front panel.

In short, you can connect just about any source to the amp, and we’re impressed by just how much Quad has managed to fit into this compact amp.

Under the hood, the Quad 3 features Class A/B amplification with a beefy 235VA ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer. The amp has a claimed 65 watts of power into 8 ohms, which rises to 100 watts into 4 ohms – which is perfectly fine for this kind of amp and should be able to drive most price-compatible speakers. We found it had no trouble driving our reference ATC SCM50 speakers during testing.

On the digital side, the Quad 3 makes use of the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip, with special care taken over the clocking circuit to minimise jitter and the power supply circuit to further enhance the DAC performance.

File compatibility is extensive: you get hi-res audio support up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and full MQA decoding, while DSD512 files can be played natively via the USB input.

There are five filters available to you when using the digital inputs. The default mode is ‘linear slow’ and is the one we settle on as it sounds most natural out of the five options – to our ears, it offers greater subtlety, more dynamism and a better sense of space than the others.

You can access those filters through the menu – here’s where the remote comes in handy – and you’ll also find options to change the brightness of the display (you can turn it off if the orange backlight is too piercing), adjust the text contrast (we recommend leaving it at maximum), choose gain settings, set auto standby and more.

During our testing, we used a variety of sources, including the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer, the Cyrus CDi CD player, the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable, and an iPhone 16 for Bluetooth. We used price-compatible speakers in the form of the Epos ES-7N standmounts and the PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders, and we also plugged the Quad into our trusty ATC SCM50s to see how it would fare with more demanding speakers.

Sound

We kick off our listening with a mix of Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J and Waxahatchee, and are met with an immediately likeable presentation that sounds clear and detailed, with a lively sense of energy.

Songs flow in a smooth, fluid manner, while basslines are fairly zippy and nimble – before long, we find ourselves tapping along to songs as we run through our library of tracks. There’s enough punch and verve at hand, too, making it appealing to listen to.

While the scale of sound isn’t as large as more powerful rivals, the Quad 3 is a dab hand with the undulating dynamics of a track. Instruments are layered in a breathable soundstage that has decent depth, with enough in the way of detail that the varying tones and textures of each instrument are clearly conveyed.

Play Eminem’s The Way I Am and the Quad 3 proves it’s no shrinking wallflower; there’s plenty of snap and attack to his singing, with lyrics coming through with ample bite and attitude. The more we listen, we realise the 3’s midrange is the star – from Alicia Keys’ stunningly raw vocals on Fallin’ to Waxahatchee’s crystal-clear, melodious singing, voices are laid bare with a great deal of nuance and expression.

Voices are projected clearly and upfront through the amplifier, and, regardless of the input or source, the Quad 3 does a lovely job in communicating the emotional core of a song. At this level, the stop and start of notes could be more precise and another helping of subtlety and insight would flesh out those instruments and natural tones even further, but the Quad 3 combines the essentials together in a way that sounds cohesive and flows well.

We find the Quad is transparent enough to convey the different recording qualities, too, with the difference in recording eras easy to discern whether we’re playing Nina Simone’s Sinnerman or Dead Prez’s Hip-Hop.

Compared with its price rivals, the Quad 3 isn’t quite the last word in scale, detail and precision. When the sax takes centre stage in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, for instance, the piano section gets subsumed into the rest of the instrumentation, and isn’t as well-projected as through its rivals.

The pricier and less powerful Rotel DX-5 (£1399 / $1699 / AU$2199) is clearer, crisper, and has tauter bass overall; while the less costly but more powerful Arcam A15+ (£1199 / $1099 / AU$2295) conveys the sweeping, orchestral might of the Jurassic Park Theme with greater muscle, authority, scale and detail.

None of that takes away from the Quad’s full-bodied tone and smoothed-edged presentation, which is a big part of what makes its sound so likeable and enjoyable to listen to in the first place.

That sonic character is consistent through the digital and analogue inputs, which is commendable. The phono stage is of good quality, exhibiting that same midrange fidelity when we play Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS record on the Rega turntable, although more dynamic prowess wouldn’t go amiss.

The headphone amplifier is also of fine quality, with a great amount of clarity and detail making for an involving and intimate listen. Pair with a solid pair of wired headphones – we used Grado’s SR325x and Beyerdynamic T1 Gen 3 – and it’s a terrific way to enjoy the Quad 3.

The only downside is Bluetooth, which has a noticeable drop in resolution and squashed dynamics, resulting in a very diminished, lifeless performance. While convenient to have, we’d avoid using Bluetooth – it’s not up to the standard of the rest of the Quad 3’s inputs.

Verdict

Quad’s meld of modern and retro has resulted in a characterful, enjoyable amp that, while not troubling the class-leaders at this premium level, has plenty of visual appeal and stands out from the crowd.

The generous spread of connections is impressive for such a compact design, and despite some usability quirks, the Quad 3’s fluid, punchy presentation with its particular talent for voices is worth an audition.

Review published: 25th March 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam A15+

Also consider the Rotel DX-5

Best stereo amplifiers: 8 class leaders chosen by our review experts

The DX-5 is a curious thing. Rotel describes it as a personal audio integrated amplifier – a desktop amp, in other words. Of course, being compact means that it can fit in spaces where a full-size alternative would never be considered. It’s also ideal for those who crave a discreet audio solution.

However, there is no denying that the Rotel DX-5 is uncomfortably positioned between an anvil and a sledgehammer. On the one hand, the market is awash with tiny amplifiers that will do the job and cost far less than this Rotel. On the other, the DX-5 goes up against some mighty impressive full-size competition given its premium price.

So, just being good-looking and modestly sized isn’t enough; it will have to perform superbly, too.

How small is this Rotel amp? It takes up less space than an A4 sheet of paper, and will fit on a desktop, shelf or rack with room to spare in most cases. It doesn’t run particularly hot, despite using Class A/B circuitry, but we would still leave a bit of space free around it for ventilation.

This is no powerhouse. The DX-5’s claimed power output is a meagre 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms, rising slightly to 33 watts per side as impedance halves. Those aren’t impressive figures for a budget product, let alone one at this price.

In comparison, the full-size Arcam A15+, which retails for £1199 / $1499 / AU$2295, produces a healthier 80 watts per channel. But, given the Rotel’s intended use cases and some careful speaker matching, it turns out that the power difference isn’t as decisive as you might think.

Connectivity

Take a look at the Rotel’s back panel and you will find a decent amount of connectivity on offer. There are digital inputs, including a USB Type B, optical, coaxial and HDMI ARC. The HDMI opens the DX-5 up for easy integration into a TV’s sound system. Useful.

Bluetooth streaming is included in aptX HD form, and we are pleased to find that pairing with our iPhone 14 Pro Max (running iOS 26.3.1) is swift and seamless. While this input would never be our first choice for optimal sound quality, it is handy to have nonetheless.

Things are meagre on the analogue side though, with only a single stereo RCA input. It would have been nice to have a second one to help with integration into a wider range of systems. There is also no phono stage, which is something of a surprise omission considering the continued growth of the vinyl market. We think Rotel has missed a trick here.

There is a single set of decent-quality though tightly packed speaker terminals, and on the front panel, a 6.3mm headphone output. The latter is essential for the DX-5 to perform its ‘personal audio’ duties properly.

The Rotel’s digital circuit is built around the ESS ES9039Q2M Sabre DAC chip, which is compatible with hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and quad DSD. That broad range ensures that the DX-5 will cope with all but the most obscure of music files on the market.

Build & design

Take a look at this little amp’s internals, and you will find a neat circuit layout packed with quality components, including a shielded toroidal transformer. There isn’t a great deal of free real estate inside, but Rotel has engineered plenty of ventilation to keep temperatures at a reasonable level.

The DX-5’s aluminium casework is beautifully made and stylish with it. It is available in both silver and black finishes. The emphasis on elegant styling is a huge departure from Rotel’s usual function-first approach to aesthetics, and we think it works well on the whole.

The large TFT display is crisp, even if the font used in the set-up menus is on the tiny side, and the volume dial reassures with its precise and solid feel. We also like the partnering metal remote. It is nicely made, sensibly weighted and easy to use. Overall, this Rotel is a premium-priced product, and feels it.

An amplifier at this level deserves talented partnering equipment. Our main sources are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, a MacBook Pro running Audirvana music playing software and a Cyrus CDi CD player.

We try a range of speakers, including the KEF LS50 Meta, Acoustic Energy’s AE1 40th Anniversary and a pair of PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanders. We also plug the Rotel into our reference ATC SCM50 speakers for a bit of fun.

Sound

If used as a desktop amplifier, the DX-5’s modest power output is no issue at all. We use both KEF’s LS50 Meta and the Acoustic Energy AE1 in a nearfield context and could listen at high levels without issue. In this context, the DX-5’s presentation is as punchy and authoritative as you like.

Through any of the digital inputs, it sounds wonderfully clean and clear, digging up plenty of detail and arranging it in a cohesive and organised manner. We listen to a range of music from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2 to How to Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar and 65daysofstatic’s Wild Light set, and the Rotel glides through each challenge with ease.

Tonally, it is pleasingly even-handed and essentially neutral. No part of the frequency range dominates, and there is a lovely consistency of character from the lowest frequencies upwards. Those lows are impressively taut and agile, displaying very little in the way of excess richness yet able to track complex basslines with plenty of verve and power.

This responsive nature translates into the midrange, where voices come through with impressive clarity. Lamar’s passionate delivery on Blacker The Berry has venom and drive; his voice clearly differentiated from the dense instrumental backdrop.

Highs are crisp but refined enough that the DX-5 doesn’t make a meal of less-than-perfect recordings and sources. It has the transparency to reveal flaws upstream, but never dwells on them.

Rhythmically, things are sure-footed, and the Rotel is able to convey the musical momentum of a piece of music well. Subtle shifts in intensity are rendered with care, while larger dynamic contrasts come through strongly. Given an appropriate recording, this Rotel is insightful and entertaining in equal parts.

It is pleasing to note that the DX-5’s character doesn’t change when we use the analogue input. It remains clear and balanced, something that isn’t always a given in digital-biased products such as this.

The story is equally positive when we use headphones. We try the DX-5 with Grado’s RS1x , Austrian Audio’s The Composer and Yamaha’s YH-5000SE, and it works equally well with all of them.

There are no issues with drive, noise levels or even the degree of volume adjustment. Importantly, the amplifier characteristics through the headphone output are consistent with the sound we hear when using speakers.

The Rotel DX-5 continues to perform well when used as a conventional stereo amplifier, with the speakers in mid-to-farfield positions. But, this is also where its modest reserves of power are most obvious. It sounds smaller than a rival like the Award-winning Arcam, lacking the A15+’s scale and outright authority. Orchestral crescendos don’t quite come through with the same impact, either.

In such a context, the Rotel isn’t ideal if you routinely listen at high volume levels or to music that demands raw power to work well. Sure, you could try to mitigate the limitations by using more sensitive speakers, and that would work to a degree. However, the Arcam would still be the less demanding choice.

Yet, in other areas, the Rotel pulls ahead of its rival. It remains the more neutral product tonally and presents the music more crisply. There isn’t much in it regarding detail resolution or dynamic fluidity, as both products are great in these respects.

Verdict

As we said at the beginning, Rotel’s DX-5 is a curious thing. If you specifically need an amplifier this small, then we can’t think of anything better. It works superbly as a desktop amp and will slot into a TV-based system with the minimum of fuss.

While the lack of power means that it needs a bit of pampering to work optimally in a conventional hi-fi system, do that, and it’s right up there with the best at this price.

Review published: 23rd March 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Arcam A15+

Also consider the Chord Anni

Read our Rega Brio Mk7

Best stereo amplifiers: 8 class leaders chosen by our review experts

Leema Acoustics has announced it will launch four new premium amplifiers at the upcoming Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026.

The Welsh hi-fi brand’s new 100 series comprises two analogue-only integrated amplifiers, the i85 and the i150, while the iD85 and iD50 models are equipped with digital inputs and a “high-performance” digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) that is based on the ESS Sabre 9028Q2M.

According to Leema, the amps “remain faithful to Leema Acoustics’ core amplifier DNA, with a strong emphasis on dynamic control and ultra-low distortion”. All four models are manufactured in Leema’s factory in Wales.

They each use Class A/B amplification, with the i85 and iD85 offering 85 watts per channel and the i150 and iD150 providing 150 watts.

Across the range, there are four RCA inputs, while the digital models also have five digital inputs: two coaxial, two optical and a single USB connection, which supports high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM.

If you’re paying for a premium amplifier, you might be tempted to use an external phono stage to ensure you get the very best sound when playing records, but the 100 series features a moving-magnet phono stage that Leema says is derived from its existing Essentials Phono model.

Should you wish to use an external phono preamplifier for your vinyl system, though, Leema has included suitable analogue outputs on each integrated amplifier. They all have a pair of subwoofer outs and a single record output for hooking up a CD or tape recorder, too.

Back in 2010, we rated Leema’s Tucana Mk II so well that it won a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best stereo amplifier costing £2000+, while we gave the Tucana II Anniversary Edition five stars in 2017. It has been quite a while since then, of course, so we’re pretty excited to see what this new integrated range has in store.

The Leema 100 series will be available in a black or silver finish, and are priced as follows:

• i85 - £1710
• iD85 - £2170
• i150 - £2600
• iD150 - £3040

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best stereo amplifiers

Esoteric takes its high-end amplifiers to the next level via next-gen components and a refined sonic architecture

Dan D’Agostino’s anniversary power amp promises a “new level of refinement and control”

Does the thought of a Rega amplifier with a five-figure price tag feel a little odd to you? It does to us, given that value for money has always been a priority for the brand. Its foundations, now over 50 years old, are built on great sounding, well-engineered products that are sensibly priced.

Sure, the company has long made premium products that are priced in the thousands, but the Mercury preamplifier (£6950 / $10,495 / AU$14,500) and Solis power amplifier (£6950 / $10,495 / AU$14,500) package sits a large step beyond those.

The high-end glass ceiling was first broken by Rega’s range-topping Naia turntable (£13,125 / $18,995 / AU$27,499) back in 2023, and now this pre/power combination is happy to follow through. How does Rega’s value for money ethos fit in here? We shall find out.

Design & engineering

The brand prides itself on its engineering, and we’ve always been impressed by the consistency of its design philosophies. For example, the Planar turntables are based around a high rigidity/low mass principle, and every step up the hierarchy finds ways to push the limits in both directions.

This kind of engineering consistency is evident in this new pre/power too, as the origin of the Mercury preamp’s analogue circuit can be traced back to the first Elicit integrated amplifier made around 1990. It is a symmetrical, fully discrete design capable of high voltage swings and plenty of current to drive the partnering power amplifier with low distortion.

Mercury is a line-level design with a built-in digital module. Its circuit uses the well-proven Alps Blue Velvet RK27 motorised potentiometer to control volume and is DC coupled to avoid the use of sound-degrading coupling capacitors in the signal path. Protection circuitry monitors the DC level of both the main and headphone outputs to ensure nothing untoward happens.

This preamp’s power supply arrangement is designed to provide a stable, low-noise feed to the analogue, digital and control sections, taking special care to avoid unwanted interactions between them. By component count, this preamplifier is the most complex product the company has ever made.

Some may be surprised by the lack of a phono stage given Rega’s turntable heritage. That decision came down to the difficulty in achieving the desired performance and the desire to avoid any increase in the Mercury’s already high price. Of course, Rega will happily point record player users towards the excellent Aura phono stage to do the job.

On the digital side, the Mercury’s number crunching circuit is built around a pair of Wolfson WM8742 DAC chips, with great care taken to minimise jitter and maintain signal integrity. Even Rega describes these DAC chips as ‘legacy’, which is no surprise, as they first came onto the market in late 2009.

Given the plethora of newer and better-specified alternatives on the market, some may wonder why the engineering team chose to stick with such a mature design. The answer is sound quality; the team assessed the alternatives and preferred the Wolfson. Fair enough.

The Solis power amplifier is something of a beast. This unit isn’t unusually big, but it still weighs in at a hefty 24.8kg. Its power output is a useful 168 watts per channel into 8 ohms, rising to a meaty 305 watts as impedance halves. These are good figures, and suggest that the Solis will be happy to drive just about any speaker you care to use.

Take a look inside that impressive chassis, and you will find that Rega has continued to use fully symmetrical circuitry. There is a generous power supply arrangement consisting of two low noise, custom-designed 330VA transformers and a total of 80,000uF of smoothing capacitance using Rega’s own K-Power capacitors.

Connectivity

The Mercury’s file compatibility is reasonable at 32-bit/192kHz PCM and standard DSD. It is fair to say that you wouldn’t have to look hard to find budget DACs that exceed these limits. Does that matter? Given that the vast majority of available digital files fall well within the Rega’s abilities, we suspect it won’t be an issue for most.

Similarly, we doubt whether many would complain about this preamp’s connectivity. It has five line level inputs, including a balanced XLR option, a tape loop, as well as the usual trio of digital inputs: coaxial, optical and USB Type B. As for outputs, there are balanced and single-ended options on the back panel and a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front.

That headphone output isn’t just a tick-box exercise, either. It uses a dedicated symmetrical circuit that ‘operates like a mini Solis’ and is capable of high voltage and current drive, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of headphone designs.

On the Solis power amplifier, it comes as no surprise to see both balanced and single-ended options offered. As with the Mercury, the quality of the sockets is good, and they feel sturdy enough to withstand years of use.

It is interesting to note that while Rega has included balanced XLR connections in both the preamp and the power, it still recommends single-ended for domestic use. The company claims that the balanced route doesn’t offer any significant benefit outside the very long cable runs and noisy electrical environments of the studio and pro world. Our experience aligns with this.

Build

The build quality of both these Rega products is excellent. Their chunky aluminium caseworks feel reassuringly solid, and they have the aura of units engineered to last decades. Fit and finish is as good as we’ve seen from the brand, and that’s exactly what we would expect at this level.

The Mercury features an LCD display that proves crisp and easy to read from a distance. It helps to make the initial set-up of the preamp easy, too. The unit’s physical control count is minimal, which gives it a pleasantly uncluttered look. We suspect most people will just use the supplied Orbit remote for most functions. This backlit handset is a weighty metal affair that lacks style, but proves easy enough to use.

We have a few small ergonomic grumbles with this Rega amplifier pairing. Given the display, it would be nice to have a numerical indication of the volume level. As it is, we have to rely on a mark on the volume dial, which isn’t always easy to see in a dim room.

Also, if you are using the on-unit controls, it is only possible to toggle through the inputs in one direction. If you overshoot, it is a pain to work all the way around again. Admittedly, the remote has direct access to any specific input, so at least there is a workaround.

Any amplifier at this level demands a top-class system to shine. Our sources are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000/Kiseki Purpleheart record player feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature/Cyrus PSX-2 phono stage. As for speakers, the bulk of our testing is done using ATC’s SCM50, the Fyne F1-8 and Epos’s ES-14N.

Sound

If we say that listening to the Mercury/Solis reminds us of the Brio Mk7 integrated, then that should be taken as a compliment. It has the same music-first attitude and the ability to wring out the last degree of emotional impact from whatever is being played.

Of course, given that the Brio Mk7 sells for £799 / $1195 /AU$1699, it will surprise no one that the Mercury/Solis duo is on a different planet when it comes to outright ability.

As we play Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar OST, we can’t help but notice just how quiet a backdrop this two-box amplifier delivers. The music emerges from utter silence that’s totally free from the low-level hash that most designs suffer from.

Then there is the Rega’s unusually physical presentation that brims with a degree of solidity and muscle that is rare even at this elevated level. Instruments come through in an impressively palpable way that makes the sound all the more convincing.

Cornfield Chase is a dense, almost chaotic track, but this Rega pairing handles it with composure and control. Every instrument has a place and the sense of organisation behind the frenzied composition is excellent. Pleasingly, this amplifier never forgets that its job is to communicate the drama in the music, and it does that superbly.

Given the Solis power amplifier’s generous output, it will come as no surprise that this pairing is comfortable playing at high volume levels. Even so, the sheer muscularity it displays at the low end is jaw-dropping with a well-recorded piece such as this. Bass frequencies are exceptionally punchy and powerful, but retain class-leading agility. Perhaps best of all, despite the feeling of authority on offer, the bass is tuneful and superbly in balance with the rest of the frequency range.

This pre/power does well when it comes to stereo imaging, too, rendering the soundstage with plenty of width and precision in instrument placement. There is an admirable degree of stability when the music becomes demanding and an enviable talent for retaining focus under such conditions.

However, compared to the similarly-priced, recently reviewed Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 pairing (£17,198 / $21,998 / AU$25,998), we do notice a slight shortfall of spaciousness in the presentation. Similarly, the Yamaha combo pulls ahead when it comes to delivering subtle dynamic shifts through the midrange and treble; it is certainly the more delicate sounding of the two.

However, this comparison is hardly one-way traffic. The Rega duo reverses the situation where rhythmic drive and punch are concerned. It is exceptional in these areas, and rams home these advantages when we start listening to hip-hop and rock recordings.

Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, Grinderman’s self-titled debut album and Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz all benefit from the Rega’s all-action approach to music replay. Vocals come through with breathtaking conviction while the musical backdrop is as cohesive and insightful as you like.

Regardless of the album/genre, the results are enjoyable and quite often, thrilling. Balance is the key here. The Rega approach may be front-footed, but it also remembers to do the high-end hi-fi things properly. Instrumental textures are rendered well, organisation is maintained, and if you want, you can dissect the production to your heart’s desire.

Despite all the resolution on offer, the Mercury/Solis pairing never goes out of its way to highlight the flaws in a recording. If you go searching, you will hear them, of course, but this pairing always wants you to take note of the positive aspects of the source material first. Given that our choice of music is made on taste rather than recording quality, that forgiveness is hugely appealing.

We don’t think that the Mercury’s digital module quite lives up to the quality of the line stages. On the positive side, it retains the energetic yet balanced character we like, and can switch between various PCM resolutions and DSD without issue. We play around with the filter settings provided and generally settle for either the Minimum Phase ‘Soft Knee’ or Linear Phase ‘Soft Knee’ for PCM recordings and the default Response 1 for DSD. But as usual, the differences between the various options aren’t huge, and your tastes or system choice may well yield different results.

Regardless, whether we connect our MacBook Pro (loaded with Audirvana music software and plenty of high-resolution music files) or use the digital output from our reference Naim streamer, we note a slight loss of transparency and dynamic finesse when compared to an excellent outboard DAC such as Chord’s Qutest (£1195 / $1625 / AU$2800). The Rega counters with greater physicality to its presentation, though.

To end on a positive note, we are impressed by the preamp’s headphone output. We try it with Grado’s RS1x, Austrian Audio’s excellent The Composer and the closed-back Focal Stellia, and the Rega works a treat with all of them. The headphone output sounds crisp, clear and consistent with the excellent sound we hear from the line-level outputs.

Verdict

It is a bold step for Rega to make a pre/power amplifier at this level. The brand has succeeded in producing something that stays true to its music-first ideals but still delivers the refinement, transparency and insight high-end buyers demand.

If you are lucky enough to shop in this sector, don’t ignore the Mercury/Solis combination. It could well be exactly what you and your system need.

Review published: 9th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Chord Pre 3/Ultima 6

Also consider the PMC Cor

Best stereo amplifiers: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

Esoteric has announced the launch of two new hi-fi products: the N-05XE streaming preamplifier with headphone amp and the S-05XE power amplifier.

The new models combine to form part of the high-end Japanese band's new 'XE' series, which aims to take Esoteric's established N-05 and S-05 models to new heights thanks to next-generation components and refined sonic performance.

The new S-05XE power amplifier boasts 30 watts per channel of Class A power into 8 ohms, with a large toroidal core transformer pushing to deliver what Esoteric claims is a clear, detailed and "hyper dynamic" performance.

The S-05XE also makes use of a new symmetrical balanced input buffer amplifier, designed to block unwanted noise in pursuit of a more "meticulously detailed sound", while a wave-shaped heat sink aims to reduce peak resonance for a claimed neutral sonic reproduction.

The amp also makes use of Esoteric’s isolation feet and semi-floating top panel, design aspects which seek to contribute to the S-05XE's "open and natural sonic character".

Physical connections, meanwhile, come courtesy of a RCA, XLR and proprietary ES-Link analogue inputs.

The N-05XE, conversely, has been designed to deliver "the highest sound quality in the smallest possible system configuration", blending network streaming features with a dual balanced preamplifier and a built-in headphone amp.

The brand's next-generation discrete 'G2' DAC is central to the preamp's performance, teasing "rich musicality" when backed by Esoteric's independent digital signal processing technologies. It uses two independent FPGA digital processing algorithms, which are optimised separately for PCM and DSD files, with native playback of DSD512 files supported.

The N-05XE makes use of a 'Master Sound' high-precision clock circuit for a more precise performance, while the unit's dual-mono configuration offers separate left/right analogue and power supply circuits to minimise sonic distortion.

The new unit has ethernet and wi-fi connections, while streaming services are accessible via the Esoteric Sound Stream app, including Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect and it is Roon certified, too. It even has Bluetooth streaming, with support for LDAC, aptX HD and LHDC codecs.

Physical connections for the N-05XE include, RCA, XLR, optical inputs and USB (type B and type C), as well as RCA, XLR and ES-Link outputs. For personal listening, a 6.3mm headphone jack sits alongside a four-pin XLR option. You can connect up to two USB drives to the streaming preamp, too, for instant access to your digital music files.

​Both new additions to the Esoteric XE range are available in silver or black finishes, with hefty price tags of $13,000 for the N-05XE and $13,500 for the S-05X (further prices pending).

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Read our recent Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 review

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For 15 years now, Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems has been producing audiophile devices with a Swiss watchmaker's precision and aesthetics, and to celebrate this milestone, it's come up with something a little special.

The Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier builds on the core tech found in its previous amplifiers to take performance "to an entirely new level of refinement and control." Which certainly beats most 15th birthday celebrations.

It promises to advance every aspect of the Momentum platform, bringing a new power supply tech (Kinetic Drive Regulator) that keeps the amplifier immune to irregularities in the mains supply. It also has a new input stage topology, output stage circuitry and an advanced software-based control system that optimises the operation of every circuit group.

All this results in "effortless dynamics, exceptional transparency, and a lifelike sense of musical scale."

It certainly looks the part. Its chassis is made from aluminium and copper, and not only does it look like a tank, it also ensures better heat dissipation and mechanical stability, helping it perform reliably even at full power. This in turn makes it last longer while also preserving sonic stability even when it's being pushed by demanding loads..

It's also the first Dan D'Agostino power amplifier with an Ethernet port, allowing it to monitor and report on key performance parameters. The RJ45 Ethernet connection lets you see the amplifier's performance data through a web browser. This data includes operating voltages, temperature, bias, DC offset and 12V trigger status, among others. This dashboard also lets you personalise what information appears on the front panel display.

A dual 1,200 VA linear toroidal transformer array delivers a power output of 500 watts into 8 ohms, 1000 watts into 4 ohms and 2000 watts into 2 ohms.

Being Junction Field-Effect Transistor (JFET)-based, the input stage is low noise to preserve the source material's nuances and minimise distortion. Using the switch, you can flick between the JFET input optimised mode for use with Dan D'Agostino amplifiers, and a conventional input designed for preamplifier designs without the same level of current output capability.

Lastly, the Dual Domain Meter Display is inspired by the analogue meters found in other D'Agostino devices. It combines a 3.5-inch LCD (which serves as a power meter and a message display) with the trademark D'Agostino meter wand to indicate power.

Officially, price is on application, but you can expect to pay around £61,500 (around $83,000 / AU$120,000) each or £123,000 (around $167,000 / AU$239,000) for a stereo pair. The D'Agostino Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier is out in March from Absolute Sounds in the UK.

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Yamaha is a difficult company to pigeonhole. It dominates the musical instruments market, manufacturing everything from grand pianos and electronic keyboards to guitars and trumpets. The brand is also rather good at making motorbikes, engines and jet skis.

In the world of domestic consumer electronics, Yamaha has spent recent decades focusing on the home cinema market, particularly AV amplifiers and soundbars, so much so that it is easy to forget the brand’s rich hi-fi heritage. The NS-1000 speakers of the 1970s are a highlight, as are the more recent, Award-winning YH-5000SE planar magnetic wired headphones, but there are so many others.

What does all of this have to do with the new high-end Yamaha C-5000/M-5000 preamp/stereo power amplifier combination we have on test here? To our way of thinking, any company so involved in music-making and the playback chain is ideally placed to make a no-compromise piece of hi-fi. Given Yamaha’s broad spread of expertise and the scale of the resources at its disposal, the prospect is enticing.

Features & connectivity

The C-5000 preamp (£8599 / £10,999 / AU$12,999) is a well-equipped unit, though perhaps more focused than we would have expected. This is a wholly analogue product, with plenty of connectivity and a serious moving magnet/moving coil phono stage.

We can’t imagine the C-5000 preamp getting caught short with its six line-level inputs that include two sets of stereo balanced XLRs. Even the phono stage offers balanced XLR connectivity to partner the conventional RCA option. Those expecting digital inputs or even Bluetooth are in for a disappointment; Yamaha has chosen a more purist route in a bid to optimise performance, which is fine by us.

In our experience, even the digital modules included in car money components often struggle to sound better than standalone units like Chord’s Qutest DAC (£1195 / $1625 / AU$2400), so we think Yamaha’s decision to exclude the digital circuit makes sense. Doing so also avoids any unwanted interactions spoiling the preamp’s analogue line-level performance.

The C-5000 has a trio of line-level outputs: two single-ended stereo pairs and a balanced XLR option. There is a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front, accompanied by a trim control that helps to compensate for different headphones with varying sensitivity. This is a thoughtful touch by the engineers that keeps the volume control operating across a usable range.

You will also find a subsonic filter switch on the front panel. This is useful for minimising any rumble or ultra-low frequency noise generated by the partnering record player that could cause your speaker’s woofer to move excessively. The waste of power and additional distortion associated with such cone movement is well worth avoiding. However, while this filter does as advertised, it also degrades the preamp’s transparency a little.

Other controls include tone adjustments that are subtle enough to be useful, preamp output attenuation to optimise use with third-party power amplifiers and a cartridge gain selector with loading options for moving coils.

The M-5000 power amplifier (£8599 / £10,999 / AU$12,999) is a hefty 27kg beast that delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and doubles that output as impedance halves. We doubt there are many domestic speakers that it couldn’t drive to high volume levels.

Even so, flick the small toggle on the back panel and the M-5000 reconfigures into a bridged monobloc capable of pumping out 400 watts into 8 ohms. That should be plenty, even for those with large rooms.

Other switches on the M-5000’s back panel invert phase and govern whether the power amplifier goes into standby automatically or not. Inputs? It will come as no surprise that there are both single-ended and balanced input options.

Build & design

Both of these products are immaculately made inside and out, as befits their high price tag. Their caseworks are made of beautifully finished slabs of aluminium, and each of the panel lines up perfectly. We love the flawless mirror finish on the gloss black wooden side cheeks and suspect that the company’s experience with its similarly furnished grand pianos pays dividends here.

These Yamaha products are truly tactile treats to use, with each switch and control working with precision and positivity. The nicely tapered volume dial even uses ball bearings to ensure smooth operation. The C-5000 preamp’s simple yet effective remote is nice enough to add to the feel-good factor.

Take a look inside the pre and power, and you will find that both designs are built around fully balanced circuits with a ‘floating’ ground, which means that any ground plane noise isn’t injected into the audio signal. Great care has been taken over the power supply arrangements to ensure that the sensitive audio boards get a stable and low-noise feed.

The C-5000 preamp even uses dual mains transformers to avoid unwanted interaction between the two stereo channels. These transformers are encased in copper to control stray magnetic fields and reduce any mechanical vibrations. Yamaha has really pushed the boat out with the preamp’s circuit layout with mirror-imaged signal paths for the left and right channels to ensure identical routing, helping stereo imaging.

Of course, we have to mention the M-5000 power amplifier’s huge VU meters. They may not be the last word in accuracy, given that their mechanical nature means they take a certain time to react to the signal, but they look lovely and add an extra touch of class to the visuals.

Any amplifier at this level positively demands a top-class partnering system. Our sources are Naim’s range-topping ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R record player. As for cartridges, we have our usual Kiseki Purpleheart to test out the C-5000’s moving coil performance and a Vertere Dark Sabre for moving magnet duties.

Speakers? The bulk of our testing sees us use the ATC SCM50, but we also spend a fair amount of time with Fyne’s rather talented F1-8 standmounters.

Sound

Given their imposing size and hefty power output, we would expect this Yamaha duo to go big on scale, authority and dynamic reach, and it does. But those things aren’t the highlights of what turns out to be an impressively sophisticated and natural performance.

The biggest compliment we can give to this Yamaha combination is that, after a short time, we don’t even notice it in our system. We end up spending far more time thinking about our speaker choice or the quality of the recording than what the Yamaha amplifiers are doing. This pairing just goes about its business without drawing any undue attention, and if you think about it, that’s exactly what an amplifier should do.

This combo has the talent to deliver Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata with all the finesse and subtlety it deserves. There is plenty of detail, of course, and all that information is organised with care. The result is that the piano at the core of the piece sounds as harmonically rich and natural as we’ve heard at this level.

We’ve already written the word ‘natural’ twice, and our thoughts keep coming back to just how unexaggerated and even-handed this amplifier pairing sounds. Low-level dynamic shifts are rendered with unusual fluidity and ease, while larger-scale changes in intensity are delivered with verve. Importantly, this never comes at the expense of control or composure.

Tonally, things are spot-on and as balanced as you like. As we work our way through our collection of classical and jazz recordings from Coltrane’s Love Supreme to Shostakovich’s dense Symphony No.10 through to Olafur Arnald’s Found Songs, we can’t help but be impressed by the C-5000/M-5000’s chameleon-like nature.

This duo can stretch the impression of scale and authority as the recording demands, sounding bold and powerful with the Shostakovich piece, offering impressive insight into the complex work, while rendering Found Songs with real intimacy. This amplifier is agile when the music demands, yet can produce a sound of breathtaking solidity and power when required.

Stereo imaging is accomplished too, with a nicely layered soundstage and precisely located instruments. We are pleased with the stability on offer and the convincing sense of image depth.

Moving to other genres of music reinforces our opinion of the Yamaha’s admirably accommodating nature. Ice T’s O.G. Original Gangster comes through with plenty of rhythmic drive and a full dose of menace. His bold and aggressive vocal delivery cuts through the mix as it should, and bass lines are rendered with power, punch and precision.

Similarly, we have a great deal of fun listening to Quincy Jones’s The Dude set with its complex production, immaculate musicianship and vivid dynamics. This Yamaha pairing shows no favour and treats all types of music equally well.

Feed this Yamaha pairing a poor recording, and it won’t hide the flaws. This is a highly revealing performer after all, but provided you’ve partnered it with suitable care, it won’t go out of its way to highlight the recording’s shortcomings over the positives.

We’re pleased to report that the C-5000’s phono stage is good too. It is decently quiet and retains the refinement and insight we hear through the line stages. If vinyl were our main source, then we would still be tempted to add an outboard unit like Luxman’s excellent E-07 to optimise the results with records. But, if the record player is going to be an occasional listen for you, then the phono stage built into the C-5000 is more than good enough to satisfy.

Equally, we’re pleased with the sound we hear through the headphone output. We try both the Sony MDR-Z1R, as well as Yamaha’s own excellent YH-5000SE headphones, and enjoy the results. The sound out of the headphone socket is detailed, clean and crisp without losing any of the energy we so enjoy with speakers.

Verdict

Yamaha may not be the first brand that comes to mind when we think of high-end amplification, but this C-5000/M-5000 pairing proves that it is capable of producing truly excellent products when it wants to.

If you are lucky enough to be able to buy at this level, this pairing is hard to beat when it comes to the blend of build, finish and performance. Take a listen. We’re sure you’ll be as impressed as we are.

Review published: 2nd February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Sonos has announced an upgraded version of its streaming amp, and it's built to take on large-scale tasks for audiophiles in "complex residential" situations. This comes after a quiet year for the brand, after it had to go back to the drawing board with its app due to a less-than-well recieved redesign in 2024.

The Amp Multi is primed for the custom installation market, with Sonos claiming that it's worked closely with integrators to develop a solution to make audio installations "simpler, more flexible, and more scalable" in "larger and more sophisticated" houses.

It features eight amplified outputs, delivering 125 watts per channel, and audio output can be divided into up to four configurable zones.

It features Sonos' built-in wireless streaming platform, and it's fully compatible with the Sonos app for both playback and set-up. This includes a simple audio PIN system, which makes connecting to the streaming amp quicker and easier.

From these eight outputs, you can control up to 24 Architectural Speakers (three per channel) across Sonos' in-ceiling, in-wall, and outdoor speaker ranges. Put simply, this will far exceed the needs of many and will appeal more to those who have larger homes, which require more complex and demanding installs.

Hardware-wise, the Amp Multi sports a highly efficient GaN power architecture paired with Class-D post-filter feedback, which Sonos says will deliver "clean, controlled sound while improving thermal efficiency across every zone", which means that the system can operate silently over long listening periods.

Sonos is also introducing ProTune on the Amp Multi, which is a new manual sound optimisation that gives installers "granular control of each output", with a 10-band parametric EQ and options to control gain, width control and delay offset.

Finally, the rack-ready design uses the standard 1.5U chassis configuration, with Sonos also selling a matching 2U rack mount seperately. This has been designed with built-in ventilation above and below the unit, allowing for optimal thermal management and easier cable routing solutions.

Pricing for the Amp Multi hasn't been revealed as of yet, however given the target market, and the £699 / $799 / AU$1099 price of the existing two-channel Sonos Amp, we expect a figure to reflect the stately homes that Sonos expects this amplifier to end up in.

Sonos is yet to confirm a launch date either, however it states that it will be available to purchase in "the coming months" via Sonos installation partners, and it will exhibit the Amp Multi at the upcoming Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 event in Barcelona next week.

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Anniversary edition products fall into two categories: one-off curios that are soon forgotten, and those that set the template for a brand's devices to come. It seems that NAD has created the latter.

Its new C 3030 and C 3030S integrated amplifiers are inspired by the C 3050 50th anniversary edition (the streaming amplifier version of this won a What Hi-Fi? Award when paired with the MDC2 BluOS-D module). Like that model, they combine vintage looks with some very modern hi-fi smarts, but at a more accessible price.

Both amps build on the retro design language that the C 3050 reintroduced. They have VU meters, a black faceplate, and a classic script NAD logo, all referencing the original NAD 3030 of the late 1970s.

The main difference between the two is that the C 3030S adds the BluOS platform for streaming music.

Both models are closer in size to the original 3030 than the C 3050 – the aim was for a more compact chassis to fit in modern listening spaces, and to reinterpret the vintage component, not merely replicate it.

Both models offer 50W per channel, and are designed to deliver "musical accuracy, control, and engagement across a wide range of loudspeakers." You can connect them to TVs via the HDMI eARC connection, while aptX HD Bluetooth lets you beam tunes in higher quality from compatible phones, tablets and computers. There's also a subwoofer output with adjustable high pass filtering, and moving magnet phono input for hooking up a turntable.

The C 3030S (pictured) adds BluOS, just like the C 3050 streaming amplifier. This opens the door to hi-res 24-bit/192kHz multi-room streaming, with native MQA decoding and support for over 20 music streaming apps. You can also access internet radio, locally stored music libraries and networked storage.

You control all this via the app, letting you group multiple rooms and share connected sources. That means it can work as a standalone streamer, or as part of a 2.1 system or multi-room setup.

The NAD C 3030 is out now for £899 / $1199 (around AU$1800), while the C 3030S will be available in the spring for £1149 / $1499 (around AU$2300).

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Rega's new flagship preamplifier and power amplifier have been an open secret: the brand has been showing off the new Mercury and Solis products at trade shows over the last year – we caught our first glimpse of them at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show at the start of the year.

At long last, Rega has confirmed that these top-of-the-range pre/power amplifiers are finally ready: the Mercury Pre-amplifier and Solis Power amplifier are now shipping to UK retailers, with global availability from the new year.

They cost £6950 each, and can be bought as a pair for £13,900 in the UK. Those in the US can expect to pay $10,495 per product, while Australian pricing is set at AU$14,500 for each (with AU$29,000 for the pair).

The Mercury and Solis are "the culmination of almost four decades of Rega electronics engineering experience in solid-state amplifier development" and are designed to deliver no-compromise audio performance. Every element of the amplifiers' design has been chosen to deliver the purest audio performance.

The Mercury preamp has been engineered to deliver an ultra-low noise floor, which results in "exceptional dynamic range" and subtler details to be revealed. Rega says that while the origin of this circuit can be traced back to the first Rega Elicit amplifier from the 1990s, this current preamplifier features the "most electronically complex product" it has made.

The Mercury uses a discrete, fully symmetrical amplifier circuit and ensures the preamp performs "with the minimum of distortion."

Elements of the circuit design have been derived from other components in Rega's current range, such as the use of the same volume control as the Osiris integrated amp, and the use of the post-DAC analogue filter stages from the Saturn CD player to ensure the signal path from the DAC to the preamp's output is entirely symmetrical.

This 'reference' preamp boasts ample connectivity: five RCA line level inputs, a set of record input/output connections, a pair of pre-out RCA, and a pair of balanced XLR inputs. Digital connectivity includes two coaxial and two optical inputs, and an asynchronous USB type B input.

There is also a discrete headphone amplifier stage, with a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front panel.

The Mercury preamp uses Wolfson DACs for the digital inputs, which are capable of handling up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD64 files. Rega acknowledges that the Wolfson DACs being used are of an older vintage, but says that they are chosen for their "engineering and sonic capabilities," with the brand stating it still offers the best sound performance.

There is no phono stage integrated here; the Mercury is designed to be used with the Rega's flagship standalone Aura MC phono stage, which in itself is recommended to be paired with the top-level Rega Naia turntable.

The matching Solis power amplifier also has a fully symmetrical discrete circuitry and promises to drive even the most demanding of speakers, with minimum distortion. Rega says its engineering team has "spent the last four years obsessively developing and fine-tuning the circuit to create the most engaging and accurate performance."

Inside are two low-noise, custom-designed 330VA toroidal transformers, along with twelve (six per channel) 130-watt 15A high frequency output transistors. The Solis uses Class A/B amplification and outputs a claimed 168W per channel into 8 ohms, which extends to 305W into 4 ohms.

It has balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA for connecting to the Mercury preamp or even the Rega Aethos integrated.

Designed and hand-built in England, both amps are housed in minimal-looking CNC-machined aluminium casings with extensive protection circuit throughout, with IPS LCD displays and ample heatsinks (on the power amp).

The Rega Mercury and Solis amplifiers are available in a single black finish only. We're expecting review samples to arrive in our test rooms soon, so stay tuned for a full review in due course.

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We have to admit, we didn’t see this coming. If at the start of 2025 you had told us that stereo amplifiers was going to be one of the most vibrant categories at this year’s What Hi-Fi? Awards, we wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, with three new winners and only a solitary survivor from last year’s list.

Arcam’s revised Radia amplifiers dominate the core of this category with both the new A5+ and A15+ setting sky-high standards for their price.

The company’s engineers haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, they’ve mostly done the electronic equivalent of a bit of housekeeping, tweaking the power supply arrangement on both products and tidying up certain parts of the audio circuitry to reduce noise levels and improve transparency.

These aren’t massive changes by any reckoning, but they do notably lift the performance of these units. We can talk about both these ‘+’ amplifiers together because the sonic improvements over previous models are consistent.

Simply put, the new generation sounds cleaner, crisper and more precise. Their dynamic expression is improved too, and it is all done without diluting the balance and unfussy nature that made the originals so easy to recommend.

Both the A5+ and A15+ remain well equipped, with good-sounding digital inputs, a capable phono stage and handy two-way Bluetooth connectivity. If you are looking for truly complete middle-market integrated amplifiers, this pair take some beating.

Move up the price points, and our premium winner is a welcome return to form for the Cyrus Audio brand. It’s been quite some while since we could wholeheartedly recommend a Cyrus product over all comers, so the excellence of the new 40 AMP was something of a surprise when we reviewed it earlier in the year.

This compact integrated design embodies everything we want from a modern Cyrus product. It is beautifully made, lovely to use and sounds great. While it retains the company’s trademark half-width proportions, the 40 Series casework is all new and looks fresh.

Cyrus hasn’t skimped on the features either, including a talented phono stage, impressive digital circuitry and a ready-made upgrade path. When it comes to performance, the 40 AMP has nothing to fear from its rivals thanks to a blend of clarity, agility and resolution few alternatives come close to.

Our budget winner, the Rotel A8, is the only amplifier to survive from last year’s winners list. It remains an excellent product for the money, sacrificing frills for a sensible feature list and solid build.

Obviously, it sounds great too, delivering plenty of insight and drive for the money. If you are looking for a no-nonsense but sonically capable budget integrated amp, this is the one we recommend.

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Do you know when we reviewed the original Musical Fidelity B1 integrated amplifier? 1990.

Back then, we lauded it as “the very essence of a good budget amplifier”, and while we weren’t bowled over by the B1’s construction or feature set, the original model gained five stars in the sound department thanks to its powerful dynamics and boldly painted instrumental textures.

Like mullets or skinny jeans (apparently), the B1 is making a comeback in the shape of the newly imagined B1xi integrated stereo amplifier. It’s a spiritual successor inspired by the design principles of Musical Fidelity’s established amplifier but with one eye on modern users’ “diverse listening needs”.

Digging up the past is a dangerous thing, so has Musical Fidelity reinvented a classic, or in the world of hi-fi, are some things best left buried?

Build & design

Musical Fidelity’s reborn stereo amp isn’t a particularly subtle beast to behold, but it is as well-made as it needs to be at this price. The main chassis is constructed entirely of metal, including an extruded aluminium front panel, with many of the control knobs and dials also made using metal rather than plastic.

Regardless of whether it’s to your tastes, the B1xi is a sturdy unit that we find reasonably easy to use. The front panel’s array of physical buttons are easy to find and responsive to the touch, while the centrally mounted volume control knob has enough weight and resistance to feel satisfying in the hand. The small LEDs above each of the inputs tell you which one you have selected.

This is a well made amplifier for the money, and while there are few luxuries to be found, we wouldn’t expect many at this level. The provided plastic remote is similarly simple to use, even if, during our testing, the B1xi can be a touch temperamental regarding how responsive it is to the remote’s commands.

Features

Musical Fidelity’s Class A/B amp boasts 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms, which is a generous amount of power at this level, meaning it should be able to drive a wide range of speakers without too much of a problem.

The amplifier’s power supply is based around a toroidal transformer, and is claimed to have large power reserves in pursuit of the "purest sound quality". Musical Fidelity promises a warm, dynamic sound that’s designed to invoke the quality of a valve or tube amp thanks to the use of transistor amps in the fully discrete design.

The B1xi claims to use high-quality components throughout its design, with an internal layout optimised for enhanced performance. The preamplifier section has its own dedicated linear power supply (as does the digital input stage) for reducing interference, while a motor-driven analogue potentiometer controls the volume.

In a nod to those modern users, Musical Fidelity has furnished the B1xi with a wide range of connections.

On the analogue side, the B1xi has a moving magnet phono stage for plugging a turntable in directly. You’ll also find a 3.5mm auxiliary input, three line-level RCA inputs, and a stereo preamp output.

On the digital side, the integrated amp offers HDMI ARC, optical and coaxial inputs. The in-built DAC module supports native playback up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files, but those with DSD files in their library will be left disappointed by the lack of compatibility.

That HDMI ARC is a big bonus for amplifying audio from your TV, while a USB-C port at the back can be used to power external devices, such as your smartphone.

You also get Bluetooth connectivity for beaming music to the amplifier from a compatible source, and while this isn’t the same as the two-way tech you’ll find on the rival Arcam A5+, we’re still pleased to find any form of Bluetooth at this mid-price level.

Pairing up a phone is easy, and we’re impressed with how stable and secure the connection is when we use an iPhone 15 to send our tunes to the integrated amp via Bluetooth.

Compatibility

We listen to the B1xi in a range of systems, from price-compatible products to more premium hi-fi systems, fully in the knowledge that it is designed to work with more affordable gear.

To hear how well the B1xi performs with more price-compatible fare, we pair it up with a set of the five-star Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 speakers (£649 / $1099 / AU$1580) and use the ever-dependable Cyrus CDi CD player (£999) as a source. We find that the Musical Fidelity amp feels comfortable at this level.

We also dig out our old favourites, the KEF LS50 Meta (tested at £1000 / $1499 / AU$2495), discovering that the B1xi is once again happy to play ball with these pricier standmounts, making the KEFs viable partners for the Musical Fidelity amp to work with.

Just for fun, we slot the B1xi into our reference system comprising the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer (£2299 / $3799) and a pair of five-star Epos ES-7N standmounts (£1890 / $2850), discovering that the amplifier is even able to accommodate our open, revealing system.

This is clearly an amp that has a reasonably wide remit and is able to accommodate budget sources as well as more capable components when really pushed.

Sound

If we had to assign it a broad label, we’d say that the B1xi exhibits a punchy, solid character. Play Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter, for instance, and you’ll be struck by the heft and force of the song’s thumping opening salvo as full-bodied drums are joined by crunchy, full-scale guitar cranks.

The B1xi feels as though it’s in its element as it leans into the music and dishes out ample wallop with fulsome glee. We sense that this is an amp that’s happiest when it’s operating on the front foot, so that bold hip-hop workouts, thumping EDM tracks and riotous rock are particularly well-served by its assertive, sometimes bullish tendencies.

Detail levels are admirable, evidenced by the crisp, well-defined strings on Radiohead’s Burn The Witch. We’re extremely familiar with Thom Yorke’s voice by now (we’ve heard it enough), and we recognise the personality of the iconic frontman’s signature wail as the integrated brings out the raw drama of his increasingly urgent vocals.

The B1xi doesn’t struggle to produce a feeling of scale or power, either, with the scale of the overall presentation impressively ample as Burn The Witch builds to its nerve-shredding climax. It’s a track that starts out small and edgy, but thanks to the amp’s cinematic scope, the music is able to grow into something far more cinematic as the strings build and our anxiety is turned up to eleven.

The B1xi showcases competence when it comes to stereo imaging, too. More cinematic recordings blossom nicely to sound well-realised, with a wider, deeper soundstage than cheaper amps, such as the five-star Rotel A8 (£399 / $449 / AU$649), can muster.

Of course, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t see how Musical Fidelity’s contender stacked up against its price rivals, meaning it’s time to dig out the recently reviewed and new Award winner, the Arcam A5+ (£749 / $1200 / AU$1595), to see if the B1Xi can beat this impressive benchmark. It is here, crucially, that we remember how high the standard has been set.

Stay with us for a minute, but imagine we’re talking about food. The B1xi is a tasty burger, albeit a burger plucked from the ovens of a reputable fast food chain. The Arcam, however, is the full Gordon Ramsay – the bun is that bit crisper, the lettuce is a little fresher, and the addition of a metaphorical pickle and some golden fries just makes the whole experience feel a touch more gourmet.

Okay, maybe we’re stretching things with the burger analogies, yet it’s clear that the A5+ serves up a more rounded, musical meal. It’s clearer and more detailed, as evidenced by the clean, crisp delivery it brings to Burn The Witch and Massive Attack’s Risingson. It’s got a better sense of rhythm, too – the Arcam is snappy and propulsive, and it makes its rival sound slightly flat-footed and unsure of itself by comparison.

In truth, we wish the B1xi were a more nuanced, expressive performer. Max Richter’s sombre Never Goodbye sounds full-bodied and powerful, yet we don’t get the feeling of the Musical Fidelity amp removing its happy face and donning a more appropriately melancholic mask.

The sometimes unsubtle integrated amp paints music with a similarly broad brush, with a relatively uninspired handling of small scale dynamics reducing the drama of the music by flattening those emotive peaks and troughs.

For better or worse, these observations remain reasonably consistent no matter how we listen, and thanks to the B1xi’s decent range of features, there are numerous ways of doing so.

The built-in phono stage is of an admirable quality, making tracks such as Lukas Graham’s Happy Home and Bach’s Siciliano In G Minor sound full, composed and nicely detailed when played via the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable (£999 / $1795 / AU$2199).

Again, a more engaging sense of dynamic handling wouldn’t go amiss, and if you’re serious about your vinyl, then we would suggest that you consider an outboard phono stage if you have a spinner that’s more high-end than this Rega, but for most users, the phono module in the B1xi will do just fine.

To hear how competent Musical Fidelity’s on-board DAC module is, we connect our trusty Cyrus CDi CD player to the amp’s optical input.

The performance remains consistent without a notable drop-off – Soundgarden’s Down On The Upside is reasonably detailed and has ample solidity as we move from track to track, whereas Hans Zimmer’s brooding The Dark Knight soundtrack benefits from the B1xi’s bold, cinematic delivery.

If that phono stage and DAC module are plus points, we can’t quite say the same when it comes to the amp’s front-mounted 6.3mm headphone port.

We’ve become familiar with the talents of the five-star Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X wired over-ears, though our test pair don’t quite sound themselves via the B1xi. It’s not a wholly bad showing, but the Beyerdynamics don’t have the same clarity or musicality as when fed by the five-star Arcam A5+.

Verdict

Judged on its own terms, the Musical Fidelity B1xi is a competent performer, showcasing a bold, assertive sound that’s complemented by a well-stocked feature set.

However, when listened to in the context of rivals in the same price range, with the likes of the superb Arcam A5+ leading the charge, it makes Musical Fidelity’s admirable effort a trickier sell.

Good as the B1xi is, if it were our money, we would be more tempted to spend a little extra and get the A5+ instead.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 5
• Build 4

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French audio manufacturer Advance Paris is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the arrival of its Apex series, a premium range of amplifiers and hi-fi components designed to bring together a potent blend of "form, function and value".

The new range comprises four models: the A8 Apex, A10 Apex and A12 Apex integrated amplifiers, as well as the ACD Apex CD player.

Each amplifier in the range uses Advance Paris's hybrid valve and transistor topology, aiming to deliver "precise dynamics, clarity, and detail".

The Apex amps introduce upgrades over the brand's more affordable Classic range, including lower noise power supplies, ESS Technology voltage regulators, and premium components such as resistors and capacitors.

The A8 Apex and A10 Apex deploy a ESS9018 DAC, while the flagship A12 Apex goes a step further with the higher-end ESS9039 model, for what Advance describes as "ultimate audio fidelity".

All three of the aforementioned amplifiers offer HDMI eARC, meaning they can be integrated into a fledging home cinema system.

The new amplifiers also offer Bluetooth streaming from compatible source devices, with the A10 and A12 Apex offering Bluetooth out, should you want to connect your amplifier to a pair of compatible Bluetooth headphones or wireless speakers.

Let's not forget the ACD Apex CD player, which harnesses analogue tube outputs for a "warm sound and authentic musicality". Analogue connections come in the shape of XLR and RCA analogue outputs, as well as coaxial and optical outputs on the digital side.

According to Cédric Leon, Advance Paris's Product Director: “The Apex range represents three decades of French audio engineering and our commitment to constantly refining our craft. This new range that honours our legacy while setting a new standard for ourselves going into the future."

Prices and availability for the Apex series are as follows:

• A8 Apex amp: priced at £1975, available in November 2025
• A10 Apex amp: priced at £2450, available in November 2025
• A12 Apex amp: priced at £3400, available in December 2025
• ACD Apex CD player: priced at £890, available in January 2026

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The best stereo amplifiers you can buy today

We first spied a prototype of Quad's Platina Series at the High End Munich show in 2023, but now it's getting an official roll out. The jewel in its crown? The Platina Integrated, which Quad claims is its “finest-ever integrated amplifier”.

You can trace its lineage all the way back to Quad's 33/303, its first pre/power amp that launched in 1967. Nearly 60 years later, the technology has come on significantly while remaining true to Quad's original mission of capturing the sound of the music as accurately as possible.

The Platina Integrated is the result of an exhaustive – and possibly exhausting – five-year development process in which Quad engineers re-examined every circuit element of their amps and started afresh. The result is “ideal for driving the world’s finest loudspeakers”, according to Quad.

It certainly looks up to the job, with a dual-mono Class AB design delivering 200W per channel into 8 ohms and 300W into 4 ohms, with a maximum output current of 20A. All of which should be enough to handle even the most demanding of speakers.

Where Quad couldn't source suitable components, it designed its own, working with partners such as Wurth Elektronik. The 630VA toroidal transformer was also custom designed for the Platina Integrated, combining a large filter capacity in the power supply and cascaded voltage regulators in the analogue and digital sections. That should mean a high degree of musical integrity, with “exceptional realism, dimensionality and grace”.

The low-impedance, noise-immune design is achieved through extensive surface-mount component integration, while optimised component-placement minimises circuit loops to reduce electromagnetic interference.

In terms of inputs, you get a USB-C, four S/PDIF inputs (two coaxial and two optical) and an HDMI ARC for connecting to a home cinema system. There are also a balanced XLR and three RCAs (two line-level and one for a turntable). And outputs? There are gold-plated binding posts for connecting speakers, along with RCA and balanced XLR pre-outs (for an external power amplifier or active speakers, or to add a subwoofer) and a 6.35mm headphone socket.

The Sabre ES9038PRO DAC chip helps the Platina Integrated to handle digital sources, while two master-clocks eliminate jitter. And it plays nice with all manner of hi-res files, while also upsampling lower-quality audio streams to 352.8kHz/384kHz. It's also certified Roon Tested to work seamlessly in a Roon-controlled environment.

But chances are you won't be using this with only digital sources, so you’ll be glad to hear it is also engineered to work well with vinyl. Quad’s new phono stage amplifies the signal from both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) phono cartridges to line level, plus it applies precise RIAA equalisation to reveal “supreme definition, depth and dynamic range”.

There are also three settings – 46dB, 52dB and 60dB – to match the output of your chosen cartridge.

It's also designed with headphones in mind. Its dedicated headphone-amplifier circuitry has an ultra-low-noise current-feedback design, meaning more clarity, a wider bandwidth and better transient response to react faster to dynamic changes in the music.

And then there's the build quality. While its fascia design and side-mounted heat sinks echo Quad amps of old, it has a new industrial design, with a steel chassis, thick anodised aluminium front panel and vibration-damping feet. Its 4.3-inch screen has ‘sci-fi green’ as its signature colour across the Platina Series, and can be set to show the volume, real-time signal levels, logos and more.

So how much does it cost? It goes on sale next month for £3499 / $5495 / AU$7999 with a choice of either silver or black front panel. It will be accompanied by the Platina Stream network player (whose details are due to follow soon), while a matching CD transport will follow in the spring of 2026.

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It was tricky to know what to expect from Arcam’s new spin on its Radia range. We’ve heartily recommended many members of the outstanding Radia series of stereo products since it launched in 2023, but when we discovered that the lineup would be refreshed with subtle tweaks and no new numbers – just the addition of a plus sign to mark out the new models – we had concerns that the differences wouldn’t extend far beyond the cosmetic.

Our review of the step-up Arcam A15+ amp quelled some of those doubts, as while the company didn’t go for a wholesale reinvention of an Award-winning recipe, the new model earned plaudits for taking a great integrated amplifier and elevating it to greater heights.

Once again, with this revised, entry-level A5+ integrated, this is a case of evolution rather than full-scale reinvention. The original A5 is already a class leader in its price range, but if it can eke out the same gains as its bigger brother, we’re interested to see just how much more performance Arcam can squeeze out of an already excellent performer.

Build & design

The Arcam A5+ remains a smart looking and well made piece of kit, showcasing a striking black finish accented by subtle yellow highlights around the dials, vents and side panels. It works for bumblebees, it works for Wiz Khalifa, and it works for Arcam.

During testing, we find the A5+ to be a nice amplifier to use and simple to navigate. The aluminium case is sturdy, while the overall quality of construction makes it feel durable and solid.

We’d like the two main control knobs – one for selecting the input and the other for tweaking volume – to offer a little more resistance and feel a touch more solid, but that says more about how high we set the standards for Arcam than anything else. The provided plastic remote isn’t the last word in luxury, either, but it gets the job done just fine.

We criticised the outgoing A5’s frosted front display for lacking a little crispness, and despite Arcam claiming to have rectified this issue on the latest model with a smoother faceplate, we’d still like a touch more sharpness when viewing the input sources and volume levels.

Features

This is essentially the same amplifier as before, but with some subtle internal changes. It’s still a 50-watt per channel Class A/B amplifier, which is a typical output for this class of product. If you want a bit more muscle, the A15+ is the step-up model at 80 watts per channel.

The main work on this new generation has been done in the power supply. The mains transformer has been improved, as have other key components, with the result that unwanted interference has been reduced, as well as the supply’s impedance.

The integrated amplifier will now automatically power down the DAC board when the analogue inputs are selected to deliver further sonic gains. To go with the improvements to the power supply and other circuit tweaks, Arcam has also enhanced the op-amps in the DAC output stages.

On the back panel, you’ll discover that there is a healthy variety of connections. On the analogue side you’ll find three line-level inputs, plus a moving magnet phono stage for connecting a turntable directly. If you want an HDMI input, however, you’ll have to spend a good deal more (around £1199 / $1099 / AU$2295) and get the step-up A15+.

On the digital side, the A5+ still boasts a twin set of coaxial inputs and a single optical, again capable of handling datastreams of up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files thanks to its ESS ES9018 DAC chip. There’s still no USB-C option (a shame), but you do get a 3.5mm headphone port at the front if you fancy a bit of private listening.

One of the major changes between the two generations of the A5 is an upgraded Bluetooth module. Bluetooth 5.2 is replaced by the more efficient Bluetooth 5.4 protocol, with an updated Bluetooth chip bringing the higher-quality aptX Lossless codec alongside the latest LE Audio and Auracast audio sharing tech.

The A5+’s Bluetooth capabilities are two way, meaning you can beam music to the amplifier from a compatible source (your phone, say) or send it from the Arcam to a wireless speaker or a pair of Bluetooth headphones. It’s a simple and intuitive process – we pair our test sample with the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 headphones, and enjoy a stable, secure connection. It’s a performance that, without giving the game away, is consistent with the amp’s considerable talents.

Compatibility

An amplifier at this level has a wide remit, and it should be able to get the most out of decent budget sources and speakers while having enough stretch to give a good account of itself with more premium components.

We integrate the A5+ into our test room’s reference system comprising the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition music streamer (£2299 / $3799) alongside a pair of Epos ES-7N standmounts (£1890 / $2850), and find that the Arcam has enough about it to accommodate what is a revealing system.

We naturally want to discover how the A5+ handles more price-compatible products, so we let it loose with the five-star Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 speakers (£649 / $1099 / AU$1580) and switch up our source by swapping in the Cyrus CDi CD player (£999), and find the A5+ to be comfortable and composed at this level.

Sound

The original A5 remains a great amplifier. Listening to it again feels like putting on our comfiest slippers, and we’re reminded of just how detailed, expressive and exciting it is. The bar has been set high as we switch to the new A5+, but after a time we come to a definite conclusion – the new boy is a clear, if subtle, improvement on its outstanding predecessor.

The overall sonic picture is cleaner without sounding sanitised, allowing those keenly sketched out instrumental textures to shine more brightly. We play Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die from our Naim streamer, marvelling at how the A5+ evokes the track’s overall grandeur while picking out quieter instrumental textures with a deft, careful hand.

The new amp seems to have a better understanding of how instruments should sound, bringing out more of the essence of what, say, a drum, guitar or human voice should be. Our attention has been grabbed, and we’re keen to see what other treats we can feed this brilliant belter.

What we discover is talent across the board. Ghost’s Satanized isn’t the easiest recording for an amp to handle thanks to its intertwining rhythmic sections and complex drum patterns, but the Arcam takes it all in its stride. The drums are expressive rather than mechanical as the A5+ teases out each dynamic shift with accuracy and intent, while its innate rhythmic capabilities keep the whole thing racing along at a fair old clip.

Our testing time only gets more enjoyable when we switch to Nine Inch Nails’ As Alive As You Need Me To Be. Here, the amp lets loose, revealing itself to be a punchier, snappier successor to the A5 and, though it may be dealing with a hard-edged recording, it does a marvellous job of revealing its core nature without over-emphasising it. It may strain at the leash, but never does said leash actually snap.

The amp is clearly having a lot of fun, but it’s not the sort of performer to get so carried away that it forgets to take care of the fundamentals. The Arcam showcases impressive stereo imaging, serving up a reasonably wide but nicely focused soundstage that gives a tangible feeling of depth and dimensionality. It’s not messy, either, even on complex compositions, letting textures breathe on their own and granting sufficient space for instruments to shine.

Those qualities and that character remain consistent no matter how we listen. There are numerous ways to enjoy the Arcam, yet we struggle to catch it out or find a blind spot in its arsenal of abilities.

The built-in phono stage tackles Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and tracks such as Lukas Graham’s Happy Home adeptly, once again evidencing its same core talents for detail, dynamics and a toe-tapping feeling of rhythmic drive when connected to a Rega Planar 6/Nd7 turntable.

We want to see how capable the Arcam’s on-board DAC module is, so we connect the Cyrus CDi CD player to the optical input. As we suspected, it doesn’t let the side down, and we sense little drop-off in performance as Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to The Dark Knight bubbles away with an intense, brooding energy. The sonic balance remains the same as before, with pleasing helpings of detail and dynamics underpinned by a metronomic feeling of rhythmic propulsion.

Bluetooth headphones aside, you can also get up close and personal with your new Arcam integrated via its front-mounted 3.5mm headphone port. We select the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X to be our guinea pigs – and wouldn’t you know it, the A5+ has no problems here, either.

Portishead’s Sour Times comes across as enticing and mysterious, while Nas’ Memory Lane has us feeling appropriately chilled out as the Arcam and Beyerdynamic open-backs work happily in tandem. Again, the character we hear through the speakers is retained through the headphone output, leading to a performance that we find entertaining and engaging.

Verdict

The Arcam A5+ is a delight. It may be the most affordable amplifier in Arcam’s refreshed Radia range, yet nothing about the A5+ sounds compromised or lacking in any of the key areas required to bring your music to life.

Those tweaks may have been subtle, but they’ve added up to something excellent. Versatile, easy to use and a delight to listen to, it’s one of the best amplifiers you’re likely to find at this price.

Review published: 9th October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 4

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If you’re building a hi-fi system, amplification is a necessary cog in the chain. While your source (turntable, streamer etc) plays your music and your speakers output it, the middle-man amplifier crucially boosts the audio signals received from the source so that it can be understood by your speakers.

Providing you want a traditional source, stereo amplifier and passive speaker set-up as opposed to one built around active speakers (which themselves house amplification), you can go down one of two amplifier routes.

You can a) buy a one-box integrated amplifier, which houses both the necessary preamplifier and power amplifier sections (more on that shortly), or b) split the sections by pairing a separate preamp with a stereo power amplifier or at least two mono power amps (otherwise known as monoblocs).

Option ‘b’ naturally increases your system’s box count and tends to make sense (and be more popular) at the higher end of the system sophistication spectrum. But there’s plenty more to consider when choosing between the two…

What's the difference?

Integrated vs pre/power: what’s the difference?

There are two essential parts to amplification circuitry. The preamplifier section is essentially the controller, primarily in charge of input selection and volume control, while the power amplifier section supplies the muscle to drive the speakers.

These sections can be packaged as separate components (a preamp and a power amp) linked by an interconnect cable, or ‘integrated’ into one chassis (an integrated amp).

Integrateds are always stereo in configuration, meaning that they output both the left and right channels of a signal. With the pre/power route, however, the power section can typically be delivered by one stereo power amp (outputting both right and left channels, as an integrated does) or, more ambitiously, two mono power amps that are each connected to the preamp and drive one channel each.

Below, we discuss the benefits of each of the two amplifier avenues, considering price, performance, system matching and upgradeability. Just remember that one amplifier type’s pros are typically the other’s respective cons!

Integrated amplifiers

Integrated amp pros: simpler, more convenient and affordable

Affordablility

Shopping around for preamps and power amps online, you’ll quickly notice a lack of affordable options. Indeed, until you’re comfortably in four-figure price territory, pre/power pairings are not easy to find.

The price of integrated amps, however, starts from around £100 / $100 / AU$200 and goes beyond 100 times that. So your decision between an integrated or pre/power may come down to your budget alone.

You’re paying for only one chassis, of course, but also integrateds are typically more inherently compromised machines, as you will discover as you read on. There are reasons pre/power combos make up the majority of the most expensive amps in the world.

Convenience and space efficiency

Stating the obvious somewhat, one box is easier to house than two or more. All integrateds, no matter how high-end and chunky, will fit on a single, solid hi-fi rack shelf.

Not only does a pre/power pair require two shelves, but some stereo (and most mono) power amps are so huge, heavy and heat-emitting that they will require being placed on the floor on a separate, dedicated stand.

Also, when doing your buying research for an integrated, you don’t need to consider how well the preamp and power amp sections work together…

Tuning synergy

Indeed, it’s a given with integrateds that their pre and power circuitry has been specifically designed, implemented and tuned to work well together. A bit like how the ingredients in a microwave meal have been chosen to go together.

With pre/power combos, however, such engineering symbiosis and the resulting sonic synergy are somewhat less certain.

Sure, sticking with the same manufacturer and product series is a good place to start, as these components will have been designed especially to work in harmony with one another. But that approach is by no means a strict rule, and mixing and matching manufacturers for your pre and power requires research time, and a lot of trial and error effort to ensure optimal compatibility.

It’s worth noting that choosing an integrated doesn’t mean that careful system matching in the quest for sonic synergy is off the cards, though. You still need to ensure it is a good match for both your source and speakers.

Fewer cables

Integrateds pile on extra convenience points by only requiring the cables necessary to connect them to your source and speaker, as opposed to an extra interconnect cable connecting the pre and power boxes together.

The benefit of one fewer cable doesn’t just come down to cost and tidiness, though. Regardless of cable quality, signals are inherently degraded when travelling down them to get from A to B.

Whereas a preamp signal must travel through and out of the preamp chassis, along a cable, and then through a power amp chassis, the signal path within an integrated is kept within the box and is considerably shorter.

Pre/power amplifiers

Pre/power pros: better performance, flexibility and upgradeability

Maximum room, minimal interference

While it isn’t always the case that a pre/power combo will sound better than a price-matching integrated, they typically do offer higher performance for a few main reasons.

Firstly, separating the sections naturally isolates the two circuits, thus more or less eliminating interference between the sensitive, low-level preamp signals and the higher-voltage, current-hungry power amp signals (and beefier power supply), and reducing noise and distortion.

In integrateds, no matter how hard the manufacturer has worked to electrically shield the two circuits from one another, they will be subject to performance-affecting interference due to their shared chassis and close proximity.

Secondly, as not as much has to be crammed into one box, pre/power amp manufacturers have more space to optimise circuit paths and layouts, and isolate certain components. In power amps, that extra room can, for example, accommodate larger transformers and heatsinks to facilitate more power delivery.

Dedicated, isolated power supplies

The third and final major performance benefit relates to the power supply. With two boxes, you get a dedicated power supply in each that can feed clean, isolated power in the exact quantities that are needed for that box’s particular role, without one section’s demands affecting the other’s.

Meanwhile in integrateds, generally the pre and power circuitry sections are fed by the same power supply. So if the power amp demands a surge in current to produce a big bass note, for example, that can take current away from the preamp and detrimentally affect performance.

Some integrated amplifiers, such as the Cyrus 40 AMP, have connections that allow you to connect an outboard power supply manufactured by the same company, enabling you to upgrade their performance down the line. But if you’re doing this from the outset, it may be more beneficial to consider choosing a pre/power in the first place.

More flexible and upgradeable

Splitting the amplification duties into two boxes means you can easily upgrade one separately from the other. Perhaps you’re happy with one box’s performance more than the other’s, or you don’t have the budget to upgrade both at the same time. Or you want to upgrade your preamp’s existing connectivity, or you’ve decided to upgrade to a source that has a decent preamp built in, negating the need for a separate one.

Some integrated amplifiers do have pre-out connections, allowing you to hand off preamplifier duties to a separate preamp so that your integrated can focus solely on the power amp part.

But as with the power supply, if you’re doing this from the off, perhaps a pre/power combo is the preferred choice in the first place. After all, you will essentially be bypassing and therefore wasting the integrated’s preamp section that you have spent good money on.

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Arcam’s Radia range of stereo products was only introduced back in 2023. In these few short years, it has become something of a cornerstone of our affordable hi-fi recommendations. We have a particularly soft spot for the A5 and A15 integrated amplifiers, which both combine a comprehensive feature set with class-leading sound quality.

So, when we hear that the company is introducing upgraded versions of these amplifiers, we can’t wait to have a listen. We are focusing on the new Arcam A15+ here; the A5+ review will follow soon.

We shouldn’t get too carried away here as regards the scale of the upgrades. There have been no massive revisions or significant specification changes. Think of it as a gentle bit of fettling of an already accomplished product. How gentle? Without the badging, it would be hard to notice anything had changed, unless you listened, of course.

Build & features

General build quality remains the same as for the previous generation; that is, solid and well finished. We still like the clean, modern look, though we now think that the two large control dials could feel a little more substantial and positive in use.

While the step-up A25+ model has been given a crisper display, that fitted to the A15+ remains frosted as before, and so could be sharper. The partnering remote is a simple, plastic affair that does the job well enough.

This '+' version remains a well-equipped amplifier that should slot into pretty much any price-compatible stereo system with ease. It thoughtfully adds an HDMI eARC digital input alongside the previous generation's optical and a pair of coaxial inputs.

Fans of analogue aren’t ignored, with the original’s moving magnet phono input and trio of line-level analogue connections continuing. As before, there is a preamp output for those who want to upgrade and a 3.5mm headphone socket on the front.

Two-way Bluetooth is still on the menu, but in one of the more significant upgrades, it is now Version 5.4 with Auracast (allows one-to-many transmission without the need for pairing) and adds support for Snapdragon Sound, which is essentially a suite of technologies designed to get the best from the wireless transmission method.

As far as the basics of the digital module go, nothing of significance has changed. A 24-bit/192kHz compatible ESS ES9018 DAC chip sits at the heart, and there still isn’t a USB input on this model.

While adding the new Bluetooth module, Arcam’s engineers took the opportunity to do some housekeeping on the A15’s power supply circuitry, improving the mains transformer and various components, to cut interference and reduce power supply impedance. Small touches like automatically powering down the DAC board when the analogue inputs are selected are claimed to deliver sonic improvements too.

Straight from the box, the A15+ will autoswitch to the HDMI or the Bluetooth inputs if it detects a signal. Most people will be happy with such a convenient arrangement, but the engineers found that the sound becomes just a touch cleaner and clearer if that autoswitching functionality is turned off, and now allow users to do so.

If you are trying to optimise the A15+’s performance, this is something well worth doing. The improvement in clarity is subtle but worthwhile. The (small) downside is that now those inputs have to be selected manually.

Compatibility

An amplifier at this price level has quite a wide remit. It has to be able to be forgiving enough to perform with good-quality budget sources and speakers while still being transparent enough to shine when partnered with more capable components.

The A15+ ticks both boxes. Our ideal starting point would include sources such as the Rega Planar 3/Nd3 record player, the Arcam CD5 CD player or Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer, and partnering speakers like Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 or KEF Q3 Meta.

But, as we find out during our test sessions, this is an amplifier that is perfectly capable of making the most of more ambitious partners, right up to the likes of the Cyrus 40 ST music streamer and the Fyne Audio F502S floorstanders.

Sound

The original A15 was a superb all-rounder, delivering a combination of detail, dynamics and overall balance that we felt was class-leading. This new + version retains that character but takes small steps forward across the board.

We have the original on hand and listen to both amplifiers in a wide range of systems from the price-comparable sources and speakers we’ve already mentioned, right up to our high-end reference system of Naim ND555/555 PS DR and ATC SCM50. It doesn’t take long to decide that we prefer the new one.

We play Gorecki’s emotionally-charged Symphony No.3 and find that the A15+ sounds that bit cleaner and clearer. We can hear more in the way of instrumental textures and the kind of low-level acoustic detail that defines the size of the recording venue.

The + version has more expressive dynamics and seems to go from quiet to loud with greater fluency. We don’t note any significant difference in scale or absolute authority, but do find that the newer amplifier is more emphatic in the way it renders crescendos and shifts in musical intensity.

There aren’t any notable changes in terms of tonality, which remains a well-judged balance of evenness with just enough smoothness for the amplifier to remain enjoyable with rough or coarse recordings. The A15+ has the transparency to reveal flaws in a recording or partnering source, but it won’t go out of its way to emphasise those shortcomings. This is arguably the ideal balance for something at this level, we think.

Stereo imaging remains good. The soundstage is relatively wide, well-focused and displays a pleasing amount of depth (provided it’s in the recording, of course). We have no complaints about the image stability or the sense of space around each instrument.

This Arcam knows how to dance, too. It proves to have a surefooted sense of rhythm when we play Michael Jackson’s hard-charging Jam, and delivers the song’s full-throttle momentum with considerable verve. We are impressed with the way this amplifier organises detail and its composure when things get demanding.

This amplifier may kick hard in the bass, but it also retains a degree of tunefulness and agility that is rare to find at this level. Basslines are meaty yet retain a lovely flow. Importantly, the lows never feel overbearing or musclebound.

We are pleased to report that the on-board DAC module is a good one. The ESS 9018 chip may not be the most fashionable around, but it serves well here, helping the A15+ to retain a good sense of energy and expression regardless of the digital input we use. There are no issues when we switch between files of different resolutions up to the 24-bit/192kHz limit. As before, DSD replay is not on the menu, but that’s not a deal breaker for us.

The A15+’s performance with Bluetooth is solid. While this would never be our connection of choice if performance were a priority, it remains a useful addition that works well in this amplifier. The Arcam’s sound via Bluetooth has enough in the way of energy and organisation to remain enjoyable.

Interested in playing vinyl? We connect our reference Technics SL-1000R/Nagaoka MP-200 record player and the A15+’s phono section proves to be suitably detailed and enjoyable. Hum and hiss levels are decently low for a product such as this, while dynamics and rhythmic drive mirror the standards we hear through the line inputs.

We would only consider upgrading to an outboard phono stage if using something more ambitious than a Rega Planar 3. For most users, the phono module in the Arcam will do just fine.

Verdict

We’ve always admired the A15’s wide-ranging talents. It is sensibly specified and highly accommodating as far as system matching is concerned. Most of all, it is a musical treat that works well across every musical genre we’ve tried.

If you are looking for an amplifier that ticks all the boxes at this price, we haven’t come across a better one than the Arcam A15+.

Review published: 3rd October 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

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Also consider the Arcam A5+

Best stereo amplifiers: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

Taresh Vadgama joined NAD as an engineer back in 1984 and has worked at the brand ever since. He is currently parent company Lenbrook’s Vice President of Development and Manufacturing and, as such, is right at the core of product development for brands such as NAD and Bluesound.

Given that Taresh started working at NAD when production of the original 3020 integrated amplifier was in full swing, I took the chance to have a deep dive into the background of the landmark budget integrated amp when I met him at Lenbrook's HQ in Canada.

Launched in 1979, the legendary NAD 3020 stereo amp cost just £71 and single-handedly established the fledgling New Acoustic Dimension (NAD) brand as a serious player in the hi-fi/audio market. It is widely claimed to be the best-selling integrated amplifier ever.

WHF: You started working at NAD in 1984. What was the company like back then?

TV: It was fun and exciting. I was employee number three in the lab. NAD (New Acoustic Dimension) was located in Finchley, London. Bjørn-Erik Edvardsen was the first employee on the engineering side. He was responsible for the original 3020’s design, and there was another engineer called Peter Bath. They were both ex-Dolby people – and I was the exception.

At the time, the company employed around 15 to 20 people, including Martin Borish (who founded the company). NAD’s manufacturing model was unique for the time, where everything was made using contract manufacturers. The brand didn’t own any of the factories that made its products. This method of working is the norm now, but it wasn’t back then.

What do you think made the 3020 a success?

The 3020 was affordable, well-equipped and had a brilliant performance for the time. Erik wanted to keep things simple. The circuit used relatively low levels of feedback; just the right amount to keep the amplifier stable without overdoing things.

He looked at the mass-market Japanese amplifiers of the day and, while they had high claimed power outputs under lab conditions, they had difficulties driving real speakers with reactive loads.

Erik realised early on that driving real speaker loads required plenty of current, and that came down to the quality of the power supply and design of the output stage. This is something we prioritise to this day. Any amplifier we make has to be capable of high levels of output current, so if you have a very difficult reactive load, it will have no difficulty driving it.

The 3020 also had a really quiet input stage and a great low-noise phono section. With the phono stage, Erik’s philosophy, something we continue to this day, was to ensure it had a really good signal-to-noise ratio.

In this kind of circuit, you want to keep the input noise as low as you can. It’s a high-gain stage, around 60dB, so any noise on the input gets multiplied by around 1000 times. Next is the overload. It has, I believe, 20 dB of overload, so you can put a higher signal in and it won’t clip. This is something that helps when dealing with high-level transients.

The amplifier had links on the back panel that connected the preamp stage to the power amplifier. This made it easy to upgrade to a bigger, higher-output power amplifier.

Early 3020s had all the inputs facing upwards on a ledge. That was originally done to simplify the layout so you could use just one PCB, which helps with ease of assembly. Once you put the connections vertically on the back panel, you add an extra stage in construction linking the connectors to the main circuit board, which adds more cost.

However, later on, we switched to a more conventional placement as customers asked for it. Also, putting all the connections on the back panel provides more space, allowing the addition of more inputs if required.

How did the 3020 develop over time?

There was a more purist version of the amplifier called the 3120, which got rid of the tone controls to give a purer signal path. Tone controls in the zero position don’t really do anything, but they can add noise into the signal path. This was done in response to the competition that was getting more purist in nature.

We also made the 1020 preamp and a matching power amplifier. These were essentially the 3020 circuit split into two. The pre/power performed better because it freed the preamp from dealing with the high currents in the power amplifier section, and you end up with a really low-noise stage. Each part now also has its own dedicated power supply.

We had the chance to try out a fully-functioning sample of the original NAD 3020 a few years back, and found ourselves having a thoroughly enjoyable time listening to it in our test rooms.

We said in our feature: "No product is perfect, and expecting that from a 40-year old budget design isn’t realistic. However, we are utterly charmed by the 3020. Our test room is packed with excellent, far more capable alternatives, yet we carry on listening to the little NAD way longer than we need to.

We love its enthusiasm and the way it encourages us to play just one more track. That’s the true mark of greatness, and make no mistake, the NAD 3020 belongs up there with the very best the industry has ever made."

MORE:

Read the full retrospective feature here: That Was Then... NAD 3020 amplifier

Read our review of the modern NAD D 3020 V2

What does the future hold for Bluesound and NAD? We speak to Lenbrook's CTO about Class D amplification and more

We can’t remember the last time What Hi-Fi? reviewed a sensibly-priced stereo amplifier from a start-up UK-based manufacturer.

Fell Audio is backed by British retailer Peter Tyson and currently makes just two products, the Fell Disc CD player (£499) and the integrated amplifier on test here. At the time of writing, the Fell Stream music streamer is shown on the company’s website but is not available to buy.

All are pitched at the affordable end of the market, which is relatively sparse in terms of quality products. It seems that Fell Audio has identified a genuine gap in the market, but the question is whether its products are talented enough to fill it.

Build & features

On paper, the Fell Amp should be a winner. It is as though Fell Audio, with no doubt the insights offered by its retailer parent, has come up with the ideal template for the ultimate affordable stereo amplifier, and ticked just about every single box.

Unlike most of its competitors, this amplifier is made in Britain and, where possible, uses locally sourced parts and materials. Fell’s products used to be UK retailer Peter Tyson exclusives, but are now available on Amazon UK as well. Wider availability across Europe and beyond is expected later this year.

It’s always good to have plenty of power, and the Fell Amp duly obliges. Its Class D modules deliver a claimed power output of 89 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load, supported by a relatively chunky 170VA mains transformer. Most of the class-leading alternatives at this level tend to produce around 40-60 watts per channel, so the Fell seems to have a solid advantage here.

There is a moving magnet phono stage to accommodate the steady growth of interest in playing records and a Bluetooth 5.0 input for those that prefer to use their smartphone, computer or tablet as their source. In addition, the Fell Amp includes a trio of standard analogue RCA line level inputs, optical and coaxial digital ins and, on the front panel, a 6.3mm headphone output. That’s a pretty comprehensive set of features, all told.

Build quality is good too. The Amp feels solid and pretty well finished, though the front panel touch buttons aren’t always as responsive as we would like. Unconventionally, the rotary control on the left (as you face it) is for volume, while the one on the right doesn’t turn at all and is merely the power switch. The supplied remote is simple to use and works well.

The Fell Amp seems styled to evoke the classic British integrated amplifier designs of old, and does so without being a direct copy of anything. It is a characterful design, which admittedly, split opinions on our team. Still, we can’t help but admire Fell’s decision to go for something distinctive rather than bland.

Sound

An amplifier at this level has to perform a difficult balancing act. It has to be forgiving enough to make the most of less-than-perfect budget sources, yet still have the sonic stretch to show the benefits of more capable and expensive alternatives. Unfortunately, this Fell Amplifier doesn’t manage that.

We test this amplifier with a range of sources from a Cambridge Audio MXN10 streamer and Cyrus CDi CD player to our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer. We also use the digital outputs from the Cyrus CD player and Naim streamer to listen to the Fell’s optical and coax inputs.

An iPhone 12 Pro Max provides the Bluetooth signal and a Technics SL-1000R/ Nagaoka MP-200 combination feeds the integrated’s moving magnet phono stage.

As for speakers, over the test sessions, we connect the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1, the Acoustic Energy AE30 Mk2, the KEF LS50 Meta and, just for fun, our reference ATC SCM50. Our comparison amplifiers are the Mission 778x (£549 / $899 / AU$1199) and the Arcam A5 (£749 / $769 / AU$1495).

Regardless of partnering equipment, the Fell Audio amplifier turns out to be a consistent but ultimately limited performer.

That’s not our first impression, though. Straight out of the blocks, this amplifier sounds bold and powerful. It makes most similarly priced alternatives sound a little tentative. Given a bombastic piece of music such as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or Michael Jackson’s Jam, the Fell Amp shows promise, delivering an impressive sense of authority.

That power advantage it has over its rivals certainly makes itself evident here with crowd-pleasing punch and low-end heft. This is the kind of presentation that does well during a shop demo, and so is likely to play into this integrated’s favour.

Stereo imaging is pretty good too, with pleasing scale and an expansive soundstage. It isn’t the most focused or layered we’ve come across, but considering the price, there is little here open to major criticism.

We like the balance Fell Audio has struck tonally, with no particular part of the frequency range gaining undue prominence. The midrange is well projected while the highs have bite without sounding brittle.

However, as we spend more time listening, the cracks in the Fell Amp’s performance start showing. For all the muscularity on offer, it turns out that it isn’t a particularly expressive performer. Judged by the highest standards at the price, this amplifier can’t convey dynamic contrasts convincingly, and so the music ends up sounding pretty flat and uninspiring.

We find ourselves increasing the volume level to get more excitement, but then the Fell becomes a little shouty. It doesn’t help that this amp sounds decidedly lifeless when played quietly, either.

Those looking for interesting insights into the music or recording aren’t in for a treat. The level of clarity isn’t particularly high here, while detail resolution and articulation are reasonable enough, they are easily bettered by the cheaper (and similarly-equipped) Mission 778x integrated.

The Mission may sound smaller and less front-footed than its Fell rival, but it counters with a degree of musical cohesion, finesse and rhythmic drive that the Fell Amp just can’t match. The refined and admittedly pricier Arcam A5 is even further ahead in most respects.

The Fell’s moving magnet phono stage is a reasonable effort, producing relatively low noise levels and staying consistent with the character of the line stages. But, once again, we notice a lack of finesse. This amplifier doesn’t seem to organise the music particularly well, so whether we’re listening to Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever set or Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, we find our attention wavering pretty quickly.

This story doesn’t change when we try the digital inputs or via Bluetooth. They work, we get a decent sound, but nothing that gets close to the transparency or expression of the class leaders.

Verdict

We love the idea of an all-new contender coming into the affordable hi-fi market, and commend Fell Audio for its ambition. However, the level of competition is high, and as things stand, the Fell Amp is nowhere near good enough to worry the best in the class.

To say we’re disappointed at this result is an understatement.

Review published: 4th September 2025

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read the matching Fell Audio Fell Disc review

Check out our review of the Mission 778x

Also consider the Arcam A5

Best stereo amplifiers: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

Arcam has unveiled a refreshed trio of integrated amplifiers, with the A5+, A15+ and A25+ building upon the success of the original models, which launched in 2023.

The new trio of stereo amplifiers aim to "raise the bar even higher", with updated circuitry, refined components, better power management and new features offering an "enhanced performance."

We are big fans of the original Arcam A5 and A15 in particular, whose modern design, great set of features and hugely enjoyable and capable sound resulted in back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Award wins at their respective price brackets. They remain our current favourites, so it will be interesting to hear how the updated models compare.

For the new "plus" range, Arcam has retained the minimal black design with yellow accents, and the fundamental power ratings and main specifications of each amplifier remain the same.

So what's new? The A15+ and A25+ now feature an HDMI eARC input, which is welcome news for those who want to add them to a TV/home cinema set-up.

Additionally, the Bluetooth chip has been updated to Bluetooth 5.4 across all three amps, bringing with it the higher-quality aptX Lossless codec, LE Audio and the Auracast sharing protocol.

The A5+ features refinements to the internal components and a lower power supply impedance, while the A15+ and A25+ have a transformer upgrade that reduces unwanted current within the chassis.

The A25+ has further upgrades to the new transformer, better linear regulation to the analogue power supplies, and further refinements to the power and mains filtering to "enhance overall clarity", claims Arcam.

The A25+ Class G amplifier (100W per channel) also has an additional, dedicated ESS9018 DAC for the SPDIF inputs and has a precision-cut glass front panel, which offers a sharper, brighter display. This should bring it in line, visually, with the partnering ST25 streamer.

The A5+ remains a 50W per channel amplifier, while the A15+ offers more grunt with 80W per channel – both are Class A/B designs, and feature a 24-bit/192kHz ESS ES9018 DAC, a built-in moving magnet phono stage and 3.5mm headphone port.

The five-star A5 and A15 amps have fought off newcomers in the last couple of years, so we have high hopes for these updated models. We have the A5+ and A15+ in for testing right now, so expect full reviews in due course.

Another bit of good news? The prices are largely unchanged from the original RRP, at least in the UK. The new Arcam A5+ is yours for £749, while the Arcam A15+ is set to cost £1199; the flagship A25+ has risen slightly to £1699 from £1499. All three Arcam amplifiers will be available to buy at the end of the month.

For US customers, however, prices have increased considerably: the Arcam A5+ costs $1199.95 (up from $699), the A15+ is $1499.95 (from $1099) and the A25 is yours for $1999.95 (up from $1499).

MORE:

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: which of these stereo amps makes the sweetest music?

Best stereo amplifiers 2025: 9 class leaders chosen by our review experts

We have reviewed hundreds of stereo amplifiers – for most hi-fi systems, these are the only three you need to consider

High-end audio manufacturer Goldmund has announced its newest integrated amplifier, the Telos 670.

Designed for "discerning listeners who seek fewer audio components without sacrificing sound fidelity", the new unit blends the functionalities of a preamp and power amp with enough power to driver passive loudspeakers with "effortless authority".

Boasting 250 watts of power at 8 ohms, at the heart of the Telos 670 is Goldmund’s proprietary 'Telos' amplification technology, with a Class A/B circuit designed to achieve a wide bandwidth and ultra-low distortion.

Says Goldmund, the design ensures a pure, uncompromised reproduction, even at the most demanding power levels, leading to an amplifier that delivers excellent dynamics and spatial accuracy alongside stunning low-end precision.

Around the back, the high-end amp features single optical and coaxial inputs, as well as five RCA analogue inputs and a USB Type B port. The Telos 670's digital module, meanwhile, can handle PMC files up to 32-bit/384kHz alongside DSD128.

The Telos 670's aluminium chassis has been built to provide electromagnetic shielding to protect the internal components, while its aluminium casing acts as a passive heat sink for maintaining optimal thermal conditions without the need for active cooling.

When combined with the unit's conic feet, the Telos strives for supreme stability, channelling vibrations away from the internal electronics to further preserve sonic clarity across the frequencies.

The Goldmund Telos 670 is available now in either a grey or black finish, costing around £22,500 (further prices pending). Considering its bigger brother, the Telos 690, would set you back £32,500 / $36,250 / AU$60,000, that's relatively affordable by Goldmund's standards...

MORE:

Read our Goldmund Telos 690 review

In for review: Monitor Audio's Bronze speakers, a Musical Fidelity amplifier, and Yamaha's Dolby Atmos soundbar are all being tested this month

These are the 8 best integrated sterero amplifiers chosen by our experts

Pathos’s Inpol Remix MkII is an easy amplifier to underestimate. It’s about the size of a child’s shoebox and has a modest claimed power output of just 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms.

That’s the kind of figure normally associated with budget stereo integrateds, and is easily surpassed by most price-comparable alternatives, which typically deliver around four times as much.

Then there is the appearance. High-end hi-fi is a pretty conservative world packed with plain-looking, usually bulky, black or silver rectangular boxes.

The Inpol Remix MkII is different. Just take a look at the accompanying photos and enjoy the juxtaposition of shapes and colour contrasts.

Whether you like it or not, this is a striking design, one that demands your attention and will be a point of conversation for anyone interested in this hobby of ours.

There is a choice of finishes from the metallic matte black of our review sample to lacquered and wood options

Design

But don’t be fooled. There is real engineering substance behind that extroverted external design.

The Inpol Remix MkII is a hybrid valve/transistor design. In theory, the combination of these technologies promises the best of all worlds, blending the naturalness and sweetness of valves with the muscle, grip and power of transistors.

Sadly, that hasn’t usually been our experience. Most hybrid amplifier designs we’ve tested never quite gel to produce musically engaging results, tending to sound soft and pretty undynamic.

This Pathos amplifier uses a pair of small ECC88 valves in the preamp stage, and these can be seen nestling on the top panel. The signal is then passed on to the company’s patented Inpol power amplifier design, which works in Class A and is fully balanced in nature.

While the brand makes numerous higher-powered Inpol products, the little Remix MkII is limited to 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms, which rises to a just as modest 38 watts as the speaker’s impedance halves.

If that doesn’t sound particularly generous, we tested the original version of this amplifier back in 2012 and that only produced a miserly 10 watts per channel into 8 ohms.

So, it is clear that the Inpol Remix MkII is no powerhouse design, nor is it one that sounds considerably more muscular than it is, which makes the choice of speakers critical.

While this amplifier will get decent volume levels from most price-compatible options, it wouldn’t be high on our list if party volumes in larger spaces or inefficient, difficult-to-drive speakers are part of the equation.

Connections & compatibility

Matching in terms of character is important too. We get the best results when the partnering speakers are lively and expressive designs, such as the Fyne Audio F1-8 or the ProAc D2R, rather than our more controlled-sounding ATC SCM50 or the slightly measured Epos ES-14N.

Some of this is certainly down to the speaker's sensitivity. The Fyne and ProAc models are rated at 91dB/W/m and 88.5dB/W/m respectively, both a few dB up from the others, but their more expressive natures also play well with the Pathos’s mix of refinement and fluidity.

This Inpol Remix MkII’s feature count covers the basics. As standard, it has four single-ended RCA analogue inputs alongside a single pair of stereo balanced XLRs. There is also a balanced XLR preamp output, and rather unusually, a toggle switch next to it that swaps the XLR’s polarity, just in case the partnering power amplifier is an inverting design.

It is possible to specify this amplifier with a HiDac MkII digital module (£795 / $759 / AU$1799). This adds the usual trio of digital inputs - coaxial, optical and USB (Type B) - and is compatible with music files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD128 thanks to the ESS 9018 K DAC chip that sits at its core.

Our review sample doesn’t have this optional module fitted, so the three digital input sockets on the back aren’t functional. Our previous experience with Pathos’s digital products has been positive, so we suspect that the HiDac MkII module will be worth serious consideration, but, we can’t confirm that as yet.

Build

This amplifier is a well-built product that has a pleasing aura of luxury about it. Its casework not only is imaginatively designed, but feels solid and well-made.

A fancy heatsink design that spells out the company’s name may not be the most efficient shape to dissipate the maximum amount of heat, but it looks great to our eyes and adds a touch of individuality that most rivals lack.

Lift the Inpol Remix and you’ll find that at 15.5kg it is a lot heavier than you might expect given its compact dimensions.

The power amplification circuit is claimed to be Class A in operation. While, on paper, that should prove good for sound quality, the downside is that the Inpol circuit generates a lot of heat.

Those fancy heatsinks aren’t just for show and have to work for a living. They get hot to the touch, so you need to place this integrated in a well-ventilated space.

The amplifier’s control count is minimal, with just the large volume dial on the front panel and a pair of buttons mounted on a recessed plate below to control power and toggle through the inputs.

There is a small display next to the buttons to show volume level and a 6.3mm headphone output on the right as we face the amplifier.

This Pathos is supplied with a simple metal remote, and despite the buttons not being labelled very clearly, it doesn’t take us long before we can use it intuitively.

An amplifier at this level deserves good-quality partnering equipment. We use our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer for the bulk of our testing, but also try Chord’s 2go/2yu/Qutest combination. As for speakers, this integrated is rather fussy, and the aforementioned Fyne and ProAc speakers suit it best out of those we have on site.

Sound

Once it settles, the Inpol Remix MkII turns in a charming performance, provided it is partnered with care. This is a cohesive and musical sounding amplifier that trades the final few percentage points of attack and drive for a sublime blend of fluidity, refinement and subtlety that we find hard to resist.

It’s the kind of balance that works superbly with small-scale classical, jazz or vocal pieces. Tracy Chapman’s debut album, something of a touchstone recording for hi-fi fans of a certain age, proves a real treat with the Pathos delivering a level of vocal nuance and instrumental cohesion that we haven’t heard bettered at this level.

Chapman’s voice comes through with exceptional clarity, with its rich, earthy texture fully intact. It is rich and full-bodied without losing out on articulation or precision.

Similarly, the complex percussive opening to Mountains O’ Things is rendered with confidence. The Inpol Remix MkII sounds assured and stable.

It is sure-footed rhythmically and communicates the ebb and flow of the music well. Considering the relatively limited power output, there is a good amount of punch here, and a degree of control and grip in the bass that we weren’t expecting.

This surprising low-end heft comes to the fore when we play Bob Marley’s Exodus. Bass is relatively taut and tuneful, underpinning the rest of the performance in a seamless manner. As we work through our music collection, it turns out that the Pathos is able to tick most boxes.

Tonally, it is smooth but has enough bite in its otherwise sweet top-end to satisfy. There is delicacy at those high frequencies that makes most non-valve alternatives sound a little mechanical and tonally grey in comparison.

This is one of the few valve/transistor hybrid amplifiers we’ve heard where we do feel like we are hearing the best of both technologies, yet the result remains cohesive and balanced.

The relatively limited power output means that it comes as no surprise that the Inpol Remix MkII can’t match more powerful alternatives when it comes to outright sonic authority or the ability to deliver high-level dynamic peaks with full conviction. But even then, we find ourselves enjoying the likes of Holst’s Jupiter and Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator film soundtrack.

There may not be the sense of power or scale that something like the cheaper Rega Aethos generates, but there are compensations in the form of the Inpol Remix MkII’s tonal richness and delicacy. Soundstaging is pretty good too, though the imaging isn’t the most expansive we’ve heard, despite a good sense of depth.

Verdict

There is no denying that this Pathos is something of a left-field choice. It needs pampering, particularly in terms of partnering speakers, if you want to get the best from it. Put in the work, and it offers a blend of strengths unlike most rivals at this level.

If you want to hear a good example of a valve/transistor hybrid amplifier, this is as fine an option as we have heard at this level. Highly recommended.

Review published: 22nd August 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our Rega Aethos review

How to choose and set up a stereo amplifier

Our pick of the best stereo amplifiers for all budgets

The stereo amplifier is the beating heart of your hi-fi separates system. At What Hi-Fi?, we have been testing them ever since 1976, and our experienced review team has collectively tested hundreds of integrated amplifiers, priced anywhere from £200 all the way up to £30,000.

You don't have to spend thousands to get a good stereo amplifier, though. In fact, you don't need to spend very much at all to get a truly great integrated amplifier these days.

Right now, there are three superb amps that I can recommend to you at three different price points. These three five-star amps are tried and tested products we constantly recommend. They deliver outstanding sound-per-pound value, and work with a variety of partnering speakers and sources at their respective price levels.

So if you are building a hi-fi separates system and are looking for a budget, mid-priced or premium amplifier, then look no further than this trio of top choices.

Budget: Rotel A8

Our budget amplifier pick at the moment is unequivocally the Rotel A8.

Yes, its styling is quite functional, but at this entry-level price point, Rotel has focused its efforts entirely on the performance of the A8. Still, the amplifier itself is well-built and all controls are nicely engineered and feel satisfying in use.

Unlike the long-running Marantz PM6007 that used to hold the fort as our budget favourite for many years, this Rotel doesn't have any digital inputs. We don't find this to be an issue, as we usually find that the DAC in your music streamer, CD player or even laptop will be on par (or even better) with any digital module fitted in a budget amp. The A8's three line-level RCA and a pair of phono inputs are enough to connect your turntable, streamer and CD player.

The Rotel A8 really shows its mettle with its sound quality, and outshines all of its rivals, which include five-star options from Marantz, Rega and Cambridge Audio. This 30W per channel amp has a fine sense of drive, control and sure-footed agility with rhythms, along with punchy bass.

We find its dynamic ability to be “unusually expressive” at this level, handling large, orchestral dynamic shifts and the subtler shadings in vocal nuance with a great deal of composure and skill. It sounds organised and controlled at moments where its rivals struggle to stay coherent.

The rival Marantz PM6007 offers a larger and more spacious soundstage, but Rotel counters with better detail resolution and digs into subtleties with greater insight. We find it is considerably more articulate and textured when it comes to the lower frequencies than any alternative we have tested.

It simply sounds more authentic and handles music with a calmness that we tend to hear with much pricier amplifiers. We say in our review: “This is an amplifier that just fades into the background, letting the recording and the other components in the system step into the limelight.”

The Rotel A8 works well with similarly budget-friendly partnering equipment, and such is its talent that it will quite likely be the last component in your budget system that will need updating. While a natural set-up would be include the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers, a Rega Planar 1 turntable, Cambridge MXN10 streamer and/or Marantz CD6007, we tried the A8 in a more premium system involving the KEF LS50 Meta speakers, Rega Planar 3 and Arcam CD5 (these being double the A8's price) and found that the composed Rotel amp more than held its own.

Unassuming, but hugely capable with whatever you pair it with, this pleasingly capable Rotel A8 will reward you greatly at this budget price.

Mid-price: Arcam A15

For a serious step above the budget A8, we have to go with the Award-winning Arcam A15. This burly, sturdy unit boasts 80W per channel (into 8 ohms), an ESS ES9018 DAC chip and offers a generous specification sheet that includes multiple digital and analogue connections.

Optical and coaxial inputs sit alongside RCA line-level and moving-magnet phono inputs. It even has two-way Bluetooth aptX Adaptive codec support, so you can stream songs from your smartphone to the unit as well as play songs back wirelessly on connected Bluetooth headphones. Neat.

Sound-wise, the Arcam 15 is a powerful, precise and poised performer. It's a terrifically open and authoritative sound, and offers excellent grip and composure when confronted with complex musical arrangements. There is punch and drama, but the A15 is also nimble and delicate when it needs to be.

We say in our review: “This Arcam is insightful, tracking the music’s multitude of instrumental strands with skill. Dynamic nuances are conveyed with finesse and we love the way it renders instrumental textures with such delicacy.”

Its stereo imaging is expansive and stable, while its tonal neutrality, combined with clarity and precision, delivers a commanding and involving listening experience that wows us every time we listen to it.

The A15's phono and headphones stages are of good quality too, delivering a dynamically expressive sound that is clear, dynamic and, most of all, enjoyably musical.

The Arcam A15 has fought off many rivals at this price point (and even higher) that we've heard so far, and we would expect anyone buying at this level to take some care with partnering to get the best out of this integrated amplifier. The superb Cyrus CDi, PMC Prodigy 5 floorstanding speakers and Cambridge Audio CXN100 streamer are great options to suit the Arcam A15's commanding presentation.

The A15 is a terrific all-rounder and has a useful array of features to suit everyone – we would highly recommend it as a mid-price option.

Premium: Naim Nait XS3

Now, if you have both the inclination and bank balance to set your sights higher for your hi-fi separates, we can't recommend the Naim Nait XS3 amplifier enough.

Originally released in 2019 and a mainstay of our best stereo amplifiers guide, this Naim integrated has the distinction of winning five What Hi-Fi? Awards in a row and earning a Hall of Fame 2024 entry for its talents – it's even one of our trusty reference amplifiers in our test rooms.

So what's the fuss all about? Naim's amplifier pedigree is legendary, and its engineers have taken obsessive care with the components, circuitry and power stages for this XS3 integrated, including a completely new (and very good, indeed) phono stage.

Once again, the focus is on absolute sound quality so digital inputs have been forsaken for analogue line level and phono inputs. Naim recommends an outboard DAC at this level (or an appropriately talented CD player or streamer with a great DAC integrated).

This Nait XS3 is quite simply a supremely natural, musical performer. There are bigger, more impressive-sounding alternatives – such as the muscular Roksan Blak or the spacious Cambridge Audio EXA100 – but the more dynamically expressive and rhythmically capable Naim gets the intent behind every song across.

Its ability to knit together musical strands in a cohesive manner is unmatched at this level. It's an insightful, agile and enthusiastic performer, balancing bombastic punch and finesse and emotion in equal measure. Voices are beautifully nuanced and emotive – you can hear the personalities behind every word and every note.

The phono stage in the Nait XS3 deserves special mention. Built-in phono stages don't always sound the best, but this one delivers a detailed, punchy and lively performance.

We said in our original review that this Naim amp delivers “a musical and emotionally absorbing performance” – and its greatest strength is the ability to get you fully involved with the songs being played. Its “fit and forget” nature convinces you to pay less attention to any critical analysis when listening and simply enjoy the music instead.

It is, of course, part of our reference system. We have used so many different components with this Naim amp, and it has never faltered. Pair it with equally highly talented components, such as the Rega Planar 8 turntable, Epos ES14N speakers and Naim's own Uniti Atom HE streamer at the bare minimum, and you're in for a treat.

This is an amplifier that gets straight to the heart of the music – and that's the mark of a truly great piece of hi-fi. If your budget stretches this high, this Naim is the one to get.

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We first glimpsed Musical Fidelity's revived B1 range at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show way back in cold, dreary February, which teased a stereo amplifier and a CD player.

Five months on, we now have confirmation that the B1xi integrated amplifier is now ready and available to buy at retailers, with confirmed prices and details.

The Musical Fidelity B1xi stereo amplifier aims to continue the original B1's legacy from the 1990s, packing in modern digital connectivity while still ensuring this decidedly hi-fi amplifier remains reliable and great-sounding as part of your system's core "for many years to come."

The new B1xi boasts a warm and dynamic sound that claims to invoke the quality of a valve (or tube) amplifier, thanks to transistor amps used in the fully discrete Class A/B design. The claimed power on offer is 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with toroidal transformers with large power reserves for "purest sound quality".

The amplifier features a "carefully tuned" moving magnet phono stage with high gain, three line-level RCA inputs, a 3.5mm line input, and a pair of variable RCA pre-outputs on the analogue side.

Digital connections are generously catered for, too, with HDMI ARC input, optical and coaxial all available through the built-in DAC (which supports up to 24-bit/192kHz native files).

Bluetooth streaming is also on the cards, along with a 6.3mm headphone jack.

However, Musical Fidelity is at pains to explain that this amplifier doesn't have any network streaming features.

The brand says that "built-in streaming can limit the amplifier’s lifespan, as when the playback technology is superseded," so it prefers to keep the sources separate – focusing instead on making this amplifier a well-made, good-sounding product so "your investment can last for decades."

The B1xi uses high-quality components throughout its design and the internal layout is optimised for audio performance. The preamplifier section has its own dedicated linear power supply (as does the digital input stage), ensuring there is minimal interference.

A motor-driven analogue potentiometer drives the volume control, too.

The Musical Fidelity B1xi amplifier is available to buy now in a single black finish for its all-metal construction.

It costs £699 / $879 / €799, which is very competitive pricing that undercuts the five-star Arcam A5 (£749) and Rega Brio Mk7 (£799) rivals, so we're excited to hear how this new B1 amplifier performs when we get a review sample in for testing.

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The Arcam A5 has been our favourite stereo amplifier in its price bracket for some time now, taking home a What Hi-Fi? Award in 2023 and 2024, and reminding us that the company hadn’t completely turned its attention to AV receivers.

As you can probably tell by the Mk7 designation at the end of its name, Rega’s Brio has been around in various guises before, with the sixth-gen model winning back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards in 2016 and 2017, so this latest version was keenly anticipated before its arrival back in April of this year.

So can the Rega relive the glory days with the Brio Mk7? Or will Arcam’s A5 fend off yet another challenger?

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: price

When we first tested the Arcam A5 back in 2023 it would set you back £749 / $699 / AU$1495 and that remains the case today. The same is true of the Rega Brio Mk7, which we reviewed at £799 / $1095 / AU$1699 earlier this year and perhaps unsurprisingly hasn’t dropped a penny since.

In the UK there’s only a £50 price difference between these two amplifiers, which makes them close competitors, but Rega often charges more for its products in the US, so it’s a tougher sell across the pond where the Brio is significantly more expensive than the A5.

Either way, the Arcam is the more affordable of the two products, and we’ve even seen it drop to £699 on occasion, so it’s a win for the A5 here.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: design and build

Hi-fi separates tend to follow a certain formula when it comes to design. After all, they’re expected to blend in with other products, potentially from other manufacturers, so there’s a certain look they tend to go for in order to maximise their appeal.

That said, the Arcam (above) is a pretty eye-catching bit of kit, especially when compared to the Rega. The A5 has got a much fresher, more modern look than the Brio. We love the classy yellow accents on the sleek aluminium chassis, and the controls feel suitably premium, even if we're not so keen on the frosted finish on the screen as the text is slightly fuzzy to read.

The design of the Brio feels more functional than anything, and while there can be beauty in that approach it’s hard to look at these two side-by-side and not be more drawn to the Arcam.

Both work perfectly fine in daily use, though.

Both also come with remote controls that are simple to use, if not the most luxurious we’ve come across, but then that should probably be expected at this price.

Your own personal judgement on this one might actually come down to dimensions more than aesthetics anyway. The Rega’s half-width design means it might fit better in smaller spaces, but not match your existing set-up so well, while the opposite is also true of the full-size A5.

That physical discrepancy also means the Brio Mk7 weighs significantly less (4.9kg compared to 8kg) but once it’s on your rack that’s unlikely to affect you.

Taking them purely at face value, though, we have to give this one to the Arcam.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: features & connectivity

These two amps go pretty much toe-to-toe when it comes to features.

They’re both capable of outputting 50W per channel, have exactly the same type of physical connections – three line level inputs, plus single optical and 3.5mm headphone sockets, and both have moving magnet phono stages onboard, so you can plug a turntable directly into the amps.

This 7th-generation Brio is the first to include a DAC, and Rega offers a single optical and single coaxial input. Arcam counters with two digital coax inputs, however.

Both amps support hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz but neither has a USB input, which would’ve been handy for connecting your laptop, but it isn’t a deal-breaker in this price bracket.

The main thing that sets them apart, features-wise, is that the Arcam A5 has two-way aptX Adaptive Bluetooth. For traditionalists, that won’t be a big deal, but with many people keen to be able to play music wirelessly from their phones, tablets or laptops as well as the ‘old-fashioned’ way, it’s a point of difference that makes the A5 that little bit more useful than the Rega.

Of course, it’s perfectly possible to attach a third-party streamer to either of these amps, but having Bluetooth built in, even if only for occasional use, is always handy.

**Winner: Arcam A5**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: sound

In their respective five-star reviews, both the Rega Brio Mk7 and Arcam A5 scored full marks for their audio performance, but are there appreciable sonic differences between the two that might make you choose one over the other?

No matter the source or the genre of music we chose during our testing, the Arcam proved to be a superbly rounded performer. It delivers a sound that’s articulate, insightful and entertaining, with authoritative but agile bass, and an expansive, nicely layered soundstage.

We said in our review: "There is a fine sense of control too, with the amplifier showing impressive composure when the music gets demanding. It doesn’t sound stressed or cluttered, even when pushed to higher volume levels... Larger scale dynamic swings are rendered with conviction and there is a good dose of scale on show too."

The A5’s DAC offers three filter options, and while we prefer to use the second one, they all sound crisp and punchy. The phono stage and headphone socket also perform well, as does the Bluetooth connection, although bear in mind that it’ll never sound as good as going wired.

The Rega is not just an improvement on its predecessor, it’s also a worthy rival to the A5. Our review highlighted its solid, punchy and exciting presentation, which brims with confidence and substance.

Tonally even and not fussy about the equipment that you pair it with, the Brio Mk7 doesn’t sound the most spacious, but it keeps instruments in check when things get complicated.

We said in our review: "There is never any doubt as to the emotion any given artist wants the listener to feel. This has long been a strength of Rega’s Brio line-up, and this Mk7 version just reinforces that tradition."

The phono stage is also impressive (perhaps not surprising given Rega’s experience with turntables), the DAC is one of the best we’ve heard in a stereo amp of this price, and the headphone socket doesn’t let the side down either.

So how do we choose a winner here? When you directly compare the two it’s really a matter of personal preference.

While detail levels are around the same, the Arcam sounds smoother and more open, with a greater sense of scale, plus it’s more refined and can handle dynamic shifts more seamlessly.

The Brio Mk7, however, has more punch and drive, with a more muscular sound that’s particularly noticeable at the lower end of the frequency range. It’s an amp that’s great at conveying rhythms and the energy in the music you choose to play through it.

Which of those you prefer the idea of should be how you choose your winner here, but we’re going to call it a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Rega Brio Mk7 vs Arcam A5: verdict

The Rega Brio Mk7 might not have come out on top in any of the categories above, but this is a much closer battle than that would make it seem.

These are both highly capable stereo amplifiers that are very difficult to separate on paper, with both offering stellar sound performances.

The A5’s Bluetooth connection is the only real way to tell them apart if you just compare the spec sheets side by side, and that’s hardly going to be a deal-breaker for most people shopping for an integrated amp at this price.

Some of our review team prefer the design of the Arcam while others prefer Rega's half-width size, but that, like the sonic performance of these two products, comes down to personal taste more than anything else.

Whichever one you buy, you’ll be getting a five-star product that we highly recommend. But it’s the Award-winning Arcam A5 that just clinches this one on points rather than a full knockout.

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“Oh hello, old friend,” we thought as we dusted off our long-held sample of Cambridge Audio’s original CXA81, smiling as we lifted it out of the box as a whisky connoisseur might a 40-year-old bottle of single malt Scotch.

This 2019-released integrated amplifier is fondly remembered at What Hi-Fi?, having won back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards for four years. In fact, we named it our Product of the Year in the stereo amplifier category each time, too.

Its re-emergence in our test room isn’t, however, to satisfy some nostalgic longing, but owing to the long-anticipated arrival of a second-generation version, which lands at What Hi-Fi? towers with clown-sized shoes to fill.

That the Cambridge Audio CXA81 MKII not only replaces the CXA81 but also the step-down CXA61 – also a four-time Award-winning star – in the company’s CX series, only adds to the pressure.

Needless to say, we are itching to see how far this much-loved model has come in six years (spoiler: it’s quite a way) and whether it can claim back the crown from the Arcam A15 that dethroned its predecessor back in 2023.

Build & design

If you judged innovation on looks, you would think Cambridge Audio has stood still in its transition from the original, now-discontinued CXA81 to this MKII model.

Its casework is identical to its predecessor, to the point that a game of spot the difference between our samples would throw up only two minor disparities – the somewhat odd move from ‘CXA81’ to simply ‘CXA’ for the front-chassis printing on the CXA81 MKII, and the (removable!) front-panel stickers on the original – neither of which screams ‘evolution’.

Did Cambridge Audio still possess surplus casing stock of its CXA81, or did the design team simply see no room for improvement? Despite the five years that have passed between the models’ release, perhaps the British company considered the smart Lunar Grey chassis and its connections still befitting a modern-day amplifier. And we wouldn't argue.

After all, the amplifier market is hardly one of the most aesthetically progressive categories in consumer electronics and this model remains sleek, substantial and well-equipped by today’s standards.

And if this is one reason that Cambridge Audio has been able to keep the RRP consistent between the generations – it remains £999 in the UK and, at $1199, is actually $100 cheaper in the US – then all the better.

We love the large volume dial and how the inset bottom makes the facade look as though it is floating centimetres above whatever support it sits on.

A text display, as found on its Arcam rival, would, in our minds, be both aesthetically and practically preferable, but woe betide us to begrudge the simplicity of the Cambridge’s input LED display and accompanying physical buttons.

Features

Speaking of inputs, you won’t feel shortchanged. Alongside the typical line-level (three), optical (two) and coaxial (one) inputs are single USB Type-B and balanced XLR, giving you a range of options to connect a music streamer, CD player, TV or computer/laptop if you so wish.

Predictably, Cambridge Audio suggests its own CXN100 – a five-star product – as a natural streaming partner for the CXA81 MKII, which sensibly also has balanced XLR connectivity (outputs).

You can get wireless playback without going down the separate streamer route courtesy of the amplifier’s built-in aptX HD Bluetooth, though the performance potential of Bluetooth technology is comparatively limited.

Elsewhere of note on the busy rear panel are subwoofer and pre-out outputs, accommodating the expansion of your system to an external sub and power amplifier respectively, plus a Control Bus socket, which allows any compatible Cambridge product to power up with the CXA81 MKII in synchrony.

So what, we hear you ask, is new here?

Like the most recent generations of iPhones, the CXA81 MKII doesn’t wear its progression on its sleeve, but hides it.

Beneath the hood, Cambridge Audio has swapped in more “premium” components in the Class A/B amplification circuitry, and chosen a more advanced DAC chip for its digital circuitry; the ESS ES9018K2M SABRE32 supports PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256.

So while you may not get enhanced features or aesthetics, you should, Cambridge Audio says, get enhanced sound quality.

Sound

We reacquaint ourselves with the older Cambridge amplifier before firing up its successor, and are met with the confident delivery we remember: clear, full-bodied (particularly in the midrange) and with a slightly forward inclination that leans into music. Its balance of strengths remains enjoyable even today.

Switch over to the CXA81 MKII, however, and the years between them are revealed as obviously as those between Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Han Solo in the first Stars Wars film and The Force Awakens. You’re immediately drawn into the music even more thanks to significant gains in clarity, detail and openness.

It’s a bigger, bolder and more authoritative performer that, as is evident with the fat walking bassline in Mac Miller’s What’s The Use?, also has a weightier, grippier low-end – even if you don’t quite get the same sense of musical drive as you do with the veteran model. Like a floor-to-floor living room window, it invites you into whatever is before you.

Once again, we find ourselves falling for the mid-range model’s lush, clean midrange. Playing Adrienne Lenker’s zombie girl, it captures the rawness of her sweet, melodious vocal and ably tracks the subtle dynamic lurches of her accompanying acoustic fingerpicking, the deep bass guitar notes anchoring the piece prominently.

So far, so good. And we are pleased to report that the CXA81 MKII feels just as at home with appropriate, price-comparable partnering kit, such as the KEF LS50 speakers, as it does with our reference system.

Its delivery remains as consistent as we would expect through the digital connections, too, the move to a new DAC chip clearly paying off. Sure, that mighty big presence and scale is somewhat less mighty, as though the soundstage has been minimised via the standard pinch-to-zoom action on a phone screen, and the higher frequencies are noticeably thinner. But in terms of tonality and, to a large extent, quality, it is more or less in line.

Bluetooth performance is still an area of weakness for most amplifiers that integrate it – cruder, notably less clear and detailed and missing the polish of the wired connection – although fine for occasional use.

It’s when we bring another music genre and amplifier into our testing that the CXA81 MKII’s foibles come to the fore.

Play Yellow Mellow by Australian psych-rock band Ocean Alley, and the amplifier’s somewhat muted rhythmic drive compared to its predecessor reveals itself.

The funky jazz fusion of cymbals, keyboard and guitar fills the soundstage with purpose, but while its pace should be laboured at the beginning before launching into its prevailing buoyant tempo, it all feels a little one-speed.

It’s time to hook up the class leader at the Cambridge amp’s price point – the Award-winning Arcam A15 – to our reference system instead, and indeed its clearly more musically cohesive and organised delivery is more convincingly able to carry the momentum and pace-changes of the piece.

While the Arcam is a little lighter in the bass than the Cambridge, it is more agile down there, too.

Over to Black Country, New Road’s Besties, and, again, the current Award-winner better communicates the playfulness of the harpsichord intro, as well as the rhythm of the tune-carrying guitar beneath Georgia Ellery’s vocal.

In its own right, the CXA81 MKII doesn’t exactly feel dynamically limited in its rendition of the Out Of Africa Theme, riding the ebbs and flows of the strings and woodwinds, and rising to the occasion of the climax. Yet the A15 is that bit more expressive and organised in delivering the intricate instrumentation, and is ultimately more interesting to listen to.

Verdict

The Arcam A15 is a special amplifier, hence its back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Award wins – an achievement Cambridge Audio has itself enjoyed many times in the past, and not only for its CXA81. Arcam has raised the bar considerably at this competitive price level, and while Cambridge Audio has moved its CXA81 on in nearly every aspect, it hasn’t closed the gap on its closest rival with the latest iteration.

We love how the CXA81 MKII grabs us from the off with its impressively big, clear and full sound, we just wish it had the musical tenacity and drive to keep us hooked.

Review published: 11th July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 5

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I've always been fond of the NAD D 3020 V2 stereo amplifier. It's an unusual little design, sitting upright like an old projector reel compared with the traditional rectangular box design most hi-fi electronics come in.

It's also a great example of how Class D amplification can be used in smaller units and deliver engaging, subtle dynamics and snappy timing.

This quirky, five-star NAD is now available for £299 at Sevenoaks – that's a substantial £100 saving from its usual recent price. There has been a dearth of really good budget stereo amplifiers in recent years, so this slice of hi-fi goodness for this great deal price is certainly tempting.

This slim, upright-orientated NAD D 3020 V2 amp is a unique, left-field design compared to most amps around. It's faithful to the classic 1970 original design that was incredibly popular, and the V2 model's dimensions are hugely appealing for those with limited space looking for smaller hi-fi.

There's an abundance of connectivity here for such a compact amp: a moving-magnet phono stage for your turntable, alongside optical, coaxial and RCA inputs for plugging in a CD player, a network streamer and even a TV into this little NAD.

To add to the convenience, Bluetooth aptX streaming is also on board.

The D 3020 V2 is a great-sounding unit, too. In keeping with the original's tradition-breaking mould, it uses Class D amplification to offer 30W per channel. That's more than plenty to drive compact speakers and deliver an entertaining sound.

The presentation is tonally even with a natural balance throughout, while detail levels are great for this price.

But it's the NAD's strengths with timing and dynamics that will really win you over – it's an engaging approach that gets to the heart and spirit of any song.

I'm rather partial to half-width electronics and small speakers that punch above their weight, and if, like me, you have limited space in your house for a full hi-fi system, the NAD would fit right in.

Add in the ultra-budget, ultra-compact WiiM Pro Plus to add extensive streaming powers, a good pair of wired headphones – Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X or Austrian Audio Hi-X20 – and you've got a very capable, compact hi-fi system that won't take up too much room on a desk.

The NAD D 3020 V2 is a versatile little amp and one that has been in my and the What Hi-Fi? team's affections for many, many years. For its current £299 price at Sevenoaks, it's a tantalising deal I may not be able to ignore.

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The world of hi-fi is changing with the times. Over the past half-decade we’ve seen a number of new categories arrive, fuelled by the growing popularity of streaming to prove that point.

These include all-in-one and speaker systems as well as just add-speaker streaming amps. And to be clear, I get why.

If you look at the latest numbers from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association, in 2024 music streaming alone generated £2018.4m of revenue.

By comparison vinyl spoke for £196m and CD £126.2m. So for any business, if you want a mainstream audience, streaming is where it’s at.

But, this week a product launched reminding me why, for me personally, there’s a growing gap in the market because of this.

Specifically, the Pro-Ject Uni Box S3, which promises to "preserve” analogue signals’ integrity when playing vinyl and CDs, while simultaneously supporting hi-res streaming thanks to its use of a WiiM streaming module.

Hands in the air, we haven’t tested the unit, so we can’t attest to its quality – though we are curious, as the company’s original MaiA amplifier lacked the finesse to earn a recommendation from our testers.

But despite this, its appearance did get my brain cells whirring into action and pondering one big question: why aren’t there more, affordable streaming amps trying to deliver the whole package for hi-fi fans?

From a mass market perspective the answer is probably that people like me, who straddle the line between streaming and physical media, are a minority.

So for most companies it’s better to target the growth area (streaming) directly, as companies such as WiiM and Bluesound have.

For these companies, an HDMI, which lets you connect the amp to a wider selection of modern devices, including TVs and monitors, makes sense.

But as a guy short on space and cash but with a surplus of vinyl and CDs, I honestly would prefer a reliable phono stage in most instances.

If you want don't want to go down the full-fat separates route, either due to lack of space, or because you value pure convenience, there aren't many options available right now.

This is one of the key reasons the Award-winning Technics SA-C600 has become one of my most treasured pieces of hi-fi.

Not only does the unit have an integrated CD player, offer stellar build quality and excellent streaming support, it also has a good – if you match it with a price compatible turntable – phono stage built-in.

I got it three years ago, and honestly I’m still happy as a pig in muck with it as, despite keeping an eagle eye on the market and what’s passing through our listening rooms, I'm yet to see any other streaming amp that can match its holistic offering.

The closest we’ve tested recently is the four-star WiiM Amp Pro, which, while cheap and a solid performer, is almost purely focussed on streaming – it doesn’t even have a physical headphone output.

Am I the minority? Undoubtedly. But I still can’t help but hold out hope for more affordable amps that cater to streaming and physical media.

We may be a minority, but surely there are enough of us who like “owning” a copy of their favourite albums, who occasionally succumb to the allure of Tidal and Qobuz’s convenience to justify it?

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Quad has unveiled its latest integrated stereo amplifier, the Quad 3. Following the launch of the two-box 33/303 amplifier pair, which revived classic models from the 1960s with a fresh outlook, the new Quad 3 follows the same exterior style as its reimagined siblings but with "cutting-edge" internal technologies.

We first spotted the Quad 3 at High End Munich last month (pictured above), and now we have full details, price and availability.

The Quad 3 is powered by Class A/B amplification and delivers 65 watts per channel into 8 ohms. The amp's output stage uses a Quad's 'Complementary Feedback' topology in pursuit of "superior linearity and excellent thermal stability", while independent low-noise power supplies are provided for each critical element for a more "detailed, expansive and expressive" sound.

At the heart of the new amplifier is the Quad 3’s DAC stage, based around the ES9038Q2M Sabre DAC chip. Employing ESS Technology’s 'HyperStream II' architecture and a bespoke jitter eliminator, the Quad 3 promises ultra-low noise and high dynamic range for a more expressive, involving listen.

The amp is capable of handling hi-res PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512, while full MQA decoding is on board. There's also a choice of five filter settings to suit your given source material, a handy addition if you need to make adjustments for a range of different quality digital formats and platforms.

In terms of physical connections, the Quad 3 offers coaxial and optical digital inputs, a USB-B input, as well as an HDMI ARC port for integrating your amplifier into your TV or home cinema setup. Analogue sources, meanwhile, are catered for courtesy of twin RCA inputs and a moving magnet phono input for vinyl lovers.

For personal listening, Quad's latest amp features a 6.3mm headphone output, while Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD codec support is available for fans of wireless streaming.

On the front panel, there are four controls for selecting your source and adjusting your music's tone to your preference, alongside a larger volume rotary control dial and that retro-tastic orange backlit horizontal LCD display.

The Quad 3 integrated will be available from mid-June, priced at £1249 / €1499 / AU$2799.

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You’re always guaranteed to see some tasty high-end hi-fi being exhibited by Mark Levinson at the High End Munich show, and this year is no different.

Say hello to the company’s brand new 600 series of amplifiers. The range consists of three models: the No. 626 preamplifier, No. 632 two-channel power amplifier (both pictured above) and, for those who want power delivered to each of their speakers by a dedicated box, the No. 631 monoblock.

Each amplifier is built on Mark Levinson’s Pure Path circuit philosophy and showcases the brand’s trademark Tectonic industrial design, which blends a machined aluminium chassis, anodised in black, with silver controls. Glass panels on each amp and signature red accents and lighting complete the striking, trademark aesthetics.

The No. 626 dual-mono preamplifier is priced at £24,000 / €28,000 / $25,000 and features Mark Levinson’s fully balanced Pure Path architecture for the analogue section.

The digital number-crunching is powered by its Precision Link III DAC, which supports up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD through six digital inputs – AES/EBU, two coaxial digital, two optical digital, and USB-C.

Analogue connectivity comes in the shape of two balanced (XLR) and three single-ended (RCA) stereo inputs, a Pure Phono MM/MC phono stage for your turntable and a Main Drive Class A headphone amplifier for connecting a premium pair of audiophile headphones.

Inside, the No. 626 has been designed with modular isolation in mind and includes special shielding of the power supply circuit and digital source circuit from the analogue and phono circuitry.

It also uses twin power supplies and comes fitted with vibration-damped feet to keep the amp isolated.

Both the No. 632 power amplifier £30,000 / €34,000 / $30,000 and No. 631 monoblock £38,000 / €44,000 / $40,000 (pictured above) feature Class A/AB amplification, Pure Path fully balanced signal paths, and meaty toroidal power supplies.

The No. 631 uses an eye-catching floorstanding chassis which stands just under 53cm (21 inches) tall. In keeping with the rest of the series, its chassis has also been machined from aluminium and is anodised in black, featuring a silver plinth as its base.

You’ll find a glass centre panel on the front with red lighting on either side, while the top panel of the amp has a glass Core element with red accent lighting.

The Mark Levinson No. 626, No. 632 and No. 631 amplifiers will go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2025.

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NAD has announced two new amps in its Master Series range at High End Munich. The M33 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier follows the original M33 which reviewed very well indeed, while the M23 V2 Stereo Power Amplifier succeeds the original M23.

Both promise a "refined sonic performance" and "enhanced connectivity."

Much like its predecessor, the M33 V2 aims to combine audiophile sound with streaming smarts, but this time it has MQA Labs' new FOQUS and QRONO technologies for a more accurate signal conversion.

These work alongside an ESS SABRE ES9039PRO DAC and Gen 2 Purifi Eigentakt amplifier modules for more precise timing, a wider dynamic range and greater musical integrity.

NAD claims to have eliminated distortion, for a more nuanced and accurate sound.

This time around, Dirac Live Bass Control also comes as part of the package for precise subwoofer integration and optimised room response. And it has XLR pre-outs and a higher subwoofer output level – alongside BluOS multi-room streaming, Apple AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, and support for major smart home platforms – for more connectivity options.

The M23 V2 is a similar high-value proposition to its predecessor, but now features updated Eigentakt modules for refined timing and less distortion.

There's also a new 12V trigger output with timed delay, to simplify daisy-chaining of multiple amps and preventing surge spikes, and balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs for more integration options.

It has bridgeable operation too, capable of doubling the output in mono mode to give it maximum system headroom. It delivers 200W per channel (8 ohms) or 700W bridged.

Both devices feature aluminium bodies with magnetic iso-point feet and precision-machined detailing. NAD claims they will work in partnership for a performance that rivals boutique brands but without the price tag.

Speaking of which, the M33 V2 costs £4999 / $5999 (around AU$10,000) and the M23 V2 £3499 / $3999 (around AU$7000). Both go on sale on 11th August.

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Rega’s Brio has been one of our go-to affordable stereo amplifier recommendations for longer than we care to remember.

The original was launched in 1991, and every generation since has been a frill-free analogue design, with priority given to good sound and a feature set that covered the basics.

The new Rega Brio Mk7 version doesn’t deviate much from this well-established path, but acknowledges the changing times by adding digital inputs.

Less welcome is a price increase that pushes this amplifier into the next class up from its traditional, more affordable home, and puts it against some tough competition.

Build & features

With the Brio Mk7, Rega has persisted with the convenient half-width casing of the previous generation but changed the front and rear panel designs to match the styling of its current product range. The result is neat enough.

However, placing the old next to the new, we find ourselves preferring the metal controls of the last-gen model over the Brio Mk7’s plasticky alternatives.

We’re not big fans of the new Brio’s cheap-feeling plastic rear panel either, especially given the amplifier’s increased price.

Elsewhere, there is no issue with the swap from a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output to a 3.5mm; most price-appropriate headphones come with this as standard, anyway.

The new system remote is fine too, being well-designed and simple to use, if not particularly stylish.

Much the same description applies to the amplifier as a whole. Generally, it feels like a functional tool designed to do a job rather than something to impress friends with – until you listen to it, that is. More on that later.

The big news here is the addition of digital inputs.

The Brio Mk7 offers the choice of single coaxial and optical connections, and is compatible with PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz.

DSD is not on the menu, nor is there a USB input. While the lack of these things is a little disappointing, neither is a deal breaker for us at this level.

It is important to remember that the Rega’s main rival, the Arcam A5, is no better equipped in these respects, though it does include a Bluetooth input, which the Brio doesn’t have.

On the analogue side, the Rega has three single-ended line-level inputs, which, while not generous, should be fine for most systems.

Take a look inside the Brio Mk7 and you will find a re-laid circuit board to improve performance and reduce distortion.

The engineers have worked hard to improve the isolation between the sensitive moving magnet phono stage and the higher current sections of the amplifier.

The Brio’s power output remains the same as the previous model at 50 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load, rising to 72 watts as impedance halves.

While the Brio Mk7 is no powerhouse, these are perfectly decent figures that mean it will be able to drive most price-compatible speakers without issue.

Rega has built a switchable auto-standby function into this amplifier, where it goes to sleep after around an hour without an input signal. It’s a neat touch, but can be turned off if you want to keep it fully warmed and ready to go.

During our time with the Brio Mk7, we use it with a range of sources from our high-end reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R/Vertere Dark Sabre record player to more price-appropriate alternatives such as the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable package and the Cyrus CDi CD player.

Partnering speakers include the KEF LS50 Meta and PMC Prodigy 1 alongside our trusty ATC SCM50.

Sound

Our doubts about the Brio Mk7’s ability to compete at this higher price category prove unfounded.

Judged by price standards, it is a hugely accomplished performer that puts clear air between itself and its predecessor. As we compare the two, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the new amplifier’s greater insight, organisation and improved dynamic expression.

The Brio Mk7 has a bold presentation, one that brims with confidence and substance.

As we play Quincy Jones’s Back On The Block, it is hard not to be impressed by the Brio’s taut, grounded, low-frequency performance and its ability to deliver dynamic contests with conviction.

It has a firm grip of rhythms too, giving the music a solid foundation and a great sense of momentum.

Detail levels are high, comparable with class leaders like Arcam’s A5, and all that information is organised in a neat and musically cohesive way.

There is never any doubt as to the emotion any given artist wants the listener to feel. This has long been a strength of Rega’s Brio line-up, and this Mk7 version just reinforces that tradition.

Move your attention up the frequency band and you will notice that voices come through with clarity and natural warmth intact.

This little amplifier may have a relatively modest power output, but you would never know from the way it thumps out transients when the music demands.

It can play at relatively high volume levels with composure too, and doesn’t leave us feeling short-changed, even with low sensitivity speakers such as the 85dB/W/m ATC SCM 50 speakers in our 3 x 7 x 5m test room.

The Brio Mk7 stays firmly on track when asked to play a large-scale classical piece such as Holst’s Mars.

It has the muscle to deliver the music’s savage swings with conviction, yet retains enough finesse to render instrumental textures or the low-level acoustic clues that define the size of the recording venue well.

Tonally, it sounds fairly even and full-bodied.

While this is a direct and front-footed performer, there is still enough in the way of refinement and top-end sweetness to prevent it from becoming overly fussy about poor recordings or less than perfectly matched partnering equipment.

The Rega amp’s stereo imaging is good. It exhibits a pleasing sense of layering and the ability to keep instruments locked in place even when the music becomes complicated.

This amplifier doesn’t generate the most expansive or spacious of soundstages, but it still does enough to convince.

We are pleased to report that the new DAC module is a good one.

It retains the enjoyable character we hear through the analogue stages, sounding lively and forthright across a wide range of material from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s The Road OST to Joe Jackson’s Body And Soul set.

There is a pleasing balance of analysis and entertainment on offer here. This digital module is certainly among the best we have heard integrated into an amplifier at this level.

It is less of a surprise to find that the phono stage is talented too, given that Rega has been built on a foundation of producing great record players.

The moving magnet-only circuit is reasonably quiet in terms of hiss and hum and surprisingly capable.

It communicates the energy of the music well, which is pretty much all we can ask for from such a design. The brand’s expertise in terms of phono stages and record replay shines brightly here.

The Brio’s headphone output maintains the high standards. We try the Mk7 with the Grado SR325x and Austrian Audio’s high-end The Composer, and it works well regardless.

Our only complaint is that there isn’t much in the way of usable travel on the motorised volume control; the level can easily go from ‘quiet’ to ‘way too loud’ with the turn of just a few degrees.

How does the Brio Mk7 compare to its main rival, the Arcam A5? That’s a tough one as their presentations are so different.

The Rega is the more energetic and dramatic performer, capturing the excitement in music brilliantly.

The Arcam takes a measured approach, prioritising articulation, space and refinement, while still delivering highly entertaining results.

The two are so close in ability that the choice between them comes down to your system and taste.

Verdict

Regardless, Rega has taken a real step forward with this amplifier.

We worried that the jump in price was going to be a problem, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

This integrated amplifier is a strong all-rounder that is made all the more appealing by its great-sounding digital section.

If you are looking for a top-class stereo amplifier anywhere near this price level, the Brio Mk7 has to be on your shortlist.

Review published: 28th April 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

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Read our review of the Arcam A5

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French hi-fi brand Elipson has announced the Elipson Connect 2130 Xi, a compact streaming amplifier that's designed for smaller spaces.

The new Connect 2130 Xi is powered by Class D amplification delivering 260 watts of power in total. The streaming amp is equipped with a proprietary 'PFC' power factor correction system, which aims to regulate the supplied power for less harmonic distortion and a more optimal signal-to-noise ratio.

Key to the new unit's performance is an ESS SABRE ES9023 DAC supporting high-resolution files up to 24-bit/192kHz and delivering what Elipson teases will be "exceptional audio quality".

The Elipson Connect 2130 Xi also boasts streaming capabilities, offering support for Bluetooth 5.1, wi-i and LAN connectivity, as well as AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP and DLNA capabilities. There's also multi-room functionality if you want to hook up multiple components to the Connect 2130 Xi on the same system.

In terms of compatible streaming services, the Elipson Connect 2130 Xi offers support for Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz and Amazon Music, as well as iHeartRadio and TuneIn radio.

On the physical connections front, the compact unit sports line-in and RCA inputs for hooking up to a range of audio sources, and an HDMI ARC for integrating the Connect 2130Xi into your TV or home cinema system. There's even a subwoofer output if you want to boost your set-up with some lower-end muscle.

With compact dimensions of 21.5 x 4.45 x 2.2cm and weighing in at around 2kg, the Elipson Connect 2130 Xi streaming amplifier is designed to be a compact and versatile performer without any compromise on sonic performance.

The Elipson Connect 2130 Xi is available to pre-order now, priced at €699 / around £659.

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Rotel has revealed its latest integrated stereo amplifier, the DX-5. Like its recently announced compact Rotel DX-3 headphone amp, the new DX-5 is conceived as the ideal performer for users with small spaces who still seek premium levels of sonic performance. The new unit employs Class AB amplification and promises powerful sound in an "elegant, space-efficient chassis".

The DX-5 delivers 33 watts per channel into 4 ohms, with Rotel teasing "exceptional sound quality and an immersive listening experience" from the compact unit. Powered by a factory-wound toroidal transformer driving a set of high-current output transistors, the DX-5 strives for unerring midrange precision alongside "pristine highs" and a "rich, deep" bass signature.

The amp uses an ESS ES9039Q2M Sabre DAC in pursuit of a low noise floor and a wide, cinematic soundstage. Capable of supporting hi-res PCM files up to 32-bit/384kHz alongside DSD 256, the new model offers coaxial, optical, USB type B and a pair of RCA inputs for physically connecting to a variety of sources. There is also aptX HD Bluetooth support for high-quality wireless streaming.

Further, HDMI ARC is on the menu if you're planning to connect your amp to your TV for a home AV system, with Rotel envisioning its slimline amp as being ideal for music and movies.

The front panel of the DX-5 is fitted with a color graphic display, accompanied by a volume control dial and a 6.35mm headphone jack for private listening sessions. An aluminium remote control is supplied with the amp.

Available in a choice of black or silver finishes, the Rotel DX-5 is on the market this April, priced at £1399 / $1499 / AU$2199. That puts the compact amplifier in competition with the Award-winning Arcam A15 (£1099 / $999 / AU$2195) and the five-star Rega Elex Mk4 (£1199 / $1875 / AU$2499) – hardly a pair of pushovers.

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JBL is one of those audio brands that straddles the modern and traditional extremely well. It has the portable side of things, which the company sells in huge numbers. We’ve had plenty of first-hand experience of this, with a number of its fun and affordable models a fixture in our best Bluetooth speakers guides, having gained five stars from the What Hi-Fi? test team.

But its history is embedded in more traditional two-channel products. Most people will know its predilection for horn-loaded stereo speakers, but it’s also had classic separates in the past, such as the SA600 stereo amplifier from the 1960s. And it’s this vintage amp which has directly inspired the product you see being tested here – the JBL SA550 Classic.

Price

The JBL SA550 Classic is priced at £1749 / $1999 / AU$3999, which means it doesn’t have too much in the way of rivals at identical money. However, anyone shopping at this level will likely be looking at rival amplifiers such as the Rega Elicit MK5 (£2000 / $3345 / AU$4299), or the Arcam A25 (£1499 / $1499 / €1799), the latter of which comes from the same Harman International stable of brands.

Design

The attractive retro styling includes walnut veneer side panels, which is a deliberate design touch to make the amp a perfect match for JBL’s own Classic or Studio Monitor speakers. Even if you’re not planning on pairing two JBL products together in your system, we think the SA550 Classic looks stand-out and charming in its own right.

The front panel’s contrasting brushed fascia gives it a bit of an edge, while the warm glow of the exclamation point from the JBL logo is a welcoming touch which gives it a bit of character you don’t often get from rectangular boxes of hi-fi electronics. It’s a solid, chunky-looking unit which we think has a great deal of rack presence.

On the front, you have rotary dials for controlling volume and switching input, with four buttons that give you access to the amplifier’s menus, digital filters, display options and also mute your music. To our eyes at least, the arrangement is neat and nicely spaced out. The controls are also solid, responsive and generally nice to use.

Our only slight grumble about the way the JBL is presented is that the amplifier’s display seems to be set back quite deep in its horizontal window. The result is when you’re up close and looking at the amp from certain angles (above and/or from the side) you can’t read what’s being displayed fully, which can be slightly annoying.

You do get a small remote control included with the amp, but it’s not the nicest wand to use as there are a lot of similar-sized buttons close to each other. At least the volume buttons are a slightly different shape and easy enough to locate.

Features

On the front of the JBL you have an auxiliary input and headphone socket. Peer around the back and you’ll see a good assortment of connectivity options.

There’s a single set of speaker terminals, four analogue inputs, including a moving magnet phono stage for a turntable, and three digital inputs which work with the amp’s high-res ESS ES9038K2M DAC chip. You have three coaxial and one optical, but there’s no USB input, which we are slightly surprised to see omitted.

To use with the digital inputs you have seven different digital filters to choose from, with each one offering a subtle tweak to the sound. They are: Brick Wall, Apodizing, Corrected Minimum Phase Fast Roll Off, Minimum Phase Slow Roll Off, Minimum Phase Fast Roll Off, Linear Phase Slow Roll Off and Linear Phase Fast Roll Off.

Feeding one of the coaxial digital sockets a native hi-res feed from our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, we find the differences between them quite subtle. However, we settle on Linear Phase Slow Roll Off, which we think helps to deliver the best balance of timing and dynamics when feeding the amp a digital signal. Out of the box, the JBL is set to Apodizing.

In addition to the phono stage, JBL has added some extra convenience to the SA550 in the shape of Bluetooth connectivity. This includes support for aptX Adaptive where you have a compatible device.

The power output of the SA550 is claimed to be 90W into 8 ohms (20-20kHz, 0.002% THD) but it’s worth noting that JBL uses Class G amplification in this model which is slightly unusual and is done with efficiency in mind. Instead of using a single power supply, the amp uses two to share the workload.

Sound

Mirroring the illuminated exclamation point of the JBL logo on the amp’s fascia, the amp gives off a warm, rich sonic glow.

It’s a little laid back and doesn’t quite have the same insight or dynamic agility as the very best, such as the Rega Elicit MK5, but it does produce a sound that’s extremely likeable and easy to get along with. During our time testing the amplifier, we never really tire of its sound which is always a positive in our book.

It’s a fun listen from the moment we fire up Empire State Of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. The track’s thumping bassline hits with weight and authority and, despite sounding a little fat, it still does more than enough to capture the energy and positive vibe of the track.

The vocal, percussion and piano keystrokes all hang in a decent amount of space. JBL’s amplifier does a good job of following the slightly lazy, laid-back rhythms. Keys’ vocal shoots into view during the chorus with power and you get a good feel for her passion and emotion for the Big Apple very well.

We switch to Now We Are Free from the Gladiator OST and the JBL continues to entertain despite the change of pace. There’s a nice flow to the track with solidity and weight to the drums, although they sound a tiny bit overdone by the standards of the class leaders. There’s also enough sparkle higher up the frequency range too. Thanks to the amps’ smooth nature, high frequencies never come close to sounding uncomfortable, even with particularly poor recordings.

The track’s searching, emotive main vocal and accompanying backing vocals do connect with you and communicate the sad-yet-joyous nature of the song. Again, the best-in-class with their top-drawer dynamics do tug at the heartstrings more strongly than the JBL, but you don’t finish listening wishing you had those four minutes and thirteen seconds back. It’s still an entertaining listen.

We carry out the majority of our testing using our reference ATC SCM50 standmounters as a tool to reveal the JBL’s abilities, but we also use the amplifier with something more price comparable. In this instance, we reach for the excellent PMC Prodigy 5.

These slimline floorstanders deliver a sonic masterclass for the money and we can report they work extremely well with the SA550. The JBL sounds completely at home putting them through their paces, the PMC’s fun, dynamic and transparent nature being a great mix with the JBL’s richness and smoothness. We’d happily recommend pairing the two together.

Switching to the built-in moving magnet phono stage the JBL’s entertaining character carries over here too. The general solidity of sound and sense of life shine through in Michael Jackson’s Thriller, while the same laid-back character comes through (if a little more compressed) when we stream the same track using the SA550’s Bluetooth connectivity. It remains fun and easy to listen to, even with the added compression and lack of refinement you get from lower quality Bluetooth streams.

Verdict

While the JBL isn’t the last word in dynamics, detail or transparency, it still produces a sound that delivers fun and entertainment. This sounds relatively straightforward and a basic requirement, but it’s surprisingly difficult for some hi-fi components to get right.

If you’re looking for an amp to pair with your JBL Classic speakers, the SA550 is worth a listen. But it also carries more than enough charm and affability to extend its appeal to anyone looking for a rich-sounding and entertaining new amp to drive their hi-fi system.

First reviewed: March 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 4

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Audiolab has unveiled the sequel to its five-star 6000A stereo amplifier. The new unit – logically dubbed the Audiolab 6000A MkII – promises to take the original's performance to new heights, and while it may look similar to the outgoing model, internal upgrades tease a more potent performance over the original we reviewed seven years ago.

As before, the Audiolab 6000A MkII delivers 50 watts per channel into 8 ohms, but improvements to the new integrated amp's digital circuitry claim to deliver enhanced sonic talents. Dropping out the ES9018K2M DAC used in the 6000A, Audiolab has switched to a new-generation 32-bit ES9038Q2M ESS Sabre chip for its new model, the same one as found in the more premium Audiolab 7000A amplifier. The 6000A's post-DAC filter uses a class A circuit that is optimised for the new DAC chip, a technology that has trickled down from the more premium Audiolab 9000A and 7000A models.

The analogue circuitry has also enjoyed multiple updates. The 6000A MkII utilises the same Class AB amplification as its predecessor, but this time with an upgraded toroidal transformer and power supply that promises improved sonic capabilities. The circuitry's layout has been optimised to protect the preamplifier section from interference, which, when combined with low-noise power supplies across each stage, seeks to deliver a purer, less distorted signature.

What about inputs and outputs? The new Audiolab amp offers two coaxial and two optical inputs, as well as a new HDMI ARC if you want to slot the 6000A MkII into your TV/AV setup. Analogue sources are also catered for thanks to the amp's trio of line-level RCA stereo connections alongside a moving magnet phono input. The 6000A MkII even offers Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity with support for the hi-res aptX HD codec.

Further, there's a dedicated headphone amplifier (accessible via a 6.3mm headphone output) which teases a "dynamic and detailed performance" with all types of cans. Audiolab has also improved the MM phono stage, teasing a "high-definition, low-noise performance" for your records.

Visually, the new amp doesn't stray much from the aesthetics or layout of its predecessor, exhibiting broadly the same metal chassis, control panel and OLED display as before. That's no huge issue, as we found the build of the original 6000A, while not exactly revolutionary, to be "of a high standard" when we reviewed it in 2018.

Audiolab is clearly aiming to focus on the original 6000A's sonic performance, with improved clarity, focus and authority promised. We await with anticipation to see if it can deliver on those claims, especially in light of new rivals in this price category – although the new Audiolab is priced more competitively than the five-star Arcam A5 and the newly launched Rega Brio Mk7.

The Audiolab 6000A MkII will be available from April in a choice of silver or black finishes and will cost £699 / $1299 / AU$1799 / €899.

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This Quincy Jones-produced disco tune has become my go-to test track – and taught me a valuable lesson about hi-fi, too

Read our high-end Gryphon Audio Diablo 33 review

We had our first glimpse of the new WiiM Vibelink Amp at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show last month, and now we have the full final details of this amplifier, including the official pricing.

The Vibelink Amp is a fully standalone integrated stereo amplifier, and it marks WiiM stepping into a brand new category. It's the brand's first product that doesn't include any wi-fi streaming, instead embarking into an arena that has much stronger competition from established hi-fi brands such as Cambridge Audio, Rotel, Rega and Marantz.

WiiM has garnered many fans and high praise for its affordable, feature-packed streaming products, including the Award-winning Pro Plus and five-star WiiM Ultra, but how will it perform as a standalone amplifier?

The Vibelink Amp's specifications sheet looks strong. It boasts 100W per channel into 8 ohms of Class D amplification, with an ESS 9039Q2M DAC chip handling hi-res audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz through the digital inputs. Inputs include a pair of stereo RCA, optical and coaxial (one apiece) alongside a set of speaker terminals on the rear panel. There's no USB input or subwoofer output, although these connections are available on the Ultra music streamer.

WiiM promises "room-filling sound, capable of handling complex soundscapes and details without distortion" along with rich detail and clean sound.

The unit has a large aluminium heatsink and specially designed copper heat pipes to help dissipate the internally generated heat of the amplifier, and uses "PID-based thermal management software to ensure optimal temperature regulation". The amp also incorporates anti-pop noise technology to prevent interruptions in playback when switching between inputs or audio resolution, or when adjusting settings.

On the very minimal front panel you'll find a large volume control knob and a button for selecting the source, next to LEDs that indicate which input is being used.

WiiM says the Vibelink Amp can be used with any of its streamers, but pairing it with the Ultra seems the most natural intention, as both have a very similar footprint and aluminium chassis, and matching finishes of silver and space gray available.

This means you can neatly stack them in a modern twist on a traditional hi-fi separates system, and with this WiiM combo taking up less desk space than your laptop, we can see it having wide appeal for those looking for space-saving systems. A small, slim metal remote with basic controls is also included with the stereo amp.

The price remains ultra-competitive, with the Vibelink Amp costing £319 / $299 – that puts it even cheaper than our current favourite budget stereo amplifier, the Rotel A8 at £399 / $449. We weren't too keen on the WiiM Amp streaming amplifier's sonic chops, but the Vibelink integrated promises even better sound than the upgraded WiiM Amp Pro – so here's hoping it can succeed as its streaming siblings have.

The WiiM Vibelink Amp is available in the US now and will be in the UK from April, and we can't wait to find out how it performs once we get a review sample.

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Read our WiiM Ultra review

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The perfect hi-fi streamer exists only in our imagination – here’s how it looks

Gryphon Audio is a Danish high-end brand founded in 1985. Its first product was a moving coil step-up unit, which in many ways set the template for components the company makes to this day. Since that auspicious beginning, Gryphon’s products have always been positioned at the top end of the market, prioritising engineering purity and performance above all else.

The Diablo 333 amplifier is a fine example of the breed. It is the pricier of the company’s two integrated options, and sits in an extensive range that includes almost every part of the audio chain. The breadth of Gryphon’s output is wide for such a modestly-sized brand and includes a complete record deck, including tonearm and cartridge, alongside various phono stages, integrated and pre/power amplifiers plus a small range of not so small speakers.

Digital hasn’t been ignored either, with a number of CD players and digital-to-analogue converters on offer. The company even makes cables and furniture, so it is possible to have a complete end-to-end Gryphon system if you desire. Impressive.

That adjective equally applies to the Diablo 333 too. This beast is all about big numbers. That starts with the base price, which at £24,500 / $24,900 / AU$39,995 sits near the top end of the scale as far as one-box designs go. This integrated is chunky but not over-sized by class standards, though the all-in weight of around 50kg makes us pause for thought as we take the unit out of its smart wooden crate. You will certainly need help unpacking it if you value a healthy back, and require an equipment support sturdy enough to resist folding under the pressure of all that weight.

Design

So, 333 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load. Can we just stop and think about that absurd figure for a second? That amount of power probably makes the Diablo the most powerful domestic amplifier that What Hi-Fi? has tested in its almost 50-year history.

Astonishingly, that figure doubles as impedance halves and almost doubles again to reach 1100 watts per channel into 2 ohms. We doubt that there will be many situations where this amplifier comes up short when it comes to volume levels, in a home context at least.

However, if your room is the size of an aircraft hangar or you own some of the most electrically-demanding speakers on the planet, we suspect Gryphon would happily point you towards its even pricier pre/power combos.

Take a look inside the Diablo and its construction is just as good as you would hope for given the price. At its heart is a massive 2200VA dual mono toroidal mains transformer (a hefty 17.5kg in weight) and 68000uF of reservoir capacitance per channel. This arrangement ultimately feeds highly regulated power to different parts of the circuit, isolating the various sections from each other to keep the sensitive audio pathway as pure and noise free as possible.

Gryphon’s amplifier designs have always been dual mono in nature and this one is no different.

A dual mono design avoids the possibility of crosstalk and reduces any channel-to-channel interference, so helping to maximise the circuit’s performance, in particular when it comes to stereo imaging. The Diablo’s circuit features zero global feedback – another Gryphon trait – and operates with an ultra-wide bandwidth (0.1Hz - 350kHz (-3dB limits)) to ensure that musical transients are reproduced accurately.

Other characteristics of this amplifier’s electronic design are that signal paths are kept as short as possible and the engineers have worked hard to reduce the use of internal wiring. Both of these things reduce signal degradation.

Build & features

This amplifier’s overall construction quality is exceptional. Whatever you think of the Gryphon’s distinctive black on black aesthetic, there is no denying the quality of the build, fit and finish. Every panel lines up perfectly and the precision in terms of machining is exceptional. This is an expensive product and we are pleased to find that it has the luxury aura to back up its hefty price tag. Such things aren’t always a given with high-end products from relatively small manufacturers.

The Diablo 333 also proves slick in use. It has a 4.3in TFT touchscreen display that’s crisp and clear. The touchscreen is nice and responsive in use, making the initial set-up a breeze. It is all intuitive, allowing us to adjust everything from the name of an input and its relative sensitivity to the amount of time the display stays on with ease. You can add a pleasing remote handset to the list of positives too. The Gryphon has a nicely weighted metal unit that is simply laid-out and responsive.

High-end integrated amplifiers don’t tend to be packed to the rafters with features, and this Gryphon hardly bucks that trend. Anyone thinking of buying at this level prioritises performance, and so the manufacturers tend to remove many of the frills to maximise sound quality.

As standard, the Diablo 333 is a relatively simple line level integrated amplifier, with four inputs (including two balanced XLRs) and both fixed and variable line-level outputs. There is provision, however, to add optional modules – the PS3 phono stage (£4950 / $5600 / AU$9995) and the DAC3 digital-to-analogue converter (£6950 / $7000 / AU$11,995).

Neither is cheap, but they are neat ways to add functionality should you need it. Our review sample is equipped with the phono stage but not the DAC module.

The DAC3 remains an interesting proposition though. It is based around ESS Sabre’s ES9039Pro chipset, which ensures compatibility with 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD512 files. There are five inputs – USB Type B, AES/EBU, BNC coaxial x 2 and an optical. The circuit mirrors the dual mono/ zero global feedback philosophy of the rest of the amplifier and offers seven user-selectable digital filter options to allow the user to fine tune the performance to taste.

The price, just as with the phono module, is a big hurdle though, and there is no shortage of talented outboard alternatives on the market. Still, given the quality of the rest of the amplifier we would be keen to give it a listen.

The PS3 is a switchable moving magnet/moving coil phono module with the switching is done through the Diablo’s menu system. Its balanced Class A circuit follows the same dual mono/zero global feedback ideals of the main amplifier and offers fairly conventional gain values of 42dB for moving magnet cartridges and 64dB for moving coils. We are glad to note that there is a fair bit of adjustability when it comes to cartridge loading options – done through a series of dip switches – so it shouldn’t be difficult to optimise the performance of most moving coils.

Note that the phono input is done through a pair of balanced XLRs. There aren’t many record players with this connection, so you will probably need to get your tonearm’s lead terminated with the appropriate plugs if you buy a ’333. This is something your dealer should be able to help with. We used RCA-to-XLR adaptors instead, which isn’t ideal but at least allows us the chance to get an idea of how the phono module performs.

Any amplifier at this level demands top class partnering equipment. Such is the Gryphon’s transparency that any cut corners are soon highlighted. Our main sources are Naim’s range-topping ND555/555PS DR music streamer and Vertere’s SG-1 record player package including Xtrax moving coil. As for speakers, our trusty ATC SCM50 are on hand alongside Wilson Benesch’s Discovery 3Zero and the surprisingly capable Epos ES-14N standmounters.

We have our usual reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power along for comparison and the fresh memories of Goldmund’s Telos 690 (tested at £32,500 / $36,250 / AU$60,000) and the Esoteric F-01/PS-01F (tested at £27,500 / $23,000 / AU$39,000) high-end integrated amplifiers.

Sound

The Diablo 333’s huge power output is central to its sonic presentation. It should come as no surprise that this amplifier is happy to play loudly. We try all our usual bass torture tracks from Massive Attack’s Angel and Nitin Sawhney’s Anthem Without Nation to Time from the Inception OST, and the Gryphon barely breaks a sweat.

It delivers some of the most grounded and punchy low frequencies we’ve heard in our test room, and does it with class-leading composure. It is all so effortless that even our reference Burmester pre/power (180 watts per channel) is made to sound small and undernourished in comparison.

At the same time, large-scale dynamic swings come through with enthusiasm and utter conviction. There is an authority about this Gryphon integrated’s performance that is a joy to behold. As we listen to Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring, the Diablo delivers each of music’s seismic crescendos with an iron fist and class-leading control. The amplifier’s presentation is breathtakingly physical and set against an astonishingly quiet background.

The Gryphon delivers a huge sense of scale too, something helped by its muscular nature and the ability to render a panoramic and utterly stable soundstage. This amplifier’s stereo imaging is a real highlight, being wonderfully expansive, carefully layered and beautifully focussed. It never gets blurred, even when the music gets demanding and the Diablo is pushed hard.

As we work our way through our music collection, we find that Gryphon’s engineers have managed to combine beauty with the beast. Listening to Tracy Chapman’s debut album, we’re pleased to note that this steamroller of an amplifier is equally capable of finesse and subtlety. On Fast Car, Chapman’s voice comes through with hope-tinged vulnerability intact. The amplifier sounds crisp and articulate, delivering the song’s ebb and flow with unexpected agility.

Rhythms come through with verve and the tonal balance, though a touch dark in nature, is convincing. While we note that the amplifier is just a little subdued in the way it renders midrange/treble dynamic nuances, it remains a terrific listen, sounding sweet and light when the music demands and relentlessly powerful when that requirement changes.

We are pleased to report that the optional phono stage also performs well. It is impressively quiet in terms of noise and retains the composed nature of the line stage. Detail levels are good and music comes through in a musical and cohesive way, though perhaps not with quite the transparency required to fully justify that hefty price.

Our use of adaptors isn’t likely to have helped, so we’re willing to be open-minded as regards the phono stage’s absolute ability. We are also mindful that an outboard phono stage adds yet another box into the system, which goes against the logic of buying an integrated amplifier in the first place.

Overall, how does the Diablo 333 compare to the similarly priced Esoteric F-01/PS-01F integrated/power supply combination and pricier Goldmund Telos 690? The Class A Esoteric sounds even more delicate and fluid, delivering a sweet full-bodied sound that’s an absolute pleasure. But, at just 30 watts per channel, it simply can’t compete with the Gryphon’s muscularity and scale. The pricier Goldmund is a more precise and articulate performer, and notably more neutral in balance. It is decently muscular too, though not to the Gryphon’s level.

Verdict

Regardless, Gryphon’s Diablo 333 proves a wonderfully versatile performer. It can speak quietly and wield a big stick at the same time, and that’s a talent worth having. Rarely have we heard such a powerful unit sound so fleet footed and musically cohesive.

In recent months we’ve been fortunate enough to test some world-class integrated amplifiers. We are pleased to say that the Gryphon’s Diablo 333 should be counted among them.

First reviewed: March 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Esoteric F-01/PS-01F

Also consider the Goldmund Telos 690

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