Carat A57 review

The £1000 amplifier sector is fearsomely contested, and the Carat gets eaten alive Tested at £1000

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

The £1000 amplifier sector is fearsomely contested, and the Carat gets eaten alive

Pros

  • +

    Interesting looks

  • +

    good specification

  • +

    energetic sound

Cons

  • -

    Sounds borderline-incoherent at worst, and only so-so at best

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Two years after exhibiting at the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision show, French manufacturer Carat has finally secured UK distribution.

This A57 integrated stereo amplifier is the first Carat product we've tested – and it's a shame to report that it hasn't really been worth the wait.

There's nothing unfavourable about the Carat's first impressions. It's quite a handsome device, although that chunk of Perspex that serves as a fascia attracts dust like you wouldn't believe, and specification is well up to prevailing standards: five line-level inputs (one a 3.5mm job in the fascia), a tape loop, MM/MC phono stage and switching for two pairs of speakers makes good reading.

The buttons on the remote are small, true, but the A57 seems reasonable value for money. Until you switch it on.

Limitations soon come to the fore
A testing tune like The Hold Steady's Sequestered In Memphis reveals the Carat's limitations. Initial impressions are of a perky, animated signature, with the midrange to the fore – but the A57's lack of organisation and separation soon becomes apparent.

Sounds are piled on top of each other rather than existing in their own area of the soundstage, and the Carat is a confusing listen as a result.

Kanye West's Love Lockdown makes this trait even more apparent, and also emphasises the A57's inability to maintain low-frequency presence when the midrange becomes busy.

So aside from its looks, and the vigorous way it attacks a tune, there's little to recommend the A57 – certainly when judged against either of the Also Consider products on this page, it fetches up a long way short. A lot more stick than Carat, in fact.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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