Stop everything! This colossal discount is not going to be beaten as the JBL SA550 Classic drops to a third of its original RRP

JBL SA3550 Classic silver stereo amplifier with Black Friday tag

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

We thought this deal couldn't be beaten. The JBL SA550 Classic crashed from £1749 to an unbelievably low £749 at Peter Tyson just a few days ago, and we said at the time that we didn't feel much of a need to do much to persuade you to investigate it. £1749. Down to £749. It was the stuff of fantasy.

Then, the fantasy became even more fantastical. Peter Tyson has now dropped the SA550 Classic down to a measly £599, which is pretty much a third of its original price. They're even throwing in a free Chord Leyline RCA cable!

As if all of that wasn't enough, they're also giving away (well, almost) JBL CD350 Classic CD Player for a measly £249 at Peter Tyson, a massive reduction on its standard price of £799. We haven't reviewed the CD350, but given the reasonably performance we've experienced from the rest of the range, coupled with another stonking saving, we feel comfortable enough recommending another deal to round out the line-up.

Best JBL SA550 Classic Black Friday deal

The JBL SA550 Classic integrated amplifier blends stylish retro appeal with great build quality and, at this level, a stunning low price. The amp feels solid to the touch, while the front panel's brushed fascia contrasts neatly with its exterior wooden panels to add an air of luxurious desirability.

Its power output is rated at 90W into 8 ohms, with the amp favouring Class G amplification and twin internal power supplies for greater efficiency.

In terms of connectivity, the JBL amp offers aux and headphone inputs at the front, while the back panel houses a set of speaker terminals, four analogue inputs (including a moving magnet phono stage for a turntable), and three digital inputs, which feed the amp’s ESS ES9038K2M DAC chip.

There's also Bluetooth connectivity with support for aptX Adaptive if you have a compatible source.

It's not like JBL is giving away a white elephant here, either. During testing, we found the SA550 Classic incredibly easy to get along with thanks to its smooth, cohesive and weighty delivery. To quote from our review: "thanks to the amp’s smooth nature, high frequencies never come close to sounding uncomfortable, even with particularly poor recordings."

It's capable of being a lot of fun, too. A track such as Empire State Of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys goes hard thanks to the JBL's enthusiastic reproduction of the track’s thumping bassline, and despite sounding a little fat, it still does more than enough to capture the song's propulsive energy.

We thought the JBL was a good shout at its full asking price, but now it's crashed down to £599 at Peter Tyson, we think it demands an even closer look. More than £1000 off? Bafflingly outrageous value.

Oh, and if you fancy a source to go with your amp, you can grab the JBL CD350 Classic CD Player for £249 at Peter Tyson while you're at it.

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Harry McKerrell is a senior staff writer at What Hi-Fi?. During his time at the publication, he has written countless news stories alongside features, advice and reviews of products ranging from floorstanding speakers and music streamers to over-ear headphones, wireless earbuds and portable DACs. He has covered launches from hi-fi and consumer tech brands, and major industry events including IFA, High End Munich and, of course, the Bristol Hi-Fi Show. When not at work he can be found playing hockey, practising the piano or trying to pet strangers' dogs.

With contributions from

Andy Madden

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