PURE CLASS A HEAVEN ! (New) Musical Fidelity A1 Amplifier Review
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- The A1 is arguably Musical Fidelity's most famous amplifier. Almost 40 years after the original, how good can the new version be?
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Time stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:46 Design & features
3:38 Technical insights
8:05 Sound quality
11:37 Setup & partnering equipment
14:25 Conclusion
I have an A1 made in England. I left it in the storage room for many years due to reliability problems, but a few months ago I sent it to be restored by a specialized technician in Barcelona and I have rediscovered its wonderful musicality. What a great amplifier!
That is great 👍
How many euros did that run you?
I used to do the same in the 80s/90s, make a trip to the audio store to listen to gear. Some times I'd drive up an hour or so to a shop to see what they had. An afternoon in the audio store was a good time for me. So few dedicated audo stores now. It's depressing.
Sadly here in NZ 🇳🇿 I have given up on the few local stores…., I’ve left enquires for a $5-10k USD amp with at least 3 of them never hear back…, the others are wither too rude… or too rude…
Enjoy what I have
Lots of happy memories, I am sure 😊
We have three dealers in my City in the UK. They are all happy to oblige with listening tests.
People buy stuff from Ali Express etc China... Shops r expensive storage facilities/sources of big mark ups. My 300b amp at 600 GBP inclusive sounds excellent.. Same amp UK 2.5 k easily.
Yep, I bought the Rotel A11 tribute online because it was on sale at bargain price and all reviewers were praising it. There are no decent brick and mortar shops in my area. Now I regret because it’s not the sound I want. (Sounds cold and dry to me and causes listening fatigue). - not sure what my next move should be, sell it or buy warm sounding speakers/ cables to compensate?
I got all misty-eyed about browsing on Tottenham Court Road...
Another great review, the teardown/technical insights section is a level beyond any A/V other reviews I see on RUclips. Bravo!
Thank you kindly. I have happy memories on Tottenham Court Road in the 80s and 90s 👍
LOVE LOVE LOVE your internal tours ….ALWAYS informative! Also, it’s always fun to take the ride with you and your enthusiasm for components that you have a personal interest in. Great stuff! 👍🏼
Thank you Bob. Much appreciated 😊👍
This gives us a good indicator of the internal design, construction and parts used which is a good indication of sound quality but not always the case
it’s amazing if they had more stores, brick and mortar that would allow the younger generation to listen to true Hi Fi our hobby would flourish. I do remember those days I was 18 years old and I was listening to stuff at a local Hi Fi store that I obviously could not afford, but the individual in the store had a passion for audio and that’s what it’s all about the passion we remember those times and we missed them. Great review thank you very much brother. Love your channel.
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
It’s probably to do with high property prices and a general consumer move away from hifi. Whereas it used to be quite widespread it has now become quite niche. People seem to either go with cheap mass market low fi or are audiophiles with good systems.
always been obsessed with the look of this amp. love it when companies know when to upgrade the guts but keep the design.
This one is a bit special 😊
it's an industrial beauty. Timeless design.
Not something I would be in the market for but what joy it brings to see a product resurrected from my youth for new generations to explore and enjoy.
Well said 👍
Thanks Tatun.. Sounds like a lovely piece. I wish I could try them all. i noticed the Vincent didnt really make the comparison cut. Congratulations on gathering sponsors. I want you to keep up the great work.
Thank you Jim. I think you would enjoy this amp 😊👍
I wish manufacturers would include a balance control as they did in the past,; my hearing has deteriorated on one side, the result is the soundstage is always off and I find myself trying to sit to one side to even it up. Thank you for taking the time to make this video, I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you 👍
Another great review. Honestly, your vids take us on such informative journeys. A bit of wonderful escapism for part of my Saturday mornings! Ofcourse, now I can’t stop thinking about class A amplification 🙏🏼🙏🏼👍🏼
That is very much appreciated 😊👍
Great video - thank you. I bought an A100 at the end of the 80s and loved the combination with my Rogers speakers. Music was just so engaging with that class A amp. I gave the amplifier to a friend about 5 years later when one day I found one of my young son's toys melting on top of the A100. It ran pretty hot! I replaced it with a Linn amp which [although very neutral] lacked the punch and vigour of the MF. I now have a Hegel H390 and its really brought my system back to life.
Thank you. Great anecdote 🙂
I am very much impressed with the decision to resurrect this delightful amp and update it without tarting it up. I own a 3si, but would gladly trade up for this gem of a unit. Even have the horn speakers ready for the bliss. Nice that you did as well. An excellent job reviewing an amplifier I would have bet a large sum of money that the manufacturer would never come back to revisit. So glad they have, and can only hope this unit gets the appreciation it deserves from fans of all ages.
Thank you kindly 😊👍
Excellent review sir! I've been waiting for this review. Likely try to get one on order.
Thank you Paul 😊👍
Hi tarun, I had the MF A1 back in the 80s, also the A50 monoblocks, I used my A1 with a pair of neat petite speakers pioneer PD 75 cd player, wonderful sounding system, I'm glad to see the new amplifier being brought back, it looks far superior in build and component choice, your review brought back some great memories.
That is great. Thank you for sharing 👍
Great review, love the technical walk through!
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
Great review. In describing its sound you could also be describing the Heed Obelisk si3, descendant from another 80’s design the Ion Obelisk. Advantage of the Heed is it barely runs warm, puts out 50 big watts without breaking sweat, and goes up a notch in resolution, depth, scale and authority with the optional X2 power amp PSU
Thank you 😊
Nice to see this utter classic brought up to current spec. The A1 always stuck in my mind from the time for its simple but classy looks.
Still looks great today 👍
Great video as always...thanks. Have to say that my retro looking but recent purchase of a McIntosh MA9000 suits my B&W 803D3's down to the ground, the slight warmth of the Big Mac tempering the phorensic nature of the B&W's perfectly. Revealing of all recordings but without any hint of listener fatigue.
Thank you 😊
I love my Elekit TU-8900 tube power amplifier. It’s a kit, but fit and finish are exemplary, and the instructions are detailed and clear. A winner!
Cool 😎
Thanks for bringing us another awesome amplifier. I had never heard of this brand and now I'm a little smarter thanks to you!
You are most welcome 😊👍
Tarun, just wanted to give a special thanks for this review. I found a dealer near me who had this and the M5i class A/B. Due to my small listening space and high efficiency speakers, I went with the A1. Only downside, It's still on back order! This unit has sold out in most places.
It may be worth waiting for it if it is what you really want 😊
Thank you for the detailed review, I'm seriously considering picking this up.
Cool 😎 and thx 😊
I shared the experience of popping in to ‘Hi-fi’ shops as a child:-)
I was not aware that Tim de Pavarinci was the original designer - I had the pleasure of meeting him once. We used to sell his excellent phono pre amplifiers when I assisted the local dealer in my spare time many years ago.
That is great 👍
Thanks for the interesting review Tarun. Oh the class A magic!
Thank you 😊
I also had an MF A1 some 20 years ago here in Australia. Had to replace the power supply and did the mods with the fans to keep it a little cooler. Sounded superb with a set of Richard Allens and should with any decent bookshelf speakers. As you mentioned it's not a power house and I never drive any amp past halfway, causes to much damage to the sound amongst other things.
Gone through a couple of your reviews in the last couple of days and am very impressed on your honest and in depth reviews.
Thank you Michael 🙂
My first serious amp was the A1. Incredible sound and looks. I had the Sony cdp1 which was their first cd player, I unfortunately don’t remember the speakers but it was bliss.
Cool 😎
Lovely review with the college reference history where you began a journey. Something many can relate to from experience. Class A at this price plus some tinkering which is no doubt in the future. Even though using old Class A tube monoblocks, this is a fun review. Think you're making very accessible efforts with a nice touch of history too.
Thank you my friend 😊👍
Blimey, this takes me back! Years ago I used to run an A100 into a pair of LS7's. The one with two fans. Sounded great. Valvey. But not the last word in detail.TDP definitely knew his onions. In the mornings I used to fry my breakfast on the top of it. That last bit's a lie. Anyhoo, great review again mate 👍
Thank you 👍
Another excellent review. Thank you Tarun
Thank you kindly 😊👍
The profile of the MF A1 reminds me of the Armstrong 600 series although they are very different designs. A friend had an Armstrong 621 integrated amplifier which I really enjoyed. I wanted the 625 receiver but it was way out of my budget in those days. I also have great memories of visiting dimly lit showrooms in TCR and elsewhere and always finding a friendly reception from the salesmen who were happy to share their thoughts and recommendations. Y
Thank you for sharing 😊
Wow very nice to hear they knocked this out of the park, this should go well with my klipsch rp500m 2s. Great review my friend.
Thank you buddy 👍
I hesitated between the Cyrus one and the musical fidelity many moons ago. I went for the Cyrus . Ten amplifiers later and this review has rekindled my desire to get one. Thankyou
Great ! I hope you get to hear it 👍
Hi Tarun, as a 77 year old audiophile, I go back a lot further than you with my forays to TCR. The rage in the 60's was always around valve amps and were always class A. I built my own valve amp back then from a Heathkit S88 kit which was 9 watts per channel. I also built their floorstanding MFS speakers, a 3 way, high efficiency design with a 12 inch Fane bass driver. My current setup has a Quad Artera Pre/Artera Stereo as the amplification. I was never tempted by the original A1as I suspected reliability issues but would like to hear the newer version driving my PMC Twenty5/23. I like the Quad very much indeed as it uses their proprietry current dumping design fed by a lower power class A section. The Artera combination has power and smoothness without losing any detail and I think it may sound like a Musical Fidelity A1 but with more power. Would love to see you do a comparison as i really rate your reviews, thank you.
Thank you. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
I still run a pair of Heathkit Cotswolds…..not the MFS but the original big square jobbies …..lovely speakers & still going strong (re capped).
Another outstanding review, Tarun, very enjoyable.
Thank you Shane 👍
I moved back home a few years ago to stay with my dad. Years ago I got him the Spica TC-50. He doesn’t really listen to music on a stereo much, so after moving in to a temporary room I replaced the Spicas in his Denon system with some Elacs and took the Spicas for my room, and built a proper high-end system around them.
They scaled amazingly well.
The Spica TC-50 sound great. Oh and I should mention I had an original A1 once in my system as a replacement while getting an Aragon amp repaired. Back in the day. I absolutely loved the A1.
I imagine the new one would be a good match for the Spicas or possibly any of the new reimagined vintage gear from companies like REL, Warfadale, JBL, KLH etc. I imagine one could put together a spectacular system
based entirely around these newly reimagined vintage pieces.
That is great 😊
Oh the good old days of TCR HiFi stores, I remember that with fondness. The new A1 is nice, great review too. I owned a MF A200 back in the late 90's, I don't know if the power supply was weak, but mine blew twice during my ownership. Eventually sold it for a solid state, due to the unrealiability, plus the heat emanating from it was just too much!
I expect he new one to handle the heat better 😊
I bought the original A1 from Uxbridge Audio when it first came out. Amazing. Over the last 40ish years I have had a number of MF amps, and now have the Nuvista 800. How about that for brand loyalty.
That is great 👍
Im on board now.... even the humble M2SI i have in a second setup surprises and impresses me on every level. An A1 would seem an obvious upgrade seeing as my Focal bookshelves are an eaay drive.
Thanks Tarun, lovely review, really informative.
I love the sound of class A but have found that my Dynaudio Evoke 20's don't, think I'd run into the same problems as your Pro Ac's unfortunately.
Keep em comin !
Thank you 👍
as usual, excellent review, thanks
Thank you kindly 😊👍
I just listened to/watched your review on the CHoco amp....very informative. I was
particularly interested in your overview of the internal parts/construction. I got
so much clearer as to what that amp is all about and the same can be said about
this review of the MF A1. From what you have said along with others, I do think I
might enjoy this amp relevant to the speakers I'd like (Zoo DW) and the kind of music
I listen to. (at mid to low volume). I still have a bit to learn about this amp. The heat
does not concern me as I live in Canada but the heat does concern me as far as
the amp's longevity. Most appreciative of your informative and enjoyable reviews Tarun.
Keep up the excellent work.
Thank you kindly. Longevity concerns with class A amps are valid. This version seems to have decent heat management. That should help a lot, but time will tell. It sounds lovely, though. From that perspective it is a real bargain 🙂
Your typical VERY informative review - direct to the point without the extra 2000 filler words in print magazines.
QUESTION: Any plans to review the new MF LS3/5a and commenting on construction, sound & parts quality vs Falcon?
Thanks again, Tarun!
Jim (Ohio, USA)
Thanks Jim. I hope to get to it in time 👍
I love Musical Fidelity equipment. Each item I have owned has impressed me
Cool 😎
I liked the original and will seek out a listen to this amp when I find a dealer carrying. Another impressive delivery Tarun.
Thank you 👍
Great review as usual
Thank you 👍
Hi Tarun, love your reviews and wanted to follow up on your question regarding equipment of yesteryear. I was a MF fan and owned the 3A preamp and P140 power amp, I couldn’t afford two power amps. I still own my two little black beauties but as many MF owners of yesteryear know they weren’t alway the best thing out there and there were many rumors! One of which was the addition of high watt resisters across the power rails to generate heat, thereby making folks believe that they were getting something more. I had to repair my power amp and was a little less than thrilled when I got under the hood. I also owned a Cambridge Audio P100 integrated, would love to find another however highly unlikely. I purchased the MF after the P100 blew one output channel. Speakers at that time were Monitor Audio R452 MD’s. Back in the day they seemed very good, however, today compared to my Audio Vector R3,s they were not as good as I initially thought (of course there is a huge price difference so this is not meant as a complaint). I do still have them and am looking forward to having GR perform their magic on them and letting me know if they are worth upgrading. Also still own my Pioneer Elite F91 reference tuner, Nacamichi cassette deck. I do wish I’d kept my Akai GX400 and my Transcriptors Saturn TT or my Garrard 491 with SME. So much other good stuff in the past, Leak, Yamaha, Audiolab, Revox, Chilton……….. All t( above acquired over the years in Nottingham from hifi stores.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you Christopher 👍
Nice review as always. I also own the R 8 in love with it. Had a bad tube and was waiting for a replacrment. So I picked up locally a Luxman L 400 for $300. In the mid 80s this was a great integrated amp. To my suprise it rivals the R 8 killer bass better with 70s rock. I also miss the hi fi shops when I lived in NJ.Also the local mall had stores like Sam Goody loaded with hi fi and a listening room. Now live in Las Vegas there is 1 repair shop with some vintage equipment and a couple of high end Audio installer shops But no hi fi shops.A couple times a year I
Will go to Best buy they have a listening room and listen to the latest Keff and B & W and Martin logan speakers
Thank you for sharing 😊
wowwwww, great review, great story telling, thanks again Tarun
Thank you kindly 😊👍
Another very good and detailed review indeed!
I suppose that these Castle Speakers would deliver very nicely and convincingly on the mentioned Exposure 2510 as well!
Thank you 👍
I still have the original at my dads. Had it repaired once but no longer working. But I loved the sound and am so tempted by this
Cool 😎
The desk warm coffee I was drinking bubbled up and over its rim with the energy of a good laugh, supplied by what happens at 12:43 into this review.
Glad you enjoyed it 😉
Sounds pretty amazing. your review is really selling the quality of this piece of gear. You're saying all the right things for me to go and audition this amplifier. Having said that, do you think this would be a good match for my now vintage Linn Katan speakers? Oh will the music Fidelity be Overkill. just a or nay or yay,, will suffice. Great detailed review..
G’day mate from Oz, thanks for sharing beautiful review and I’m still enjoying my original A1 with my Ushers S520 they’re singing happily in my living room. Cheers!
Most welcome 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thanks for sharing your early experiences and good old memories i can relate to those good old days ✌🏽😁
I had one in the 80', it was a radiator, very warm, but what a clean sound.
I used to go to the HiFi store in my town and watch different movies with a projector and listen to expensive amplifiers and loudspeakers with more.😊😊 The HiFi store exist today.
Today I'am all digital
Thanks for sharing 😊
The amp I really liked was the kenwood kaf1030 in the late 90s it sounded really smooth and worked fantastically with b&w and mission speakers
That is great 👍
Great review on a brand I’m not very familiar with. Have seen them since the 90’s though. Seems to do just about everything very well. Well done !
Much appreciated 👍
I always wanted one, amazing looks. I bought the MF Electra 100s and still have it, in fact it was upgraded by John Samson and I still use it when I want to explore other setups sounds amazing Another very good review from the one and only British Audiophile Tarun I remember Hi Fi Experience late 80s 1988 forwards for a while in the basement of Heals the furniture Co. I was there every opportunity I got 🤓
That is great. Thank you 😊👍
Bought the original A1 in the USA in 1986 or so. It served me well for about 20 years before failing. Loved the sound with ProAc Response 1s. Then had the uglier (but more modern) A1 with the digital screen in the center of the faceplate. Also sounded good, but I preferred the original, probably for nostalgic reasons.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Good review!
Thank you 👍
Outstanding review as usual! I was curious if you would do a comparison to the original version vs the new in the future? And if you have found your friend from your college days yet? Thank you!
Thank you 👍 I haven’t found him yet 🤞
great review!
Thank you 👍
I love your videos!. You are an A+++ reviewer!
Thanks for another great review, I do really enjoy them:) By the way, i use those mentioned by you Kef's 104/2 from early 90's, bi-wire version in palisander finish:) My father gave them to me a couple of years ago and I drive them now with my Sugden Masterclass IA-4. I love the looks and the sound of those speakers. I like the looks of the new MF A1 too and would love to have one but I'm very curious if the new amplifier would do the job with those speakers, especially in terms of bass weight and control. Anyway in terms of looks it would probably be a nice vintage set:) Greetings!
I have pushed the like button even before the video started 😌
Very kind 👍
I think you prefer the R8 :)
Love the review and long live the vintage revolution.
I love them both 😊
Thank you for that review.
I never tried class A - probably this is my #1
Great 👍
My hi-fi budget won't allow me to purchase most of the equipment ABA reviews, but I enjoy watching his reviews whether I can afford the item or not.
This hobby can get expensive but there is plenty of great gear these days that is accessible to most 😊
Bought one just to try after Taruns video and some thinking and it plays very well with both my duevel enterprise omnis and specially with my small single driver/ full range speakers that I prefer over the menuet se.
Tarun is right on point on this one , it's outstanding.
Thank you. Great feedback 😊👍
Another outstanding review mate, you really knock it out of the park with your strong edditing and script, and in particular your open case design tours! You've helped me understand some design philosophies so much more, and that section is definitely your usp.
As an prior owner in the day of a B200, and then the A1, seeing the case on this new design is very nostalgic. It also reminds me I have the old MC4 speakers I used to use them with, sitting in the attic with 24 years of dust on them 😮
Whilst Ive moved on somewhat from my earliest preferences, theres something so buiguilling about that silky smooth mid range, that Im sure Id love this amp, and I envy your opportunity to hear it!
Thank you my friend. Much appreciated 😊👍
I still have my original A-100 languishing in a closet.
I bought it second hand at Harrow Audio in the late 80s.
I should dig it out, clean the pot and switches and take it for a spin for nostalgic reasons...
Still running a brace of MuFi Xv3 gear on and off.
Much more reliable than the A-100.
MuFi X-150v3 actually drove my Magnepan LRS well (but ran hot) ....until I got a classAB Bryson 3B-SST with Musical Paradise MP701mk2 valve pre.
More Dynamic 3D tonally rich sound now, but I'm keeping the X-150 just in case.
Glad to see Pro-Ject honouring the oiginal design philosophy that made this a great brand.
Thanks Tarun 😊
Thank you. I appreciate you sharing 👍
Very nice! I am a little surprised at how shallow the heat sink fins are? The centrally located aluminum 'T' spreads the heat a bit, but the finned plate is not all that thick, to help spread the heat out as much as I would have expected. The main reference I have is the Amp Camp Amp, that is 8W/ch or 15W in monoblock form, and those appear to have a lot more surface area.
@@razisn right - 65C/150F is fairly toasty! Room temperature of 27C/80F is a bit warm - but some rooms get a lot warmer than that, so the heat sink would be challenged, I think?
I was one of those kids up Tottenham court rd, what a fantastic place in the 80's.
Cool 😎
I own a British fidelity A1 1984, one year before they change ''British'' for ''Musical'' and the dream came through 4 years ago. I pair it with Kef ls50 and i love it.
Interesting 🤔
I had the original A1, and with the right-for it- speakers it could sound great, I did even have a pair of MF speakers, for a while. The problem, as I found, was the cost constraints MF, a rather small company, had meant cost cutting, especially components, as you mentioned, meant reliability was somewhat compromised. The transformer was not really big enough, so the power supply should have really had a bigger, higher current transformer, and lower voltage .
There was one very unfortunate, though thankfully rare mode of failure where the DC power supply got directly connected to the speakers, speakers don't like about 50V DC!
Thank you for sharing your experiences. The new one should be more reliable 😊
Fantastic video as always, sub chassis really is a tongue twister 😂
Thank you. Glad I am not alone 😉👍
I owned the original back in the day, what amazes me is that an amp of that era can still compete in todays market, it goes to show the the basics of audio have not really come very far but prices have gone through the roof. Same goes for speakers, I own a pair of LNB transmission lines made in 1974, and I’m yet to find a better speaker for mid range naturalness. Somehow they have engineered the musicality out of modern equipment!
I get where you are coming from 😊
I wish I still had my first turntable which was a hand-me-down when I was a kid, a Dual CS505 with a Sure M75ED cartridge, along with a Rotel tuner and Videotone speakers. I didn't know what I had and when I left home it was binned 😢. It would be quite the vintage collection now.
I feel your pain 😊
I worked in a HiFi dealer for several years in the Home Counties when these were new. A Distinctive innovative, iconic and original British design, An intoxicating fluid sound, but damn they could be unreliable. Always sought after 2nd hand though ❤ Keep up the great work Tarun. (Wish the power on LED was red though)
I had an A100 at the time and it was a dog. The MM stage was unstable and went into oscillation when a light was switched on upstairs, blasting out the house with a high pitched scream and had to go back a few times. The last straw was when an output transistor went CE short and took out the bass driver of one of my Monitor Audio R852 speakers. I was at uni at the time and blew my grant on audio gear.
The A100 was the end of my association with Musical Fidelity.
Thank you for sharing 😊
You had those Castle woofers bumping pretty good!
I know 😉
Great review, Tarun and I thoroughly approve the rating, of course! So it’s a restomod as opposed to the Naim, which is a homage to the original.
This begs the question, why have the manufacturers bothered re-inventing this particular wheel over all these decades, if this original design can still achieve an “outstanding” in the face of the new competition? One might almost believe they were bringing out new stuff just to make us gear heads continually put our hands in our pockets.
As you know, I refurb amps regularly and the most recent project is a NAD 3130. It uses a dual opamp chip, where its little brother, the 3020A, I finished last month doesn’t. I’ll be interested to see if this “innovation” on the 3130 means it’s better or worse than its classic sibling.
Thank you Mark. I think you would enjoy the A1. As for old amps, I guess there is a reason I am still using 25 yr old Exposure Pre/Monos as a reference 😉👍
Aspire to own the Rega Brio for the same reasons you characterize here about the A1. Basically, a warm amplifier to balance out brightness and deepen speakers (like horn designs). I know perhaps apples and oranges as Brio is Class A/B. But both run “warm” so I’m questioning if the Brio could even complete. And where they would differ. Many thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions. ❤
I am in agreement with your evaluation of Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amplifier. The price to performance ratio of this amplifier in terms of sound quality is A1 Sauce, the King George IV original A1 sauce (1824) in other words it is very much a pleasure to listen to and well worth the ticket price, the sauce makes the dish if you know what I mean. That said in direct comparisons to my reference power amp the McIntosh MC152 driven by the McIntosh MHA150 preamp stage the A1 sounds broken. The A1 is not a giant slayer but it is a keeper for sure. The REL Classic98 subwoofer and A1 paired together may give my reference rig a challenge for my attention but I don't own the Classic98 yet and I'm not a big fan of what subwoofers can do in terms of plate amplifier sound quality and integration from the mid tier of the REL lineup from previous experiences. Anyway I now have a better sense of your reviews thanks. P.S. I use a small fan to keep the A1 cool, if you leave this amp on for hours at a time it will become too hot to touch the top plate, kind of like an incandescent light bulb heat, but not burning hot, just hot enough for me to think this can not be good for the longevity of the amplifier, so I switch a fan on and off between listening sessions, using a small fan with this heat sink chassis design is very effective at thermal control, the warmth from the heat sink then becomes pleasant to my palm, it makes me want to touch the warmth and texture of the heat sink, in fact I'm in love with the overall visual and tactile feels, the blue glows and the hue of the blue colored fonts is very 1980's, the clickety click of the power switch is in itself a time warp to the 1980's, I love the design language of the A1! So forced air flow will certainly prolong the function of the internals. I consider this a quirk but I knew what I was getting into with class-A circuit topology.
Great to learn about your experiences 😊
I do hope your old uni friend will receive your message and get in touch!
And, as always, great review - thanks.
Thank you on both accounts 👍👍
I had an A100 back in the 80s. It sounded excellent but I couldn't live with it. It contained three unreliable cooling fans and a single failure would shut down the amp on its protection circuits. Musical Fidelity's customer service was superb, getting my repaired amp back to me in a couple of days. After two failures, I sold it. It was in my system for a mere 18 months which was a pity. A cousin had the A1 and kept it for many years. She is a professional musician so this is a full thumbs-up.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Remember the A1 when it was out originally and I also had the Pre/Power version at home for a demo but that got even hotter with the mono block power amps 🥵 in the end I bought the Audiolab 8000C/P combo. Weirdly they were powering some Musical Fidelity MC-4's at the time.
Thank you for sharing 😊
I had the 8000c with 2 Rotel rb990bx
Had huge massive 27.000uf X4
180.000 microfarads
180W at 8ohm beyond insane power
Then sold the Rotel bought the pioneer m22 with 38.000uf x4 capisstors each weight at 5kg
sounds like a nice rainy-days amp, for the solid state crowd.
in my small space i favor AB or cooler-running topology, but as a secondary option for the wintertime? maybe!
i hope you reconnect with your friend
Thank you. I hope he sees the video 😊
Im still using a Musical Fidelity B200 amp - T1 manual FM tuner - MC2 speakers Rega Planar 3 turntable all bought new in the mid 1980s. I would like your opinion on this set up in particular on how the amp compares with the original A1 and new A1. I love my system and still get a buzz everytime I listen to it, but I am now open to the idea of upgrades if there is a noticeable sonic improvement. I will put the new A1 on my list to hear. Will be going to the Hifi show in Ascot next week to listen to a range of equipment and hope to be impressed! We shall see.
Thank you for sharing. My impression is that the new A1 is quite a bit better than the old one 😊
I had the original for over 20 years, sold it for what I paid, if I hadn’t just bought a Luxman Class A for 5 times the price I would certainly be buying one of these.
Once you live with the warmth of Class A amplification you never forget it.
Went through a host of high end high wattage gear over the last 40 years, I’m back in the low wattage Class A world once again. 🤓
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Listened to it today with a pair of Dynaudio Contour 20i, could play plenty loud in my opinion. Very nice match.
Cool 😎
Hi Tarun. I owned the original A1 which I saved up for for ages. I loved its beguiling and liquid musical presentation, which at the time I was listening through some Acoustic Research AR 28s speakers. Sadly the A1 died, I expect due to overheating and being newly married at the time my finances could not extend to having the amplifier repaired. But the signature sound remains imprinted in my audio memory. I'm certainly tempted. How do you think the Musical Fidelity A1 or alternatively the Exposure 2510 would match with my pair of Linn Kan Mk1 or Graham Audio LS3/5a loudspeakers?
Another very interesting video
Thank you 😊
Great reviews, once again, Tarun & heartening to see a decent amount of reservoir capacity has been utilised. Quick question(s): does this amp sound full at low volumes? Is this a warmer sounding amp than, say, a Sudden a21a? & can the UK distributor repair within the UK when the caps dry out, as Class A amps tend to do, or would it have to go back to Pro-Ject, in Europe?
Thank you. The A1 shares a warm tone and smooth midrange with the Sugden A21 Signature. They are both great at low volumes. I would need to AB demo them to say more 😊
I did not expect from You enything less than second to none! I was right this time again.
In those days I also considered A1, and A100 ...and could not make easily any conclusion.
I sold many Years ago MF passive subwoofer... but kept till today MF X10D...just changed the Phillips valves for the Telefunken ones...Regards
Thank you for sharing 👍
Great review! Would you ever be able to review a Mcintosh integrated? Would love to hear your opinions on these amps, thanks!
Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion 👍
I work in high end audio and we sell many amplifiers going all the way up to insane prices but I really like this one. IT’s harmonically rich and shaves off surface detail in an enjoyable way. If I didn’t have a 2 year old I’d buy this amp even if it runs hot like a panini grill and it does. It’s about as far away from class D sound as possible and I like that.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Nice reviews. When you get a chance, you need to review the soulnote a2...it's an amazing amp
I appreciate the heads up 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you're welcome
I’m seriously contemplating buying this unit and pairing it up with some PMC prodigy ones. I think that will create a juicy bedroom combo?
I think The British Audiophile channel is probably the best Audiophile RUclips channel out there. In fact, I was a Patron for a while. The only thing I wish he would add is to list the tracks he used to evaluate the equipment. From my experience, some system combos can sound amazing with specific musical genres and less amazing with others. And although he gives a general overview of the sound signature it's still not enough for me to decide which product will work best for me and my musical tastes. It's his channel, so of course, he can do what he wants and good on him. I will certainly still keep watching and probably become a patron again, so keep up the great work, Turan.
Who is the painting of behind you? Looks a lot like jazz musician Thad Jones!
That A1000 looks a beut, looking forward to its resurrection by Musical Fidelity, sure the a1 sounds great. Cheers Tarun.
Thank you. I hope they bring the A1000 back 😊
🙋♂️THANKS TARUN,🙏 FOR SHARING YOUR EARLY EXPERIENCE 😎…AND LOOK 👀 WHERE YOU ARE TODAY…ADDICTED 😅😂
Well said 👍