24-06-2014, 10:27 AM
UK amps - why oh why?
Originally posted by anonymous View Post
What sort of user adjustable features are you looking for? If you're referring to tone controls, I'm not aware of any UK manufactured integrated amplifier that fits the bill. For that, you'll have to look to Japanese manufactured products....
... and very well made much of it is too. My son's girlfriend worked at Pioneer UK, and I am long-time friends with Pioneer Europe's Brand Ambassador, and I have great respect for the engineering in their products.
If it were me, I would put features and facilities first, not UK manufacturing. My reasoning would be that if the rump of UK amp makers
are so disconnected from reality that they don't even offer an balance control let alone tone controls, do they
honestly deserve the sale?
Real speakers in real rooms playing real recordings can most of the time benefit from a small adjustment in balance or tone, especially in UK living rooms where the chimney, window and door disturbs the ideal symmetry of speakers.
If I were in your shoes, I assure you that what I'd do is buy a 70W+70W Pioneer amp, as detailed here in black and here in silver.. User manual here. There are several alternative power/colour options as you'll see here.
I'm sure you can order directly from CPC with a credit card, but if you can't I'm sure hifi_dave (for example) could get the amp for you for a reasonable handling charge.
After that, I'd just get on with listening to music, applying as needed, a little tone or balance to suit. In fact, I think I'll order one of these so we can run it through the fancy remote control A-B box, due in any day now.
P.S. The Pioneer is a luxury amp by my standards. Don't want to spend as much? Then I'd go for this, at half the price here. I have two of the slightly earlier versions with a few less facilities. How does it sound? You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you that it was completely indistinguishable from a very highly respected North American unit under carefully controlled, level matched to about 0.15dB instantaneous A-B comparison. There really is no magic in amplifier design whatever.
Alan A. Shaw
Designer, owner
Harbeth Audio UK