In the mid 1980s into the early 1990s, the original A1 was generally regarded as the ultimate in musicality. Over the past 16 or 17 years, it has been sorely missed by the musically inclined audio enthusiast.

The new A1 has all the sonic virtues of the original, but it has been brought up to date. First off, its technical performance is excellent, with low distortion and very good load-driving characteristics. The new A1 also has an excellent signal-to ratio and a wide, flat frequency response.

Further, the new A1 has the usual complement of inputs, plus phono (MM) and USB. It has an attractive display and full remote control. The build quality is a substantial step up from the original, and the visuals have been refined. But don’t worry, the new A1 still has that unmistakable A1 look!

But enough talk about technical performance and facilities. What you want to know about is the sound. Well, it’s that Class A story again. The A1 has a sweet, warm, full and exciting sound. No harshness. No grain. Just pure music. Unlike the original, the sound of the new A1 does not get ‘muddy’ as it nears full power. It remains clean right up to its power limit. To hear what the new A1 does is to hear what hi-fi is supposed to do: it makes music, pure and simple.

The A1’s only limitation is power. There are two solutions to this. Either use loudspeakers with sensitivity above 92dB, or use the A1 to drive the 550K or 750K Supercharger. The potential of this combination is extraordinary. It also offers a proper upgrade path for the committed, music-loving audio enthusiast.

Start out with the beautiful A1 and then, when finances permit, add a pair of Superchargers – and you’ve created a world-beating amplification system.