British Integrated Amps

I also had a very rare Celestion Ditton Elan integrated amp that was very beefy sounding but it had bipolar outputs.  I prefer Mosfets, sounds warmer and more realistic to me.

Jess - Is that the original Brio or the 2017 Brio you are referring to?

Hbarrel - I had an AMC CVT3030 many years ago in the early 90’s, nice piece, but I never considered that a British design?  Was Weltronics from the UK?

skoczylas - always heard really good things about Croft gear

nonoise - ditto with Exposure gear too

Great thread! Thank you all for your comments & posts!

I’m moving overseas in a few months so the idea of a shoe box sized dual voltage Brit int w/phono stage is very appealing right now.

I now have an Acurus DIA100 w/Monitor Audio R700MD & Schiit Mani and it’s a really nice match. I’ll most likely be moving into smaller quarters so 50-60 wpc will probably be just fine. A dealer has messaged me about the new Cyrus One but I’m not sure I want Class D. I’ve had several Class D units, and while very good, I prefer class A/AB, and preferably the warmth of MOSFET outputs.

Naim fan - I’ve owned the Onix OA21s & OA20/2 and both were truly excellent but the source selector knob on both units loosened up over time & I never could find the right Allen wrench to fix this seemingly minor issue. Did you ever encounter that issue with your OA21? The OA60 was a different animal, beefier as a 60 watt dual mono unit, but not as musical and sweet sounding.

Good to hear your comments about the Linn Majik & Majik I. How is the build quality & reliability of them? I also have a Meridian 504 tuner so was considering the 551 integrated. The TNT-audio review wasn’t so flattering saying that it was overpriced. I’d like to hear more of your thoughts on the 551.

Ryder - agree that stepping up above the beer budget does yield much better results, although, I’m still on the fence in that regard. I’ll probably end up spending more than I anticipated if I choose to get rid of the DIA100.

There is a Rega Elicit clamshell model on eBay now for $600 that I’m keeping an eye on. Another very enjoyable unit I owned for a very short time was the Creek 4330. With its passive line stage, it was like the lower powered version of my current Acurus. I’ll bet the 5350SE are heads and shoulders better though.

Watching the following on eBay: Linn Majik, Majik IP, Rega Elicit clamshell, Aura VA80 mirror finish, Meridian 551 w/ universal remote & one with MSR remote, 2019 Rega Brio 230V.

Should the MF XA-1 or XA-2 or Cyrus 6V2 be considered? I’m a tube guy at heart. Thanks again, keep the comments coming!

Well, I ended up picking up a shoe box sized Linn Majik I and so far so good. It’s very smooth sounding, I like it’s aesthetics and ease of operation. It doesn’t have a phono stage but I’ve read the ones that do have crosstalk with the built in phono stage.


I’m still considering other shoe box Brit int amps though from Meridian & Onix too.

Thanks mr_m, but I’m fancying these shoe box sized integrated because I’m moving overseas soon and just like the form factor of them and the fact that they are so good sounding and don’t take up lots of room either.

I had a good lead on an Onix OA21 but passed on it because it’s not dual voltage and I’d rather not have to run a SUT if I don’t have to. Someone will be a very happy customer if they pick this unit up that’s on USAM now.

To that end, I also will soon be getting a Meridian 551 to match my 504 tuner and really look forward to hearing it. 

Today, I received an after market remote from Italy for the Linn Majik I and it changes the stations on my Meridian tuner but does not work the Linn at all. Hoping it will work the Meridian 551 when it arrives next week :)

Calvin, Interesting commentary and thank you for the post.  I had a Creek 5050 many years ago after a 3-4 year sabbatical from audio when my daughter was born.  It was pretty nice but I was greatly more impressed by the Creek 4330 that I had years later.

I’m also not a great fan of class D.  To me, they all sound a little dry and need to be paired with a tube preamp.

Right now I have a Linn Majik I, Music Fidelity B1, Acurus DIA100, and will soon be getting a Meridian 551.  The DIA, which is excellent, is for sale & giving the MF to my nephew.

The knock against the Acurus DIA100 on audio review was that it tended to sound bright. I’ve never experienced that but several others have. So knowing that, I would not pair it with a bright sounding speaker, or one that has an aluminum or metal dome tweeter. I think it would be better with a silk dome tweeter or a speaker on the darker side.

 Never had any Naim gear before, although it looks awesome.  I’ve only ever heard the Nait 3, cd3, and CDX.  The Nait 3 had trouble with Epos ES11’s in a large room, not a good pairing for a large room.  The CD players were phenomenal.

Ended up getting a Linn Majik I (orig shoe box sized) and a Meridian 551 to match my 504 tuner.  Now just need to get the MSR remote.

Many have mentioned Croft, LFD, & Sonateer but since I’m moving overseas soon, I was looking to get a shoe box sized integrated.  This gear will suffice and I can always upgrade and add an amp if I want to have separates.