British Integrated Amps

excellent -- naim nait x2 w pardo ps

very good -- lfd lfe 4 se (but ergonomically challenged)

ok - naim nait 5 si, rega brio, creek evo50

poor - arcam fmj, cyrus 1

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

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.

My favorite British/China integrateds are Musical Fidelity. Not sure if that will remain the same under new ownership. 

I’ve got an MF A308, which was a 12-year-old steal from eBay. It liked my vintage KF speakers, but it loves my modern ATC‘s. From what I’ve read, this amp may be more musical than the direction that MF turned to after it. When it came out, it was their top-of-the-line unit.

Never owned one, but the Leema Tuscana has been well reviewed.

I’ve never heard one but A British Audiophile over on YouTube, loves Exposure, and has owned them for most of his audiophile life. His channel is worth a look as his reviews are very informative.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMADmrBg2mMall8bpC4anQQ

All the best,
Nonoise

Back in the 90’s… 35w AMC 30/30. I never had any problems. Sounded good with some Vanderstein 2’s.

Depending on your power needs I find Croft very hard to beat anywhere near the price. Supposed to be a good phono stage too but I don’t play records. Listened to it many times but never owned one. Small form factor. 

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

In one of my rigs, I'm currently running Linn Basik/Akito>Audiolab 6000a>ProAc Tab 10. Sounds amazing. But really, that's two former Scot companies and one true Brit. I also have a Rega P1 using Mission 737R speakers that I thoroughly enjoy in another system.

Forgive my comment concerning Scottish/British reference...I meant true English company. But really, isn't everything owned by IAG anyway? :)

Sugden....particularly the Signature A21se. Paired with some Tannoys...

I hang out quite often on a British hifi forum. The British integrateds that get the most love and attention are usually in the lower price bracket representing excellent value for money.

The Rega, Naim, Sugden, Exposure and Arcam are commonly used by many. I have owned the mid range Rega Elicit, Arcam Alpha 10 and briefly tried the Naim Nait XS. The Rega and Naim are good but not outstanding. Arcam is not so good.

Less common brands include LFD, NVA, Sonneteer and Leema. I have tried LFD Zero LE3, NVA AP70 and currently own Sonneteer Orton. All great sounding amps.

The Sugden Masterclass IA-4 and Rega Osiris are reference level and reported to be a class above the rest.

I have been in this hobby for many years. You really get what you pay for, not all the time but most of the time. There isn’t any doubt that budget or modest gear may sound good or great. However, once you break a certain threshold and get into high end, the performance of each and every component in the system really rewards you with higher listening pleasure.

Excuse the rant. The message to be conveyed is it may be worthwhile to spend a bit more than beer budget for good hifi.

Creek Evo 100 was a fantastic pairing with PSB Imagine T2s and KEF LS50s.  There’s a big jump in build quality, parts and sound between the 50 and 100.  The 100 is a steal used but pricey new. 

What about Roksan ?  I haven’t heard one in years but they always had great PRAT. 

British Fidelity A1 (now called Music Fidelity) was absolutely amazing. Its 20 watts class A limited it capabilities, but the sound was magnificent. Ran that for 10 years in a small system. 

My daughter used a Creek 5350SE (made in the UK) for 8 years. Once she got out of graduate school she moved over to an all Resolution Audio system.

I still have a Rega Brio. Just simply easy to listen to. 

Always loved Sugden.

I started with a Naim Nait 1, which was excellent for its day but over-romanticized these days (as is the Nait 2).  Fantastic with a LP12/arm/MM cartridge and a pair of Kans or Index2.  

A couple of different Exposures were excellent, as was the Onix OA21.  

One integrated that doesn't get mentioned much is the Linn Majik, which is terrific within its limits.  I think too many people tried to run too-difficult speakers with them, but within its limits it is great.  Ditto the replacement for it - the Linn Majik-I (I think).  Bigger case, more power, etc.  

I have a Meridian 551, which sounds fine but is still breaking in.  I wouldn't put it up against the ones mentioned above - while it is smooth and ballsy, it's a bit . . . polite.  

I have really enjoyed Croft and Exposure gear the most.  I liked Rega and Naim, but not quite as much.

OP, I too am a fan of the British sound, having in house Wharfdale, Mission and Celestion speakers.  Current main system uses Jade 3's.  Having been a Harmon Kardon amp user for years I recently bought a Cambridge CXA81.  A very good value for the money.  I'm very pleased with it.

Someday I will probably move to Harbeth speakers, but amps?  I had no idea there were so many from the UK.

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!

I have a Naim Supernait 2, it sounds incredible. Been very happy with it. I am thinking about trying the power supply upgrade.

Check out Exposure.
Don't be fooled by the plain looks.....they are excellent amps.
Re: Naim: they have a distinct sound.  Some people love them, some people dislike the Naim sound.

They don't make integrateds as far as I know, but they are shoebox size or smaller and reputedly very musical: Crimson and DNM. British all the way. And not cheap. 

I second the Musical Fidelity A-308 nomination - I've had one for several years, and after mating it with a pair of B&W CDM 9NTs, it does almosteverything right. The modest little Rotel RA-870 is also a great little amp that punched way above its class. After getting the A-308, my RA-870 is now doing duty in my computer system, with audio streamed through a lowlyParasound zDac.

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.

Check out the latest LFD integrateds. Very nice sound.

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 :)

If you want a small form “half-size box ” high-end integrated amp with all other matched half-sized components available  …..CYRUS

CYRUS 6 DAC and 82 DAC

Q. What is the difference between the 6 DAC and 82 DAC?

A. Both amps are based on the same design and feature similar inputs and outputs. The 82DAC is our higher performance integrated amp and features much higher power output than the 6 DAC. The 82 DAC can also be improved further with the addition of the PSX-R2, whereas the 6 DAC cannot.

https://www.cyrusaudio.com/support/faqs/product-range/

I've owned a Creek 4140 (version 1) for years. I was deciding between the Creek and a Naim Nait 2 at the time. I've really liked the sound but didn't really realize how good it actually sounded until this past year when I had a chance to have some other amplifiers in my system.

PS Audio Stellar Strata: Much worse than the Creek. Sound seemed a bit synthetic. Maybe that is due to its Class D design?
Creek Evo 50: Worse than the Creek. Sounded ponderous and slow. Lacked pace.
Pathos Classic One: About at the same level as the Creek
Belles Aria Integrated: Similar in character to the Creek, but better resolution and imaging of the soundstage.

I also listened to some amplifiers at dealers:

Naim Supernait 3: A disappointment given all of the good reviews that I read about it. It sounded a bit gray in tonal color and a bit two-dimensional
Sugden A21 Signature: My impression of the Supernait 3 probably suffered because it was listening to it next to the Sugden. The amount of tonal color and fullness of sound that the Sugden was able to convey was impressive.

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.

@lou_setriodes Although not relevant to this discussion, your mention of the Acurus DIA100 brought back great memories.  It was the first piece of good audio gear that I ever owned, and it got me started in this wonderful hobby.  

You might want to check out a Sonneteer Alabaster. Just a simple, great integrated amp. Superb sound but like the LFD NCSE, no remote. I’ve had both. Now using Pass INT-25.

The NCSE and the Harbeth m30.1's are a fantastic pairing.  

your mention of the Acurus DIA100 brought back great memories

haha for me that one brings back one of my few episodes of hifi ptsd... i had these driving totem 1’s back in the day, just brutally harsh and aggressive treble -- am sure the amp/speaker match was not ideal but man what a painful learning experience that was ... don't just pick random 'recommended components' and expect them to work together

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.

others have most probably pointed you to Croft and LFD. I have the NAIM - Atom, in my system anyway an excellent 40 wpc amp and now streamer / preamp…

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7100

to some of the above points, the NAIM is paired with the excellent Vandersteen carbon tweeter, precise but not bright…

@tomic601 

i agree, for fun, i hooked up my nait xs2 w teddycap, driving my harbeths and then spendors... the sound is excellent, alive yet not harsh, trademark bass drive... the better naims beautifully walk that fine line --  attention grabbing, thoroughly engaging sound, but without being bright or tiresome...

 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.