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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:Let's be conformist
Moderator:GOVT02::BARKER
Created:Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:550
Total number of notes:3847

348.0. "Intergrated questions from a Yank" by AIMHI::PETERSON () Tue Feb 25 1992 16:57

    I am curious after reading several UK magazines (HIFI Choice,
    Audiophile) about the number of good integrated amps from the UK.
    I have seen reviews of Arcam, Creek, Cambridge Audio, Audiolab in US
    magazines but dealers are as hard to find as a honest politician! I
    also saw a Magnum amp in one of your magazines. It is interesting that
    there supposed to be made in Canada but my Magnum dealer doesn't have
    one. Anybody heard this unit.  Last question is about the Pioneer AV
    400 is this really as good as the press say it is ( HIFI Choice Seemed
    to love Pioneers Amp,CD,Cassette Deck) or is this another snow job like
    Adcom was in the U.S. to sell Japanse goods. At least we recogonize
    Pioneer name as offshore. If this unit is good is it available here or
    under another model number.
    
    
    Thanx
    
    Bob "Image is everything"sic
     
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348.1WIKKIT::WARWICKTrevor WarwickTue Feb 25 1992 17:4811
    
    I've never heard an A400, but it does seem to have been praised to the
    skies by certain magazines. I think it's the sort of product that you
    either love or hate - many people have apparently found it bright and
    fatiguing, while others praise its clarity.
    
    A lot of the places that sell it aren't really recognised HiFi
    dealers, so I think it's quite difficult to compare one against the
    home grown competition.
    
    Trevor
348.2FORTY2::SHIPMANMOGWed Feb 26 1992 09:1715
Yes, we do quite well here for good integrated amps.  The Pioneer A400 is
certainly a nice amplifier but it's not the final word the hype may suggest. 
It's a pretty decent power amp but its phono section is not at all hot.  I've
heard that people get good results from an A400 coupled with an outboard Moth
phono stage - I can't remember what that costs but it's probably twice the
price of the Pioneer.  I've never heard an A400 in a 'real' hi-fi system but
making allowances for the other kit I've heard it with it seemed to do a good
job.  Detailed, perhaps a bit hard, but I wouldn't want to suggest problems
that are in fact caused by the other kit.

I reckon for a good, cheap, musical amp you can't do much better at the moment
than an Arcam Alpha (mark 3 I think it is).  Not a vast amount of power, not
shockingly detailed, no surprises, but you can listen to it forever.

Nick