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British Integrated Amps

I have a great affinity for British gear.  I have owned many British speakers from ProAc, Celestion, Mission, Wharfedale, Tannoy, Mordaunt Short, KEF, Linn & Monitor Audio and they were all very musical sounding.

I had a Rega Planar 3 for over 25 years and much shorter stints with a Linn Basik/Akito arm, Thorens TD125 mkII w/Rega RB303 arm and now an Ariston RD80 SEL w/Jelco arm.

I have also owned several British integrateds:  Onix OA-21s, OA-20/2, OA-60, Creek 5050, 4330, Musical Fidelity B1, Rotel RA870 and maybe a couple others that escape me right now and I now have a Meridian 504 tuner.  

I particularly like the shoebox sized units, I just like the size and shape of them and that they don’t take up a lot of room.

Which British integrated amps have you owned, which were your favorites, which ones were overrated, overpriced and what speakers were you using with them that made them a yay or a nay?

Look forward to your comments!  Thanks!


lou_setriodes
audition__audio
1,683 posts
 

My experience with older Exposure models has been very good. I believe the same designer as the Hi-Watt guitar amps from back in the day.

 

tko956
36 posts
 

I still use my Creek 4330 MkIi in a second system to this day.  It was my first "real hifi" purchase and it will never leave.

lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
714 posts
 

I had the 4330 too, MkI I think?  Not sure I really know the diff between mkI & MkII, a remote perhaps?  At any rate, I thought that it was a truly excellent sounding int amp!

lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
714 posts
 

Currently, beer budget British int amps on the used market here in Israel are:  

- a Creek 4330

- Arcam Delta 290 (recapped and might be sold)

- Rega Elicit mkI

- Myryad MI-120

- Ion Obelisk 1 (strangely there are like 3 or 4 different people selling these here)

I’m learning to live with less and be happy plus the dollar doesn’t go so far here and most audio here is way overpriced compared to the US.

The Myryad is probably my safest bet since it’s the newest.  For a bit more, there is an Audio Analogue Verdi Cento (100 wpc Class D 3886 chip with 6922 tube front end).  Sounds very interesting but I prefer class A/AB….

 

Anyone familiar with the Ion Obelisk 1?  Supposed to be 40 wpc w/passive preamp?

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