2026 Awards – Integrated Amplifier under £5k

For many, Marantz’s 60n will be the correct product at the correct price. A well-specified and good-looking integrated amplifier with digital connections and network streaming aplenty, plus 60 watts of Class A/B power that should get on very well indeed with sensibly matched speakers, it is an admirable device that doesn’t leave many stones unturned.

Specifically in terms of the HEOS wi-fi platform upon which its core functionality is built, the 60n and the comprehensive companion app open doors to streaming services, internet radio and multi-room groupings, with Roon readiness and the ‘Connect’ versions of both Spotify and Tidal bolstering its CV. A DAC supports PCM 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 and feeds optical, coaxial USB-A and Bluetooth 5.4, while, not to be neglected, the audio side of things holds up well too, courtesy of three line-level RCA inputs, a moving-magnet phono stage, two pre-outs and a 6.3mm headphone jack.

Versatile from head to toe

While the Marantz name became synonymous with CD players in the 1990s, it began in the 1950s with high-performance amplification. Although there have been big changes in 70 years, the apple doesn’t fall far from that tree in the 60n. Such versatility is also satisfyingly infused in the listening experience. “There’s a smooth unfussiness to the overall sound of the 60n that makes it a) an adaptable device, and b) appropriate for use with any number of price-appropriate loudspeakers,” says reviewer Simon Lucas, though he will be the first to suggest partnering the Marantz with energetic speakers to lift its predominantly judicious character.

Midrange expression is a highlight – “its facility with the minor harmonic variations apparent in every voice makes for a naturalistic and convincing listen,” says Simon – as is its coherent organisation. Just add speakers, and away you and your music go.

Reviewed in Issue 243

Marantz • marantz.com

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The DX-5 represents Rotel’s vision of what a modern integrated amplifier should look like, sound like, and be specified like. Indeed, it’s no longer the 1980s, and more efficient audio electronics with surface-mount devices do not need acres of chassis real estate, so here we have a respected manufacturer aiming to extract considerable performance from a compact enclosure. The DX-5’s modest internal space is dominated by a high-current, in-house-wound toroidal transformer capable of delivering 25 watts of Class AB power into 8 ohms. And while the remaining room hasn’t been given over to phono stage circuitry, you do get a decent suite of digital inputs – HDMI ARC, coaxial, optical, USB-B and aptX HD Bluetooth – alongside the usual RCAs.

On the outside, the casing exudes visual and tactile appeal through the generous use of anodised aluminium and charming details in the industrial design, which sees a well-engineered volume dial and power button sandwiching a large, sharply rendered full-colour screen, ‘source selection’ button and a 6.3mm headphone output.

Startlingly insightful

“It’s hard not to think of this little star as a bit of a pocket rocket!” says reviewer Simon Lucas, who finds himself won over by the DX-5’s spacious, well-defined soundstage, within which details are presented clearly and nicely separated but not at the expense of cohesion. Detail retrieval and dynamic expression are impressive, making for an “overall tone of entertainment rather than measured analysis”, and the tonal balance is “winningly even and consistent”, only very slightly edgy in the upper region when the amp is pushed hard. At all other times, this is, Simon concludes, an “entertaining, engaging and occasionally quite startlingly insightful” performer.

Reviewed in Issue 249

Rotel • rotel.com

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Soulnote’s shtick is the liveliness of sound; the Japanese company is after “the soul that lives in the sound source.” And boy, does its A1 find it. 

“I love how this Soulnote seems to bring all kinds of music to life,” says reviewer Jason Kennedy of the entry-level model. Upon pairing it with various speakers, of which the transparent yet relaxed Vivid S12 fared best, Jason is confident of its “vibrant and energetic” sound and “powerful immediacy”, also heaping praise on its dynamic expression, richly textured bass and overall transparency. Want to be moved by your music? The A1 will wholeheartedly oblige.

Purist charm

Its talents aren’t surprising when you consider that Soulnote was founded by former Marantz engineers. Aesthetically, though, the A1 wouldn’t give away that link. The distinctive horizontal slots of the rigid steel chassis, the old-school front-panel display and the clicky controls (which use relay attenuation, recognised as facilitating higher sound quality) make for a rather industrial design. This is an all-analogue amplifier, too, with RCA (three pairs) and XLR (one pair) inputs sitting alongside the banana speaker terminals.

The amplification circuit is a discrete setup that avoids the negative feedback topology typically associated with transistor designs; instead the focus here is on direct coupling by omitting connectors, star earthing, and tuning for optimal drive current. The A1’s hand-selected output transistors, with two pairs per channel, deliver 80 watts each.

“If the A1 is what Soulnote can achieve with its most affordable amplifier, then I am very eager to hear what its larger models are capable of,” concludes Jason.

Reviewed in Issue 246

Soulnote • soulnote.audio/soulnote-en/

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