Musical Fidelity A1

Dame Shirley Bassey’s catchy collaboration with the Propellerheads, ‘History Repeating,’ could be the soundtrack to recent developments in two-channel audio. Mining your heritage for something that makes us hark back to a time when things were less awful (or at least, the passage of time and some judicious rose tinting convince us it was less awful) is big business. The latest company to feel the pull of the past is Musical Fidelity. It has resurrected the Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amplifier. 

The A1 integrated amplifier wasn’t entirely ‘normal’ when launched. Designed by the late Tim de Paravicini, it was a solid-state amplifier that owed more than a little to his more widely known work with valve designs. The Musical Fidelity A1 operates in Class A for a significant portion of its operating envelope. It then ‘slides’ rather than ‘switches’ into Class AB operation at high outputs. However, combining not-inconsequential operating temperatures and cost-effective components gave it a reputation for fragility it never truly deserved.

The relaunched version has the same basic design as the original. However, a selection of detail (and one reasonably significant) alterations achieve the level of performance that the basic design was capable of. The significant difference is that the new model is slightly larger. The extra size allows the casework to radiate the heat better away from the electronics. This is relative, though. A hot surface warning is the first thing that greets you when you open the A1 box. It’s not there for a laugh. The review sample ran at around sixty degrees after an hour, meaning it will need its shelf in any setup.

Detail changes

The detail changes are more interesting. Revising the internal layout and upgrading components like the volume pot result in higher performance and reliability. It is also motorised. This allows adding a small but nicely finished remote to adjust the volume and mute the Musical Fidelity A1. What once was the tape monitor button on the front panel was repurposed into a gain switch. The gain switch lets you bypass the gain stage built into the preamp. This is less crucial in a world where source equipment routinely pumps out 3v. 

Tape monitor aside, connectivity remains the same as before. Bluetooth or digital inputs are far too 21st century for the Musical Fidelity A1. Instead, you get four line inputs, a phono stage that supports both MM and MC operation, and the tape loop mentioned above. This makes connecting a headphone amp a little easier, as the A1 doesn’t have one. At a price where many rivals hover near the point where they can be described as an all-in-one system, the A1 is an old-school amplifier. 

1980s aesthetics

This impression only deepens when the aesthetics are taken into account. The A1 didn’t look like anything else on the market when it came out. Intervening decades have done nothing to change this. The A1 is still governed by its need to dissipate heat, giving it a functionally brutal air with a whiff of retro-futurism. I like it, but this comes with the caveat that I am something of a sucker for eighties things which means I’m probably not a wholly impartial judge. The overall build standard is excellent, though, and while this relaunched A1 is pricier than its ancestor, it feels like solid value. 

Like the original, the Musical Fidelity A1 disposes of 25 watts per channel, available to a single pair of binding posts. Just like the original, this goes somewhat further than you might expect. I have done considerable listening with the Neat Petite Classic, whose six-ohm impedance and 87dB/w sensitivity might suggest a challenge, but the results have been outstanding. Scratch that. The results have been an unadulterated joy. With a Chord Electronics Qutest tipped on its side at one end of the A1 (rather than being gradually baked on the top) serving as a source, the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

Exceptionally unmechanical

The key to what made the Musical Fidelity A1 such a favourite was its exceptionally unmechanical sense of power delivery, which is replicated perfectly in the new version. The volume control feels more like a regulator that allows more flow from a supply of boundless musical energy. The spellbinding ‘Mining For Gold’ that opens The Trinity Sessions by The Cowboy Junkies [RCA] arrives at the ear with nothing so base as the mechanical process being present at any stage. Give the A1 a good recording, and it’s an astonishingly natural performer. Margo Timmins never feels embellished or enhanced. She’s just there in a way that I don’t always experience with somewhat more expensive amps. 

You can frequently replicate these attributes with a well-engineered EL84 amp, but the A1 kicks on because it has a potency and sheer grunt that can sometimes be a genuine surprise. Listening to Love by The Cult [Beggars Banquet] on the A1 delivers an unlikely performance for a 25-watt amplifier. ‘Big Neon Glitter’ pounds along with a level of bite and attack that would keep even the most flat-earth adherent listener happy.

Fast and dextrous

This is a fast and dextrous amp with much more out-and-out punch than you might give it credit for. Listen through the eighties sheen, though, and Ian Astbury still sounds natural and engaging, and the soundstage, while not genuinely enormous, gives the music space to breathe. 

I enjoyed digital audio played through the Musical Fidelity A1, but the phono stage is realistically the best way to enjoy the performance. I have found that all but the lowest output MC carts have not required me to use the preamp gain stage in this listening space, and the result feels very much like an organic extension of the main amplifier. Crucially, it gets all the basics right. There is little to no background noise and sufficient gain for most applications. I feel that the developments in moving magnet cartridges that have occurred since the A1 launched mean that the MM side is the more logical choice for most owners, but having the option is welcome. 

Compelling naturalness

The performance has the same compelling naturalness as the rest of the amp. Listening to To Dream is to Forget by Hidden Orchestra [Lone Figures], the A1 is a good amp without caveats. Tonal realism is impressive. That same infectious energy ensures you are not simply a spectator to what the Musical Fidelity A1 does. You are an engaged participant. Change tack entirely and go for a spirited blast through the riotous Electricity by Ibibio Sound Machine [Merge]. The A1 captures the energy and power of the piece in a wholly convincing way.

Musical Fidelity’s A1 was on hand simultaneously with the beautiful DeVore Fidelity O/Baby. The results of running the two together were wholly and wonderfully enjoyable. The A1 has slightly rolled-off frequency extremes and won’t supply you with the last ounce of fine detail. However, the A1 does a great job of ensuring you ignore these aspects of your overall performance. 

The Musical Fidelity A1 isn’t a no-brainer choice in 2024, but it wasn’t in the 1980s. This is a curious-looking, minimally specified device that runs like a hotplate. It would bring tears to anyone engaged in energy efficiency certification. However, the performance is sufficiently arresting that many people won’t care. The A1 remains an absurdly talented amp that will beguile a new generation of listeners. History repeating indeed. 

Technical specifications

Type: Integrated Amplifier with phono input 

Inputs: Four line RCA inputs, one MM/MC phono stage

Outputs: Tape out 

Rated power output: 25w into 8 ohms 

Dimensions: 68.3 × 440 × 283mm 

Weight: £0.5kg

Price: £1,499/$1,699 

Manufacturer

Musical Fidelity

www.musicalfidelity.com

UK distributor

Henley Audio

www.henleyaudio.co.uk

+44(0)1235 511166

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