Valve - Nut

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.14 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2100.00 from Electrades Audio Sin

Summary:
I owned several SS integrated and pre-power before I switched to valve amp. I was especially particular in the mid and high reproduction, where most of the mid price SS gears failed to deliver what I want. One day in the showroom I heard the Sudgen driving a Spendor classic loudspeaker and I was very impressed with the sound - delicate, smooth and brilliant. I bought it home and compare to my valve pre-mono block which cost at least 4 times more. The A21a can do most what my valve amp does, only slightly lacking in authority and slightly thinner mid band. I was particularly impressed with the treble reproduction of A21a, which is the best I have come across, so sweet!

Strengths:
Very sweet treble, relaxed presentation. At least 30 mins warm up before it sings..

Weaknesses:
Run very hot.

Similar Products Used:
Musical Fidelity
YBA DT Integre

Paulallan

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from ebay

Summary:
This amp has a soul. You can tell cos it not only gets warm, but lights up inside if you look through the small vents on the top plate. Forget hifi, it is a great communicator and makes acoustic music and voice sound 'real'. The new cost is a very reasonable 1000.00 but thank god for ebay, I got a 5 year old one for 600.00. Unfortunately It arrived broken due to a bump in transit, but the guys @ Sugden sorted it out and without charging me a fortune!!!

I read a lot about speaker matching and it kind of put me off, but a call to the factory put me dead straight and they were spot on with some sensible advice. I had some old Rogers LS6 that were used and abused but worked quite well with the A21. I knew they had to go and invested in a pair of Proac One SC (ex dem) and I'm mega chuffed.

Strengths:
The best amp Ive ever heard that Ive been able to afford. Massive sound stage that makes music sound like......music. Hand made in the UK and you can get it fixed if need be. Superb Phono input. Low power output means cheap electricity bills but it keeps the room warm!!

Weaknesses:
No remote control!!!!! Phono stage has internal MM and MC adjustments that are difficult to get at unless you have a tool box and sonic screw driver. My room is 14 x 16 and it runs out of power when I get over enthusiastic (drunk) and play it very loud.

Similar Products Used:
Heart 300B
Leak stereo 20
Audio innovations alto
Naim Nait

Jaeoh Park

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1700.00 from eBay

Summary:
Everyone has mentioned how good this amp is, so I'm going to save my words describing how good this amp is. After some research I just felt like I had to get this amp and I did so by getting it 2nd hand from eBay (This amp doesn't seem to be on sale here in Australia). Gosh, was I amazed. The sound is smooth as silk and it's pretty much awesome in every respect of the sound. People tend to say this amp is not really flat sounded but no matter what, it sounds great after all - with all types of music.

So why did I decide to leave a comment here?
I thought I had to warn people about the amp's stability.

There is a person down below who mentions about their reliability problems.
I didn't want to believe him but I have to admit that I agree with him now.

When this amp arrived it had already broken its knobs at the front panel.
That was something I can understand, since it wasn't well-boxed.

But now, after using it for a year, it is showing some problem.
I have to say that they are in fact amplifiers strictly for music listening.
These days, after turning it on for a while, it's failing to properly output
the sound to the speakers, as the sound sort of jiggles, fading in and out rapidly.
I think the problem was that I left it on for a long time every now and then,
and I suspect that its circuits have been damaged, may be due to extreme heat.
There was no problem with ventilation so I don't think I did something seriously wrong. I connect my amps to the computer and leave it on for hours every single day.

Don't get me wrong, I love this jewel of an amplifier, as can be seen with my ratings on it. But people, please be careful on its maintenance. People like me who like to turn them on most of the time should especially be aware of this. I am wondering if I should upgrade it after a few months when I have some budget saved. I don't think there are many amps out there which can match its sound qualities at this price point so I'm a bit hesitant though. But if I have to worry about it being turned on, I don't think it's such a great situation. Even though it is better than having to listen to crude sounding amps. I guess I'll probably change it if a similar problem occurs within a relatively short time period.

I won't be so definitive on their stability problems since there seem to be people who enjoy this amp for a long time. But just be warned that it can happen, and be careful with the maintenance.

Oh, I have to also mention that they do sound better after being turned on for 30 minutes~2 hours or so. No doubts on its sound quality.

Strengths:
SOUND

Weaknesses:
stability/reliability.
Runs really hot.

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

holbob

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Acoustica - second h

Summary:
This was the holy grail for me when I bought it - the component that I was gonna build my system around for years to come. The one "sticker". But as always in the case in hi-fi, there are no stickers due to the peril's of upgraditis! Today I put this amp up for sale on ebay - not because I don't love it - I do. But because I got a Benchmark Dac1 2 weeks ago what kind of makes the Sugden redundant - the Benchmark has a volume control meaning a straight power amp can only improve the system. A testement to the quality of the Sugden though is the fact i'm searching for a used power amp version of the a21a - the a21p! Onto the a21. It's strength lies in the coluration it adds to the sound - it's lovely, sweet, musical, valve like, analogue like, whatever you want to call it. It's too sweet for words, takes away all the harshness without losing the detail. I'm really hoping I don't regret selling this. Worried about the low wattage? - don't be, Mr Sugden himself says this amp loves to be pushed - the more inefficent the speakers the better. I use it driving Dynaudio 52. It doesn't struggle at all. If you like music to sound sweet and layered - this is the amp for you. There isn't an amp to match it in the same price point IMO - though Unison, Copland and Primare all come close.

Strengths:
Sweet, Valve like sound - without the annoyance of valve amps.

Weaknesses:
Runs absurdly hot - if you have children - dangerously so.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz PM7200 Denon AVR3803 Sonic Impact T-Amp

henner

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1900.00 from audio outlet

Summary:
I got this integrated amp with phono stage because I wanted to downsize from seperates and make things simpler and convenient but still have good sound quality. I came across the Sugden name on the "Class A amplifier" website. I have read the British hi-fi press for quite awhile, but never saw it reviewed in the issues I have. After discovering the company and the product, I learned that the Sugden was the first commercially produced "pure class A" amp made.... back in the late 60's. The A21 has been in production for many years. Over the years it has become a "classic", but is less known here in the US. The amplifier is hand built in England. To my knowledge it is the only pure class A integrated amplifier available. Its rise in price over the last few years coupled with the lower dollar means one will run you around two grand now, depending on whether you get the phono stage. Parts quality is good with an alps volume pot and toroidal power supply. Each power channel is mounted seperately next to its heat sink. I like the layout of this amp. Build quality is stocky enough, but no tank metal. When listening to the A21 amp I don't really sit there and disect the sound because, on the whole, this amp is very musical. It is simply very enjoyable to listen to. The musical performance is presented in a convincing manner. But this is a review so I guess some disecting of the sound is needed. Timbre of instruments is natural, each instrument sounds like it should (my reference is lots of live performances of all kinds of music). Treble is neither bright nor dull. The midrange is excellent with good dynamics-in this respect it comes close to a good tube amp. The soundstage is done well, being neither "closed in" nor "pinpoint" with good depth. Detail is there but not obviously so. The bass is not extremely "tight" but not out of control either. It probably would not be a good match for speakers that need alot of bass control. Nor for tough 4 ohm loads, as it puts out less than 3 amps of current. I use it with small easy to drive monitors of moderate efficiency and it is a perfect match. Though it lets me enjoy my rock music collection, the A21 really shines with classical music and also jazz. Violins are smooth, not harsh. Piano has proper harmonics. Trumpet is not thin and irritating, and sax sounds dynamic and full. Vocals are beautiful. Some equate this with "warm", so be it. I think real music does have an enjoyable warmth to it. Usually a bit of "warmth" is really more "accurate" than "neutral" just so long as it's not boring. Lifelike might be a way to describe it. The A21 communicates the music in a way that makes me want to listen and listen long. It is very well balanced overall and its sound suprised me given its modest 25 watts. The phono section is quiet with similar strengths as the line stage. It worked well with my Rega P3 turntable and Corus black moving magnet cartridge. If phono is a big priority, you might want to get an expensive outboard unit. The Mono switch is good to have for my older jazz recordings. It does need its own space to breath as it runs about as hot as a toaster. The heat sink is hotter than a Pass labs Aleph, which makes the Sugden the hottest solid state amp I have ever used. It is easily the best integrated amp I have heard. Keep in mind this review is only my feeling and the Sugden may or may not suit your needs. The Sugden A21 has a good blend of qualities that is rare and hard to describe. To sum up I'd say it's really musical and involving, and runs really hot. It is not hard to understand why it is a classic that has stood the test of time. I rate it 5 stars for performance and 4 for value due to its current $2000 price tag.

Strengths:
Amazing integrated amp. Musical and involving. A true gem. No need to fuss with bunches of wires and cords or tubes.

Weaknesses:
Runs extremely hot. Bass could be "tighter". Top and bottom metal plates are a bit thin.

Similar Products Used:
Conrad Johnson MV55 Pass Labs Aleph