The new products presented at the High End in Munich remain among the news of Hi-Fi, and one of them is the new Musical Fidelity A1 integrated circuit. Although this amplifier was already new once in the late 80s. The important thing is that, unlike many manufacturers, in which such a novelty only looks a little like the legendary prototype, Musical Fidelity tried to repeat the A1 as accurately as possible.
The modern version of the A1 uses the original circuits, in which only some details are replaced by improved modern counterparts. The same toroidal transformer, for example, is an inevitability associated with the growth of technology.
The high-quality ALPS RK series potentiometer as a volume control is also a novelty, which, however, has not changed the basic principles of the amplifier. Transistors are selected from the most appropriate modern analogs, and polypropylene capacitors are used in the signal path – the value is the same, the noise is less.
But there are still differences. Now the Musical Fidelity A1 comes with a remote control (power off and motorized volume control). And although the radiator occupies the entire upper plane of the case, the updated version turned out to be slightly larger – this was due to the needs of a “clean” class A heat sink. The amplifier is equipped with a built-in MM / MC phono stage with automatic input impedance matching. The timing of the release of the updated A1 is still unknown.
In Europe, the estimated price of the Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amplifier will be 1,600 euros.
