The filters are for listening to 78 RPM records. They don't have much information above 5-7 kHz, and the filters help to reduce noise from scratches and groove damage.
That's 1 way to look at it. There's 99 more ways to approach it. Approach filtering as if you're developing images. For example a photographer 📸 takes a record of a scene and then they go to develop the recording into a portable photo. Or they can develop the recording into a billboard display 🤔 The record of a place in time can be developed into a million products. As a sonic developer, you can use filtering and EQ and expanders and reverb, into a million sounds for people to experience. People like to dance 🕺 to music. People like to play instruments along with the music. Other people like to sit and listen to music. Other people work and like to have background music happening when they're working. Some people sell through sound. Some people capture the history in sound recordings. Some people make people laugh through sound recordings. Filters expand the possibilities from hundreds to thousands. It's mathematics. 1 million X 1 million = ? There's more than 1 possibility.
Wow! That was my first amp,bought when l was 17-when my mates were buying cars. Nicely paired with B&W DM 4's and a Michell Focus One turntable-l was hooked-never bought a car. Eventually got a Dunlop Systemdek Transcription turntable in matching nextel finish-about as close to a design statement as l ever got in hifi ! Happydaze indeed. Thanx for another great review Kelvin,and taking me back to where it all started for me. Cheers from sunny Scotland.
No no no, the reverse feature is so you can listen from the behind the band or as if you're a band member and you're playing the drums perspective 🤔 😉 When people jam along with the music, playing or pretending to play along, you need to reverse the band and have the sound go away from you. Disc 1&2 - the amp designer can apply a different amplification stage to the sound. So section 1 might be a 'normal' type of sound and section 2 might be additional stages added to the sound. It only needs 1 input, and the designer puts that through 2 different types of amplifiers. For example, guitar amplifiers can have a crunch amplification and a lead amplification stage and they're switchable. Some guitar amplifiers have 1 input and 4 amplifier sections that you choose 2 to play out of 4. Stereos and guitar amplifiers exist side by side and they play off each other. 1 industry inspires the other and they incorporate what sells and what works in each production stream.
Brought back many memories as I had a fantastic time with the one I had. I had it initially connected to some Celestion Ditton 44 speakers, then moved up to some Ditton 66 speakers. You are correct in saying that it pumped out some deep bass. I remember that I eventually blew the big transistors at the back once or twice and consequently replaced them etc. Great review.
Sugden are still going and can repair almost everything they’ve made barring some really old amps. I’ve had my my Sugden A48B amp for over 25yrs. Buy cheap, buy twice.
That's only 1 way to look at it. Factories 🏭 don't survive on 1 sale. Look at it from a different perspective other than the thrifty low class perspective. In your mid life you're going to have a collection of amplifiers. Factories 🏭 offer you a bigger collection that better suits you and your lifestyle. If you buy 1 for your entire life, it may not suit you and can't possibly be ideal for you. You'll only have a very limited knowledge as a result. You have NO CONTEXT to what you own. You'll never reach the level where you're wise. You'll just be a passenger in social conversations. Or, you'll be wasting other people's time and money.
@mikeyb6639 ... and it's WRONG. Context teaches you stuff. You have no context to your sounds. Your knowledge is only at most 5%. You're missing 80% of wise knowledge. The wealthy can pay a professional expert to quickly get context and knowledge but you can't. You need to do a lot more social interactions to find out what you're missing in your experience. Thriftiness limits your knowledge and where you can get to in life and wiseness. It basically ruins most of your life.
My A48 actually does have two phono inputs. They're on the same DIN socket, so I use an adapter with 4-phono socket to DIN plug. Sound-wise, I found the bass to be slightly muddy and uncontrolled, but it turned out to be the speakers I had at the time 🙄
Nice video, didn't know much about Sudgen amps. Btw, we had the same table and gave it away after 40 years of use. Now wishing I had kept it after seeing yours.
Always a few on eBay, the stuff that really hard to get hold of Bijou pieces from 99 to 08. Sugden even proclaim, even to this day to be the best sounding amps they have produced. But never sold well. I remember the review in all the mags. 5 stars everywhere
A few days ago I obtained a Sugden A21, the early one with the wooden case. Popped it into my small system with AR11 speakers and it produces an excellent sound. Plenty of detail, nice full bass, great sounding with some new quality pressings on phono input from the Ortofon MC30 through the T30 transformer. It is more pleasant listening than the Primare 301 I have been using for the last few months. The Sugden still has the original electrolytic capacitors, so I will be replacing them later this week. It may sound even better?
Hi Marcus just reading your post and wondered if you did replace any capacitors let me know if you did and if it sounded better or different or even if you couldn’t tell cheers K
My Sugden A48 MKIII just arrived... Thanks to Kelvin, I considered his suggestion to pair the A48 with 3 way monitors...my Ditton 33s sings now with great authority!!! Thanks! Very natural presentation! Great!
Remember when I bought my 1st CDP in 1987 I demo'ed my then LEAK 2200 (50w rms) against the dealers Suggy A48 and the LEAK was def punchier, more detailed and generally better all round and you can pick them up much cheaper than the Sugden.
Positively surprised over this unit.. got it in, from a large HiFi collection, and didnt expect HALF of what it delivered.. BUT, only impressed at low volumes.. Not to much power (not sure what speakers you tested them on), but the sound is warm and generally precise.. so all in all, a brilliant amp for the 2400,- but not for big watt-hungry speakers.. DKK (350 USD), which I just sold it for..! Also, most of the units from that collection needed potenjtiometer service, but not the Sugden.. After having been "parked" in a unheated building since the mid 90'ies.. ALL the switcheds and potentiometers, were functioning perfect, and did not need any cleaning..
I'm late to the party, but great review. I like Grado headphones, but they are not very good for a review. You have a warm sound, neutral sound, technical sound and then Grado sound.
Brought a A48 one owner with the manual from a Hi -Fi shop for about 250 pounds in mint condition [ I am in Australia] It is a mark one model 'looks a lot better than the later models .Kelvin is spot on about the A48 and I really love it.The sound is better than some more expensive amps I got [Marantz and a Krell cav 300i.The Krell got mega power but it is harsh sounding.
Hi Kelvin, the Dittons and my first Sugden A48 are long sold... but now I have Kef Cantata and found another Sugden A48 MK3 again... I will comment when it arrives :-)
@@stereoreviewx If you search the net you will find others who remember the Alba coming top in a group review of 10 amplifiers which included the Sugden A48 - I think the review was conducted by Gordon King. I was lucky enough to hear both and I honestly preferred the Alba UA900 which I paid £50 for at Comet.
Hi Kelvin been looking at a 1970s Sony STR-6046A Stereo amplifier Receiver with the Darlington amplifier set up what do you think better or not than its predecessor the nearly identical amplifier reciver the Sony STR-6046 Stereo Receiver without the Darlington set up any insight would be appreciated and interesting as l cant decide l have looked for any insight but not much on it really. cheers .
I think this amp is gorgeous looking. Kind of timeless rather than looking dated. Got one being recapped as we speak. £200 paid but further £80 for recapping - does that recap fee sound reasonable?
Yes I mean it’s a load of tricky work and the amp to me is one of the best I just love it tell me what happens when you get it back but I think it’s well worth it
@@stereoreviewx Here's the fly in the ointment tho...demoe'd unit and it sounded off. Was marked up as £200 and I said I'll take it home and apply switch cleaner etc. they said no, want it to leave shop fully working and then said extra £80 to put it right. Surely they can't put that on me as it was priced at £200 and it was their poor quality control that allowed it onto shop floor faulty. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!
The Sugden is not fixable alas. But have picked up another with the matching tuner. Really nice condition. The sound is utterly sublime and sounds as good as the first time I heard this classic amp/tuner as a wide eyed 17 year old.
@@stereoreviewx Bought some Kef Kalindas for £130 and recapped them at the weekend courtesy of the Falcon kit specially designed for the Calinda. (£60 for capacitor kit) The sound is stunning. What a combo and let it be said vintage British hifi is really special. Kinda lost interest in the modern gear because the returns on old equipment far surpasses modern - bang for the buck no contest. Keep up the epic work with your channel sir. 😎
Are really I haven’t noticed other thing is inside there is a dent to din plug which actually separate pre-and power amp if you wanted to do it that is for anyone’s information
Hi Kelvin. I love your reviews. I love class A amplifiers and am now using (a fully serviced) MF A220. I wondered if you've ever tried one? Ive also tried the MF1000 which is another superb class A amp .Colin
Hi Kelvin, I assume that is your name. I'm a USA guy, also old, who prefers ancient 2 channel stereo equipment. I have an advantage over you because the USA is a larger consumer market which attracts more manufacturers. We've seen more 2 channel stereo gear/brand variants than you folks in the UK have seen. Lauding receivers that have 20 watts or less is fine, but then you must recommend speakers that adapt/match well with them. The 60's era AR4ax USA made small 2 way speakers are suited to amps with those low powers. A few years ago, a large gathering of Los Angeles folks held a listening contest for small 2 way speakers. Close to 50 pairs were submitted for review, and most were newly manufactured. Someone added the old AR4's into the listening contest for fun. The Ar4's made in the '60s came in second place in the contest. They can be bought on the USA Ebay for $300, and sell for no more than $500 if gone through, revitalized, and recapped. There is no speaker better for a small room, and they play true. They accurately reproduce whatever music was made in the studio in a way that is more than satisfactory and with no fatigue. One can listen to them for days and not feel tired of music. I have other notions. Ask me.
Wow that’s a really interesting story I’m kind of thinking of setting something up like that here in London it will be fun. One interesting thing the acoustic research speakers have going for them is the bass driver and the tweeter are the same material that’s going to give it some kind of cohesive sound which I’m dying to hear now . Thanks for sharing that story great stuff cheers K
wish I had channel reverse. I imagine it would be ideal for those modern digitally mastered LP's of 60's and 70's LP which frequently get the left and right channels mixed up / back to front!
Fantastic build. People who should have bought one didn't. Like a real Saab it was better than it looked on paper.. Laboratory type equipment. Sound is it's own. If Quad had made an integrated amp this might be it. 303 with more drive.
Stereo review X like them both but the a48 has a smoother overall sound and loads of power and I prefer the tone controls instead of a minimalist. The a 25 is a cracking little amp but I find when pushed quite hard it can get a little shouty probs because it’s only 25 watts but a good amp all the same.
Hi Kelvin, I love your review here of this British amp as I have never heard of it before. I have been collecting a limited amount of vintage stereo components as room and money allows for. Back in the 80's, before the Internet was around, I was trying to get as much info on vintage audio as I could from libraries, used book stores, old sound related magazines...ect. I also wrote to many companies for information they might have in their archives to either send me originals or at least photo copies of specification sheets and component descriptions. I wrote to the Quad company in your country for info on the future looking for 1957 electrostatic speaker and associated Quad tube amp and preamp they introduced in the 1950's as mono units that could be paired later on for stereo. I also wrote to Tannoy for speaker info and I did get much amazing info. I also wrote to Studer/Revox in Switzerland for vintage reel to reel decks. I was always waiting for the mailman bringing packets of the information I ordered. I have info on many of the U.S. company components like McIntosh, Marantz and others and the 1930's to the 70's were very interesting times in the evolution of audio(and video) as they developed over the years. It would be awesome to see and hear all these vintage units in a fun, lively, educating and entertaining museum. The reason I describe a museum like that is because so many I have been at seem to have a stale and boring presentation on their museum displays like you are at a cemetery remembering the dead!! I want to have all these old units to not be dead on display, but actual working, restored systems that the current and future generations can enjoy and learn about at the same time. Thanks for your reviews and I wish you a most awesome week!!...Friends, Lloyd.
I've been curious about the old Sugdens for a while. I have a Musical Fidelity A100, which is another Class A/AB amp (Class A biased). While it's fantastic sounding, it gets stupidly hot and takes at least 3h of warm up time to start sounding as it should. Have you owned one of MFs 'class A' amps before? And if so, how do they sound by comparison to a Sugden?
Yes I did have one music called Fidelity amp and it got hot I can’t remember what while it was a one or be one but I’m pretty sure the sugden sounds better quite clearly in my recollection.
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for the response! Interesting, I'll have to try and get hold of one and see for myself but they're getting harder to find and more expensive.
i had the A48 Mk2 and it had 2 phono sockets so you could connect 2 Turntables and if i remember correctly you could plug different internal resistance boards in by taking the cover off if you wanted a Moving Coil input in one and a Moving Magnet in the other, i had it connected to a pair of Tannoy Cheviot Speakers and the Bass made the Floor Rumble and i could feel the Bass through my chair, Dire Straits Private investigations never sounded so good and i have not been able to replicate that sound or the feeling since
Hi, great review. I was given a pair of Leak 2060 speaker's in excellent condition,I'm powering them with a Quad 34 306 combo, they sound amazing almost surround sound and they aren't even in an ideal setting, have you any experience of the brand .Thanks in advance keep up the good work.
Nice one Kelvin! I still use one of these as my main amp playing through MA Bronze speakers (BX2) with a Bersesford Caiman DAC sitting between it and the PC (digital is my only source). Agree about the midrange being a bit further back, bass can be a bit boomy (less than optimal room) so use the bass filter occasionally. Sugden are still willing to maintain these amps mine's been back twice. The prices are very reasonable even for a full re-cap. Wonder how this one compares to the NAD 3020?
@@stereoreviewx Thanks Kelvin, I suspected that that might be the case. To be honest, I couldn't be much happier with my current set up. I only recently upgraded the DAC and what a huge difference that has made (from an older model Beresford Bushmaster), tweaked the speaker positions and all good. Possible improvement might be the Sugden, but I doubt I could afford something that would make that jump to the next level. I have enjoyed your videos and have certainly lead to more closely scrutinise what I want to replace and more importantly why and what would I miss from the previous set up.Keep up the good work, stay safe and thanks again.
@Les Stoddart - I too am looking to bring out of hibernation, my A48 and fixing this up with my External USB DAC. May I ask what input on the Sugden you use to feed your DAC's RCA output please? Any help would be enormously appreciated. I shall be feeding my beloved Spendor BC1's btw Thanks
@@paulgreen9752 Hey Paul, I'm using the radio input. Use either that or the AUX, indeed any of them EXCEPT the phono input as that is much more sensitive. Hope that helps. I changed my horrible speakers for a pair of Elacs and it sounds fantastic. Sugden themselves will still service the old A48s if it needs any maintenance carried out.
@@lesstoddart5969 Nice one Les, much appreciated. Yes I know Sugden will repair if needs be but right now they're not taking any new requests due to the lockdown measures but I'm hoping all will go well - no signs of Cap leakage after removing the base, so a good sign
it kinda resembles a eico st-70 was a american electronics company 1960s with that two tone front panel st-70 a gem of a tube amp it has even a center channel speaker out put ge 6550 output tubes on the one i had nice sound 40watts per ch.
7:37 People don't like DIN plugs because they haven't caught on and are harder to find in a hurry - also because of RCA phono plugs proliferation this can be a hassle more often than one might expect. The fact is that good DIN plugs can be found and they are a better engineering solution that phono plugs. What is a no-no for most people though is that DIN to phono cables are a rarity/expensive which means that most of the time you are left with the choice of either making them yourself or buying very cheap, low quality cable affairs that date back to lo-fi era when cassette tape decks were a novelty.
I have one of there new A21sigs with some klipsch heresy 3's best sounding setup ive ever had. The Klipsch are a little light on bass but the sugden gives them a little boot up the back side to get the woofer to work a little more.
Most drum breaks go from right to left, as most drummers are right handed (when facing the drummer). Mine would go from left to right, since I’m left handed and play with the kit to the left of me.
@@stereoreviewx First of all, enjoying your channel. I have been into hifi - retail, review and design (built my first speakers at 13 they were terrible) for 40 years. Its a wonderful disease. Anyway, I think old Jimmy Sugden put this switch in to allow us to experience phase reversal (absolute iirc), as it is contentiously thought that the recording process sometimes reverses the phase. So rather than left and right, it is positive and negative phase that is reversed, at the touch of a button! I don't think he was the only designer to do this, and as I say, it is possibly of dubious worth anyway. Of course, I might be wrong. Often am, happily!
thank god for the low power switch; other wise i could barely get the vol. knob off zero!! steep means the filter filters (lol) more abruptly (over a shorter band); it's a very subtle difference; maybe different t/tables were susceptible to different frequencies of rumble. I got an A21, 2 rogers and an armstrong 621; i'm trying to learn how to mend the stuff!
I nearly bought 1 of those A48's from Cash-Converters at £80'ish, because of Sugden's fine reputation, the Sug' A21a i really wanted there was too much for me at £150 or + i recall. but i finally went for a cheaper plain average size but 3 to 4" flat £40 "Crimson Electric" power amp (model 4got) as i already had a P.S. Audio pre-amp 4.5 which vastly upgraded on my previous "Naim 32/Snaps" pre-amp on phono stage alone, my only preamp concern. That Crimson poweramp worked much better than my then-current Quad II valve mono's did into Vintage Tannoys, & was the only upgrade i can recall proffiting from. The Crimson power-amp had far better textured, expressive, tighter & detailed bass than the Quad II's ever gave into Concerto's & better all round. (synergy maybe?) I owned KEF Concerto's mentioned for 8'ish years, Gr8 s/h buy for a large 3-way' (B139 Bass, same T27 as LS3/5A (i think?) & a mid (B140? that the wee lil' Linn Kans used as a woofer/mid!) KEF's cost me £60 & you cannot better them with < 600/700 new, imo. Thier slight woody colleration at hi volume can be adressed easily with little £'age+ work. My KEFs got replaced by a Quad II valve / ESL57's set-up for 350 (pre-eBay of course) which 4'ish yrs later got replaced by vintage 15" Tannoy M.G.s. which lasted until 3 or 4 months ago when a cone went magnet-rubbing & unlistenable, after only half a century (+2'yrs) from new!!! (according to the cardboard 1969 faded & dated test-pass labels half peeling off the cab rears) They cost me 100 from a friend who bought them for £30 from a school's yard-sale in 2000'ish. I miss those now-stashed Tannoys & i've now often seen them fetch 1750 - £2700 condition / bidding dependant. The Sugden's 7K filter is maybe good for scratchy 78's? 10K for hissy tape recordings? & The 4K option ...hmmm but it seems like a gr8 amp on your description.
Thanks for all your info here yes the southern is a class act Curiously something I didn’t mention which I’m 95% certain about is that if you open the Sugden a 48 there’s a connector between the preamp andpower amp so you can use either section as a din plugs inside
It's a very handy feature for upgrade or mix & match purpose, when pre & power sections can be independently addressed after removing the links joining them. My first decent s/h Rappaport (french) pre-amp went into external 'power-amp in plugs' on a big 70's Marantz Quadraphonic (or bridged stereo) reciever i had & sound improved all-round. I've never heard a Sug' A48 but if i ever see one again at such a good price, i shall grab it quickly & find a good use for it. From your description, it sounds like an amp i'd enjoy very much so. P.S. I'm a firm believer in changing the normally 2 (or 4 on larger grear) power-supply e/'litic capacitors in amps beyond 30 years old or so, even when they sound o.k. as-is ...i've noticed it perks them up to an either small or large or a huge degree. £90+ each hi-end elecrtrolytic caps (with magic gold-foil or wotever they claim) ..are just as unnecessary (imo) as £250 hi-end fuses that really exist!!! '50's & 60's 'Hunts' caps like Quad & other Brit amps used, i noticed were marked with a rating (very close to, if not actually) +50% -20% (or p/haps other way round) ..accuracy, while modern caps at 15 to £25 max each now have very far tighter tolerances & longer lives. The p/supply e/'lytic caps in my experience are usually 1'st thing to age badly in amps while unpolarised non- e/lytics caps in signal paths stay in spec for yonks. A 100'Hz (double the mains Hz) hum comes in when those e/lytic caps in the power'supply are totally knacked & often bulging in shape from their inner dialectric's expansion, or leaking like an old mouldy battery in situ. Keep up the good work. S/H hifi rules imo if chosen well with pre research or good advice like you give.
I used to have one from January 1979 before it broke in 1997, but a great sounding amp. Apparently they were all hand built by a single person who would write their name on the inside of the amp. It cost me £217 in January 1979 which according to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator equates to £1,106.17 in 2019, although I am not saying that is what a new one would be worth today. I bought a Linn classik to replace it in 2005 (albeit with an Aiwa staking system inbetween).
Yeah it's awesome... My dad bought it in 77 when we went to England for holiday, I was only 8yo at the time but I still remember my mum not being a fan coz of the orange on it, something about not matching the curtains, lol. It's been in my pocession since his passing over 20 years ago. I'll let u know how I go getting it serviced as I live in Adelaide, South Australia and parts maybe tricky. I liked how u called it a rolls royce 👍
It attenuates the mid by 18db but the lower freq to a lesser extent to “cater for the subjective loudness effect of the ear”. Ok maybe not quite a smiley face eq curve but certainly one half of it. www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sugden/a48.shtml
That was my first real amp. Unfortunately i had it driving a pair of Rogers LS7's. It was a bit too laid back - sometimes even boring. Moved to an naim nait and ive been naim boy ever since.
4:52 Channel reversal: it's probably there in case the speaker have already been wired wrongly and the amp is installed in a cabinet to save having to pull out the amp and re-connect everything the right way. A totally useless feature under most circumstances unless someone is into moving their speakers about a lot and disconnecting them every time. 6:21 4/7/10kHz low pass and steep filter - this amp was made in the time when AM radio was still listened to so these filters can be used to limit high frequency noise.
Okay that’s interesting. Actually if you need to press mono for a mono record I’m thinking probably you do. Never thought about this before what do you think well it just come out in Mono anyway
Completely disagree with that left right thing, firstly if what u were saying were true sugden wouldn't of put that function in second, I always have left ear to right channel always, too long to go into why let's just say the left and right ear hear differently are u there to listen to music or the engineers interpretation of the music ? I think the latter, and frakley without trying to sound pompous the idea of hearing what the engineer is trying to achieve on equipment say under 30k is a tall order.
Blimey this channel is great. Wish you'd do some more Kelvin!
The filters are for listening to 78 RPM records. They don't have much information above 5-7 kHz, and the filters help to reduce noise from scratches and groove damage.
thanks Pavel mystery solved
That's 1 way to look at it.
There's 99 more ways to approach it.
Approach filtering as if you're developing images.
For example a photographer 📸 takes a record of a scene and then they go to develop the recording into a portable photo.
Or they can develop the recording into a billboard display 🤔
The record of a place in time can be developed into a million products.
As a sonic developer, you can use filtering and EQ and expanders and reverb, into a million sounds for people to experience.
People like to dance 🕺 to music.
People like to play instruments along with the music.
Other people like to sit and listen to music.
Other people work and like to have background music happening when they're working.
Some people sell through sound.
Some people capture the history in sound recordings.
Some people make people laugh through sound recordings.
Filters expand the possibilities from hundreds to thousands.
It's mathematics.
1 million X 1 million = ?
There's more than 1 possibility.
Wow! That was my first amp,bought when l was 17-when my mates were buying cars. Nicely paired with B&W DM 4's and a Michell Focus One turntable-l was hooked-never bought a car. Eventually got a Dunlop Systemdek Transcription turntable in matching nextel finish-about as close to a design statement as l ever got in hifi ! Happydaze indeed. Thanx for another great review Kelvin,and taking me back to where it all started for me. Cheers from sunny Scotland.
No no no, the reverse feature is so you can listen from the behind the band or as if you're a band member and you're playing the drums perspective 🤔 😉
When people jam along with the music, playing or pretending to play along, you need to reverse the band and have the sound go away from you.
Disc 1&2 - the amp designer can apply a different amplification stage to the sound. So section 1 might be a 'normal' type of sound and section 2 might be additional stages added to the sound.
It only needs 1 input, and the designer puts that through 2 different types of amplifiers.
For example, guitar amplifiers can have a crunch amplification and a lead amplification stage and they're switchable.
Some guitar amplifiers have 1 input and 4 amplifier sections that you choose 2 to play out of 4.
Stereos and guitar amplifiers exist side by side and they play off each other.
1 industry inspires the other and they incorporate what sells and what works in each production stream.
Brought back many memories as I had a fantastic time with the one I had. I had it initially connected to some Celestion Ditton 44 speakers, then moved up to some Ditton 66 speakers. You are correct in saying that it pumped out some deep bass. I remember that I eventually blew the big transistors at the back once or twice and consequently replaced them etc. Great review.
Sugden are still going and can repair almost everything they’ve made barring some really old amps. I’ve had my my Sugden A48B amp for over 25yrs. Buy cheap, buy twice.
You said what i was going to. 👍🏻
That's only 1 way to look at it.
Factories 🏭 don't survive on 1 sale.
Look at it from a different perspective other than the thrifty low class perspective.
In your mid life you're going to have a collection of amplifiers.
Factories 🏭 offer you a bigger collection that better suits you and your lifestyle.
If you buy 1 for your entire life, it may not suit you and can't possibly be ideal for you.
You'll only have a very limited knowledge as a result.
You have NO CONTEXT to what you own.
You'll never reach the level where you're wise.
You'll just be a passenger in social conversations.
Or, you'll be wasting other people's time and money.
@mikeyb6639
... and it's WRONG.
Context teaches you stuff.
You have no context to your sounds.
Your knowledge is only at most 5%.
You're missing 80% of wise knowledge.
The wealthy can pay a professional expert to quickly get context and knowledge but you can't.
You need to do a lot more social interactions to find out what you're missing in your experience.
Thriftiness limits your knowledge and where you can get to in life and wiseness.
It basically ruins most of your life.
My A48 actually does have two phono inputs. They're on the same DIN socket, so I use an adapter with 4-phono socket to DIN plug.
Sound-wise, I found the bass to be slightly muddy and uncontrolled, but it turned out to be the speakers I had at the time 🙄
Nice video, didn't know much about Sudgen amps. Btw, we had the same table and gave it away after 40 years of use. Now wishing I had kept it after seeing yours.
Looking forward to your Sansui Eight review.
I love your reviews. The passion! What I sometimes miss is a look inside the intems. That' the mpneyshot! Keep it up. Greetings from Danmark.
Great what you are doing with vintage gear review. Keep up with more of the British amps and speakers review. Thanks.
My first amp way back in 78
Pioneer turntable and a pair of wharfdale dentons. Happy days
not many of these amps out there, nice find and great review
Always a few on eBay, the stuff that really hard to get hold of Bijou pieces from 99 to 08. Sugden even proclaim, even to this day to be the best sounding amps they have produced. But never sold well. I remember the review in all the mags. 5 stars everywhere
A few days ago I obtained a Sugden A21, the early one with the wooden case. Popped it into my small system with AR11 speakers and it produces an excellent sound. Plenty of detail, nice full bass, great sounding with some new quality pressings on phono input from the Ortofon MC30 through the T30 transformer. It is more pleasant listening than the Primare 301 I have been using for the last few months. The Sugden still has the original electrolytic capacitors, so I will be replacing them later this week. It may sound even better?
Hi Marcus just reading your post and wondered if you did replace any capacitors let me know if you did and if it sounded better or different or even if you couldn’t tell cheers K
My Sugden A48 MKIII just arrived... Thanks to Kelvin, I considered his suggestion to pair the A48 with 3 way monitors...my Ditton 33s sings now with great authority!!! Thanks! Very natural presentation! Great!
Yes authority is the word for that Sugden its got serious grip
Maybe tighten those drivers in the Celestion
Carefully k
@@stereoreviewx Thanks... what is your experiance with vintage gear having 220V power trans and the 240V from the soccet?
Remember when I bought my 1st CDP in 1987 I demo'ed my then LEAK 2200 (50w rms) against the dealers Suggy A48 and the LEAK was def punchier, more detailed and generally better all round and you can pick them up much cheaper than the Sugden.
Hi, can you test other Sugden classics, like te AU51 P and C? Would be great! Greetings from a Dutch Sugden lover....
Positively surprised over this unit.. got it in, from a large HiFi collection, and didnt expect HALF of what it delivered.. BUT, only impressed at low volumes.. Not to much power (not sure what speakers you tested them on), but the sound is warm and generally precise.. so all in all, a brilliant amp for the 2400,- but not for big watt-hungry speakers.. DKK (350 USD), which I just sold it for..! Also, most of the units from that collection needed potenjtiometer service, but not the Sugden.. After having been "parked" in a unheated building since the mid 90'ies.. ALL the switcheds and potentiometers, were functioning perfect, and did not need any cleaning..
Interesting, thanks
Just bought a pair of B.W dm4 speakers could you recommend a amplifier for me please cheers.
I'm late to the party, but great review. I like Grado headphones, but they are not very good for a review. You have a warm sound, neutral sound, technical sound and then Grado sound.
Brought a A48 one owner with the manual from a Hi -Fi shop for about 250 pounds in mint condition [ I am in Australia] It is a mark one model 'looks a lot better than the later models .Kelvin is spot on about the A48 and I really love it.The sound is better than some more expensive amps I got [Marantz and a Krell cav 300i.The Krell got mega power but it is harsh sounding.
Hi Kelvin, the Dittons and my first Sugden A48 are long sold... but now I have Kef Cantata and found another Sugden A48 MK3 again... I will comment when it arrives :-)
Interested to hear what you think the cantata with the tall Athena Shape I don’t know I have a feeling the wider Shape is actually better it’s a hunch
@@stereoreviewx HI Kelvin, my Cantatas are now history... BUT I got some IMF Compact II... :-) They sound very good with the Sugden... :-)
This amplifier was beaten hands down in a review by an Alba UA900 amplifier and it was only a quarter of the price
Alba seriously that cannot be true this is one of my favourite amps ever
Albert barely made any quality high-five me cheap hi-fi as I remember
@@stereoreviewx If you search the net you will find others who remember the Alba coming top in a group review of 10 amplifiers which included the Sugden A48 - I think the review was conducted by Gordon King. I was lucky enough to hear both and I honestly preferred the Alba UA900 which I paid £50 for at Comet.
I look forward to your videos
Hi Kelvin, Perhaps you've mentioned it before, but what kind of speaker cable do you recommend?
Hi Kelvin been looking at a 1970s Sony STR-6046A Stereo amplifier Receiver with the Darlington amplifier set up what do you think better or not than its predecessor the nearly identical amplifier reciver the Sony STR-6046 Stereo Receiver without the Darlington set up any insight would be appreciated and interesting as l cant decide l have looked for any insight but not much on it really. cheers .
I think this amp is gorgeous looking. Kind of timeless rather than looking dated. Got one being recapped as we speak. £200 paid but further £80 for recapping - does that recap fee sound reasonable?
Yes I mean it’s a load of tricky work and the amp to me is one of the best I just love it tell me what happens when you get it back but I think it’s well worth it
@@stereoreviewx Here's the fly in the ointment tho...demoe'd unit and it sounded off. Was marked up as £200 and I said I'll take it home and apply switch cleaner etc. they said no, want it to leave shop fully working and then said extra £80 to put it right. Surely they can't put that on me as it was priced at £200 and it was their poor quality control that allowed it onto shop floor faulty. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!
The Sugden is not fixable alas. But have picked up another with the matching tuner. Really nice condition. The sound is utterly sublime and sounds as good as the first time I heard this classic amp/tuner as a wide eyed 17 year old.
@@stereoreviewx Bought some Kef Kalindas for £130 and recapped them at the weekend courtesy of the Falcon kit specially designed for the Calinda. (£60 for capacitor kit) The sound is stunning. What a combo and let it be said vintage British hifi is really special. Kinda lost interest in the modern gear because the returns on old equipment far surpasses modern - bang for the buck no contest.
Keep up the epic work with your channel sir. 😎
Great videos. Keep them coming. I've just picked up a Sansui 2000x and Rogers LS7. Great combo. Any views on Rogers?
Detailed but lazy. Not suitable for all types of music. Great for classical and acoustic.
Hi, would be nice if you can share some opinions on the A28 Sugden. I have one for many years, very happy.
Yes I think I had one years ago I thought it was great it blew up after not very long though
Regarding the 'reverse' button, it can be handy when playing CDs mastered with channels reversed. That happens, esp. (i think) with older 80s cds.
Love this amp, and the A21, have both in my collection.
i use a jungson j88d 80 watt class a with spendor sp2,have you had any experience with these,they seem to play the music i listen too with no faults
Hello Kelvin
How is the sound of quad 504 different?
Thank you Reinhart
I had one of these in the Seventies, from memory if you open it up there is a label inside with the name of the person who built it
Are really I haven’t noticed other thing is inside there is a dent to din plug which actually separate pre-and power amp if you wanted to do it that is for anyone’s information
Steep is the filter slope - more dBs/8ve than not steep. The Quad 33 preamp has a similar arrangement.
Hi Kelvin. I love your reviews. I love class A amplifiers and am now using (a fully serviced) MF A220. I wondered if you've ever tried one? Ive also tried the MF1000 which is another superb class A amp .Colin
Hi Kelvin,
I assume that is your name. I'm a USA guy, also old, who prefers ancient 2 channel stereo equipment. I have an advantage over you because the USA is a larger consumer market which attracts more manufacturers. We've seen more 2 channel stereo gear/brand variants than you folks in the UK have seen.
Lauding receivers that have 20 watts or less is fine, but then you must recommend speakers that adapt/match well with them. The 60's era AR4ax USA made small 2 way speakers are suited to amps with those low powers. A few years ago, a large gathering of Los Angeles folks held a listening contest for small 2 way speakers. Close to 50 pairs were submitted for review, and most were newly manufactured. Someone added the old AR4's into the listening contest for fun. The Ar4's made in the '60s came in second place in the contest. They can be bought on the USA Ebay for $300, and sell for no more than $500 if gone through, revitalized, and recapped. There is no speaker better for a small room, and they play true. They accurately reproduce whatever music was made in the studio in a way that is more than satisfactory and with no fatigue. One can listen to them for days and not feel tired of music.
I have other notions. Ask me.
Wow that’s a really interesting story I’m kind of thinking of setting something up like that here in London it will be fun.
One interesting thing the acoustic research speakers have going for them is the bass driver and the tweeter are the same material that’s going to give it some kind of cohesive sound which I’m dying to hear now .
Thanks for sharing that story great stuff cheers K
wish I had channel reverse. I imagine it would be ideal for those modern digitally mastered LP's of 60's and 70's LP which frequently get the left and right channels mixed up / back to front!
Hi, you can check out cosmic lab 3000 or lab 5000 which has a panaromic reverse function.
Also you can check cosmic co 100.👍
Fantastic build. People who should have bought one didn't. Like a real Saab it was better than it looked on paper.. Laboratory type equipment. Sound is it's own. If Quad had made an integrated amp this might be it. 303 with more drive.
Hello. Got an a 48 and an a 25 been a sugden fan for years. Is that a pair of spendor bc 1s I see its hooked up to?
Yeah Spender BC ones so which Sugden do you prefer do you have a favourite
K
Stereo review X like them both but the a48 has a smoother overall sound and loads of power and I prefer the tone controls instead of a minimalist. The a 25 is a cracking little amp but I find when pushed quite hard it can get a little shouty probs because it’s only 25 watts but a good amp all the same.
Hi Kelvin, I love your review here of this British amp as I have never heard of it before. I have been collecting a limited amount of vintage stereo components as room and money allows for. Back in the 80's, before the Internet was around, I was trying to get as much info on vintage audio as I could from libraries, used book stores, old sound related magazines...ect. I also wrote to many companies for information they might have in their archives to either send me originals or at least photo copies of specification sheets and component descriptions. I wrote to the Quad company in your country for info on the future looking for 1957 electrostatic speaker and associated Quad tube amp and preamp they introduced in the 1950's as mono units that could be paired later on for stereo. I also wrote to Tannoy for speaker info and I did get much amazing info. I also wrote to Studer/Revox in Switzerland for vintage reel to reel decks. I was always waiting for the mailman bringing packets of the information I ordered. I have info on many of the U.S. company components like McIntosh, Marantz and others and the 1930's to the 70's were very interesting times in the evolution of audio(and video) as they developed over the years. It would be awesome to see and hear all these vintage units in a fun, lively, educating and entertaining museum. The reason I describe a museum like that is because so many I have been at seem to have a stale and boring presentation on their museum displays like you are at a cemetery remembering the dead!! I want to have all these old units to not be dead on display, but actual working, restored systems that the current and future generations can enjoy and learn about at the same time. Thanks for your reviews and I wish you a most awesome week!!...Friends, Lloyd.
I've been curious about the old Sugdens for a while. I have a Musical Fidelity A100, which is another Class A/AB amp (Class A biased). While it's fantastic sounding, it gets stupidly hot and takes at least 3h of warm up time to start sounding as it should. Have you owned one of MFs 'class A' amps before? And if so, how do they sound by comparison to a Sugden?
Yes I did have one music called Fidelity amp and it got hot I can’t remember what while it was a one or be one but I’m pretty sure the sugden sounds better quite clearly in my recollection.
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for the response! Interesting, I'll have to try and get hold of one and see for myself but they're getting harder to find and more expensive.
I would love to see you review an Onkyo Y-7000
Thanks for the good videos
i had the A48 Mk2 and it had 2 phono sockets so you could connect 2 Turntables and if i remember correctly you could plug different internal resistance boards in by taking the cover off if you wanted a Moving Coil input in one and a Moving Magnet in the other, i had it connected to a pair of Tannoy Cheviot Speakers and the Bass made the Floor Rumble and i could feel the Bass through my chair, Dire Straits Private investigations never sounded so good and i have not been able to replicate that sound or the feeling since
Yes I don’t think I have an amp that has better grip on the base in the Sugden a 48 does
Sugden a48 really brings out the true quality of the Quad Electrostatic loudspeakers due to low global negative feedback.
Another great video thanks
Hi Kelvin, I think there two phono inputs in the five pin din connection,if you ever needed two,great vidio,
Hi, great review. I was given a pair of Leak 2060 speaker's in excellent condition,I'm powering them with a Quad 34 306 combo, they sound amazing almost surround sound and they aren't even in an ideal setting, have you any experience of the brand .Thanks in advance keep up the good work.
yes Quad have allways been a class act .i just looked at the leaks on google i big sound i am sure 3 way designs can give you scale .Nice
Nice one Kelvin! I still use one of these as my main amp playing through MA Bronze speakers (BX2) with a Bersesford Caiman DAC sitting between it and the PC (digital is my only source). Agree about the midrange being a bit further back, bass can be a bit boomy (less than optimal room) so use the bass filter occasionally.
Sugden are still willing to maintain these amps mine's been back twice. The prices are very reasonable even for a full re-cap.
Wonder how this one compares to the NAD 3020?
Ultimately the SUGDEN I will call the better classier thing
The nad is a little cheaper miracle
@@stereoreviewx Thanks Kelvin, I suspected that that might be the case. To be honest, I couldn't be much happier with my current set up. I only recently upgraded the DAC and what a huge difference that has made (from an older model Beresford Bushmaster), tweaked the speaker positions and all good. Possible improvement might be the Sugden, but I doubt I could afford something that would make that jump to the next level.
I have enjoyed your videos and have certainly lead to more closely scrutinise what I want to replace and more importantly why and what would I miss from the previous set up.Keep up the good work, stay safe and thanks again.
@Les Stoddart - I too am looking to bring out of hibernation, my A48 and fixing this up with my External USB DAC. May I ask what input on the Sugden you use to feed your DAC's RCA output please? Any help would be enormously appreciated. I shall be feeding my beloved Spendor BC1's btw Thanks
@@paulgreen9752 Hey Paul, I'm using the radio input. Use either that or the AUX, indeed any of them EXCEPT the phono input as that is much more sensitive. Hope that helps. I changed my horrible speakers for a pair of Elacs and it sounds fantastic. Sugden themselves will still service the old A48s if it needs any maintenance carried out.
@@lesstoddart5969 Nice one Les, much appreciated. Yes I know Sugden will repair if needs be but right now they're not taking any new requests due to the lockdown measures but I'm hoping all will go well - no signs of Cap leakage after removing the base, so a good sign
Most American integrated amps had channel reverse switching in the 1960s.
Cool amp. Did you have to service it?
it kinda resembles a eico st-70 was a american electronics company 1960s with that two tone front panel st-70 a gem of a tube amp it has even a center channel speaker out put ge 6550 output tubes on the one i had nice sound 40watts per ch.
7:37 People don't like DIN plugs because they haven't caught on and are harder to find in a hurry - also because of RCA phono plugs proliferation this can be a hassle more often than one might expect. The fact is that good DIN plugs can be found and they are a better engineering solution that phono plugs. What is a no-no for most people though is that DIN to phono cables are a rarity/expensive which means that most of the time you are left with the choice of either making them yourself or buying very cheap, low quality cable affairs that date back to lo-fi era when cassette tape decks were a novelty.
I have one of there new A21sigs with some klipsch heresy 3's best sounding setup ive ever had. The Klipsch are a little light on bass but the sugden gives them a little boot up the back side to get the woofer to work a little more.
Yes my impression is Sugden take time and make good things put simply
When people say Buy it Now they are usually willing to consider a lower offer.
stops the time wasters i think more than any thing
Most drum breaks go from right to left, as most drummers are right handed (when facing the drummer). Mine would go from left to right, since I’m left handed and play with the kit to the left of me.
Are you sure it reverses the channel and not the absolute polarity?
Well I’m not sure what that means do you mean the positive and negative reverse I can’t say I’ve checked it in detail
@@stereoreviewx First of all, enjoying your channel. I have been into hifi - retail, review and design (built my first speakers at 13 they were terrible) for 40 years. Its a wonderful disease. Anyway, I think old Jimmy Sugden put this switch in to allow us to experience phase reversal (absolute iirc), as it is contentiously thought that the recording process sometimes reverses the phase. So rather than left and right, it is positive and negative phase that is reversed, at the touch of a button! I don't think he was the only designer to do this, and as I say, it is possibly of dubious worth anyway. Of course, I might be wrong. Often am, happily!
thank god for the low power switch; other wise i could barely get the vol. knob off zero!! steep means the filter filters (lol) more abruptly (over a shorter band); it's a very subtle difference; maybe different t/tables were susceptible to different frequencies of rumble. I got an A21, 2 rogers and an armstrong 621; i'm trying to learn how to mend the stuff!
Does the a 21 compared to the a 48 please.K
I think I might have had an a21 is that class a
I nearly bought 1 of those A48's from Cash-Converters at £80'ish, because of Sugden's fine reputation, the Sug' A21a i really wanted there was too much for me at £150 or + i recall. but i finally went for a cheaper plain average size but 3 to 4" flat £40 "Crimson Electric" power amp (model 4got) as i already had a P.S. Audio pre-amp 4.5 which vastly upgraded on my previous "Naim 32/Snaps" pre-amp on phono stage alone, my only preamp concern. That Crimson poweramp worked much better than my then-current Quad II valve mono's did into Vintage Tannoys, & was the only upgrade i can recall proffiting from. The Crimson power-amp had far better textured, expressive, tighter & detailed bass than the Quad II's ever gave into Concerto's & better all round. (synergy maybe?) I owned KEF Concerto's mentioned for 8'ish years, Gr8 s/h buy for a large 3-way' (B139 Bass, same T27 as LS3/5A (i think?) & a mid (B140? that the wee lil' Linn Kans used as a woofer/mid!) KEF's cost me £60 & you cannot better them with < 600/700 new, imo. Thier slight woody colleration at hi volume can be adressed easily with little £'age+ work. My KEFs got replaced by a Quad II valve / ESL57's set-up for 350 (pre-eBay of course) which 4'ish yrs later got replaced by vintage 15" Tannoy M.G.s. which lasted until 3 or 4 months ago when a cone went magnet-rubbing & unlistenable, after only half a century (+2'yrs) from new!!! (according to the cardboard 1969 faded & dated test-pass labels half peeling off the cab rears) They cost me 100 from a friend who bought them for £30 from a school's yard-sale in 2000'ish. I miss those now-stashed Tannoys & i've now often seen them fetch 1750 - £2700 condition / bidding dependant. The Sugden's 7K filter is maybe good for scratchy 78's? 10K for hissy tape recordings? & The 4K option ...hmmm but it seems like a gr8 amp on your description.
Thanks for all your info here yes the southern is a class act
Curiously something I didn’t mention which I’m 95% certain about is that if you open the Sugden a 48 there’s a connector between the preamp andpower amp so you can use either section as a din plugs inside
It's a very handy feature for upgrade or mix & match purpose, when pre & power sections can be independently addressed after removing the links joining them. My first decent s/h Rappaport (french) pre-amp went into external 'power-amp in plugs' on a big 70's Marantz Quadraphonic (or bridged stereo) reciever i had & sound improved all-round. I've never heard a Sug' A48 but if i ever see one again at such a good price, i shall grab it quickly & find a good use for it. From your description, it sounds like an amp i'd enjoy very much so. P.S. I'm a firm believer in changing the normally 2 (or 4 on larger grear) power-supply e/'litic capacitors in amps beyond 30 years old or so, even when they sound o.k. as-is ...i've noticed it perks them up to an either small or large or a huge degree. £90+ each hi-end elecrtrolytic caps (with magic gold-foil or wotever they claim) ..are just as unnecessary (imo) as £250 hi-end fuses that really exist!!!
'50's & 60's 'Hunts' caps like Quad & other Brit amps used, i noticed were marked with a rating (very close to, if not actually) +50% -20% (or p/haps other way round) ..accuracy, while modern caps at 15 to £25 max each now have very far tighter tolerances & longer lives. The p/supply e/'lytic caps in my experience are usually 1'st thing to age badly in amps while unpolarised non- e/lytics caps in signal paths stay in spec for yonks. A 100'Hz (double the mains Hz) hum comes in when those e/lytic caps in the power'supply are totally knacked & often bulging in shape from their inner dialectric's expansion, or leaking like an old mouldy battery in situ. Keep up the good work. S/H hifi rules imo if chosen well with pre research or good advice like you give.
Next time pop the top off. I'm always interested in what the circuity looks like.
I used to have one from January 1979 before it broke in 1997, but a great sounding amp. Apparently they were all hand built by a single person who would write their name on the inside of the amp. It cost me £217 in January 1979 which according to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator equates to £1,106.17 in 2019, although I am not saying that is what a new one would be worth today. I bought a Linn classik to replace it in 2005 (albeit with an Aiwa staking system inbetween).
Wow... I was looking at getting my a48 sugden serviced when a UA-cam clip in 2020 pops up on my feed...
I’ve got to tell you if anything I underplayed that amp review I have been playing it recently and it’s just seriously good
K
Yeah it's awesome... My dad bought it in 77 when we went to England for holiday, I was only 8yo at the time but I still remember my mum not being a fan coz of the orange on it, something about not matching the curtains, lol. It's been in my pocession since his passing over 20 years ago. I'll let u know how I go getting it serviced as I live in Adelaide, South Australia and parts maybe tricky. I liked how u called it a rolls royce 👍
Surely quiet is for listening at night so it’d be a loudness (smiley face eq) contour
No it’s like a mute thing
It attenuates the mid by 18db but the lower freq to a lesser extent to “cater for the subjective loudness effect of the ear”. Ok maybe not quite a smiley face eq curve but certainly one half of it. www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sugden/a48.shtml
That was my first real amp. Unfortunately i had it driving a pair of Rogers LS7's. It was a bit too laid back - sometimes even boring. Moved to an naim nait and ive been naim boy ever since.
Yes somehow that is some kind of mismatch I guess doubling up on the same kind of sound
4:52 Channel reversal: it's probably there in case the speaker have already been wired wrongly and the amp is installed in a cabinet to save having to pull out the amp and re-connect everything the right way. A totally useless feature under most circumstances unless someone is into moving their speakers about a lot and disconnecting them every time.
6:21 4/7/10kHz low pass and steep filter - this amp was made in the time when AM radio was still listened to so these filters can be used to limit high frequency noise.
People say the filters also for78 records
@@stereoreviewx Ah yes, good point! People might still be using those in the '70's - a little unlikely, but still a possibility.
Linn Klout! I was a happy owner before I went to tubes.
How heavy is it?
very
If ist not a problem to show inside of great mashines you have...
Let's go !
Mono switch is mainly for mono records.
Okay that’s interesting. Actually if you need to press mono for a mono record I’m thinking probably you do.
Never thought about this before what do you think well it just come out in Mono anyway
If you describe it on this way I don’t want to know about digital technology 🤨
Ditton 25 has the two tweeters and a supertweeter, no mid unit, 44 has the separate mid unit.
Many it means "steep" roll off.
Completely disagree with that left right thing, firstly if what u were saying were true sugden wouldn't of put that function in second, I always have left ear to right channel always, too long to go into why let's just say the left and right ear hear differently are u there to listen to music or the engineers interpretation of the music ? I think the latter, and frakley without trying to sound pompous the idea of hearing what the engineer is trying to achieve on equipment say under 30k is a tall order.