Integrated Amplifier Day - Saturday 26th October 2019
Integrated Amplifier Showcase
Join us on Saturday 26th October for an afternoon of integrated amplifier appreciation! We will be showing off the Audio Note range of Integrated amplifiers as well as our new babies the McIntosh MA252 and the Micromega M150.
We’ll be playing CDs with the AN CD4.1X through the Audio Note UK IZero and Oto, while our Audio Note Meishu and Jinro will be fed by the awesome new Audio Note UK TT3 turntable and matching M3 RIAA Phono stage. The Micromega M150 will be showing off its fully integrated nature, with its inbuilt streamer, while the McIntosh MA252 will be squeezing every last drop of music from our NOVAFiDELITY streamers.
See you soon for an afternoon of artisan audio and perhaps a cuppa or two. Free to bring your favourite tunes in whichever format you prefer. In the meantime, stay up-to-date with with our Facebook event page.
Audio Note UK IZero
For the Zero range, which is the entryway into the world of Audio Note UK amplification, the engineers at Audio Note decided to design an integrated amplifier rather than a pre/power amplifier combination. The result is the IZero Integrated Amplifier, and it has exceeded our expectations for entry level valve amplification. Indeed it has exceeded all of our expectations for any kind of amplifier around its price point.
Audio Note UK Oto
Moving up the Audio Note UK integrated amplifier line up takes us from the IZero to the Oto Range. The entry level IZero has one variant, albeit in a choice of colours. The Oto has 4 different variants, each with its own focus, all with outstanding performance. It could be argued that the Oto has 8 versions, but in truth each version has two models, one with and one without a phono stage input, so we count them as 4.
The OTO is available in a Push-Pull or Single Ended valve design, there is also a signature version and a silver signature version.
Audio Note UK Meishu
The Audio Note (UK) Meishu Integrated Amplifier is a Pure Class A Singled Ended valve amplifier that uses the highly regarded 300B direct heated triode valve, producing a level of performance that is radically superior to the vast majority of current designs. Valve purists will often tell you that this is where the Audio Note UK range really begins, we would tell those people that they haven’t spent enough time with an Oto or an IZero. That being said the reason for their opinion is that the Meishu uses a 300B valve. This is regarded by many to be hi-fi nirvana and the same valves find their way into Audio Note amplifiers significantly further up their range. This is also the first of the Audio Note amplifiers to use a directly heated triode valve, which brings sonic gains specific to this type of circuit. Sonically the simpler valve design is heard through mostly an improvement in the timbre of instruments and the natural reproduction of voices. The sound of a directly heated triode seems to be more intimate and truer to acoustic instruments.
The Meishu range of amplification all have a single ended output, they don’t offer a push pull design, so they have only 3 (or 6 if you count the phono stage) different versions to choose from.
Audio Note UK Jinro
The Audio Note (UK) JINRO Integrated Amplifier is a Pure Class A Single ended valve amplifier that uses the highly regarded 211 triode valve, producing a level of performance that is radically superior to the vast majority of current integrated amplifier designs.
It uses the same circuit design and topology as the legendary Audio Note (UK) ONGAKU amplifier. However, where the ONGAKU uses silver, the JINRO uses copper.
In this part of the Audio Note range, one model is deemed enough at each level. The Jinro already has signature level components fitted, upgrades come in the form of silver components and increased number of components which separate the Jinro from its siblings, the Tomei and the Ongaku. The design remains the same, as with other upgrades in the AN range the improvements help the equipment get out the way of the music to let the beats flow.
Our Jinro will be running in a full Audio Note UK system, showing off other level 3 components; including the awesome TT3 level 3 deck, setup with matching level three cartridge, step up transformer and phono stage.
Micromega M150
M150 is the flagship model of Micromega’s M-One series and a truly next-generation integrated stereo amplifier. Featuring a huge array of digital, analogue and network connectivity, the M150 has been designed as a true central hub and a true complement to any modern Hi-Fi system.
The M150 outputs 150W at 8 Ohms and ships with Micromega’s specially designed M-One remote, an infrared device to control volume, power and input selection from anywhere in your listening space.
A dedicated M-One smartphone app is now also available for iOS and Android to extend the possibilities of connecting the M150 to a home network, while letting you search for specific music or playlists in your digital music library or streaming service.
Mcintosh MA252
The MA252 Integrated Amplifier is the first hybrid integrated amplifier from McIntosh. Taking retro design cues from the legendary McIntosh MC275 Vacuum Tube Amplifier, the MA252 combines the best of vacuum tube and solid state circuit design to create an amplifier that is both visually and sonically stunning.
