Wow... Haha... This equipment... I've unboxed it. The last time I saw this equipment was over twenty years ago. That's right, that's right. This equipment is the Musical Fidelity A1 from the UK. It's the 25-watt "Iron Chef" as they call it. A pure Class A integrated amplifier. That's right... The manufacturer has reissued it. That's right... the manufacturer has reissued it. Is it really as good as everyone says? The hotter, the better. The myth of Class A amplifiers in 2023. Satellites everywhere. In a world full of electric cars. What else can it do? Let's experience the power of the "Iron Chef" in this video. Hello, everyone. I'm Guo Ren. Hello, everyone. I'm Guo Ren. Welcome to feverSound.com. Today, the product we're testing for you is the reissue of the British Musical Fidelity A1. Before the official introduction, I want to remind everyone that if you want to see more video equipment, product tests, audio tutorials, and the latest market information, please remember to subscribe to our feverSound.com YouTube channel. Your likes, comments, and subscriptions help us reach a wider audience. This "Iron Chef," the box has been opened. Looks the same, and there's not much to say about the features. But when you take it out and listen to the sound, there's a lot to talk about. No time to waste, let's get started. It looks like the original, but I should mention the original A1 didn't have a remote control, while the reissue comes with a remote control. However, it can only control volume and mute. The power switch is a large lever. When you flip it... the equipment powers on. The power switch LED on the original A1 was red. As you can see, the original A1 is smaller than this new version. The new version is larger. The larger chassis also helps with heat dissipation. This is the volume knob. This volume button can be controlled with the remote. This is the source selector. There are a total of five sets of line-level inputs. One set is for phono amplification. The original A1 only had four sets of line-level inputs. One set is for phono amplification. The phono input only has MM (moving magnet) amplification. But this reissue version has both MC (moving coil) and MM phono inputs. That's also a nice feature. This is the Normal and Direct switch. The original unit had a Tape Monitor button here, but it's rarely used nowadays, so it's not included. What does it switch to? Press it once for Normal, and the signal will be amplified normally. But if you press it up, it switches to Direct mode. The volume control still works, but the preamp gain inside is reduced by 10dB. What's this for? It's for pairing with sources with higher output levels. If your source has a high output, using Direct mode can reduce distortion. Let's take a look at the back of the unit. It's very simple. Looking at the back, it's very simple. On the right is the IEC power plug and fuse holder. Then there are the speaker connectors. These are the regular speaker connectors. You can use banana plugs or spade terminals. The old version can only use bananas. On the far left is the input for the phono amplifier. It has MC and MM options. And there's a ground connection. Next are five sets of RCA stereo analog inputs. Finally, there's the input/output for the tape recorder. But nowadays, fewer people use it. There's also a stereo analog preamp output that can be connected to a power amplifier or active speakers. But for users of this equipment, if they use the preamp output, it's most likely for bi-amping by getting another unit. Made in Taiwan. Talking about this new A1, we should definitely mention the old A1. Musical Fidelity was actually founded in 1982. The founder was Antony Michaelson. In 1984, he invited a legendary amplifier designer, Tim de Paravicini. I'm not sure if I pronounced that right. He invited him to develop a solid state amplifier. You can see it on the screen. Let me add that this master passed away in 2020. this master passed away in 2020. Getting back to the point, as everyone knows, Tim de Paravicini was passionate about tube amplifiers. So he developed this A1, which is smaller in size. It had to be pure Class A, with that tube flavor, and the price couldn't be too high for an integrated amplifier. Back then, it was a 20-watt pure Class A amplifier. It became very popular as soon as it was released. And this A1 was reissued ten years ago, but at that time, only the first 8 watts were pure Class A, and the rest was AB Class. So there wasn't much response in the market at that time. But this time is different. This reissue is much closer to the original version from back then. It's 25 watts pure Class A. For those who follow Musical Fidelity, you should know that in 2018, Musical Fidelity was acquired by the Austrian company Pro-Ject, whose parent company is Audio Tuning. But no worries. New products are still designed by engineers at Musical Fidelity who have been working there for many years. So the reissue of the A1 has stayed true to the original design in many aspects, not just in appearance. Let's take a look inside and explain further. When you open the chassis, you'll see that the overall layout is roughly the same as the original. But you understand that over the years, the performance of many new components is better than the old ones. Some old components are also harder to find now, so the equipment has made many changes in materials. Let's start by looking at the transformer. The manufacturer custom-made a toroidal transformer with two separate taps for the amplifier circuit inside. The goal is to provide independent power to the left and right channels. With independent power, there will be less noise, and channel separation will be better. Next, let's look at the capacitors. The original A1 used 10,000µF capacitors, four in total, two per channel. The new version of the A1 uses eight capacitors, each 10,000µF. They are Jamicon electrolytic capacitors, but each channel has 40,000µF. It's actually quite good. Especially for Class A, it draws a lot of current as soon as it's powered on, so capacitors are essential. They can't be lacking. On the input/output side, you can see the phono amplifier. All RCA inputs According to original Loyal to the original, it must be like this The preamp uses a TL071 JFET circuit and this part is exactly the same as the original version from 1985 The volume control uses Japanese ALPS carbon film resistors The RK series is higher-end Now let's move on to the part everyone is most interested in, the power amplification section As mentioned earlier, this equipment is pure Class A, 25 watts The manufacturer uses a circuit design called Dynamic Class A Basically, it's the same It can deliver 25 watts into 8 ohms, it's giving it all it's got The maximum output current is 25A But if the instantaneous power demand exceeds 25 watts The circuit can smoothly transition from Class A to Class B operation Slightly compensating for the sudden current demand when you're listening The manufacturer describes it as "Slide" Switching from Class A to Class B to lightly compensate for the sudden current demand The power transistors are not the original 2N3055 transistors They've been replaced with ST Micro Electronics bipolar transistors Four on each side Let's look at the specifications Damping factor is 150 Dimensions as shown Weight 10.5 kilograms This equipment runs very hot And of course, there's no cooling fan inside But thanks to modern electronic components being better able to handle high heat The manufacturer guarantees that the high heat won't shorten the equipment's lifespan As you can see The circuit board for the power amplification section is through-hole soldered Not surface-mounted So it should be more durable Now let's measure how hot this A1 gets How hot is it really? I've been using it to drive these ATC SCM19 speakers for an hour With the air conditioning set to a low level, not directed at it Let's see how hot the A1 really is In the middle, it's the hottest Wow! 65 degrees, big brother! Now, I'm going to touch it with my hand to feel it Wow... Wow... Haha Crazy, impossible Now, I've increased the air conditioning, there's some breeze Let's see the temperature now The air conditioning is set to 25 degrees now But it's still around... 60 degrees Alright, now let's talk about the sound The Roon Core is Rhein Z1 V2 The DAC is MSB Technology's Discrete DAC Then, it's the A1 The speakers are ATC SCM19 I think most people would agree That when you buy an A1, you mainly listen to songs and smaller pieces Today, I've selected some tracks that can really push the equipment Let's talk about the sound I'll keep this simple Pure, warm, high-speed Energetic and lively Basically, the equipment hits its stride after about fifteen minutes of being powered on You can feel the A1 getting hot and it's ready to deliver its full power That's when the drive begins Class A amplification offers excellent control And that's the translation for the provided audio. If you have any more specific questions or need further information, feel free to ask! But it's high without lacking vitality It's poised For some speakers that demand power This pure Class A amplifier Has inherent advantages that allow these speakers to perform better If you're using it to drive speakers that don't demand as much Bookshelf or floor-standing In a room or a small living space I think these 25 watts are like a fish in water Let's talk about the background noise Indeed, there's a bit of that tube amp feeling in the background noise But it's controlled, it's fast Listening to small pieces, female vocals Chamber music, pop songs, etc. With small speakers It can definitely provide a very pleasant listening experience Although everyone knows its power is not high In terms of specs and data, it can't compete with modern amplifiers With their impressive specifications You can actually hear the details in its playback that are... I can't describe them delicately enough But the overall emotional expression in the music That atmosphere Can definitely immerse you in the music And at the same time, completely forget its shortcomings Compared to modern high-power amplifiers With impressive specs I'll make an analogy, it's like two ladies One with perfect eyes, ears, mouth, and nose Everything about her is flawless But you always feel like there's something missing Like it doesn't feel quite natural But the other lady Maybe her features have some imperfections But she feels more natural, more pleasing I think this can express the difference in character Between this pure Class A A1 And other AB or D class amplifiers on the market In terms of their character and personality The shortcomings are actually quite clear The remote control didn't exist before, but it does now The remote control's functions are somewhat limited Since the equipment gets so hot during use You must place it in a well-ventilated area The manufacturer states that the operating temperature of this equipment is 60 to 65 degrees Celsius I won't let the position of the iron plate burn exceed this temperature In addition, that "Direct" button Can be switched to AV Bypass Turning this A1 Into a pure Class A power amplifier with a single button press I think it's quite enjoyable, but the manufacturer didn't implement it And 25 watts, in the end, still have some limitations But honestly, if you want to play with this equipment That's its original characteristic Buying this equipment's reissue version Is essentially buying all of its goods and bads This reissue A1 Successfully reproduces the most important feature of the iron plate burn It's actually quite sincere Friends who have an emotional connection should really go and listen And feel its warmth, don't miss out Also, for some new enthusiasts without historical factors This A1 is one of the very few amplifiers on the market That can achieve true Class A amplification at this price and size If new enthusiasts want to experience what pure Class A is The legendary heat for good sound This A1 is also a good choice In this practical test Interested friends, please check the price, test listening, and sales locations in the video description Today, we've tested the British Musical Fidelity A1 Pure Class A integrated amplifier's reissue version And that's it We're done here If you like our video, please like it If you haven't subscribed to our channel, please remember to subscribe After subscribing, please click on the small bell next to the channel You'll receive notifications as soon as we release new videos MF has so many years Released so many different types of classic products Which one do you want them to reissue? I'm quite simple I want them to reissue the X-10D A mailbox-shaped tube buffer Because when it comes to playing audio, I've used it before I think it's not bad, quite enjoyable Next time, I'll introduce different types of integrated amplifiers to everyone Goodbye for now, bye-bye~~ English Subtitles: GPT
