There are many reasons why valve amplifiers are widely regarded as the ultimate audiophile separate. To be honest, you have to be a particularly keen audiophile to put up with their inefficiency, their need for maintanance and their expense. But for all of that fuss, you get something truly wonderful: pure class A amplification. A warm, lush, inimitable sound which – once you’ve heard it – cannot be substituted.
And, quite frankly, valve amps ain’t what they used to be.
… they’re better. Much much better. The issues with inefficiency, reliability and even expense are gradually being improved upon. Take, for example, the rather exception Icon Audio Stereo 25.
Rather striking, right? That gorgeous piece of equipment is the Icon Audio Stereo 25. Now, without cheating, tell me how much you think something like that (something that really does sound as good as it looks!) will set you back. £2k? £3k? 5k?
… well, you’d be wrong. You can actually pick up a brand new, unopened Stereo 25 for less than a thousand. Yes, you read that correctly.
You see, Icon knew that valve amps were expensive by nature, but they didn’t want this to stop budding valve-ers to not have a way in. Which is why they took what they learned from the Stereo 40 – an award winning amp – and altered it to make it entry level, and sit comfortably at half the price. Yes, £1k is still a high price, but it is a bargain bucket price for a high-end valve amplifier.
Especially one which sounds as glorious as the Stereo 25. It’s a beautiful combination of traditional design with contemporary upgrades. Its circuits are inspired by the H J Leak 1950’s amplifiers, and with its excellent valves, audiophile components, custom transformers and its high-end, low noise (i.e. low interference!) power supply all add up to something far beyond its price.
Your £1k will be spent wisely on a gloriously detailed soundstage with all of the warmth and depth of valve amps of five times the price. There’s a reason why we love it, it’s accessible high end hi-fi. And while we call it “entry level” we only do so because of the price. This is an amp that will serve you – and serve you well – for many years.
Not a bad investment if sound is truly important to you, if you think about it!
Interested? If you’re new to the sound of the valve, you have to try this baby out. Give us a shout and we’ll arrange for a demonstration. Although we warn you, valves are somewhat addictive…