Power Amplifiers - Musical Fidelity

A dedicated power amplifier and pre amplifier in a hi-fi separates system is an aspiration for many music lovers as this set-up usually offers superior performance over a single box integrated amplifier. We offer both stereo and mono power amps. Using 2 mono or 'monoblok' power amps instead of a single stereo model can offer even greater performance. You can even upgrade to 4 monobloks for bi-wirable speakers (two on either side powering each driver) or 6 monobloks on tri-wirable speakers. You can directly link a power amp to your music source if the source features built-in pre amp but a dedicated pre amp is generally recommended to also offer source selection and volume control. We also sell multi-channel power amps for home cinema. Need advice choosing? Please call us or email us for advice.

Musical Fidelity presents best-in-class quality hi-fi components conceived from over thirty years of audio expertise. They design and engineer impactful hi-fi separates hosting excellent sound, high technical performance, exceptional value for money and remarkable build quality.

Musical Fidelity has designed and manufactured Hi-Fi electronics for more than thirty years and are among the best-known brands in the Hi-Fi industry. They aim to deliver exceptional music and tackle the challenge of world-class engineering. Each new design approach seeks the absolute best solution and embraces cutting-edge technologies as well as refining traditional methods for better performance.

Founder Antony Michaelson designed and produced his first amplifier, The Preamp, for his own home as he was frustrated by the mediocre preamp in his audio system. It was heard by an audio dealer who placed an order for some and they were so successful that they all sold over their first weekend on display. Consequently and almost by accident, Musical Fidelity was launched in 1982 and The Preamp received glowing reviews. It was then followed by the shoebox-style Dr Thomas power amp.

Over almost four decades, Musical Fidelity has introduced an impressive line of products from the A1 integrated amp in 1984, A370 Power Amp and Digilog; the World’s first high-end DAC. Their technologies were always at the forefront of the industry; The MVX preamp was the first in the world to combine tube circuit topology with transistors, the SA470 power amp ran 99% in Class in 1988 which facilitated the release of the A1000 four years later featuring pure Class A power amp section.

The 90s saw in the classic valve-driven Tubalog DAC, X Series with X-10D Class A triode line stage, X-ACT DAC and X-24K upsampling DAC as well as the X-Ray CD player. The Nu-Vista Preamp employing compact, metal-cased nuvistor tubes sold out within three months of launch in 1997. These formed the basis for upgraded models like the futuristic CD-PRE 24 combining a high-quality CD transport/DAC/preamp and the Nu-Vista M3 pre/power amp with discrete Nu-Vista power amp modules and choke regulation.

The Tri-Vista series offered the world’s first audio application of trivistor tubes and the kW 500 super integrated amp employed twin-triode tubes. In 2003, Musical Fidelity released their first turntable; the limited-edition M1 which was regarded as one of the best-engineered decks then went on to become a collector’s item fetching above its original price.

The supercharged X-DAC V8 introduced switchable tube buffer and extra-heavy-duty power supply and the brand won their first EISA award with the X-150 (2004-2005) for European Stereo Amplifier of the Year. KW250S packs in dual 250-watt monobloc amps, tube hybrid preamp, phono stage, 24-bit 192K upsampling CD player, FM/DAB tuner and iPod input.

Titan, launched in 2009, is a 1kW p/ch twin monobloc design with external power supply alongside the Reference-standard Primo pure Class A pre-amplifier with 14 hand-picked ECC81 tubes. Their most recent additions aim to satisfy all budgets and hi-fi needs. These include the EISA award-winnng M1 CLiC which brings together analogue and digital sources, their finest digital AMS CD/DAC and the world’s most advanced pure Class A amp; the AMS100.

Now owned by an Austria-based independent specialist Audio Tuning, the brand retains its proud British heritage and preserves the natural authentic audio performance that has become synonomous with Musical Fidelity across the world. The unique product series accommodate traditional and contemporary requirements from high quality vinyl listening, bit-perfect CD playback or increasingly popular wireless music streaming. For each source, Musical Fidelity supplies a broad range of powerful, state-of-the-art amplifiers that sound at home anywhere.

Using an individual power amp and pre amplifier is considered the pinnacle of audio and most premium systems and no expense spared hi-fis use separate power and pre amplifiers. Breaking down equipment into as many separate boxes as possible is a principle used in most aspects of hi-fi, due to the acoustic benefits that can be achieved. When using a one-box unit such as an integrated amplifier, power supplies for both the pre and power amp circuitry are housed within the same unit. Power supplies are typically “noisy” and can add unwanted resonance when poorly isolated. By separating these components as much as possible, the power supplies are also separated, preventing unwanted resonance from affecting the overall sound quality.

Power amps receive an input from a pre amplifier via RCA input, with some models offering alternative inputs such as balanced XLR. Output to speakers is then taken from the speaker terminals also known as speaker “taps”. Speaker terminals generally accept spade plugs, banana plugs as well as bare wire. However, some brands like Naim and Cyrus accept only proprietary BFA or banana plugs, so please check before purchasing if you wish to use existing pre-terminated cables with your amp. Most of the power amplifiers we offer are made for stereo use and suitable for driving a pair of speakers. Some power amplifiers can drive two pairs of speakers though if you need a multi-channel setup such as a home cinema surround sound speaker system, an AV Receiver may be more appropriate.

Power amps drive your speakers with output quoted in watts (e.g. 50W per channel or 100W per channel). When choosing a model, consult the recommended amplifier power for your speakers. Delivering suitable and appropriate power to your speakers is key to getting the best possible sound quality from them and your system. Using an amplifier with too little power for your speakers can result in a lacklustre and underwhelming performance, while an amp with too much power can result in overdriving your speakers and potentially damaging them. Some amplifiers, particularly those which are valve-based or Class A designs will be rated with a lower power rating, due to the nature of their designs and their efficiencies. Such amps can deliver stunning sound but can be harder to pair with speakers based on statistsics as a lower power rating may not equate to the same power rating on a solid state design. Feel free to get in touch to discuss pairing or to arrange a demonstration of one of these models.