Top 5... BUDGET AMPLIFIERS - Up to £500
There's nothing technical about this top 5 listing and I fully realise that there are loads that could have been here that aren't... but these are amplifiers that I've bought, sometimes owned and sold over the years. They are all, in my humble opinion, great units within their price range. Most are distinctly affordable, so there are obviously far more expensive amplifiers that will better them, but as an affordable purchase these will do you proud...
1. Roksan K2 BTRoksan has produced some great and distinctive looking integrated amplifiers and a few fall within our budget. The Roksan Kandy KA-1 is cheaper and also worth hunting out, but the K2 BT is more modern and, as the name suggests, has built-in bluetooth functionality. Complete with a moving magnet phono stage, it'll get all your hifi options up and running. And of course it sounds good too. Expect to pay... £450
2. Cyrus 1 to 8Cyrus produces some great affordable integrated amplifiers. While the original Cyrus One was in this section at one stage, these early examples are getting a little old, despite still sending sweet. But later versions are all worth a listen and all will typically fall within our budget price point. Pictured is a Cyrus 8 VS, but any are worth trying and are available in either a satin black, a brushed black (nicer), a smooth silver and a quartz silver (nicer!). Also consider - Rega Brio. Expect to pay... from £150-£450 depending on model
3. Quad 33/303It's a bonafide classic! The Quad 303 power and 33 pre amplifier combo was hugely popular in period and remains much loved. Clearly it is old, and we generally find that it is the pre amplifier that needs attention... balance control and switches can get scratchy, along with other issues. 303s are generally robust, but repairs are almost always possible. You'll be dealing with DIN connection around the back, but modern DIN to RCA adaptor cables are readily available. Condition is something to watch though, as many can be quite scratched or corroded, so finding a clean pair, such as those pictured here, is worth hunting out. Expect to pay... £300 for the pair
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4. A&R Cambridge A60Not only are these super pretty little integrated amplifiers, but the A60 sounds terrific too. It's quite an old beast these days, so expect DIN style inputs which are easily overcome with DIN to RCA adapter interconnects. And age means that switches can get a bit scratchy and capacitors may need a look at. But there's nothing here that cannot be serviced. The wooden cases can get scratched too but find a good one and you'll love it. Also consider a Creek 4040. Expect to pay... From £150+ for a tidy example.
5. Aura Evolution VA-100A bit of a leftfield option. Aura was an offshoot of speaker manufacturer Bower & Wilkins in the late 1980s and it launched (I believe) with this typically minimalist integrated amplifier. It received fantastic reviews at the time and I bought and owned one for many years. It's a great sounding and attractive unit, which was then joined by matching tuner and CD players. Fronts were generally black, but there was also a chrome front version. They come up for sale surprisingly often. Expect to pay... From £150
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