John Darko
Under the new stewardship of Pro-Ject’s Heinz Lichtenegger, Musical Fidelity is once again resurrecting the A1 integrated amplifier. The A1 was first released in 1984, discontinued a decade later and then resurrected in 2008 before being discontinued again.
Debuting at the recent Munich High-End show, the 2023 A1 looks similar to the 80s original but ups the power output to 25wpc (from 20wpc) into 8 Ohms, maintains the internal MM/MC phono stage but ditches the USB input and front panel display found on the 2008 version.
If you’re wondering why only 25wpc, it’s because the A1 is a Class A amplifier. This means the output devices are always on – and don’t turn off and on as they do in a Class A/B amplifier. The side effect of always-on output devices is greater heat generation which in the case of the A1 is dissipated by the chassis’ top plate, which is essentially one large heat sink.
The new A1 will reportedly faithfully follow the original’s circuit design but with improved internal components, an updated transformer and a new ALPS RK series volume pot. Also new is an infra-red remote control.
The 2023 Musical Fidelity A1 will sell for €1599.
Further information: Musical Fidelity
