Sugden A21SE Signature - Audiophile Integrated Amplifier

The Special Edition A21SE integrated amplifier builds on the strengths of the classic A21. Offering pure class A single ended voltage rail operation, the sound remains distinctively ‘Sugden’. Upgraded with a fifty percent larger power supply and increased power output, dynamics are even more impressive.

A sophisticated pre-amplifier stage is another improvement on the A21. This provides greater clarity without added brightness producing crystal clear highs. The larger power supply provides greater control over a wider range of loudspeakers and improved micro dynamics for low level listening.

James Sugden, widely accredited with producing the world's first Class "A" amplifier under the name of Richard Allen, a most famous brand of English loudspeakers in the 1960's, went on to bring his own name to his amplifiers after 3 years of production for Richard Allen. SUGDEN were established in 1967 founded by James Edward Sugden who designed and manufactured the worlds first pure class A solid state commercial amplifier. Since then they have been exporting their products to many countries around the world and winning prestigious awards.

In the vinyl analogue tradition Sugden Audio is truly a founder and icon of what has made analogue technology famous for it's natural and atmospheric sound that envelops the music listener in a three dimensional holographic experience.It is an extension of the analogue renaissance that continues to reintroduce us to what was engineered but for vaying circumstances not introduced to the wider music-loving audience.The fact that they have transcended several decades to be here to compliment the resurgence in the atmospheric sound of analogue and vinyl is a testament to their truth and depth of their passion and technology.

The natural question here is what is a Class "A" amplifier? In simple terms a Class "A" amplifier has all output devices conducting at all times as against a Class A/B design which switches the conducting devices on and off as required.For the music listener this results in the Class "A" amplifier being available to reproduce the dynamics and nuances of the music more readily resulting in a more realistic musical performance.

This is only the beginning of the Sugden story.They have been creating Sugden amplifiers in the same Yorkshire factory for a long time, and their operation is reportedly so self sufficient that they still manufacture their own casework and solder their own circuit boards......in other words.....they are hand made. Sugden employees are well described as craftsmen and craftswomen.

The Sugden A21 with phono was the first commercially produced Pure Class "A" solid state amplifier launched in 1967 and is still offered today.The A 21 has changed a lot over the last 50 years due to the improvement of electronic components but the simplicity of the Class "A" circuit has remained.

A worthwhile benefit of the Sugden A21a Signature Pure Class ‘A’ Integrated Amplifier is the optional Moving Magnet/Moving Coil phono stage. The A21a MM/MC is fully discreet which means no IC’s (Integrated Circuits) are used thus the components are individual transistors, resisters, etc. Left and right channel are also fully separated. It has facilities for both moving magnet and low output moving coil cartridges. The design also has automatic impedance matching so no load adjustment is necessary.

In 2011 The Absolute Sound and Hi-Fi+ included the Sugden A21 in its list of the ten most significant European Amplifiers of all time. In the prelude it said: “Europe has a rich heritage of audio, and picking ten of the most significant products is always going to be an exercise in omission…. But arguably – and such things are argued in perpetuity – these 10 amplifiers have changed the face of audio significantly in their own right”.