Sugden A21 Signature Integrated Amplifier

I have been auditioning a Belles Aria. Although painful to listen to at first it has improved remarkably. Still, I had to work hard to convince myself that I would like it long term.

Then came the A21. I just unboxed it this morning. I accidentally left my office key at home and went back home for it. While there I succumbed to the temptation of hooking up the Sugden. Within 5 minutes, still stone cold, I knew I loved it. I listened for an hour as it sounded better and better.

As far as looks, it's beautiful. Comes with a tag signed by everyone involved in it's manufacture. Hand built in England by folks who really care about workmanship. Pride of ownership is off the charts. Phono stage is a bit noisier than the Belles which is dead silent. That said the Sugden is very quiet and sounds great.

In short, I love it! Bravo. The Belles goes back to Gene with many thanks for letting me audition it. The Sugden is my long term solution. More as it just gets better!

 

Many thanks to Taylor of Goldprint Audio for continuing to field all of my questions and for the great service.

 

Congrats! I demoed an A21SE recently and loved it.

 

The SE is great. Couldn't quite go that money but the A21 is fabulous to my ears.

 

You running the LS50s with it?

 

Yes indeed. Never heard them sound as good.

 

Listened to the Sugden a few times, very nice amp in every way and one that I could happily live with, I have a friend who really wants to get one if he can afford it, I must admit I feel compelled to encourage his quest.

 

Want

 

Congrats. So intrigued by this amp’s good looks, build quality, and class a power. I have always wanted to pair one with p3esrs but have worried I’d be missing some drive. Your using them with ls5os is encouraging though and I know others have said the power is more robust than specs would indicate. Out of curiosity, what do you think would be a good price for a year-old one? There is one listed at the moment (with phono).

 

That would be more a question for a dealer or retail expert. Just guessing I would say a mint year old one would be between $1500-1700.

 

Many thanks.

 

Funny you bring up the A21. I had no idea never heard of that british brand before. But this morning, while stuck in traffic I watched a French hifi dealer having a conversation about it with the importer/distributor. I learned that the A21 is a 50 years old classic, brought back to the market, and that Sugden was the first to produce Class A amplification. The company is still running strong, still produce or supply parts of 30 years old models, and that they intend to continue that way.
How much is a A21 in the US?

 

$2400

 

All the things you mentioned and more sold me on the brand. The sound sold me on this product. Also gotta say, Jonathan Halpern and Tone Imports do not carry junk. He really has a knack for knowing what components make music.

 

Nice story. Unfortunately we can only "imagine" what it must look like in your system..

 

Yeah, I no longer use a digital camera and I haven't figured out how to get pics from phone to post on a forum easily.

 

It seems like I've experienced one of these integrated's in the past. But I can't recall which exact dealer this was at (I'm not even sure if it was here in Portland or somewhere back in Austin). If I recall correctly, at that point in time the amp was very spartan in appearance. Overall just very utilitarian in nature which I thought was cool. Pretty sure that it was silver with black knobs and I believe that it ran pretty warm — does that sound right? Gotta love companies with good longevity. Congratulations.

 

Yes a previous iteration of this amp is exactly as you described. Being Class A they run very hot. Not to be left on 24/7 like most of my previous amps. Turn on about a half an hour before serious listening and then get in to blissful zone. I had heard the SE before at Stereotypes in Portland when Sugden had a different distributor. Tone Imports is very choosy who they let retail their products. Our own Goldprint Audio made the cut.

 

Hey Guth, if your system is as saved in your profile it's a classic. Excellent stuff indeed.

 

Yep, that’s the current lineup. I’m a classic myself these days at my age so I suppose it only makes sense that my HiFi would be as well, lol. While the speakers are new as of last month, most of this stuff I’ve had for a pretty long time. Nothing too fancy, relatively speaking, but I’ve been very happy with the “core” of my system.

I understand the importance of things like the front-end source components, system synergy, room matching, etc.. But I can totally understand your enthusiasm for finding the amp that meets your priorities. That’s how the little Nait struck me all those years ago when it first came out and I still get fired up by it today — I’ve never had the desire to upgrade as it just “works” for me. I knew it the first time I ever heard it. Your story has a somewhat familiar ring to it for me.

I’m guessing that it was likely Stereotypes where I previously saw the Sugden based on the info you’ve shared. Enjoy!

 

At 57, soon to be 58 I understand being a classic.

 

I had an A21 Signature at home for a couple of days. Really loved it. Solid state done right. Built like a tank. Although I ended up keeping my Leben, I know I could live with it.

 

I'm only a couple model year releases behind you, lol.

 

Congrats on your purchase. I've got the SE and love it.

 

Congrats, Art. I believe mine will be my last amp as well. I found that an upgraded power cord made a big difference with this amp.