Sugden A21a upgrade caps wiring etc?

Hi there,

I have this 10 year old Sugden A21a which I can't seem to ditch for something new. I have auditioned many integrateds in the 3k US$ range lately but few if any put up such a gripping performance. I wonder if anyone knows of a service that would take my trusty Sugden and exchange some of its internal components for something better, bridge some unnecessary switches etc. I'd be willing to spend around 500 US$, but I have a hard time locating such a service.

Thanks!

Matthias

 

Id just upgrade to an A21SE....

That Sugden is a fantastic amplifier!! I love em!
Excellent choice....

They are so popular that Im sure you can get good
money for yours, and find a nice used SE and it might
only be about 500 bucks to trade up...

good luck

 

Thanks Jeff. It's reassuring to read this from someone with access to so much $$$$ gear. I have heard the SE next to mine. It is a great product, sounds more extended and resolves complex music better than my old amp, probably due to its beefier power section. However, my trusty A21a did quite very well. There are many nice integrated amps in the 2-3k bracket, but the 21SE sounded at least as good as the best of them and easily showcased the nicest/sturdiest casework of them all. It is still at the top of my list, but lately I figured I might need to look at something that provides even more power and control than the 21SE and started to read up on the likes of a (preowned) Gryphon Callisto, Symphonic Line RG10, Lindemann Amp 4.99, ASR Emitter, MF A5, Ayre AX7e and find myself more confused then ever. - I guess in an effort to postpone this potentially costly decision I thought about having my A21a modded.

 

I understand, but the A21SE has to be one of my favorite solid state amplifiers at any price!

If I lost my job in audio and no longer had access to things, I'd buy an A21SE, and a pair of ProAcs and just enjoy the music. Great Stuff!

Also, the guy we deal with here in the US for Sudgen is George Stanwyck, who is one of the nicest men in the world of high end audio that you will
ever meet!

Good luck on the process. If you go up, I think you will have a very hard time finding a more musical solid state combination than the Sugden.

Here's one thing to check out if you are interested, The integrated amps from Valve Audio... Especially the 200wpc one is quite exceptional!

Just a thought...

 

Thanks Jeff. I will check them out. I am based in Europe though...

 

Is Sugden British made?

 

Yep. Handcrafted by Yorkshiremen. Fairly easy to find reviews on the web.

 

I am not sure if it is even available in the US. If it is, it must have very limited distribution.

 

For anyone who aspires to a highly involving sound with tons of musicality and which suffers not an ounce of listener fatigue, go grab a 21 right away.

I happened upon an older 21a integrated for a song and a dance at a yard sale a ways back. It was scratched and dusty and hadn't been used is some time but it worked flawlessly when I got it back home. I paired it up to my LS3/5A's in my office den and the results were magical.

It's toob sound minus the headaches and hassles of actually running toobs.

 

"A jewel of an amp"

http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/1103fifth/index1.html