New amp on its way, WOO HOO

Just ordered my new MF A5cr power amp to replace my A308 integrated which I just sold. Really looking forward to have a good play with it. I sold my A308 due to the fact I recently aquired a Spectral DMC-10 preamp and after having listened to it in my system I decided it would have to stay it sounded so awesome. Now that I have a dedicated preamp I thought I don't need an integrated amp any more so the 308 has to go. I have listened to the A5 integrated after running in and if that's anything to go by the power amp should be pretty good. It also has two switchble inputs so that I can run the preouts from my AVR300 straight to it as well as the preamp. I'll let you know how I get on with it once it arrives.

 

Enjoy it! Hope its a big improvement.

 

Me too, I like the MF sound, was looking for more control over my AE1s and I get MF products for silly money at staff rate.

 

Nice one, means you wont lose out big time on re-sale? I also like the MF sound although just sold my nu vista m3.

 

Being a dealer helps a lot too

 

Yes it does indeed. Seriously though, even looking at all available products at staff prcie, MF still comes out top for performance. I know everyone slates them for bringing out new models too often, it's not as bad as AV equipment though. Their marketing is totally over the top I agree, but they do produce some fabulous products at amazing prices.

 

Crustyloafer,

You noticed some downsides on the A5 integrated on a different forum before.
Did it (indeed) need more running-in or is it that it is sensitive to system (cabling) matching (which I experienced with MF products a couple of times in the past)? Or has it a 'different' sound one might need to get used to?

Just curious as these products really can change substantially after a serious time of playing (> 300 hrs), which is why mag reviews easily distort the potential of a product.

Thanks,
Erik

 

I really like mf's build and looks, Some have not been to my taste soundwise, but what get's me about them is the constant sales you see on ebay and other sites, they are always being sold...perhaps people are taken in by the wild obscene claims and find they are not that brill?

 

wel i lost out on both of these mf amps,so i'll never know how good or bad these amps sound,but now i don't care,as i've just accquired a pair of michell alecto monoblocks,and they're awesome

 

I stand by my comments about the speaker terminals which are not as nice as the WBT ones on the 308 series and the comments I made about the CD tray also still stand, although with the cd player in its normal horizontal position this is not really a major issue. My statement about it not being a dual mono deisgn are also correct with respect to the A5 integrated amplifier. The unit I have purchased, the A5cr Power Amplifier, still has the full dual mono design, the choke regulation that worked so well in the 308 and has two full sets of speaker terminals. It is also worth noting that the A5cr Preamplifier also has a full dual mono design and choke regulation.

However, after much running in of our in store demonstration models, it has come to light that the balance of sound from the A5 series is much more to my liking than it was upon initial listening. It no longer exhibits the coarseness or ferocity that put me off so much to begin with. It is still faster and snappier sounding than the 308 series, but maybe that is a good thing as the 308 series could on occasions be accused of sounding a bit unfocused. After much running in and with the substantial increase in power I am now quite confident that the A5 series, particuarly the pre and power amps which retain some their earlier heritage, will comfortably outperform the 308 series.

 

link in your sig. suggests otherwise

 

Crustyloafer, this is helpful. It was also not clear (from their website) whether the A5 power was full dual mono.
BTW, thank you for your earlier reply on my pm.

 

There are no links in my signature, only a list of equipment.

 

The above quotes were copied directly from the 'Feature & Benefits' Section on the main page about the A5 Power Amp. Quite how clear do you need it to be?

 

I miss my little X-A1. Wish I'd never sold it (for a pitance too). OK, so its not one of your fancy £2k powerhouses like the A5 or A308, but it certainly did the trick for me.

Oh, and they were made in Blighty too, unlike the modern MF stuff :-(

DT

 

You said that it was not clear on the Musical Fidelity website that the A5 power was a a dual mono design, I was merely pointing out that it mentions this twice in the main feature and benefits list.

 

Then why even bother posting? I was making a point about some of the differences between the A308 series and the new A5 series integrateed amps, and then pointing out that the A5 pre and power shared a lot of the same features of the older A308 series.

Rhetorical questions have no place on a forum.

 

Crusty, I was quoting, and directing comment at Wm, not you. It was co-incidence, and perhaps unfortunate that my posting arrived after yours. I'm happy that you're happy.

 

Crusty,

How is the new A5cr doing in your system? Can it compete with the 308 power amp?
Am currently home-demoing the Contour 1.4 at home with 308 integrated, and this speaker (as usual with Dynaudio) could use some more control to get them right.
I still own the CD Pre 24 and might pair it up with the A5 power amp.

 

There is a foto of the inside of the a5 integrated on the walrus website.
that is categorically not dual mono.
dual mono refers to separate power supplis right back to the mains transformer.

the mf clearly shows only 1 mains transformer.(sorry if I have the wrong end of the stick, it says power amp up there doh!!)

http://www.walrus.co.uk/musfid/musfid.htm

sadly, looking at the inside of the cdp, there is not enought regulators. more regulated psu's for cd, the better.

note the lack of audiophile caps, they use jamicon instead of elna's and nichicon.

conclusion, as MF is well thought of, either

1/ the audiophile cap thing is a load of rubbish, or

2/ mf sounds rubbish due to crap components. which I don't believe. Its not my taste however. But that's a personal thing.

you takes yer pick. I like mf design, I don't like the selling of it.(that's my axe nothing more)

apparently, just out of interest, I studied a few mf desings of yore, and the older xcans, x10, and xpre used the same circuit, just with volume knobs on or off.