Cambridge Audio A-series

[matthewpiano]

Following my shenanigans with speakers and the disappointing PM4001, I've got my old Cambridge Audio A4 hooked up with the Marantz CD5001 and Cambridge Audio S30s and I can't stop listening. The sound is detailed, has depth and absolutely sure footed soundstaging, is very dynamic and tonally as accurate as anything I've heard for a long time. Now this A4 is getting on a bit and its not been treated quite as well as the rest of my gear so I'm wondering about snapping up an A5 for the current price of £119.99. Its all led me to wonder whether the A-series amps are forgotten jewels of budget audio. Certainly the A4 leaves the PM4001 standing and its more musical than an Arcam A65+ I heard recently. Does anybody else feel the A series amps have a magic which is somehow missing from the Azur series, or is it time for me to go back and try the 340A, 540A, and/or 640A again?

 

[Anonymous]

I think the azur series amps are excellent, the 540 and 640 anyway, and i cant understand some of the criticism on this forum towards them.I have read comments about the azur 640a on this forum and some them are so completely wide of the mark that it's hard to believe that its the amp I have that people are writing about. A friend had an old A series cambridge amp, before he changed it for a nad, and it was very good but in my opinion not in the same class as the azur range.