Speakers for old Musical Fidelity A1

[admin_exported]

Hello everyone,

While I wait to get a new amp for my Kef ref twos I have decided to put my old MF A1 back into action and build up a system around this amp. The question is what speakers to get? The amp is only 20wpc so something very easy to drive is what I am after. I really dont want to spend any more than £500 and I would certainly consider 2nd hand or new. I do want speakers that make the most of the amps silky smooth class A sound and the system would be used mainly for acoustic music.

Thanks in advance

 

[Singslinger]

Hello James, are you after bookshelf or floorstanding speakers?

I'd imagine floorstnders would be preferable because with only 20W to play with, you'd have to go for high sensitivity speakers (90+ dB) and there are not many bookshelf types that fit that bill. Perhaps a secondhand Tannoy dual concentric model?

Having said that, I have the newer MF A1 amp which is rated at 36W and use it with a pair of Elac Bs 243 bookshelf speakers rated at 87 dB/W/m with excellent results. I think these cost 1,000 quid in the UK though.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi yes I would be looking at floorstanders but I have noticed that Klipsch bookshelf speakers have a very high sensitivity rating but I have no idea how good Klipsch are. £500 is pretty much my limit as the money is coming out of my Bryston fund and dont want to eat into it too much! By the way how do you find the new A1? Happy with the sound?

 

[Singslinger]

Yes, it may be rated at "only'' 36W but it sounds a lot more powerful. I use it mainly for listening to jazz and piano-based music. It has a warm sound particularly in the midrange. The treble isn't as sharp and biting as when I paired the Elacs with a NAD C356BEE amp but the A1 exerted better overall control than the NAD.

I've not auditioned Klipsch speakers but I believe these are high sensitivity designs so they'll probably work well with the A1.

 

[CnoEvil]

I would have two suggestions:

Sonus Faber TOY (87db)......£549 Nb Oxford Audio Consultants have as new ex-dem at £395

Opera Mini (89db)...........£650 (Probably too far over budget...but might get ex-dem)

Both of the above should sound great with your Class A

In case it's of interest, Oxford Audio also has the MF M6i @ £1999 - which brings it nicely into budget.

 

[Anonymous]

I would have two suggestions: Sonus Faber TOY (87db)......£549 Nb Oxford Audio Consultants have as new ex-dem at £395 Opera Mini (89db)...........£650 (Probably too far over budget...but might get ex-dem) Both of the above should sound great with your Class A In case it's of interest, Oxford Audio also has the MF M6i @ £1999 - which brings it nicely into budget.

Hi CnoEvil those Sonus Faber TOYs sound interesting and having looked at pics on the web they look gorgeous too. Not sure if their sensitivity is too low though. The Opera Minis are out of budget to be honest although I know that even though the A1 was only a cheap amp it does deserve quality speakers... hmm...

 

[CnoEvil]

I would have two suggestions: Sonus Faber TOY (87db)......£549 Nb Oxford Audio Consultants have as new ex-dem at £395 Opera Mini (89db)...........£650 (Probably too far over budget...but might get ex-dem) Both of the above should sound great with your Class A In case it's of interest, Oxford Audio also has the MF M6i @ £1999 - which brings it nicely into budget.

Hi CnoEvil those Sonus Faber TOYs sound interesting and having looked at pics on the web they look gorgeous too. Not sure if their sensitivity is too low though. The Opera Minis are out of budget to be honest although I know that even though the A1 was only a cheap amp it does deserve quality speakers... hmm...

I suspect they'd be fine, but give them a ring.

Class A is much more powerful than it looks on paper, due to the current on tap. I also believe that a more musical speaker for £395 will be hard to find. It should certainly keep you going until you find your beloved Bryston.

Cno

 

[Anonymous]

I would have two suggestions: Sonus Faber TOY (87db)......£549 Nb Oxford Audio Consultants have as new ex-dem at £395 Opera Mini (89db)...........£650 (Probably too far over budget...but might get ex-dem) Both of the above should sound great with your Class A In case it's of interest, Oxford Audio also has the MF M6i @ £1999 - which brings it nicely into budget.

Hi CnoEvil those Sonus Faber TOYs sound interesting and having looked at pics on the web they look gorgeous too. Not sure if their sensitivity is too low though. The Opera Minis are out of budget to be honest although I know that even though the A1 was only a cheap amp it does deserve quality speakers... hmm...

I suspect they'd be fine, but give them a ring. Class A is much more powerful than it looks on paper, due to the current on tap. I also believe that a more musical speaker for £395 will be hard to find. It should certainly keep you going until you find your beloved Bryston. Cno

Cno thanks for the heads up on the SF toys. Should be with me next week so I will post again once I have had some listening time with them and let you know how they sound with the A1.

James

 

[CnoEvil]

I like it when a plan comes together. :bigsmile:

Look forward to hearing how you get on.

Cno

 

[Anonymous]

Well the SF Toys came this morning. Just got them sat on top of my Ref twos until I buy some stands for them. So far listened to Eddie Vedder 'Into The Wild' and Norah Jones 'come away with me'. One word... beautiful! To say I have just plonked them down for now they sound absolutely stunning. I cant believe how big, rich, detailed and sparkling they sound for such small speakers. They really are very lovely indeed. Voices sound eerily real and strings have body and a three dimensional sound to them.

Thanks again to Cno for letting me know about them. To say im happy with them would be an understatement.

 

[CnoEvil]

Result!

Thank you for taking the time to report back.....it's always good to hear about a happy ending.

Enjoy

Cno

 

[davidfchessington]

In mid 1980s I took my Lowther Acoustas with PM7s to PJ HiFi at Guildford to see if the then new Kelvin class A amp was better than my Sugden A21. The match produced no treble. We then tried an Arcam amp which was far too warm for my tastes and then a Musical Fidelity A1 and it was very good so I bought that. I have since upgraded the Lowther units to DX3 and the sound now is splendid even though the deep bass is a little soft which is a caractoristic of the A1.

About two days after hearing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring live at the Proms with Ivon Ficsher conducting I turned the volume right up and played my CD of the piece and was surpised just how good the sound system actually was and how close it approached the original sound.

So Lowthers work very well with the old Musical Fidelity A1.