Sugden 21SE Amplifier Review - includes random Tom Evans MicroGroove

Quick review of the Sugden A21SE amplifier and comparison with the standard A21. We also talk briefly about the IA4 and ANV50

[@christopherfox735]

Another great video. Love my Sugden A48B but might look at the A21SE next year.

[@terryneilbooth]

Enjoyable and great informative review many thanks 👍

[@barrybrennan2135]

Good timing - have one of these on my radar...cheers.

[@thepickyaudiophile]

Please do review the Aethos and compare with the SE!! I really appreciated that you talk about the model down having special qualities. This echos what my local Sugden distributor told me recently: “If you need the SE you need it and it will be great, but if your speakers will allow for a marriage with the regular a21, it’s worth going for”. Personally I’m interested in partnering with a range of speakers, so aiming for the SE or the Rega Aethos (mainly low level listening).

[@harrisedgar]

Great video..!! (More Sugden, more comparisons, more B roll, just more..!!!) thank very much, I was very interested in this brand.

[@davidatrakchi2707]

Thank you for a very interesting review, must point out though that your English is so English it made me have to really concentrate to understand everything you said. I was about to buy 2nd hand 21se but finally I built myself a 25kg diy Pass F6 which in fact is 2 mono׳s in one box. I love it׳s sound as poured into my humble pair of bronze ll Audio monitors, I do believe it’s somehow close to the Sugdon being a class a

[@stephenlegg262]

I run the 21se with a pair of Dali Rubicon 2. A great combination.

[@alejandroolivares-nunez7896]

I just got this amp paired with Spendor A4s. And it's GODLY! love it. So perfect sounding in every way. Get this amp and don't mess about

[@berlewi]

Many thanks for the great review!! 🙏 Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I was wondering if bass and treble can be adjusted? Or does this model require a pre amp for balance and control? Thank you!

[@sam66hazmal]

Interesting video, I’ve never owned a Valve or a Class A amplifier before, out of the two I’d probably choose the Sugden as swapping valves can be expensive I guess and also there’s the reliability and consistency of the valve to consider too

[@beetleything1864]

that and some Chinese valves (the major manufacturer of valves nowadays ) are pretty bad quality although they do make high quality valves but you'l pay waaay more for them !

[@naimusic362]

Good review Sir, would you leave this amp on all the time even when not in use?

[@innerdragonstarkie6876]

I'd love to see a compare and contrast of Albarn m408 with Onix OA 21 plus soap.

[@thevintagehifiambassador8524]

Hello. I need the warmest sounding Sudgen amplifier to pair with my Avantgarde Duo G1 horns! Which one will suit best (10 W class a is enough). Thanks. (HA-4 with a power amp sounds very good but I need it elsewhere)

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

03:40 Interesting. It's probably cooler thanks to the vertical fin placement and the relatively larger dissipating area (both case and fins).

[@idc7305]

Great video. Thanks a lot. For someone who has tone and weight as priorities, between Rega (Brio or Elex-R) and the Sugden A21SE, putting price tag aside, which amp would you recommend to meet those two objectives? Thanks!

[@ralex3697]

Sugden, but you would have to compare to the Rega Elicit for fair comparison

[@DJWerkz]

Love Sugden products but it seems to be a trend that amplifiers at this price point are absent a pair of balanced inputs. In fact trying to find a good quality integrated with balanced inputs without having to spend a huge sum of money seems very challenging

[@tuanto9618]

Can the sugden A21Se Sign drive Dali opticon 8 with 4 ohm and 88Db well?

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Why have they stopped bringing out a power only version?

[@markburrell8320]

Thank you Sir for your great Reviews. My Question…how good is the seperate Phonoboard for Sugden 21a . Very good for the price or it‘s okay.

[@cheshireaudio]

It’s pretty good for a manufacturers own, there are better specialist options though

[@reshkenn6091]

Thanks for the review, heard good things about Sugden..Have you had opportunity to listen to YBA and Atoll range of amps

[@cheshireaudio]

I did deal with YBA a long time (25 years ?) ago, excellent amps, I don’t think they are imported into the Uk now

[@claptoned0]

Hi, is it good with Tannoy (XT8F), if someone knows ?

[@richarddegannes2928]

Hi, Can you help by advising if this Sugden 21SE Integrated amplifier would pair well with ProAC D30RS speakers? What would be the life expectation of this class A amplifier based on the heat generated? Is it anything I can do to keep the level of heat generated by this amplifier down? Thank in advance.

[@richcarless7740]

I have a A21SE and a pair of ProAc D20R and the combination is sublime.

[@hamzatatta952]

Please comment, on which Sugden is meant to be very warm, is it the Sugden 1, i was at the hi-fi show over the weekend and someone mentioned it that one of the Sugden was very warm, i knew there was a 1 in the model old or new model

[@pliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

Awesome review Wich speaker would you recommend to have the full sugden experience ?

[@motorhead16]

Heco Direkt 2 or 3 ways

[@pliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

@@motorhead16 too late. I bought Heritage specials instead

[@sonicmainliner]

I am curious re the colour, in the video it looks like the Cambridge Audio new "sliver", moon something, on the site pictures it looks like the regular silver looks like. What is it?

[@cheshireaudio]

Sugden silver is a little darker than most

[@ralex3697]

I have it in red

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

I’m really interested in one of these SE Sugden Integrated amps, but I’m even more interested in the ANV-50 which is 50 WPC. What gets me, is that the SE version is actually heavier, due to the larger transformer, than the ANV-50 unit. It’s “current” (for the most part) that drives speakers, so I’m kind of confused between the two integrated amps on which one to possibly get. I’m in the States, so there are not any shops around me to see them. Thanks for this video. Cheers from Texas!

[@motorhead16]

ANV is a class A Hybrid, not a pure class A, hence the increased power. I would go for A21 SE all day.

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

@@motorhead16 Thank you!

[@peterfrantzen6482]

Hello and good afternoon. Which amplifier would you prefer. Octave V 40 SE or Sugden 21SE. I look forward to your answer. Greetings from Germany, Aachen, Peter Sorry for my bad English. It's the google translator.

[@cheshireaudio]

I haven’t heard the Octave, it is not well known here, and is a lot more expensive than the Sugden in the UK

[@naimusic362]

Nothing wrong with your English Sir 👍

[@stuarteldergill]

What do you think of the Vincent range?

[@chicowasp]

Have you had chance to compare this one with a Croft line integrated .

[@cheshireaudio]

Not side by side... I do see Croft equipment occasionally... good kit

[@robmoores6078]

Great review of a great amplifier. I agree though that the A21a Signature is a better amplifier with the right speakers. I also had the ANV-50 for a while and couldn’t get on with it - it was relentless to listen to. The IA4 is the best of the integrateds but I would argue not worth over twice the price of the basic A21. Again in the right system. Finally, I never use the remote with my amplifier - in fact it is still in the box!

[@fabers92]

Could you mention some happy partners with the a21a? Is it all about speaker sensitivity, or something else besides?

[@robmoores6078]

@@fabers92 I think it is about “synergy”. Harbeth, Proac and Falcon seem to be great partners. The amp is a classic. In the right system you could spend twice/three times the money and not get the same performance.

[@fabers92]

@@robmoores6078 That’s what I’m starting to understand more and more in my journey. I’ve just got a valve amp with ~6watts, and I’m amazed at how it powers my 86db speakers, but I know that’s not everything. Thanks for the names to look into, I’ve heard a fair amount of people very happy with their Proac stand mounts and Sugden.

[@LarsH-y7l]

variable output/preout can also run 1 or 2 subwoofers

[@briancampbell7712]

what about comparing this Sugden A21a to a Copland CTA-405...❓what of the two is the best...because I have a Copland CDA-288 CD player and it is the Best I've ever heard!!

[@melchior-chr.v.brincken8006]

A21SE orange here :)

[@boblaws7582]

Tom, sorry to say this but you are mumbling throughout your review and, as such, it's difficult to follow what you are saying. However, your choice of Hi-Fi devices to review are "pretty top notch" and are from the British point of view. Also, I personally would like to see you expand your range of currently available belt drive turntables to look at, and possibly cartridges as well.

[@cheshireaudio]

true ... I have a tendency that way anyway and my microphone doesn't pick up well from behind, it seems to lose the top end

[@ralex3697]

It is not faulty, it’s his location. I’ve had this problem where I used to live, since I’ve moved no more problem

[@ralex3697]

It’s very musical, I forgot about the amp in the room, if it wasn’t red color I’d probably not stare at it as much but it is so beautiful to look at in red.

[@melchior-chr.v.brincken8006]

Sounds like a Cyrus II with PSX and Musical Fidelity A100-X had a love child

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

How would this be with LS3/5a 15ohm about 83-84db ?

[@cheshireaudio]

Should be fine in a small room... probably worth borrowing one to be sure

[@billsugden]

Interesting they make an amp named after me lol

[@donaz1500]

Sorry, Damping Factor ?

[@davidmathieu3592]

Bonjour le sugden 21se avec dynaudio evoke 10. 84 db dans une petite pièce

[@Xerxesro1]

Good review but the auto-manual car annalogy only works if you tried an auto in the late 80s and never again. A modern auto outperforms manual gearboxes in every way. And if you want to "take back control", just manually override.

[@tonyfrench2574]

Mumbles without coherent direction

[@moktaabdul6310]

£3k , what aRipoff No tone controls 10.000uf cheap capisctors In total 60.000 microfards is beyond joke 500va transformer is cheap They should come with 22.000uf x 6 with dual mono