Giulio Salvioni
When you come back from the High End in Monaco (that’s what it’s called), you always hear the same question: “So, what’s new? Did you hear anything that sounded really good?”
At this point you feel obliged to say that yes, there were a lot of new things and that: “…well, yes… the room… well, the room of (xyz) sounded really good”.
I admit it’s hard for me to decide whether a room sounds good or not in this chaos. But in a way that works in my favour, because if one of them impresses me, it’s obviously because the sound is really good. I would say that this year I have only had that feeling in two rooms, if I remember correctly. But that’s not important, that’s not what I want to write about.
Among the other things that caught my attention, which I may mention later, were two different “nostalgia operations”. The first was by Heinz Lichtenegger, founder of Pro-Ject and owner of several other brands. He decided to commission a talented British engineer to redesign the Musical Fidelity A1. For those who don’t know, this was a small 25W Class A integrated amplifier that was a complete surprise when it was released in the mid-1980s. Featuring an innovative industrial design, with a distinctive finned cover that acted as a heat sink for the (considerable) heat generated – it was nicknamed ‘the grill’ in Italy – the A1 sounded very different from the predominantly Japanese competition of the time. In fact, it was the first relatively affordable amplifier capable of matching the performance of high-end products.
Of course, its low output didn’t allow it to work well in large rooms or with demanding speakers. In addition, some cost-cutting decisions compromised its sound quality. To address the power issue, Musical Fidelity later created a ‘pumped up’ version called the A100, but it didn’t capture the same sonic magic. So Pro-Ject decided to reintroduce this gem, keeping the aesthetic design (with only a few millimeters of difference) and circuitry intact. Of course, the components have been updated to improve performance in every way. What caught my interest was the price, which is expected to be around €1,500.00.
Throughout the A1’s success, some have claimed that it is the perfect match for the LS3/5a speakers. For those who may not be aware, these loudspeakers were originally designed by BBC engineers in the 1970s for listening environments where space was at a premium, such as control rooms in mobile television vans. The design objective was to provide the most accurate reproduction of the human voice and a linear frequency response from 100Hz. The result was a 2-way sealed cabinet loudspeaker about the size of a shoebox, with a small 11cm diameter woofer (the KEF B110 with a Bextrene cone), which somewhat limited its low frequency extension. The BBC didn’t manufacture the speakers itself, but licensed the design to some of the most prestigious British manufacturers of the time, including Rogers, Spendor, Harbeth, KEF and Chartwell. In order to obtain the manufacturing licence, each company had to meet the BBC’s stringent standards to ensure that the characteristics and performance of the various LS3/5a versions remained consistent, regardless of the manufacturer.
In keeping with the design brief, the LS3/5a loudspeakers excel at close listening distances, typically between two and four meters. Under these conditions, their clarity and speed are particularly impressive. The midrange in particular is extremely detailed and realistic, in keeping with the requirements of a studio monitor.
Even the three-dimensionality they achieve is on a par with the best contemporary creations, considering they’re fifty years old. In the case of the LS3/5, Musical Fidelity have done things right by taking a philological approach. It’s worth noting that they have obtained BBC certification, as is proudly displayed on the plaque on the back. The price is not exactly cheap, around €2,500.00 per pair.
The other nostalgia operation I mentioned at the start of this article comes from NAIM, who, to celebrate their 50th anniversary, decided to reissue the historic NAIT 1 integrated amplifier from 1983. Once again, it was a small, high quality amplifier with only 20W per channel, three inputs, one of which was a phono input for MM cartridges, and DIN connectors that required the user to obtain RCA-to-DIN adapters. The NAIT 1 was widely acclaimed for its ability to drive complex loads despite its relatively modest output, and for its ‘outgoing’ sonic personality. It lasted only four years in production, being replaced by the NAIT 2 in 1987. The current reissue retains the beautiful aesthetic design of the original NAIT 1, including the silver trim on the front panel. The only modern concession is the ‘Stream’ label on one of the line inputs. This shouldn’t be confused with an integrated DAC, however. The most significant changes have been made to what’s ‘under the hood’: the power output is now 25W, and they’ve updated it to bring it in line with current technology, while retaining the original circuit design to preserve its sonic character. The sad news is that only 1973 units will be produced to commemorate the start of NAIM’s production year. This makes it a limited edition, a practice that I personally find regrettable.
One final thought: are these two products intended solely to evoke memories for old audiophiles like myself, or are they also intended to attract new enthusiasts? If the answer is the former, it would be somewhat disappointing, as it would mean giving up on making hi-fi appealing to younger generations and concentrating only on the ageing survivors.
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