advertisement


Thoughts on Sugden a21a and speaker matching.

Sugarman

Postmember
Hi all, new to this excellent forum. I've been running a Sugden a21a - looks like a 90s model - for about 6 months now, it replaced an Audio Innovations s500 (fettled) with pleasing results, I've yet to switch back to the S500, and I'm sure that will be interesting, it's a great amp, but I felt it wasn't able to deal with more demanding genres like rock and classical, hence the Sugden. My speakers are Audio Note Js,I'm well aware of their design difference from many other speakers, and like the valve amp, that they can struggle with more complex music. So I thought I'd try a more neutral speaker, and have been told Proac might be a good option. I see a few cheapish models on the 2nd hand market, and would appreciate any help with their sonic character, The studio 140 and the rather older super towers. Thanks in advance.
 
If you can find some Proac D18 at a good price, this could be a good choice.
I'm not sure about their efficiency vs the output power of the Sugden though so make sure it will be enough for your room and personal needs.
 
I can’t speak for the Sugden, but I’ve had quite a few pairs of Proac’s ( and still have ). They generally are an easy load but not especially efficient. They really do wake up with some good push/pull or solid state power.
 
Fantastic choice in amp, Sir. I have an A21a Signature and I am utterly in love with it.

I spent quite a while and did a fairly hefty quest touring shops with the amp in tow.

To add to your list of possibles:
Yes, ProAc are a beautiful marriage. The pick of the current bunch are the DB1's which are superb on the end of it.

Harbeth, also excellent. I owned some M30's and they paired fantastically with it, despite being 86bd efficient.

I personally didn't like AN's that much.

If you can be arsed to look it up there's many pages of my ramblings about different speakers I put on the end of it on the Wam, the thread is called 'listening day'.
 
If you can find some Proac D18 at a good price, this could be a good choice.
I'm not sure about their efficiency vs the output power of the Sugden though so make sure it will be enough for your room and personal needs.
It will have enough grunt. I tried a few different ProAcs on the end of mine.
 
Hi all, new to this excellent forum. I've been running a Sugden a21a - looks like a 90s model - for about 6 months now, it replaced an Audio Innovations s500 (fettled) with pleasing results, I've yet to switch back to the S500, and I'm sure that will be interesting, it's a great amp, but I felt it wasn't able to deal with more demanding genres like rock and classical, hence the Sugden. My speakers are Audio Note Js,I'm well aware of their design difference from many other speakers, and like the valve amp, that they can struggle with more complex music. So I thought I'd try a more neutral speaker, and have been told Proac might be a good option. I see a few cheapish models on the 2nd hand market, and would appreciate any help with their sonic character, The studio 140 and the rather older super towers. Thanks in advance.

Hmm. The a21's not exactly fleet of foot either, especially at the bottom end. That said of course, its many qualities make it a firm favourite but bass speed and definition are never going to be its greatest strengths. I ran an a21 with AN-Ks then LVs in a second (office) system a few years back, and in both cases it was a combination which rarely failed to delight, albeit with an awareness that in some instances it was kind of making it up as it went along, particularly with the AN-Ks.

Pro-Ac and Sugden is a well-regarded combination, but in truth if I have ever heard it, I've long forgotten about it. I think I'd counsel trying a pair of your preferred Pro-Acs at home before commiting to anything else, you don't want to end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
 
The Proac Studio 140s should work well. I heard them with a Nytech CA202 and they were great as long as you didn't want to listen very loud.
 
I had the ProAc 140 (v2) and AN-Es in the same room. Just to point out the ANs worked in the corners but the ProAcs really needed more space around them, if that's an issue.

Really liked the ProAcs, other than they didn't work when we moved in to that particular house.
 
Yep, these work really well with the A21a, as do the Totem Mites in a small room.
Proac DB1 are supposed to be a good match for lower powered amps.
Living Voice or Tannoy may be a good choice if you can accommodate them.

I suspect little Neats would work nicely too.
 
I have Proac DB3s on the end of a Sugden and they work very nicely indeed. I imagine the DB1s are that bit better. Neither come up 2nd hand much though.
 
Nope, tried a pair of Neat motive sx2, didn't like em at all, too small sound, thin and reedy, though with techno they were better. Need something in between that and the rather flabby sound of the ANJs.

Shame. That wasn't really what I had in mind by little though, more the SX3 or Petites maybe. I'm using bigger Neat Momentums but that's with the much bigger Masterclass amps. They sound fabulous with any Blue Note lp ;)
 
Just picking up on the comments above. The Arros which I'm selling were originally paired with an A21a which I idiotically sold. If I could afford a new Sugden I'd probably keep em !
 
Hmm. The a21's not exactly fleet of foot either, especially at the bottom end. That said of course, its many qualities make it a firm favourite but bass speed and definition are never going to be its greatest strengths. I ran an a21 with AN-Ks then LVs in a second (office) system a few years back, and in both cases it was a combination which rarely failed to delight, albeit with an awareness that in some instances it was kind of making it up as it went along, particularly with the AN-Ks..
This made me laugh, and having spent many a year with Sugden amplifiers I know exactly what you mean.
 
Thank you, out of control bass I do not like, my budget is up to £800, I've seen some cheapy proacs on Fleabay so may try those first.

You're never going to eliminate the limitations of the Sugden's bass, which Kevin Scott once memorably described to me as having "somewhat over-generous buttocks." I've had 4 Sugdens in my time, and they all share the same trait to some degree. I remember comparing the first generation Masterclass integrated to a Lavardin IT 2k6 driving my LV OBX-RWs, using 'Sunset' from Kate Bush's Aerial: A Sky of Honey (3 different bass players). The Sugden sounded a bit like the over-weight goalie being accused of being too slow getting down for a low ball; "I got there as fast as I could..."

FWIW, in many respects I prefer the contemporary a21 (especially the power amp version) to that Masterclass, although I'm reliably informed both are better amps now. The a21 you have will likely only be good for 15-18 watts.

To that end, an easy to drive speaker — benign impedance, lightweight paper driver, not too power hungry — probably represents the best compromise, there's no guarantee a 'better' but more difficult speaker will suit, hence my advising proceeding cautiously.

(One thing you've not mentioned, BTW, is your source, which will have a part to play as well).


To be honest, if I were planning to start again (I'm not, lacking both the inclination and the cash) I'd probably opt for a current a21 Signature and a pair of LV R25As, which I reckon I could live with very happily.
 


advertisement


Back
Top