An Elektra-fying experience
With some time on his hands, SUJESH PAVITHRAN goes in search of his soul ... er, some soul, and finds the Musical Fidelity Elektra amps . . . .
MUSICAL Fidelity amplifiers . . . sigh . . . you can love 'em, you can hate 'em, but you can never be indifferent to them. My love affair with MF goes back to the late 80s, when I discovered the delightful A1 and A100 integrated amplifiers; since then, it's been an edge-of-the-seat, heart-in-the-mouth ride through various generations of MFs.
The Elektra range was conceived as a less costly alternative to the high-end F series . . . sleek and elegant styling as opposed to the latter's radical and aggressive looks; shiny, satin black versus brutal, brushed aluminium. Both the ranges, once seen, leave firm impressions.
The E200 preamp and E300 power amp are part of a team that includes two CD players, two tuners and two integrated amps -- even within the Elektra camp, the lines have been drawn between "affordable" and "less affordable". As a combo, the E200/E300 falls in the latter category . . . after you've exhausted the bi-amping possibilities, you move up to the F series.
Features
What you see isn't exactly what you get. For all its silky, minimalist looks (no balance or tone controls, no headphone socket), the E200 preamp positively bristles with features. The good news for couch potatoes is that it comes with a remote control unit that also allows you to adjust the volume . . . a red LED on the volume knob indicates the level attained.
A few other spot-LEDs decorate the E200's fascia, indicating power-on mode and selected input; there's also a button to switch between tape and source (useful if you want to monitor tape recordings).
Look behind and you'll begin to realise just how flexibly this preamp has been built. You get two sets of RCA preamp outputs; one of them also has XLR outputs for balanced mode.
Six inputs are provided, with two tape in/outs, and a line-out if you want to connect a processor to the preamp. Balanced mode is possible for two line inputs. Should you so require, a phono stage and/or a DAC can be added on the the E200; the review unit came in standard line-level guise.
See what I mean by being flexible?
The E300 power amp delivers 100 watts of power per channel into eight-ohm loads, going up to 160 watts into half that impedance. This box is much simpler, with LEDs on the fascia to indicate power-on mode and signal status for both channels. The mono/stereo switch should prove useful somewhere along the way; exactly how, I haven't figured out yet!
Both XLR and RCA connectors come as standard on the E300; the choice is yours, but MF says the balanced connectors are better.
So much for the Christmas decorations . . . both amps are sturdily built, rather heavy (even the preamp) and solid-state designs that run a lot less hot than previous MF incarnations.
Sound
I've had the opportunity to listen to the E200/E300 combo for some months now . . . and I mean listen real close, using it with a range of ancillaries -- Audiolab 8000CDM/8000DAC and Marantz CD10 for source, Signet SL260 B/U, Krix Super Brix and Pink Triangle Ventrical for speakers.
Holding all these together were van den Hul The Wind cables, plus vdH The First, vdH The Revolution, Ensemble Digiflux and Acrotec interconnects.
What made MF the legend it has become was the sonic quality typical to its amplifers (and CD players) . . . during the glory days, this was described as "limpid and almost valve-like" in character (and remember, near-Class A operation was a freely used term).
Times, however, have changed and MF has gradually moved towards a more neutral approach, as the F series showed, although you can still tell one of its amps. In the E200/E300 combo, however, traces of that legendary colouration have been retained, even more so than in the integrated model, the E100.
Actually, to digress, the E200/E300 is the E100 split into two boxes and laid out accordingly . . . you can use the E100 as a preamp to drive the E300 as well. It's not a new approach, but it augurs well for those who've got what we call "upgrade-itis" inherent in them.
What sets this combo aside is the sweetened and breathy midband, which lends all the ambience you'll need on vocal and horn tracks; higher up, the treble is crisp and business-like, with a faint hint of forwardness. The famed mid and uppper frequency tradition continues to be upheld here.
Lower down, however, the story is less rosy. Much of my listening sessions were done via the Signets, whose grunt capablities were seldom fully exploited by the E200/E300. Compared to the nimbleness in midrange and treble, bass was almost ponderous; certainly, the integrated E100 seemed more in command in this area when I reviewed it some months ago.
Switching to the Ventricals resulted in a faster, more upfront sound, although at the expense of some bass detail . . . still, run in some jazz or rock/pop programmes, and the combo dug in and swung along merrily enough. There's a solid, meaty feel about the lower midband that grabs you by the gut . . . in fact, with good recordings, the effect is almost slammy and punchy.
And there's little denying the generous, spacious sound which, however, does occasionally exacerbate the slower response from the lower registers.
(A suggestion here: Try the Elektra amps with Tannoy speakers, I found them to be surprisingly well matched.)
Conclusion
Apart from that niggling thing over the bass, I found the E200/E300 to be mostly an enjoyable experience . . . there is that soul the Limster loves so much, there is a lot of heart and some pizzazz, and there is that inherent MF feel to the overall sound.
And although the E100 provides more sonic bangs for bucks, the E200/E300 should please those who grew up on MF amps . . . now, if they'd knock a bit off the price and if Antony Michaelson's design team were to work on the aforementioned flaw, this could well end up being a champ of a pre-power combo.
As it is, I'd recommend a very close and careful listen.
Model: Musical Fidelity Elektra E200 preamp / E300 power amp
Price: RM2,900 / RM4,500
E200 Inputs: 6 line (2 balanced)
Optionals: Phono & DAC stages
Preamp outputs: 2 pairs (1 balanced)
Others: Remote control, tape out, line out
E300
Power output: 100 x 2 watts per channel (8 Ohms) / 160 x 2wpc (4 Ohms)
Inputs: Balanced and unbalanced
Review sample courtesy of O'CONNOR'S ENGINEERING & TRADING SDN BHD ( 757-1818), Wisma O'Connor, 1 Jalan 219, 46100 Petaling Jaya.
Category: Group B
Verdict
For: Those typical MF qualities in midrange and treble; soul content.
Against: Bass handling somewhat dicey; needs careful partnering.
Rating
Sound: * * * *
Value-for-money: * * *
