Musical Fidelity X-T100 integrated amplifier

[Κώστας Φ.]

"Conclusions
Ten years ago, there was no such thing as a perfectionist-quality integrated amplifier that was designed in the West, manufactured in the East, and priced between $1000 and $2000. Today the woods are full of them. How's that for progress?

Depends on who you are. For the time being, given the steadily growing selection, the situation is clearly best for the consumer—for whom the Musical Fidelity X-T100 offers a distinct alternative: a punchy, ostensibly powerful sound with decent onboard phono capabilities and very good styling.

The alternatives? The PrimaLuna Prologue One ($1195) offers better build for less money, and a more decidedly tubey sound for those who want that. On the downside, it's less powerful—and sounds it—and lacks a built-in phono section. The Cyrus 6vs ($1195) offers less tubey and slightly less powerful sound, with no phono stage—but it's still made in England, for those who want that. Speaking of which, the persistently Salisburian Naim Nait 5i ($1495) also lacks an onboard phono stage, and has yet a different sonic presentation from the others: forthright and substantive, not as open or airy.

I can't say for sure, but my sense is that the Musical Fidelity X-T100 would please me more than any of those integrated amps when it comes to driving my restored electrostats. (I didn't own original ESLs when the PrimaLuna was here for review; my Quads at that time were the easier-to-drive ESL-989s.) As for using it with a considerably more efficient loudspeaker, I'd look elsewhere: When it comes to that first watt, the Musical Fidelity X-T100 can be bettered; where it really shines is in watts 2 through 50." -- Art Dudley


"Other than the reduced channel separation, this is generally excellent measured performance, though X-T100 owners should avoid using speakers that dip much below 4 ohms, I feel. One thing that did bother me: The RCA jacks used by Musical Fidelity were not totally compatible with the Neutrik RCA plugs with which all my test-lab cables are fitted. After the usual plugging and unplugging, some of the contacts became intermittent. Take your Musical Fidelity dealer's advice on what cables/connectors work best with the X-T100." -- John Atkinson


Full Review: Stereophile.com