Musical Fidelity X-A2 - good? Bad? Grab or avoid?

[Phil Lawton]

Looking around for amps and have seen a couple of Musical Fidelity X-A2 amps for sale.

I know these were made in England at one point and assume that production has since moved to the Far East for the usual reasons.

Are these things to be embraced or shunned? I like the no-frills look of them, but am keen to avoid style over substance issues.

Any thoughts or hands-on experience?

[struth]

quite nice sounding amps.. i liked the one i heard. mf generally make good gear although many either love em or hate em...ive had a lot of there stuff and never been disappointed

[Roy S]

Got one in a second system, they make a fair noise with Wharfedale Diamonds.

[The Black Adder]

I had the X-A2 and likes it a lot. I also used it as a pre with the huge XA-200 monoblock amps along with the oval mono amps and the small X add-on units like the valve buffer and X-tone. Basically, I have owned 99% of that range at some point.

I really liked the X-A2 and for me that style are 'still' best MF ever did... MF these days look f@ckugly and rather chavvy in comparison. The X family are an iconic design which keep their prices up.

Yep, go for it I'd say.

[Phil Lawton]

Got one in a second system, they make a fair noise with Wharfedale Diamonds.

Cheers, Roy - would it drive floorstanders, d'yer reckon?

[Phil Lawton]

I had the X-A2 and likes it a lot. I also used it as a pre with the huge XA-200 monoblock amps along with the oval mono amps and the small X add-on units like the valve buffer and X-tone. Basically, I have owned 99% of that range at some point.

I really liked the X-A2 and for me that style are 'still' best MF ever did... MF these days look f@ckugly and rather chavvy in comparison. The X family are an iconic design which keep their prices up.

Yep, go for it I'd say.

Thanks, Jo - same question as Roy...would the A2 drive floorstanders? I have recently acquired Klipsch RF52s.

[Phil Lawton]

quite nice sounding amps.. i liked the one i heard. mf generally make good gear although many either love em or hate em...ive had a lot of there stuff and never been disappointed

Thanks, Grant. I do like the look of them an awful lot.

[rossman]

I have only heard the MF X-A2 once, on the occasion that I auditioned a pair of Royd Apex floorstanding speakers at the sellers home. I bought the speakers and they never sounded as good with my amp (a Sugden A21a iirc) as they did with the MF. That may have been due to room or system matching issues though. So, I would say that the X-A2 can sound great in the right system.

[Ali Tait]

Thanks, Jo - same question as Roy...would the A2 drive floorstanders? I have recently acquired Klipsch RF52s.

With ease I'd have thought.

[Phil Lawton]

I have only heard the MF X-A2 once, on the occasion that I auditioned a pair of Royd Apex floorstanding speakers at the sellers home. I bought the speakers and they never sounded as good with my amp (a Sugden A21a iirc) as they did with the MF. That may have been due to room or system matching issues though. So, I would say that the X-A2 can sound great in the right system.

Cheers, Paul.

[Phil Lawton]

With ease I'd have thought.

I'm more or less sold, Ali.

[Roy S]

Cheers, Roy - would it drive floorstanders, d'yer reckon?

Got it driving Diamond 155s so yes :)

[Phil Lawton]

Got it driving Diamond 155s so yes :)

Cheers, Roy.