Sugden Masterclass ANV-50

Sugden Masterclass ANV-50

The Sugden Masterclass ANV-50 is a new amplifier released to celebrate Sugden Audio’s fiftieth anniversary.

It is a unique design with many innovative features and specially developed audio circuits.

In 1967, Sugden released the world’s first solid-state pure Class ‘A’ amplifier, the A21. The ANV-50 promises to revisit this golden age of British audio technology, with a design focused on the demands and preferences of today’s audio and music enthusiasts.

The core of the ANV-50 is the purest Class ‘A’ amplifier Sugden Audio has ever produced, coupled with an advanced ‘ideal’ output stage. This unique two-stage amplification system ensures Sugden’s distinctive pure Class ‘A’ sound, with the ability to drive most speaker systems.

The advanced output stage features a comparator and correction circuit to correct errors that may occur in the power output section due to varying loads and distortion, to match the output of the high-impedance input amplifier. While maintaining signal authenticity, it also enhances load stability and forces the output impedance to zero.

This special output stage with Sugden Error Correction has an extremely low open-loop output impedance resulting in a high damping factor at fairly high frequencies. It also benefits from overall Current-Feedback.

The power amplifier and preamplifier are fully DC-coupled, so there are no capacitors in the signal path that would disrupt or degrade sound quality. One of the key features of Sugden Class ‘A’ amplifiers is the power supply, as they have high standing current and power reserves, the output is always ready to respond immediately to any signal.

This is in contrast to a conventional Class AB amplifier that waits to receive power through a transformer and a bridge rectifier. The ANV-50 goes one step further by using a 1 MHz switching power supply that instantly operates to deliver power, as the Pure Class ‘A’ amplifier section is always on.

Power supplies

The power supplies are powerful, fast, and incredibly stable. With a MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) of 100 years, they are designed for long life and reliability.

Since the ANV-50 is an integrated amplifier, it has an internal preamplifier specially developed for this amplifier. The circuit is a line-drive design and uses the minimum number of components, all of which are of high quality. This provides a very open and natural sound and demonstrates that, when carefully designed, less can be more.

When the ANV-50 does not receive an input signal, it has a very low power consumption of only 20 watts, making it highly efficient. Since the heat sinks are internally mounted with minimal contact with the outer casing, it only feels slightly warm.

• Connections

Inputs – Five line levels controlled by relays.

Outputs – One pre-out (variable), one tape-out, and one pair of stereo multi-way binding posts.

Volume control – Remote control (includes RC5 handset).

Sugden Masterclass ANV-50 Specifications

Line input sensitivity – 110mV @ zero attenuation for full output.

Output power – 50 Watts into 8 Ohms both channels driven, 100 Watts into 4 Ohms.

Frequency response – 12Hz-45kHz +/-1dB.

Bandwidth – 8Hz-45kHz.

Signal to noise ratio – >90dB.

Gross weight (packaged) – 11 kg.

Dimensions – 143 x 430 x 370 mm (hwd).

For more Sugden Audio models, visit our page: https://hifiboutique.eu/sugden-audio/ 

More information and technical specifications can be found on the Sugden Audio page: https://www.sugdenaudio.com/