The Ear – September 2024 “Editor’s Choice”

“This is more of an emotional than a physical sounding amplifier… one that lets you sit back as the music washes over you and carries away any anxieties.” “It’s hard to pin down exactly why but the Sugden IA-4 makes music more absorbing than many alternatives.” “about as good as you can get for the money” “it delivers a result that keeps you listening” ”I’m delighted, not to say addicted, to the musicality of this chunky hunk of a transistor.” ”Class A sounds like that, does it? Is this the much-lauded lack of distortion this operating mode is famous for? If it is, count me in as a fan. I want more!” ”This integrated amplifier is able to match up to the industry’s big hitters. And then some. I am extremely impressed.” – Fidelity International – No.5 2017 *****

”Verdict: Dizzyingly fast, musical sound allied to breathtaking detail and a useful amount of power make this Sugdens best ever integrated amplifier – pure class.” ”Rarely have I heard an integrated amplifier that dives into any given piece of music, throws out so much detail and yet strings it together in such a musically satisfying way.” ”the overall verdict is one of wide-eyed admiration for a glorious integrated amplifier.” – Hi-Fi World – Dec-07