Edwards Audio IA1 Mk2
FOR Solid, entertaining sound; he y build quality; good price AGAINST No remote; rivals offer more subtlety and drive
There’s a dearth of good mid-priced stereo amplifiers on the market now. Between the budget superstar Onkyo A9010 (£230) and our Product of the Year, the Rega Brio (£600), there’s little to recommend, apart from Cambridge’s CXA60 (£580).
Enter the Edwards Audio IA1 Mk2 – a promising contender at £400. We reviewed the first iteration back in 2013, where it didn’t exactly tickle our sonic senses (we called it ‘pricey’, given the performance), so can the Mark Two version do better?
It isn’t the most stylish or modern amp, but the half-width chassis is solidly built and it's a reassuringly hefty piece of kit. It’s also easy to set up, and the red Led-backlit front panel is uncluttered and button-free.
The IA1 Mk2 doesn’t come with a remote control, so you'll have to change the volume manually. The Edwards Audio IA1R model has a remote, but you’ll have to pay £150 extra for it. The two dials on the front panel (one for selecting input, one for volume) both turn smoothly, while inside there’s a new Class A/B amplifier circuit outputting 50W per channel.
This Mk2 update has remained an all-analogue affair: there are three line-level RCA inputs and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack for your sources, and it comes with the option of adding a moving-magnet phono stage. A single pair of outputs for recording is provided, as is the option to add a pre-out.
An upbeat character
We run the Edwards amp in over a weekend before some serious listening, but find that its performance improves further with time. A week into testing, and the amp’s upbeat character endears itself to us even more.
We stream a variety of artists and the IA1 Mk2 delivers a clear, detailed and punchy sound. It isn't the most transparent performer, but we like how solid it sounds. There’s a great deal of heft to each note and this, while not sounding overly smooth, makes it a pleasant and satisfying listen.
Stevie Nicks’ vocals on Fleetwood Mac's Songbird are crystal clear as the amp’s spacious presentation lets her voice soar. Busier tracks, such as Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, clog up the space a touch, but it keeps the instruments in line. That iconic throbbing riff is deep, chunky and prominent, but stops short of overpowering the other frequencies.
One criticism of the original was a brash edge to the sound – this has gone from the new IA1 Mk2. Crashing cymbals and shrieking guitar solos don’t make you wince, even as you crank up the volume. The amp is capable of going loud, too.
Grungy textures
But the Edwards amp falters in outright drive and subtlety. More expensive but better-equipped rivals, such as the Cambridge CXA60 and Rega Brio, are better at revealing the grungy textures of Hole’s Gutless, Eminem’s spitting rage in The Way I Am and the dynamic build up in Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain. They unearth more detail and a more urgent sense of rhythm than the Edwards Audio’s steady pace can.
But the IA1 Mk2 is no slouch. There’s enough muscle and momentum as we listen to Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation Of Millions to Hold Us Back. It may not win any awards for precise timing, nor for communicating the different acoustics and attitudes as you change genres, but it bounds through songs in such a genial manner that we find it an easy listen.
It doesn’t go beyond its means: this is a mid-priced stereo amplifier, and acts like it. Give it appropriate partnering kit – such as the Monitor Audio Bronze B2s or Dynaudio Emit M10s – and it will shine. Swapping our reference ATC SCM50 speakers (not natural partners for the amp, obviously) for the Bronze 2s gives the IA1 Mk2 amp a more forward presentation, and a welcome nudge in the rhythm department.
In terms of its performance, it may not trouble the likes of the Rega Brio, but if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, you could do worse than give the IA1 Mk2 an audition. The Edwards Audio amp may not be the most revealing or dynamically challenging amp, but its solid, energetic presentation and affable sound is enjoyable and it fills that mid-priced gap in the market nicely. Give it a whirl.