Graham Slee Gram Amp 2
Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator
£180
The Gram Amp was effectively the product that put this British company firmly on the hi-fi map. Keeping things gloriously simple, it’s a moving-magnet phono stage with one set of inputs and one set of outputs. Graham Slee makes no bones about the “low-cost anodized aluminium
enclosure” – this is all about high-quality sound on a budget, a two fingers up to the gimmicks, bells and whistles you might find included with supposedly higher-end phono stages.
Truly detailed for the money
The role it plays is singular but significant, and it performs it with vigour. It’s difficult to imagine a more detailed presentation from a phono stage for the money.
Detail is where the Gram Amp stands out most against its nearest competitors, but it tackles most other facets of performance at least as well. Timing is as precise and articulate as we could hope for, and it’s a force dynamically as well, especially in the upper register.
Melodies dominating the upper midrange and treble are handled with more expression than most rivals can manage and, though perhaps not as startling a couple of octaves down, the Gram Amp refuses to neglect dynamics and varying intensities in the baritone and bass.
Graham Slee has another trick up its sleeve in the form of its PSU1 linear audio power supply upgrade. Though matching the price of the Gram Amp, the sonic upturn is as stark as if you’d spent £400 on a brand-new unit.
Of course, it takes a comparable system to properly expose those improvements, but the fact you can upgrade the Gram Amp along with other components without replacing the unit itself is some intuitive future-proofing.
Rarely are we so pleased when testing a five-year-old product to find it sounding just as sweet as we remember. The Gram Amp remains a class-leader.