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Affordable hi-fi specialist Tangent has broadened its range into pre and power amps. Ed Selley checks them out

You've got to love the charmingly unpredictable hi-fi market. Just as all trends point towards the integrated amp coming to dominate most major price points, we're now starting to see suggestions that there's a move in the opposite direction. Pre and power amps have never truly vanished, but their numbers are on the up again. Even allowing for this, Tangent's latest arrivals are unusual.

This is because its PreAmp II and PowerAmpster II are £470 when purchased as a pair. Not only is that quite extraordinarily low for a two-box amp, it's very reasonable for an amplifier full stop. Not only that, if the fancy takes you, you can flick a switch, bridge your PowerAmpster II and add a second for a three-box amp at a princely £540 all in. I do not recall ever testing a three-box solution that cost less than that.

More impressive still, features have not been ditched to achieve this low price point. The PreAmp II (some material for it refers to it as the 'PreAmpster') is closely related to the integrated Ampster II. It has a single RCA input that can be switched between a line-in and moving-magnet phono stage. This is supported by a 24-bit/96kHz-capable optical input, a 3.5mm analogue stereo in and wireless connectivity in the shape of Bluetooth 5.0, which includes aptX HD.

Where the integrated amplifier has speaker terminals, the PreAmp II boasts a pair of XLR preouts (RCA is also available), which is just as happy controlling a pair of active speakers as it is the PowerAmpster II. The fitment of both balanced and unbalanced connections is comprehensive for the price and makes for simpler integration of a subwoofer should you wish.