An Endearing, Upbeat Character

FOR Solid, entertaining sound;

AGAINST No remote; rivals

There’s a dearth of good mid-priced stereo amplifiers on the market now. Between the budget superstar Onkyo A-9010 (£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 IA1-R 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.