Very Muscial, smooth, warmth and good imaging. Good Looks, Great for vocals, jazz, and classical music.

Not the best if you only listens to Rock. But the latest hit 'Smooth' by Santana still sound great.

THE best amps at this price range (unless you only listen to rock). Period. This is a super value amp, I am sure you can buy a better amp (if you got cash to burn), but you can spend the rest of the budget to buy the speaker. For a full review, have a look at www.soundstage.com. I absolutely agree with their opinions on this amp.

My equipment:
AR complete amp
SF concertino
Kimber 8TC
Alchemist TDS DAC

Similar Products Used:

Copland, Creek, Musical Fidelity

Beautifully clean, lush, sound that draws you into the music. Incredibly "musical".

Small "pop" when turned on.
Possibly rolled off highs, but still remarkably detailed.

Audio Refinement is actually the affordable "mid-fi" wing of world famous YBA Electronics from France. This is amplifier sets a new standard for design, function, and performance in the sub-$1,000 category. I was lucky and bought it used, in mint condition, for $600.

It is rated at a conservative 50 watts per channel and includes a remote control for an extra $50. YBA blessed the whole Complete line of components a with simple, elegant, no-frills appearance - brushed aluminum faceplate with a Power/Standby button, two sizeable, rounded volume and Record Out dials, also six small Input selection buttons with corresponding green "on" lights. That's it!

The Record out dial can be used to select any of the six inputs - Tuner, CD, AUX, Tape 1, Tape 2, and Video. YBA also included the feature of the volume automatically being turned down to "0" when the power is turned off, which protects the absent-minded from accidentally blowing their speakers.

The remote control is the same one used with their far more expensive YBA gear, and it also is made of brushed aluminum instead of the usual plastic. It features up and down buttons for volume and input selector, power/standby, and CD, AMP, Tuner input buttons. The input up/down selector has to be used to access the other three inputs. Using the remote control to change volume, the dial action extremely smooth, allowing unusually fine adjustment of the volume. One of the best I've ever used.

Now for the sound.

For a few weeks I had the benefit of keeping my formerly loved Rotel RB-980bx (120W x 2) amplifier and Rotel RC-972 pre-amp while getting used to the Complete. I spent long hours switching between the two setups, replaying the same songs and passages over and over. I soon came to realize that the Rotel was unnervingly bright and forward in comparison. And the 50 watt Complete did just as good, or better of a job at filling my living room with music.

The Complete, in comparison, delivers smooth, detailed and beautifully balanced music, almost warm in a tubelike sense. It is utterly breathtaking! Forget any preconceptions about solid state amplifiers, the Complete bears no relation to any other "mid-fi" design. There isn't the slightest hint of edge or grain. Vocals are deep and rich, woods and horns are full, and percussion is powerful. It's delivery is so smooth and warm that I initally thought high frequencies were being rolled off and that it lacked detail. Well, I was dead wrong! The more I listened, the more I realized that the Complete is an incredibly accurate, finely detailed, amplifier. What I was actually hearing was something my Rotel lacked, true BALANCE, no individual part of the sonic landscape out of proportion. And it's low frequency resolution is absolutely stunning. Bass tones are much more refined than with the Rotels.

Are there any downsides?

Yes, but only two, and they so are minor in comparison to this amp's value and performance, that it seems nit-picky:
First, there is an annoying "pop!" when the amp is turned on. Not loud or speaker damaging, but definetly noticable. It is exactly the thing that the automatic volume "off" is supposed to take care of. Couldn't they have added some kind of slow start diode?

Second, when using the remote control to change inputs, the actual input selector in the amplifier makes a fairly loud "click" sound as it switches between inputs. With the volume turned down, it can clearly be heard all the way across my twenty foot living room. But, it doesn't sound like something that is going to break, just a very sturdy selector being moved.

Lastly, this integrated is extremely "Musical" and may not be for the listener who is pursuing the last word in transparent/revealing/analytical reproduction. If you are looking for a slightly "tubey" sound w/o the oft sited sluggishness of valves, then this is the amp.

Other than that, I have been unable to find any other flaws with this absolutley amazing amp. I suggest that everyone that has a chance go experience this wonderful integrated amplifier.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RB-980bx amp, Rotel RC-972 pre-amp
Adcom seperates

great dynamics and power for a 50 watter

Emotional content, harmonic structure and palpability

After the immediate break in period, the sound was good, with a correct rendering of tonal balance, nice imaging and decent soundstaging. As time went on, I started to miss the harmonic structure and accurate timbre structure of the Cary and the warmth and palpablilty of my loaner Electrocompaniet. After a while, I substituted a pair of Sonus Fabers for my JM Lab speakers, the majority of the problems remained, I also upgrades to a Theta DAC with a run of Illiminati D-60 coax, things got better, but I felt as though I was behind the eight ball, if you know what I mean. I sold the unit after about 8 months of use and bought the Electrocompaniet ECI-3, what a difference. I am listening to music once again and have gotten off the audiophile train. The Audio Ref has some nice features, but the internal build quality is quite poor at this price point compared to rotel and the like, and the sound suffers for it. I would rate this as an average product, nothing to write home about.

Similar Products Used:

Electrocompaniet ECI-3, Cary 40 watt tube, NAD, Rotel

Draws you into the music, great looks and build quality.

Can sound rolled off and closed in with poor rolled off
recordings. Probably not best amp for hard rock listeners.

This amp has received raves from many audio publications over the past year. Several reviewers have indicated that
it is good enough to make selling more expensive amps much
more difficult. I have found it to be a very special piece of equipment. You'll hear the words musical and enjoyable
mentioned alot in discussions of this little jewel. The top end is very delicate and revealing, the mids great and the low end is very fast and detailed. Pretty good attributes to be sure, but this amp is greater than the sum of it's individual sonic parts. It's a very balanced, involving and easy-to-listen-to combination that must be auditioned by anyone who loves music above equipment. Although I must say
that it is a very elegant and well built amp for it's relatively modest cost.
I must mention that at 50wpc (though subjectively it sounds much more powerful) this is not a "muscle amp".
Fortunately, there are many excellent speakers from France and England which feature simpler crossovers and fewer drivers which are relatively efficient and easily driven by this wonderful amp. Have an serious listen to the Complete set up with quality wires and power cable and I'm sure you'll be amazed. Enjoy.

This unit has recently been upgraded from Class C to Class B in Stereophile "Recommended Components" rating. All reviews from other sources (Soundstage.com, IAR, Inner Ear, Audio) gave this unit extremely high points, therefore I was confused by Stereophile's original "C" rating. Congratulations to Audio Refinement, most deserving.

This unit has recently been upgraded from Class C to Class B in Stereophile "Recommended Components" rating. All reviews from other sources (Soundstage.com, IAR, Inner Ear, Audio) gave this unit extremely high points, therefore I was confused by Stereophile's original "C" rating. Congratulations to Audio Refinement, most deserving.

A cohesive blend of musical sound, combining the ambience of the recording with the performance in an engaging and entertaining manner.Right out of the box!

There's a soft "pop" at start-up.Resolution has yet to come into sharp focus.I anticipate improvements during and after "burn-in". The remote is ergonomically challenged.

Ive spent the past decade refining my idea of what a hi-end
audio system should sound like. At one time sheer power and concert level volume was my only pre-requesite for audio nirvana. Ive matured a bit since then. The Complete is a pleasant suprise considering its price/performance ratio. I like what Im hearing: harmonic meld, balanced response, delicacy in the hi-frequency spectrum, fast and natural bass notes.....did I mention Ive only had this amp for two days? Its probably unfair for me to render my opinion at this point in time.Yet I am amazed at this little amp.
The audiophile community is wrought with opinionated beings each with varying degrees of aural skills or sensibilities,I can only express my emotional responses based on personal experiences and preferences.That being said,Im already in love with this amp but feel I need more time to digest its presentation and understand what Im hearing.I will attempt to reveiw the Complete after a sufficient burn-in. God,this is a great hobby.

Similar Products Used:

1982 SAE E101 and P101 pe-amp and Para-Eq with Carver M400
1990 BK amp/preamp. 1994 Macintosh ma6200 integrated.
1997 Macintosh c712 u/w Conrad Johnson premier 11 amp.

Outstanding musical performance given price. An extremely involving amp with very smooth yet detailed sound. Excels with vocals and jazz, but works well with all musical genres. Distributors offer great customer support.

No pre-outs or phone stage. Remote is available but not included in the initial purchase price. Be prepared for long break-in period before sound improves from good to outstanding.

There's a number of great amps at this price point. It was an extremely time consuming difficult decision for me to decide on just one amp from this group. I decided on the Complete as it seems to be an amazing amplifier given its cost, with performance a tad bit better than the best in this group.

I found the Complete inherently musical with a dynamic, detailed character. Of the above amps I auditioned, this amp was the most pleasing and natural to my ear. I was at first planning on the purchase of the A3 but decided to base my decision on a home audition with the Complete and A3, the two amps I favored most based upon auditions I heard in showrooms. It seemed the Complete was a tad more detailed and had a much wider and deeper soundstage in comparison to the A3. I was left speechless that the above amps offer such outstanding performance at this price point. The Complete sounded the best in my opinion, although its appearance still appears somewhat bland even after living with the amp for close to a year.

It's important to note that this amp has quite a long break in period before it really shines. I heard a discernable improvement in sound at the 100 hour mark and suddenly at 200-300 hours it opened up and changed from good to amazingly good.

Associated equipment

Denon DCD-1650
Audio Refinement Complete
Wireworld Atlantis ic
Analysis Plus Oval 12 cable

Similar Products Used:

Cambridge Audio A500, Rega Mira, Rega Mira 2000, Musical Fidelity A3, NAD C370, Creek 4330R, Creek 5350R, Audiolab 8000S, Myryad MI120, Roksan Kandy, Naim Nait 3

Coherent,uncolored sound,natural presentation

Not powerful enough for big rooms/inefficent speakers

What you've heard is true. This amp is the best amp in its price and power range ever.Not quite as resolving as my 6x more expensive conrad johnson, nor as dynamic or powerful,but in its believable portrayal of real music in real space, it doesn't get any better. I think you have to triple the price to do better- if you're lucky.

Similar Products Used:

Dozens of amps

warm, full, involving sound, excellent imaging, fantastic with vocals.

weak on detail, diffuse bass, tenedency to flatten out dynamic range, not a lot of "punch"

I've spent the last week auditioning this amplifier at home. I've been running it with an Arcam Alpha 7SE CD player, JM Lab Tantal 507 speakers, and Synergistic Research Alpha interconnects. Overall, I have to say that my reaction is mixed. It was a hard decision for me whether or not to keep it. This amp does certain things stupendously well, but it has some serious shortcomings which in the end convinced me not to buy it.

First of all, let me say that most of what you have heard is true - this amp produces a wonderfully warm, rich, tube-like sound. This is its greatest asset, and it may be enough for many people. The imaging is likewise fantastic. There is a real feeling of depth, and individual instruments really stand out in their respective aural space.

However, there is a tradeoff. Like others have mentioned, detailing is not strong. My dealer told me that this amp would would take off some of the edge, but I was alarmed at how much detail I really did lose. Although the Complete added fullness to many of my recordings, lots of the smaller details got lost in the mix, and orchestral attacks often lost their edge (I listen mostly to classical.) I also noticed a disturbing tendency for the amp to flatten out the dynamic range, mostly by making the quiet sections louder, so that is was difficult to abtain a true pianissimo with many recordings. The bass is also weak - very flabby, not tight. It also seemed to lack punch, but I suppose this is connected to the flattening out of the dynamics.

If that sounds like a bad review, let me say this: despite all of the shortcomings, which normally would have taken any ordinary amp out of the running within 5 minutes, the warmth and musicality of this amp made it a gut-wrenching decision for me. Certain recordings sounded so wonderful (mainly vocals and lush orchestral recordings) that the sound just washed over me, and made me forget I was listening to a stereo. But despite this, I all too often found myself irritated by the loss of detail and crispness. And when it came to smaller scaled ensembles, piano and chamber music, this amp just did not deliver the way I had hoped. There was a certain dullness, an ever so slight haze put around the proceedings, which really shut down the deal for me.

If you do decide to get this amp, matching is crucial. I thought that my components would be a good match, and they probably were better than most - the Arcam Alpha 7SE is a pretty detailed CD player, and my JM Labs are likewise quite detailed, even a touch bright. But even with fairly detailed components, I found the Complete lacking in this area, so components that are weak in detail will be the kiss of death to this amp. Also make sure either your CD player or speakers are strong in bass too, because none of my components were strong in bass, and combined with the Complete, bass was virtually nonexistant.

Let me close by saying that this is not at all a bad amp - what is does well, it does amazingly well. It's really a matter of personal preference. If warmth and imaging are of utmost importance, and you are not a detail buff, you might love this amp. Likewise, if you listen mainly to lush orchestral music (Brahms, Wagner) this might be just what the doctor ordered. Otherwise, you might be put off by some of this amp's shortcomings. Just make sure you give it some serious testing before making a decision.