Sonneteer Campion Group test by Jon Marks and Ketan Bharadia. The Campion here is the only amplifier here to put the pre-amp section on a separate board. This isolates the delicate low-level signals from the heftier voltages surging through the power amp. all input socketry is connected to the pre-amp and switching is accomplished by a very long shaft-driven selector close to the inputs. Members of the LP's fan club will be happy to hear Sonneteer is currently at work on a plug-in phono stage as well. The board on which the power amplifier circuit resides also houses the power supply except for the 160VA toroidal transformer. The board is symmetrically laid out with the 23200uF worth of reservoir capacitors in the middle. The power transistors are bolted onto large aluminium L-sections which are then screwed to the case to provide a large heatsink area. An Alps Blue pot (what else!) looks after the volume control duties and is, unusually for this group, connected to the PCB via long wires. SOUND QUALITY KETAN SAYS Kula Shaker opened the listening session and it was instantly apparent that the Campion doesn't have masses of power in reserve, so for high levels you'll need fairly efficient `speakers. On the other hand, looking past the power aspect it becomes clear that the Campion is a bit special. It rocked along adeptly on this album and rhythmically there was little to fault. Dynamics were equally accomplished - electric guitars had outstanding speed and attack, and drums were punchy and propelled the music along with ease. Whist transparent enough to show up the messy production on this album, the Campion had the knack of reminding me that the music was the important thing and my attention was always drawn back to it. Randy Crawford did the honours next. Small vocal inflections frequently overlooked were now clear, bringing her phrasing and breathing to my attention in a way that added to the enjoyment of the music. Low-level background details normally muddled were also dug out and presented in a natural manner. The Campion plays music in a style free from artifice and that sense of electronic processing. Timing and dynamics are further strengths. Match the Campion with relatively sensitive `speakers and it won't fail to delight. JON SAYS One of the most attractive facets of the Campion's sound is the way it digs out a wealth of musical expression that slips through the net of many amps. Classical works regardless of tempo benefited to the greatest extent, gaining in drive, rythm and precision of timing. Slower Rock and Jazz kept their syncopation intact instead of falling apart, which is what can often happen. The Campion won cred points for laying out clear, solid images in an acoustic that had nearly as much depth as width too. Making the Sonneteer a safe bet with a range of ancillaries is a hint of sweetness to its sound. This rounded off some of the resinous rasp of bow on strings and warmed up the tonal balance of violins and cellos without making them `saccharine'. what makes the Sonneteer a taste of the high-end at a snip is its transparent sound staging the freed the music from the confines of the loudspeaker cabinets and gave realistic scale. With its smooth, unruffled and open presentation the Sonneteer joins the 90's club where membership takes a truly musical performance. (c) Audio Publishing Ltd. Click here to go back.