Musical Fidelity

Antony Michaelson, a professional clarinetist, started Musical Fidelity in London in 1982, hand-building his first preamp in his kitchen because he wasn't happy with anything he could buy. The A1 integrated of 1985 ran famously hot and sold over 100,000 units. In 1997 the company built the first mass-produced modern hi-fi around nuvistors, miniature metal-and-ceramic valves it still uses in its Nu-Vista line. Since 2018 the brand has been run by Audio Tuning of Vienna, the family firm behind Pro-Ject turntables. The house sound holds: big power, natural tone.