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This is majestic stuff and the full emotional impact was almost overwhelming. I played some more classic rock from the Rolling Stones with Let It Bleed then slowed proceedings down with a switch to some classical choral with Mozart’s Requiem by the Academy of Ancient Music under Christopher Hogwood on the L’Oiseau Lyre label, again ripped from CD. The light and shade, the ebb and flow of this magnificent track were presented in a full-blooded, three dimensional way which I found spellbinding.Īnd so it went on. I followed up the Dylan track with Pink Floyd’s epic ‘Echoes’ from the Meddle album – I was absolutely transfixed for the next 23 minutes. My little Harbeth mini-monitors very easily reveal system problems but in this context they sounded really good right from the start. The Exposure amplifiers got it just right. It sounds simple on a cursory listen but the more I play it the more I hear what’s going on within it. I started with a CD rip (on the Naim UnitiServe) of Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks, because A, I love the album, and B ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ is a great track to hear how a system resolves the sound of his voice, the acoustic guitar, drums and bass. Having intended to let everything warm up before switching to my standard test tracks and albums I decided to make a start right away. Meanwhile, back in my Stressless chair, I was immediately aware that the guest amplification was already creating a compelling listening experience. Good music can be found from every era and in most genres, but so can bad. In fact I listen to a broad selection of music, from different eras and genres. I only mention this because some readers complain that too many reviewers listen to ‘old’ music. To get things going I went to Tidal on the Naim NDX and selected one of their ‘retro’ playlists – I can’t help it, my musically formative years were the 1960s and early 1970s, so this is my comfort zone. Reassuringly, a small red LED started to glow next to the Exposure logo of each box, and on the preamplifier further LEDS show the position of the two rotary controls.Įxposure had told me that they had run the units in for a few days before sending them out so all that was required was some warm up time. My REL 305SE subwoofer was connected to the RCA pre-outs and Tellurium Q Ultra Black 2 speaker cable connected my Harbeth P3ESRS bookshelf to the mono amplifiers, mains cables were inserted and the three units were powered up. I hooked up my Naim NDX streamer and Gold Note PH10 phono stage using RCA cables and used XLRs to connect the preamp to the power amplifiers. One pair is marked ‘Phono’ but this particular unit did not have the optional phono board installed. There are a total of 6 inputs including a double pair for use with a tape recorder/player. On the back there are two sets of RCA pre-out sockets and one pair of XLR outputs. There is also a receiver for the remote control signal. The preamplifier is similarly understated, with the logo and on/off button alongside good sized rotary controls for volume and source selection. Round the back there are two pairs of BFA style speaker sockets in case you want to bi-wire (so forget using spade or bare wire connections) and balanced and RCA inputs, with a button to select between the two as well as the usual IEC power inlet. The front of the aluminium case is minimalist with just a logo and an off/off button to be seen. They are finished in black (titanium is also an option) and look very purposeful on the rack. First impressions count and as I unboxed the three units my first reaction was that the power amps are heavy, they weigh in at 14 kg each, which gives them reassuring heft. This was the first time I had used Exposure equipment at home so I was not sure what to expect. In January I had the opportunity to welcome into my system the 5010 Pre Amplifier and a pair of matching 5010 Mono Power Amplifiers. Recently they have teamed up with Kudos to offer active loudspeaker configurations so they are continuing to push forward, which is a very good sign. They have built a strong reputation for producing great sounding, no-nonsense components and have a solid and loyal user base without ever gaining the cult status of certain other well-known British brands.
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One such company is Exposure, who have been proudly creating and building audio equipment in West Sussex since 1974.
![exposure x amplifier exposure x amplifier](https://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/exposure-classic-xxiii-419567.jpg)
In recent years many famous brands have been taken over by foreign conglomerates, but some have remained proudly British in both their design and manufacture. For a small island, Great Britain has an extraordinary number of very accomplished manufacturers of excellent audio equipment.