The System Fidelity SA-300SE integrated amplifier is currently the range-topper, beneath which are the 250-series amp, tuner and CD player, various loudspeakers (including subwoofers) and a DVD receiver.

Across the board, simple down-to-earth value is emphasised alongside a sound quality which clearly aspires to rival the best that established names in this country (like Cambridge Audio, Rotel, Marantz etc.) can offer.

Straightforward design

External presentation is simple enough, as is the list of features. You get five line inputs and two switchable speaker outputs, plus an active subwoofer output. Some amps have an output marked 'sub' that is in effect a preamp output - a full-bandwidth signal from somewhere after the volume control.

This one, however, is pre-mixed to mono and pre-filtered, the roll off presumably suiting SF's own speakers and subwoofers. That's fine if you're going to use their speakers, but the chance of it accurately matching any given setup from another speaker manufacturer is slim.

The weight of the amp encourages hopes of beefy build and output drive. Indeed, the build is very good, with a steel case and brushed aluminium front panel. Inside the case is a toroidal transformer which is definitely on the generous side for the amp's rated output of 35 watts (8 ohms). There's also quite a lot of fresh air, but the heatsink is a decent size.

Mounted on it are a couple of power integrated circuits, which have provided output drive in two or three models we've seen lately from various sources and, thanks to the employment of these devices, there's relatively little else on the main amplifier board.

Included power supply

Unusually, very unusually at this kind of price, System Fidelity has provided the amp with a regulated power supply. Also, small-signal stages often run off such a supply, so
it's not often employed for power amps.

That's because they are usually designed to have a high 'power supply rejection' (which should, in principle, mean they won't benefit from a regulated supply) and because such supplies inevitably waste power and limit maximum output delivery compared with the unregulated version.

Nevertheless, that's what has been used here and the fairly modest output rating does at least keep the power wastage manageable.