Old-school set-up with a modern twist

A system of traditional hi-fi separates brought bang up to date

- 

The traditional advice that we at What Hi-Fi? give about separate components providing better performance than products trying to be jacks of all trades needs to be given with a few caveats these days. There are some remarkable pieces of equipment out there now that will do the job of source, amplifier and speaker incredibly well.

The principle does, generally, hold true, however. Particularly when you are looking at performers at what used to be called the entry level of hi-fi - possibly better-named now as step-up products.

What we have here is, with one exception, a system that would look perfectly at home in the nation's living rooms 40 and more years ago. A CD player feeding its signal into a stereo amplifier that in turns is linked to a pair of stereo speakers; can't say much more 1980s than that! The new addition to the satisfyingly old-school mix is, of course, a streamer. One little box that brings the whole shebang right up to date - and performs (of course, this is a What Hi-Fi? system after all) really well for the money.

Every great system needs a steady powerhouse, and the Rotel A8 integrated amplifier does the job brilliantly. This is a unit that doesn't shout about its talents; its appearance is simple and unassuming, and its styling is best described as functional. But don't let the modest façade fool you - this is a hugely capable performer.

Basics covered

While it lacks the digital inputs and Bluetooth connectivity of some rivals (which in this system, of course, are nicely catered for by the Cambridge MXN10), the A8 has the basics covered: a moving-magnet phono input for a record player, should you wish to add one to the system at some point, and three single-ended line-level inputs.