RRP: $999, $748.80 at Amazon.com

So what did we think of the Nuera 3403PP? The amp itself is not the most inspiring piece of design we have ever come across. The facade is brushed aluminium with a simple power switch, a volume control and a source control, all very utilitarian. The rest of the amplifier is clad in black painted steel which is built to last. The valves themselves are not displayed to full effect either. The tube bases, which on a lot of amplifiers lie below the deck, are here fully visible and make the whole thing look a bit thrown together. The build quality itself is quite solid and the amp will last but we have seen prettier tube amplifiers.

The amplifier itself comes with four line level inputs so you have plenty of device connection options. It uses four EL34, two 6SN7 and 0ne 6SL7 tubes to amplify the audio signal which is quite acceptable. The fact that the amplifier is class AB means that the amp sacrifices some audio clarity for increased efficiency. This means greater distortion overall when compared to a Class A amplifier, something which someone investing in a tube amplifier should be aware of.

To test the tube amplifier we hooked it up to a pair of Wharfdale 9.1 speakers. So how does it sound? Overall the sound is good if not great. The midrange is solid and the tubes bring the warmth expected to the vocals at low and mid-level volumes. The bass lacks some punch but is overall quite acceptable. The amplifier picks up a lot of detail in the music and reproduces it well, so far so good. When the volume is cranked up, the limitations of the Class AB design begin to become apparent. While not overwhelming, a certain amount of distortion does creep in. A small but audible hum becomes evident and can get annoying. This is only the case at quite high volumes, so is not the end of the world, but it should be noted. For those not interested in blasting their system every now and again, this should not be a major issue.

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