I can't say I'm wholly surprised that the Musical Fidelity M2si amplifier is one of Richer Sounds' top 20 early Black Friday deals so far. The proven five-star performer is a very generous 37 per cent off at the hi-fi retailer, now just £499 in either of its available black or silver finishes.
To snap this deal up, you simply have to be a member of Richer Sounds' VIP program, which is quick and free to sign up to.
Anyone looking for a new mid-range amplifier should strongly consider the Musical Fidelity M2si at this heavily discounted price. It was "one of the best amplifiers we’[d] heard below the grand mark" when our reviews team went twelve rounds with it back in 2019, and while this "superb all-rounder" and "terrific performer" is no longer best-in-class at its original £799 RRP (that would be the Arcam A5), it is hugely competitive, and indeed attractive, at this knockdown Black Friday price.
Integrated amplifiers don't get much more stripped-back than this nowadays, but overlooking digital connectivity and both phono and headphone stages has allowed Musical Fidelity to put as much of the asking price as possible into its performance – and I can't really argue with that approach at this level. Indeed, I recently argued that digital connections aren't generally the be-all and end-all for amplifiers anyway.
The M2si offers the basics – a remote control, six line level inputs (including a tape loop) and a home cinema bypass option to help integration into a surround system... but not much else. Still, if you're happy connecting your sources over RCA and don't ache for an amplifier with digital connections or streaming onboard, you certainly won't be disappointed with the M2si's performance. It's detailed as well as dynamically expressive, and presents music on an expansive, refined soundstage that has plenty of power and punch behind it, not to mention a hard-hitting bass.
"We play a wide range of music from grand orchestral scores from John Williams to Tracy Chapman’s understated debut set and The XX’s electronica and the Musical Fidelity never disappoints," reads our M2si review.
Here, truly great sound compensates for this amplifier’s comparative lack of features, and the £499 Richer Sounds deal makes it all the more tempting.
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