JBL Classic Series SA550 Integrated Amplifier Review

JBL

Classic SA550 Integrated Amplifier

USD $1,999

Unlike fashion, style is eternal and never gets old. Don't take my word for it; that is how the world reacts to timeless quality. And in this retro-obsessed age, classically styled audio products are proving that what is old can also be new. Enter JBL with its Classic SA550 amplifier, a retro-styled integrated that's filled with up-to-date technology.

It is evidently inspired by the JBL SA600 solid-state amplifier from the nineteen sixties, complete with its vintage design and walnut veneer side panels. Despite being almost sixty years old, it's now a sought-after item that often trades hands for thousands of dollars on the used market. So JBL was inspired by this golden era to introduce its new Classic series. To celebrate the company's seventy-fifth anniversary, it first released the SA750 integrated amp, and then the Classic SA550 integrated reviewed here, plus the Classic TT350 direct drive turntable, Classic CD350 CD player and Classic MP350 streamer (reviewed here). These are all designed to be paired and used together and share styling cues, including attractive and iconic wooden side panels.

UP CLOSE

This amplifier is a Class G design with a claimed continuous power output with both channels driven (0.5% THD) of 90W RMS per channel into 8 ohms and 150W into 4 ohms. The amp is said to put out 10W into pure Class A, but when more power is needed, then higher voltages are applied incrementally via a set of high-speed 'lifters', which raise the power. The circuitry continuously tracks the music signal, supplying just enough power to operate effortlessly while at the same time staying thermally efficient by lowering wasted energy that normally gets turned into heat.

The Classic SA550 includes four unbalanced RCA analogue inputs, including a moving magnet phono input for a turntable, and three digital inputs: one optical TOSLINK (up to 24-bit, 96kHz) and two coaxial S/PDIF inputs (ditto). There is also a useful Bluetooth input with hi-res aptX Adaptive technology support. JBL has integrated the latest and well-respected ESSSabre ES9038K2M DAC chip into this amplifier. There is no in-built streaming functionality, nor are there any balanced connections.

This amplifier measures [WxHxD] 449x114x327mm and weighs around 11kg. So, it's around standard in width but quite compact in depth, which makes it suitable for narrow sideboard tables. Other JBL Classic electronics share the same dimensions and are designed to complement the SA550 when stacked. I have to say that I think it's a good look and is a breath of fresh air with its simple, minimalist front panel controls.

Two large rotary dials take care of the input and volume controls, and nicely weighted push buttons handle power, menu, display, digital audio filter and mute functions. Headphones can be used via a 3.5mm socket, and a thoughtful inclusion is a 3.5mm auxiliary input from a DAP or portable device. A pleasant-looking display window shows all the important information and settings, and it can be dimmed or switched off if preferred. There are no tone controls.

The supplied remote control is a fine design and easy to use. The matching MP350 streamer's remote looks almost the same, so it is easily confused. Both are required to perform different functions in use, although if a smart device is used to control the streaming, the amplifier's remote will be used most often.

With a single set of multi-way binding posts, the connection to my modified JBL HDI-3800 loudspeakers was simple. I used a variety of inputs, including the JBL Classic MP350 streamer, different CD players, and my Holo Audio Red streamer and Spring 3 KTE DAC.

THE LISTENING

This is a refined and detailed-sounding amplifier that can accurately portray the original source recording with little colouration. It's not a particularly muscular or fat-sounding design, yet it still does the job of making music nicely, with a balanced sound, decent bass extension and no added bloat.

Birmingham Sunday by Rhiannon Giddens sounds well-balanced, favouring no particular instrument and allowing the vocals to shine. This Classic SA550 is capable of producing lots of low end punch when asked, but bass is not generally highlighted unless the recording calls for it. The bottom end is clean, articulate and tight.

The midband and lower treble regions are ever so slightly prominent, with a touch of added sheen. This actually helps detail retrieval, and is not out of control by any means. The piano, Hammond organ and guitar on the track are balanced and don't sound unnatural or overdone. Treble is extended and informative yet never draws attention to itself. There are no tone controls on the front face or in the menus, so the tonal balance is fixed and depends on the equipment the amplifier is partnered with.

The JBL favours transparency and openness. Bones by Telenova sounds articulate, with a detailed account of what's on the recording. For instance, the opening percussion is clear, well timed, and is in its own localised space in the recorded acoustic with natural reverb tails. The female vocalist sounds clean and pure, nicely separated from the instruments. There is a lovely swagger and musical flow to the track, which is a pleasure to hear.

The Classic SA550 drives JBL loudspeakers very well, as you would expect. There is plenty of volume available, and it gets loud with confidence. I enjoy the timing and rhythmic cohesion heard in Forwardism by Rival Consoles. It's a precise electronic piece that should not sound slow or blurred, and this JBL amplifier has no trouble relaying the accuracy and fidelity of the timing without exaggerating the leading edges or lagging behind. And it does so with ease and without fuss.

The clean sound helps with the delivery and articulation of male vocals, as Billy Joel's An Innocent Man shows. His voice is perfectly textured and thus unmistakable, looming in the soundstage, hanging in space with the instruments located well behind and to the sides. Depth perspective is generous, extending well beyond the physical boundaries of the speakers. For what is a modestly priced amplifier, this is impressive stuff.

Connecting the matching JBL Classic MP350 streamer directly to the coaxial digital input of the SA550 delivered a subtle drop in sound quality compared to my reference DAC – but this is understandable as the DAC is twice the price of the amplifier. There's a reduction in image size and the overall resolution, yet it's still pleasing to listen to, all the same. As this combination from JBL will most often be paired this way, it is apparent that they have been voiced appropriately to deliver good performance.

Although you won't hear night and day differences between this amplifier's digital filter settings, this function does prove worthwhile. The seven filter profiles are not documented or explained in the user manual, but it's easy to make a change and listen to the outcome. The 'brick wall' setting gives some extra bass weight, and 'Apodizing' (default) has quite a neutral presentation. I prefer 'Lin P Slow', which I assume is a 'linear phase slow' setting as it sounds well balanced with a larger and more holographic soundstage, but other settings better suit listening tastes and musical genres.

In its wisdom, JBL has forsaken the use of a Bluetooth connection through the Classic MP350 streamer in preference to the SA550 amplifier, which uses aptX Adaptive technology with shorter signal paths to the amp's internal DAC. Streaming 5 Women by Prince from Qobuz sounds surprisingly good, with excellent timing, and an enjoyably large soundstage in width and height. There's a slight downsizing of the stage depth, but it's still more than acceptable. Brass instruments present smoothly and in a non-fatiguing way. Guitar work is detailed, and the bottom octaves are suitably solid.

The sound is of a similarly high standard when using a pair of (16 ohm) Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. Here, the same Prince track is dynamic and punchy, with a nice snap to the snare drum. Connecting the TV's audio output over an optical cable to the amplifier expands its usefulness. The uncluttered sound of the DAC and amplifier helps to make voice enunciation clear and musical scores sound large and enveloping.

Via my own vintage JVC direct drive turntable, with an Origin Live arm and Audio-Technica moving magnet cartridge, the phono input does not disappoint. It's inviting and expressive when listening to the original release of Love Action (I Believe in Love) by The Human League. It retains the original recording's full, punchy and dynamic character and expansive soundstage. JBL designers obviously have not scrimped on this aspect of the SA550's design.

COMPARISONS

JBL and Arcam are two brands owned by parent company Harman, and there are many similarities under the skin between the SA550 and the A25, which I still have to hand following its recent review. Both have Class G output stages with similar output ratings. Besides the vastly differing styling themes, the main sonic differences are the clarity and the treatment of the bass. The Arcam A25 delivers slightly more bass weight and a heightened sense of dynamics driving musical tracks. On the other hand, the JBL Classic SA550 is slightly leaner and delivers a greater sense of detail and finesse with a smoother and more even-handed tonal balance without the upper bass weight of the A25. Both sound great, and depending on your loudspeaker choice, either one is suitable.

Compared to an older and more expensive Audio Research DSi200 integrated amplifier, with a rated 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms, both the JBL and Audio Research amplifiers are quite lithe sounding. Both image very well and have a similar tonal even-handedness. But the JBL has a liquidity and flow that the Audio Research cannot match, along with a sense of tonal purity – female vocals, for example, sound more realistic. The old-school DSi200 misses out on connectivity and an onboard DAC but has greater speed and power in the bass, with superior macro dynamics, sounding more dynamic as the volume level is increased. This reminds us that there's no substitute for sheer power, and it demonstrates that, over time, newer designs can match and even outperform products from a higher price point in some ways.

THE VERDICT

The Classic SA550 may look like a throwback to the late nineteen sixties on the outside, but inside, it's bang up to date. With its high-quality onboard DAC and phono preamp, it has the versatility to connect to almost any source asked of it and deliver fine sound quality. JBL has created a winner in the Classic SA550, as it represents excellent value for money and is well worth auditioning if its retro style appeals to you.

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