Fell Audio est une nouvelle marque d'électroniques Hifi britannique créée par l'enseigne de magasins et vente en ligne Peter Tyson. Cette dernière met en avant ses 50 ans d'existence et donc ses 50 ans d'expertise dans le domaine audiophile qui ont présidé à l'élaboration de des premiers appareils Fell Audio. Elle affiche la volonté de proposer des produits aux tarifs très accessibles et de production locale, c'est-à-dire fabriqué en Grande-Bretagne. Qualité, durabilité et réparabilité font partie de ses principaux arguments.
Les deux premiers appareils de Fell Audio sont l'ampli stéréo intégré Fell Amp et le lecteur de CD-Audio Fell Disc, respectivement positionnés à 600 £ et 500 £. Leur commercialisation est pour l'instant réservée au Royaume-Uni. L'expansion en Europe est prévue pour 2025 et un streamer Fell Stream est déjà dans les tuyaux. Le design des électroniques est fortement inspiré de celles de marques de la glorieuse époque de la Hifi des années 1970 à 1990. Il évoque des modèles de chez NAD, Naim ou encore Creek Audio, mais avec une touche de modernité inconstestable.
Le Fell Amp dispose d'une section d'alimentation à transformateur toroïdal et d'étage d'amplification en classe D qui développe 2 x 89 watts sous 8 ohms. Il est équipé d'un DAC, d'un préampli phono MM et d'un récepteur Bluetooth AptX HD.
Le Fell Disc possède une mécanique de lecture à chargement par fente frontale et une puce de conversion ESS ES9018 de type 24 bits/96 kHz. Il sait lire les CD-Audio, les CD-R et CD-RW.
Ci-dessous, la présentation (en anglais) et les images fournies par les services de Fell Audio :
Les deux premiers appareils de Fell Audio sont l'ampli stéréo intégré Fell Amp et le lecteur de CD-Audio Fell Disc, respectivement positionnés à 600 £ et 500 £. Leur commercialisation est pour l'instant réservée au Royaume-Uni. L'expansion en Europe est prévue pour 2025 et un streamer Fell Stream est déjà dans les tuyaux. Le design des électroniques est fortement inspiré de celles de marques de la glorieuse époque de la Hifi des années 1970 à 1990. Il évoque des modèles de chez NAD, Naim ou encore Creek Audio, mais avec une touche de modernité inconstestable.
Le Fell Amp dispose d'une section d'alimentation à transformateur toroïdal et d'étage d'amplification en classe D qui développe 2 x 89 watts sous 8 ohms. Il est équipé d'un DAC, d'un préampli phono MM et d'un récepteur Bluetooth AptX HD.
Le Fell Disc possède une mécanique de lecture à chargement par fente frontale et une puce de conversion ESS ES9018 de type 24 bits/96 kHz. Il sait lire les CD-Audio, les CD-R et CD-RW.
Ci-dessous, la présentation (en anglais) et les images fournies par les services de Fell Audio :
Disruptive new British brand Fell Audio leverages a 50-year legacy to challenge industry heavyweights
11 November 2024, Carlisle, Cumbria: A new British manufacturer with an exclusive 50-year legacy is offering discerning music lovers a unique proposition: budget-priced hi-fi made entirely in Britain.
Fell Audio is set to shake up the AV industry by taking on the world’s biggest manufacturing heavyweights with a British-made offering for next-generation/budget-conscious hi-fi fans.
Built on expertise, focused on value
Fell Audio is a family owned company backed by the experience of Peter Tyson, a leading British hi-fi retailer for five decades and one with hands-on experience with an unprecedented range of brands across all price points. This rich heritage provides Fell Audio with unparalleled knowledge of the hi-fi market, allowing it to identify gaps and deliver unique features, benefits and performance.
Unlike competitors relying on overseas production, Fell Audio prioritises British manufacturing. This gives the company an extraordinarily competitive edge, ensuring exceptional quality, sustainability, and repairability, setting it apart in the entry-level arena.
Unrivalled benchmarking equals unrivalled products
Crucially, the Peter Tyson legacy has given Fell Audio a unique advantage during its three-year development period: extensive comparative testing with competitors allowed it to develop products with unmatched specifications for British-made budget devices.
Fell Audio’s designs are meticulously crafted by a trusted and time-proven hi-fi manufacturing partner, and are backed by a reassuringly generous five-year warranty and a long repair window.
Fell Audio's products benefit from stunning aesthetics, neat ergonomics and thoughtful features for newcomers, such as plug-and-play turntable connectivity, Bluetooth convenience and simple button-labelling on the front fascias.
The range will initially comprise two core products: the Fell Disc (£499), a premium-quality CD player perfectly timed for the resurgence of physical media, plus the powerful and flexible Fell Amp (£599); featuring a built-in phono stage, Bluetooth connectivity, and a high-quality ESS Sabre DAC typically found in much more expensive devices. More products will follow in 2025 and beyond.
Fell Audio will initially be available in the UK only at launch (Europe and beyond will follow in 2025) from Peter Tyson online, in-store and via telesales, from Amazon, and also via the Fell Audio website, fellaudio.co.uk.
Detailed product information
Fell Amp
The £599 Fell Amp is the cornerstone of the portfolio and redefines what’s possible at the entry level. A literal next-generation device, the powerful integrated amplifier is packed with features for both newcomers and seasoned audiophiles who value the myriad benefits of British manufacturing.
The Fell Amp offers a level of specification, componentry and build usually found in products costing several times more. An 89-watt state-of-the-art Class D design, the Fell Amp provides a built-in MM phono stage for seamless plug-and-play turntable connectivity, a premium ESS Sabre DAC with two digital inputs for enhanced sound from connected devices, plus aptX HD Bluetooth for streaming.
The amplifier benefits from purpose-made PCBs designed, populated and finished in the UK, ensuring thoughtful features, high-quality build, plus excellent all-around sonic performance, developed through extensive benchmarking against key rivals.
Fell Audio’s designers and engineers have specified luxurious capacitive-touch light-up buttons to make selecting inputs intuitive; the inputs are simply named for newcomers, including ‘Stream’, ‘Vinyl’ and ‘Bluetooth’. The amp also gives a pleasing visual indication of volume via LEDs (which in a nod to its Britishness, thoughtfully ‘goes up to 11’) plus a remote control is also provided.
Audiophile touches include a high-quality ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC, normally found in products costing much more, with advanced digital technologies including 32-bit HyperStream architecture and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range.
Further features include three line-level inputs, preamp and subwoofer outputs, plus a ¼-inch/6.35 mm headphone output for late-night and personal listening.
Key features in brief (Fell Amp)
- 89 watts per channel (8 ohms), for detailed and powerful audio performance
- Class D amplification, for dynamic and efficient speaker control
- Digital inputs: optical and coaxial via an ESS Sabre ES9018 DAC
- Analogue inputs: three pairs of RCA connectors
- Turntable input with integrated MM phono preamp
- Bluetooth aptX HD, for convenient music streaming
Fell Disc
The Fell Disc is a uniquely British-made CD player priced at just £499. It sets new standards for budget-friendly CD performance. Designed for effortless operation, it's the perfect companion for both new and seasoned audiophiles.
Made to integrate effortlessly with the Fell Amp (or any other amplifier/system), the Fell Disc’s signature retro-modern style is a fusion of classic and contemporary aesthetics, including an iconic dot matrix display paired with contemporary features, including sleek capacitive-touch controls.
Packed with convenient features, including a fuss-free slot-loading mechanism, the Fell Disc offers track and album repeat, random play, optional CD information display, plus a user-friendly remote.
Flexible connectivity options include optical and coaxial digital outputs for seamless integration with a wide range of audio systems, including external DACs to future-proof performance into the future.
Central to the Fell Disc is a premium ESS ES9018 DAC offering the highest sound quality for a budget disc player with up to 96 kHz/24-bit audio.
Compatible with CD, CD-R, and CD-RW, the Fell Disc is ready for both new and legacy CD collections, from newcomers discovering physical media, to seasoned audiophiles (with an eye for a bargain), rediscovering lifetime-curated CD collections.
Key features in brief (Fell Disc)
- Discreet slot-load CD mechanism for a fuss-free frontage
- Premium quality ESS ES9018 DAC for high-resolution audio (16-24-bit/up to 96 kHz)
- Compatible with CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs for legacy collections
- Digital optical and coaxial outputs for future-proofing with external DACs
Fell Audio additional notes for editors
Iconic design
Fell Audio’s retro-modern aesthetic is inspired by the ‘golden era’ vintage hi-fi of the 1970s, but with modern touches, clean lines and captive-touch front panels.
Beneath the lid, the advanced designs are built with the modern music lover in mind, with a natural, authentic sound and a solid build, just like the fells themselves.
Electronics expertise
The company’s in-house electronics, developed over three years, offer a level of specification, componentry and build that are usually found in products costing several times more.
Fell Audio products benefit from purpose-made PCBs designed, populated and finished in house, right here in the UK.
Locally sourced
The product design, packaging design, component procurement, metal work, painting, plastic injection-moulding, PCBs, build and assembly, are all undertaken in the UK, too.
Sustainable
All packaging is proudly made from recyclable materials. Unnecessary plastic wrappings have been dropped in favour of a Fell Audio tote bag made from 100 % recycled cotton.
The internal packing foam is not only made from recycled materials, it can be recycled, too. The outer box is made from 100 % recycled cardboard, and even the ink is earth-friendly.
Carbon footprint and repairability
As many components as possible are sourced from the UK to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The products are also designed to be repairable in the unlikely event
A word from the founders
Speaking about the launch of the new company, Fell Audio’s Managing Director Matthew Tyson said, “After working in audio all my life, it become very apparent that great-sounding hi-fi at affordable prices is no longer being made here in the UK. I wanted to change that and be able to offer people something British built that they can start their hi-fi journey with.”
Project and design lead Luke Tyson added: “Our family has always taken pride in offering great products with excellent service. We’re especially proud to support some of the UK’s best British hi-fi brands and their rich heritage. But lately, it feels like the entry-level market is losing what made British hi-fi special: good design, unique character, great sound and built in the UK.
“So Fell Audio really is our passion project. We wanted to create something we, and our customers, would genuinely want to own without spending thousands—something we can truly be proud of.”
Pricing and availability
Fell Disc £499; Fell Amp £599
(Reiterate): Fell Audio will initially be available in the UK only at launch (Europe and beyond will follow in 2025) from Peter Tyson online, in-store and via telesales, from Amazon, and also via the Fell Audio website, fellaudio.co.uk.