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Manley STINGRAY Review by Guy Pearce of TONE Magazine NZ July 2007 Sting
In The Tail
Manley
Stingray Integrated Valve Amplifier For
some reason I don’t get to review a hell of a lot of valve amps for Tone
magazine, and it’s probably down to supply rather than demand. There
just aren’t many around compared with their solid state brethren, and
those that are generally tend to be expensive. They
also tend to be slightly eccentric in terms of looks – basically looking
like a mini-Frankenstein’s laboratory with their glowing valves and
exposed transformers. This,
however, is the way things were in the hi-fi world before the great
‘leap’ forward occurred with the invention of the transistor way back
in the 20th century, and for those with a hankering for the
‘valve’ sound, this is precisely where things went downhill. Still,
that’s another discussion altogether. We’re
here to discuss the bold-as-brass Manley Stingray, an outrageous
diamond-shaped (well, Stingray actually) visual and audible riot of a
valve amp. Created by the company head EveAnna Manley, it was allegedly
conceived from a drawing on a paper serviette and put into production
forthwith. And what a great idea that was, for the Stingray has won
numerous awards and established itself as a top seller for Manley Labs.
It’s a complicated little fishy, this
Stingray; the output power is switchable between ultralinear mode (40 wpc)
and the higher quality Triode mode (20wpc), and you can even add a
subwoofer if you so desire. Each input channel is switchable, so if
you’re crazy enough, 91FM could be blasting out of the left channel and
a CD from the right. It’s hard to understand why anyone would want to do
such a thing, but I guess anything goes in the U S of A! There
is no fluorescent display or remote control on the Stingray’s front
panel, just a backlit logo,
balance and volume knobs – as minimalist as it can get. Having
been fed a supermodel’s diet (oh you poor anorexic thing! – Ed) of
valve gear during my tenure with the fine guys at Tone
so far, I was itching to get this baby warmed-up and firing. So it was
into the rack, plugged into my Raysonic valve CD player and connected to
my Wharfedale Opus and Castle Harlech speakers (not at the same time,
chaps…) The
Stingray delivered a big-boned sound from the outset with fine dynamics, a
great soundstage (plenty of space around the performers) and very good
bass with all the CDs and records (12” things made from vinyl) I played.
Kraftwerk’s Tour De France on
vinyl had impressive detail and
smoothness, with a very good bass performance, considering the lowish
power spec. Flicking the switch to Triode mode provided even better
results, and here Steely Dan’s Royal
Scam captivated with a succulent sound, the warm presentation of the
‘Ray turned my couch into a fabric-covered tractor beam, and I was
unable to get up from it (except to change discs and, ahem, fetch another
beer). To
tell the truth, I sorta fell in love with the Manley Stingray. It’s not
absolutely perfect (seemed to become harsh when pushed hard), but its
virtues well and truly outweigh the negatives. Great success! Gary
Pearce SPECIFICATIONS ·
Vacuum
Tube Integrated Amplifier ·
Power:
40w x 2 (U/L mode) / 20w x 2 (Triode mode) ·
Passive
Noble volume and balance pots ·
All
vacuum tube lo-feedback stereo integrated design ·
Frequency
Response: 15Hz – 40KHz ·
Output
Tubes: 8 x EL84 ·
Driver
Tubes: 2 x 6414 ·
Input
Tubes: 2 x 12AT7EH ·
4
x RCA audio inputs ·
Subwoofer
Output ·
Tape
Loop ·
Banana
plug compatible speaker binding posts ·
Supplied
with multi meter (cheapo!) for bias adjustment ·
Dimensions ·
Amp
W 19”, x H 5 1/2”, x D 14” ·
Weight
30 1bs PLUS: ·
Kick
ass sound, dangerous fish aesthetics MINUS: ·
A
bit harsh when turned up loud VERDICT:
The
idiosyncratic form of Manley’s Stingray belies a most sublime music
making ability AESTHETICS
92% PERFORMANCE
90% FEATURES
88% FUNCTIONALITY
88% PRICE
VALUE
90% OVERALL
90%
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