The Musical Fidelity FX is a stereo power amplifier produced by the British high-end audio manufacturer Musical Fidelity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It belongs to the company’s “FX” series, which included the FX preamplifier, FX integrated amplifier, and FX power amplifier. This series was positioned as an affordable entry into high-quality separates, bridging the gap between budget consumer electronics and the esoteric, costly components for which Musical Fidelity was already known.
The long answer: Fire up a track like Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car or Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. The first thing you notice is the lack of grain. Cheap class D amps (the type found in $100 mini amps) produce a hard, glassy top end. The FX, being analog Class A/B, delivers a smooth, organic midrange. Voices have "chest" and texture. musical fidelity fx power amplifier
The amp didn’t just play music. It attacked it. This series was positioned as an affordable entry
Insulator Failures: Older units may suffer from degraded MA insulators and thermal paste on the MOSFETs. In some cases, the original thermal paste can become electrically conductive over time, potentially causing shorts. Cheap class D amps (the type found in
The main smoothing capacitors (typically 2x 10,000 µF or similar) can dry out, leading to increased hum, reduced bass, or a “tired” sound. Replacement with modern, higher-quality caps (e.g., Nichicon KG, Mundorf) is a common upgrade.