Van den Hul Array S-1 stereo power amp

Superb high-end power amp, designed and made in the Netherlands. It is less than two years old. It retailed at £2,700. I am the only owner. (I bought direct from Tannoy, the UK distributor, actually). It is immaculate, complete with box and manual. Well reviewed. (Google it.) Rated at 100 wpc into a 4 ohm load. It has battleship build quality - for example WBT speaker terminals and a 18mm solid aluminium front panel. These amps are rare. This one is a 240v unit, specially for the UK market. In immaculate condition with original box and manual.

These amps use wideband circuitry - similar idea to Spectral, I gather. The output stage uses an array of small transistors - hence the name.

The history of this brand is complex. My understanding of it is as follows: the amps were developed in the late 1990s by a couple of engineers who set up a company - ArrayAudio - to market them in the Netherlands. They came to the attention of A.J. Van den Hul, who liked them so much he made an agreement to sell them under the Van den Hul name. They got a worldwide launch, and some great reviews. However Van den Hul is not traditionally an electronics brand, and the arrangement didn't seem to work. It was ended about two years ago, since when they have been available only in the Netherlands again, direct from ArrayAudio.

I'm looking for £1000 or best offer.
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PS The photo shows the power amp with the matching pre. Just to avoid confusion, it's only the power amp I'm selling - I sold the pre some months ago.

 

Was it you that sold the Pre for Around £600?

 

Yes, that was me.

Ian

 

Okay - thanks. How much do the pre's costs new?

 

They retailed at the same price as the S-1 - i.e. £2,700.

I did start out asking £1000 for the pre. I dropped the price because (a) I had to sell, (b) there isn't a single review of the preamp in English anywhere, (c) the company's reputation was built on the technology used in its power amps.

I think the guy who bought the pre did well. (Hi, if you're reading!) You can always make me an offer for the power amp, but I don't absolutely have to sell right now. It would solve a problem if I did, but to be honest I don't want to see it go.

Ian

 

PS It was the active A-1 preamp I had, not the cheaper passive P-1 which has been more widely reviewed.

Ian

 

So would you sell it for a similar price to the Pre?

 

Er... No.

 

er… just thought I'd ask. No need to get yer knickers in a twist

 

Hi Ian,

I've still got the pre running nicely in my system. Had I not just gone through a round of upgrading the speakers (main system and second system too) then I might have put an offer in. Need to save some pennies up again now as the hi-fi buying piggy bank is empty Why do these things always appear when you is skint?

 

I didn't know my knickers were twisted. No offence intended. I thought my answer was short but sweet.

Ian

 

and ...er slighly grumpy. No offence taken. Looks very nice though.

 

If someone has their heart set on buying the pre and power as a matched pair, then I could be persuaded to part with the pre for the price I paid for it

 

I'd take £800 for the S-1.

Ian