FELL AUDIO AMP AND FELL AUDIO DISC REVIEW

Fell Audio Amp and Fell Audio Disc are two relatively new products from a company that prides itself on making Made-in-Britain products and being environmentally conscious. The Fell amp is £599 and the Fell Disc CD player is £499, which for British-made products is pretty much unheard of in 2025. Janine Elliot takes a listen to the pairing for HiFi PiG.

Fell Audio is one of those fairy tales I love to tell. Once upon a time, on 11th November 2024, in the Fells of Cumbria, a company released its first products into the British market. With an idea from the northern HiFi chain, Peter Tyson set out to start a British-made, British company offering products at unheard-of British-made prices. The Fell Amp and then the Fell Disc were unleashed onto the British public. Coming soon is the Fell Stream. I remember all the press releases! With lots of green LEDs on their present two-box offerings, that “Britishness” extends to the 1970s Naim/AR Cambridge DNA. 

Peter Tyson began his audio empire in 1966, and now his son, Matthew (Fell Audio CEO) and grandson Luke (Project and Design Lead) intend to start their own. Although it all began around 3 years ago, the company is now almost a year into the big, wide world of selling its wares. 

What really makes these products so significant is their low price: £599 for the amplifier and £499 for the CD player. It is also significant that they have brought out a CD player when the format is beginning a new renaissance. All products are designed and built in the UK by a very reputable company, and whilst the volume control can go up to “eleven”, made famous in the film ‘Spinal Tap’, I can at least confirm that the manufacturer isn’t Marshall Amps! All I can divulge is that all parts are sourced from British suppliers, and 65% built in the UK, so I leave you to work that one out. Assembly is by one of the best companies in the UK. What is very un-British, though, is the low price. 

There are 50 years of collective experience in project Fell, with “eight pairs of hands” from expert production technicians working on each amplifier – I guess that is possibly 8 people, then. Typically British, though, is 12 hours average build time per product. The Chinese might laugh at this, but actually, in the world of top-end HiFi, the more hours the better! That is why they come with 5-year guarantee and that parts are replaceable if the worst comes to the worst, rather than filling landfills with toxic pollution. These products do look and feel like the typically 1970s British beauties that I saw in KJ or Laskys, or read in Popular HiFi and HiFi Answers. OK, Amstrad, Alpha and Alba might not perhaps be the highlight of my youth, but I drooled over Linn, Rega, Naim, AR Cambridge (ARCAM), Quad, Nytech, Lecson and many others whilst attempting my Maths and English homework (How on earth did I get to university?) They were already then a step above the Japanese giants of those days. Times they were a changing as cheaper foreign construction took the “British” names to the Far East. That is, until now. OK, I will shortly discover that the transport for the Disc (also the only cassette transport in the world) is also from hotter climes, but this Cumbrian Fell duo can only be looked at in the same spirit as we did in the 1970s. The 2-piece aluminium/plastic 3-sided cover of the amp and CD player is so A60, and those LEDs take it to Naim. As soon as I opened the boxes, I was back in Flares and listening to Showaddywaddy. 

BUILD AND FEATURES OF FELL AMP AND FELL DISC

Let’s look at these products individually, starting with the Fell Amp. At 440mm x 300mm x 75 mm and 6kg weight, this is very similar to the AR A60 mentioned earlier. The Fell integrated amplifier is a little more powerful, though, at 49W into 8 ohms, but still isn’t a lot to shout out about (the website suggests it is 89W/8ohm “both channels”). In keeping with more modern times, it is now a Class-D affair, made by European company STMicroelectronics. All is powered by a substantial toroidal 170VA power supply and a couple of large smoothing capacitors. With three RCA analogue inputs, it also has Bluetooth, coaxial, and Toslink digital inputs, and importantly, a handy MM phono input. This is claimed to be very precise and set a new benchmark for phono-stages in integrated amplifiers. Digits are handled by the ubiquitous ESS DAC, in this case the ESS Sabre ES9018K2M chip, allowing speeds up to 24-bit/96kHz. At the rear are also RCA pre- and sub-outputs. The front is where the real fun is, though. With capacitive touch-sensitivity, there are 7 green-lit rectangular “buttons” to select the appropriate source, and a rotary volume control that has the 11 green LEDs surrounding it to indicate volume, plus a matching power button on the right to switch it between standby and on (there is no master off/on button at the rear). Do remember that every time you switch on the amplifier, the volume goes back to zero, rather than memorising your last setting, which I found a little annoying. Added to this bargain box is a simple remote control. This is correctly laid out with volume up/down on the left toggle switch and source selection on the right. This is a universal remote, so it will also operate the CD player (though I’m not sure what will happen when they release the Fell Streamer). Whilst the remote is very simple, the general build quality of the main box is remarkably good for the price, and I found it very easy to use, though it is limited in terms of there being no control over individual source levels, tone, digital filters, etc. There is, however, a handy ¼” headphone socket on the right if you don’t want to annoy your neighbours. 

The Fell Disc comes in at £100 cheaper and continues the same DNA of the amplifier. Disc input at the front is via a thin letterbox that grabs the CD/CD-R/CD-RW and sets it all up in a few seconds. The controls are again capacitive, and there are also three rectangular “buttons” for display off/on, repeat and random. The long (green, of course) display can give track and time indications, but nothing more. It does have a large and easy-to-read display, though (QUAD, please take note). The supplied remote is the same as the one for the amplifier and allows basic control from the comfort of your settee, of course. If you want to fast-forward through a track or perhaps miss out a few tracks, the screen indicator is a bit slow in responding, which can be a bit annoying if you want to move onto track 18 quickly, for example. Also, as the remote off/on button operates both Amp and Disc, if you are playing BT, for example, and have already switched off your CD player, when you later turn off your amplifier, it will simultaneously turn back on the CD player! At the rear are analogue RCA and digital coax and Toslink outputs (24/96), and there is no 12V trigger in/out as the single press on the remote will operate all devices anyway. If you have lots of analogue sources to plug into the Fell Amp, you can use the digital output of the Disc instead to effectively allow another analogue input into the amplifier. When I listened to CDs, there was no discernable difference between using the digital or analogue output from the Fell Disc as the conversion is again handled by an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M chip.

The 3-sided-effect cover is actually a conventional aluminium sheet with the front adding a thick plastic to give the illusion that it is all thick. A “Fell” label fits on the right-hand side, looking like it is stuck onto the plastic (it’s not). Perhaps a more tasty look would have been having the “Fell Audio” words indented into the front right itself. I feel this would look more expensive (but probably would be more expensive!) The company also brings with it today’s wish for sustainability to the fore, with recyclable packaging used throughout. Even the foam support in the carton is made from recycled materials, and the ink is earth-friendly. Products are sourced from the UK, though some (CD transport, etc) will still have made their way with their own carbon footprint from the Far East. Though similar concerns wouldn’t have been an issue in the 1970s, to add to the British vibe, I wish they could have offered a mahogany/rosewood veneer to match the AR Cambridge A60. That would have been truly recycling the 1970s!

SOUND QUALITY

To match that 1970s British vibe in the looks front, I also got a truly British “refined” sound when I started listening. I actually wasn’t expecting this, as I anticipated a tizzy Class D sound that is usual in “cheaper” Class D amplifiers. This amplifier really showed me that there is indeed a future in Class D, not least the exceptionally low power usage from my 13A supply, and the fact that I could sit the CD player above the amplifier, as the latter does not get hot! 

This amplifier has been really well designed, and the toroidal power supply was a welcome addition; I do not like switch-mode supplies! It really has softened any harshness that Class D can sometimes bring. Overall, I found the sound very pleasing and was able to listen for hours without any fatigue, though it was perhaps just a little too refined; there wasn’t as much dynamism to the sound as I get from my own system that’s 12 times the price. Carl Orff’s Introduction from ‘Carmina Burana’ (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) sounded just a little too bland, though it was very clean and certainly very musical. This work has considerable dynamic range, and whilst the Fell was a surprisingly quiet amplifier, just didn’t give me enough energy to fill the room. Turning up the wick on Class D amplifiers can often bring in harshness to the sound, but the Fell was surprisingly well controlled. 

The soundstage was very acceptable for the price, indeed, in Dizzy Gillespie’s “Could It Be You” the 3D atmosphere and soundstage were excellent, and at high volume it didn’t sound like Tizzy Gillespie. What I found in this, and all the music I played, was the excellent bass extension and warmth to the sound. Sometimes it could actually draw my attention away from the top frequencies, though they were always there. The tom-tom initial transients and cymbal details were quite excellent. However, I did feel the amplifier is slightly underrated, as I had to turn the wick up to 7 or 8 to get any chance of exorcising my musical spirits. Led Zeppelin’s famous “Blackdog” sounded a lot more convincing through my Krell workhorse. 

Dream Theatre’s “Repentance” is full of drama and theatre with both dynamism and classical melancholy sections, and the Fell combination gave a very accurate and lifelike account, though I did feel it didn’t build up enough in tension following the vox-pop in the middle. The instruments were not quite as clear as I wanted, though I felt the same in the more expensive retro QUADs that I recently reviewed. But for a Class D amplifier, this was quite impressive. It didn’t lose anything from the music, and I even made out a tambourine sound that I hadn’t previously heard. The Fell duo maintained a very musical decorum of sound with reasonable decays and atmosphere in all that I played. At times, I forgot that the amplifier is just £599. 

The Fell Disc, however, does come up against a lot of competition at this price. Whilst it could play both CDs and CDRs, I just wished it had another trick up its sleeve; maybe play DVD audio or SACD, or at least be able to display album/track names. What it did do, though, with great talent, is play CDs with a sense of realism and refinement. 

Turning to digital input from my streamer or moving-magnet vinyl from my Technics/Ortofon turntable, and the sound continued to excel, particularly from the latter. Listening to Joe Morello’s drum solos in ‘Time Out’ from Dave Brubeck Quartet, and that clarity and power from the kick-bass and tom-toms was as brilliantly conjured as was his celebrated playing. This is a surprisingly good MM phono-stage, especially when you consider the price of the amplifier. I expected Asia’s “Don’t Cry” from the album ‘Alpha’ to disappoint me with a tizzy bright performance, but although I needed to turn up the volume to get any meaning to the music, it was surprisingly fluid and detailed. I expected a brightness from this 1983 recording, but the RIAA curve was surprisingly flat for the cheap price of the amplifier. The “vinyl” input (I love it that they don’t say “phono”, which was more of a 21st-century word) is rated at 2mV sensitivity and 47k-ohm/100pF. Standard numbers and my 1970s VMS20e mkii cartridge did the honours perfectly. Enya’s 1983 “Theme from Harry’s Game” was controlled, spacious, and very organic as were the other tracks on this, their most famous album, ‘ Magical Ring’. With tidy instrumentation and good soundstage, everything was very clear, including those bell sounds at the very top frequencies. However, their music always lacks bass end, so next on the platter was Archiv’s excellent Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV565. The Fell really excelled, with mountainous bass end from the pedal board of the Grand Organ of the St. Lauren’s Church, Alkmaar, brilliantly played by Helmut Walcha. 

Turning to the headphone output and the music quite simply imploded. That energy that I had on loudspeakers (admittedly with the volume at 9/11) just couldn’t be replicated on cans. The bass and treble extensions were missing. Interestingly, the volume setting goes to zero when you first plug in the headphones, but when you go back to the loudspeaker, the volume control you last had is maintained, and similarly, when you plug in the headphones again, the last headphone setting is reinstated. Clever stuff. Whilst I can put your minds at rest and say that I honestly didn’t listen to Showaddywaddy, I finished off a week’s mountainous listening sessions with ELP’s “Lucky Man and “Fanfare for the Common Man” from 1971 and 1977, respectively. I did get out my flares, though….

QUIBBLES

At this price, I can hardly complain about this excellent amplifier and accompanying CD player. If I really had to suggest anything, it would be just that the amplifier is a little underpowered. If it had been a 49W Class A/B with toroidals, that probably wouldn’t have been an issue, but the Class D board is just a little too shy. The Disc is a very able player, but it does sit within the price range of other 1970s British audio, such as NADs and Cambridge Audio’s, that are equally excellent. If the screen could indicate things like “remaining time” and “CD/Track title”, that would have been handy. 

The remote is actually great to use and is good-looking for such a cheap product, but please can you explain why the underside of this Chinese product has a microphone?

CONCLUSION

To be honest, I didn’t expect much when I first plugged this duo into the mains, but I was actually blown off my feet. For something made in the UK that totals under £1000, this is something Matthew, Luke, Peter, and everyone else involved should be mightily proud of. 

The Amp might look like it is from the 70s – and it certainly gives that aural-aura from the great days of unique British-made amps – but despite the Class D label, its performance is far removed from how I remember early Class D to sound. Fell has created a great marriage between the past and the present, with a much more controlled and musical offering than I could have expected. With a Streamer in the offing, Fell might still have a mountain to climb to get its name firmly established, but if under one year is so far all we have to go by, then I believe they will soon have their flag (obviously a Union Jack) firmly rooted at the summit of low-priced HiFi.

AT A GLANCE 

Build Quality: 

Brilliant retro 1970s with modern capacitive touch-sensitive front panels 

Excellent build and looks

Available in black or silver

Sound Quality: 

A very organic and refined performance from Class D amplification

Value For Money: 

At £998 for the duo, this is exceptionally good pricing, especially when you add that it is all made in the UK. The usual bland brushed aluminium frontage and cover is replaced with something that makes much more of a statement, and brings the unique 70’s “Britishness” back to life

We Loved:

Fell Amp

Unique looks

Excellent bass warmth

Plays well on all music

Useful remote control

Class D with toroidal transformer!

Fell Disc

Simplicity in action

Great detail in presentation and musicality

Good looks

We didn’t Love so much:

Slightly shy on output and dynamism

There is no manual or QR link in the review samples

Elevator Pitch Review: The 1970s were great times. A carefree world, lots of great music, platform shoes and flares, and the quirky British HiFi manufacturing establishment. AR Cambridge and Naim came into the world with a lot of other names that have since been taken over by foreign companies, and the majority of HiFi has gone brushed aluminium. Meanwhile, around three years ago, HiFi franchise Peter Tyson decided to fund a new brand of British-designed and built products to show that what was done in the 70’s can be done again, and at equally low cost to the audiophile. With Peter’s son Matthew as CEO, a couple more sons, and grandson Luke as Project Design Lead, these disciples of HiFi have begun the mountainous task of bringing the Fells of Cumbria alive with the sound of music. Their AMP and Disc are the beginnings of what looks and sounds like being a very promising rebirth of affordable British HiFi. But these are no Amstrad, Alba or Alpha siblings. Now with Class D amplification, this takes 70’s retro well and truly into the 21^st century with surprisingly impressive sound.

Price: 

AMP £599

DISC £499

Janine Elliot

SUPPLIED BY FELL AUDIO

System used:

Astell and Kern SE180 (FLAC, DSD and Qobuz) BT and coax digital inputs; Technics SL-Q2/Ortofon VMS20e Mkii (turntable/MM cartridge); Wilson Benesch Arc, Graham LS5/9 (speakers); Townshend F1 and Isolda cables.

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATIONS

Fell Amp

• Class D amplification, for dynamic and efficient speaker control
• Digital inputs: optical and coaxial using an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC
• Analogue inputs: three pairs of RCA connectors
• Turntable input: MM phono preamp
• Bluetooth: v5.0
• Both channels @ 8 ohms 20 Hz-20 kHz: 49 watts
• Single channel @ 4 ohms 1 kHz: 79 watts
• Total harmonic distortion at 80% v.max 1 kHz:  0.07%
• MM Phono Input sensitivity:  2 mV
• MM Phono Input Impedance/capacitance: 47kOhms /100 pf
• Mains voltage: 220 V-240 V AC
• Power consumption @ max output: 87 watts
• Standby Power Consumption: 0.5 watts
• Dimensions W X D x H (including feet): 440 x 300 x 75 mm
• Weight (net): 6 kg
• Supplied with: Power cable, Remote control (w/ 2 x AAA batteries), Bluetooth antenna, Quick start guide

Fell Disc

• Discreet slot-load CD mechanism
• Compatible with CD, CD-R, and CD-RW
• Outputs via analogue stereo RCA, as well as digital optical and coaxial outputs
• Capacitive touch control 
• Integrated DAC: ESS Sabre 9018K2M
• Signal-to-noise ratio: 98 dB
• Harmonic distortion (1 kHz): 0.005 %
• Output impedance: 47 Ohms
• Frequency response: 10 Hz-20 kHz
• Output level (0dB): 2.3 V RMS
• Mains voltage: 220 V-240 V AC
• Power consumption: 7.5 watts
• Standby Power consumption: 0.5 watts
• Dimensions W X D x H (inc feet): 440 x 300 x 75 mm
• Weight (net): 4.6kg
• Supplied with: Power cable, Remote control (w/ 2 x AAA batteries)