The new Fell Audio products are an 89W integrated stereo amp and a classic CD player.
It’s always good to hear of companies that are onshoring production in markets like consumer electronics. The latest is a new British company called Fell Audio. This Cumbrian-based hi-fi tech start-up is offering an affordable hi-fi-system with made-in-Britain build quality.
Fell Audio is a family-owned start-up rooted in leading UK retail giant Peter Tyson, with its half-century of audio experience with retail outlets in Cumbria and Newcastle. British manufacturing at entry-level prices sets Fell Audio apart, giving the company a competitive edge in terms of quality, sustainability and repairability.
The Fell Audio range will initially comprise the Fell Disc, a premium CD player timed to launch just as Gen Z is discovering the joy of CDs and a renewed interest in physical media. The CD player is joined by the DAC-equipped Fell Amp with 89W of output. More British-made devices will be added soon.
The Fell Amp has 89W per channel and offers both analog and digital inputs. The product is built in … [+]
Fell Audio’s two new products have bold aesthetics and some neat ergonomic touches alongside a sustainable backstory. The new products have been conceived to inspire the next generation of music lovers, as well as those of us who have been appreciating hi-fi for many years. The new products have features like plug-and-play turntable connectivity, Bluetooth streaming, plus headphone outputs for late-night or personal listening.
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.”
Fell Audio claims the brand’s retro-modern aesthetic is inspired by the golden era of vintage hi-fi harking back to the 1970s, but with modern touches, clean lines and capacitive-touch front panels. The designs are built with music lovers in mind, with a natural, authentic sound and a solid build quality.
At the rear of the Fell Amp are analog and digital inputs plus pre-out and sub-woofer connections. … [+]
The company’s in-house electronics have been in development for more than three years. Fell Audio’s products are built around purpose-made PCBs which are designed, populated and finished in house, in the UK.
The product design, packaging, component procurement, metal work, painting, plastic injection-molding, PCBs, build and assembly are all carried out in the UK. The packaging is made from recyclable materials with any unnecessary plastic wrappings dropped in favor of a Fell Audio tote bag made from 100% recycled cotton.
The internal packing foam for the products is also made from recycled materials and can be recycled afterwards. The outer box for the products is made from 100% recycled cardboard and printed with environmentally friendly ink.
The new Fell Audio separates are available in Black and Silver finishes.
Fell Audio says it has tried to source as many components as possible from within the UK to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The products are also designed to be repairable in the should they need fixing and come with a five-year warranty.
The Fell Amp delivers 89W of Class D power, enough to drive a large pair of loudspeakers without losing control of the music. The amp has three RCA inputs and an MM phono stage for connecting legacy sources like turntables, cassette decks and tuners. Phones, tablets and laptops can also connect via Bluetooth with support for Qualcomm’s aptX HD audio codec.
The new amplifier also includes a dedicated headphone output for late-night or personal listening. The designers and engineers have used capacitive-touch controls for input selection. The absence of moving parts should provide long-term reliability. The amp also has a visual display of volume levels—going as high as 11— using LEDs which light and fade accordingly.
The Fell Disc from Fell Audio has a classic dot-matrix display for CD text alongside a sleek modern … [+]
At the heart of the amplifier is an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC that enables digital devices, including games consoles, set-top boxes and digital audio players to connect to the amp. Advanced digital technologies include 32-bit HyperStream architecture and the Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, enabling the amp to deliver ultra-low noise and a high dynamic range.
The Fell Disc CD player has been designed to integrate with the Fell Amp or any other audio system. It’s simple to use and features straightforward controls. The player has some classic elements, like a dot matrix display, alongside more contemporary features, like capacitive-touch controls and a minimalist design.
Controls on the Fell Disc include track and album repeat, random play, optional CD information display, a dimmable screen, plus a user-friendly remote control. Flexible connectivity options include stereo analog RCA outputs, as well as optical and coaxial digital outputs, for working with a wide range of devices, including AV receivers, existing DACs and other digital-ready devices.
At the rear of the Fell Disc are RCA analog outputs as well as optical and coaxial digital outputs.
Pricing & Availability: The Fell Disc sells for £499 while the Fell Amp is priced at £599. Both will be available in the UK only at launch with global launches following in 2025. Both products can be bought from Peter Tyson online, in-store and via telesales, from Amazon as well as via the Fell Audio website.
Features:
Fell Amp
- 89W per channel output.
- Class D amplification.
- Optical and coaxial inputs using ESS Sabre ES9018 DAC.
- Three RCA connectors for analog inputs.
- Turntable input with integrated MM phono preamp.
- Bluetooth aptX HD support.
Fell Disc
- Discreet slot-load CD mechanism.
- ESS ES9018 DAC for high-resolution sound up to24-bit/96kHz.
- Compatible with CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs.
- Digital optical and coaxial outputs.
