The integrated amplifier is enjoying a renaissance in the high end sector with all the big players, you know, your Krells, your Audio Researchs and your Levinsons, releasing integrated designs relatively recently to much (too much?) critical acclaim. Of course at more modest, dare I say mortal, price levels the integrated has always been the only option. Mind you it's had to grow up more than a little! Creek have obviously realised this and have developed the 5350SE amplifier, a real world, 21st century device. Creek have always had an excellent reputation for making great sounding small (physically) amplifiers, tuners and latterly CD spinners. My in-laws have an old "wooden" bodied 4040 on my recommendation and it still sounds great after many years use. The 5350SE is a different, more up-market prospect in many ways. No longer is it possible for an amplifier in this price bracket to just sound good, it has to look the part and offer a decent selection of features as well. Well score one on each count for the Creek. But the 5350SE is pitched into a ludicrously competitive market sector.

Direct competitors include the Naim Nait 5 (similar price and a great sounding amplifier), the Roksan Caspian (similarly priced and also great sounding) and the Rotel 1060 (cheaper but offers power and features for the money as well as being damned good fun sonically) and these three excellent amplifiers are just the ones I have had direct experience of! In this price band the designers will be allowed quite a bit of extra freedom in terms of parts so we should expect more personality in reproduction using these amplifiers, and personality goes a long way if you and it are compatible.

So what does the Creek offer as an alternative to this fierce competition?

Firstly looks; this amplifier is very well executed. The casework is all aluminium, anodised black for much of the case but set-off by a front panel which is a serious 10mm think and with a natural brushed metal finish. The remainder of the casework is less massive but solid, the amp doesn't flex and twist when you pick it up even though it is much heavier in one corner, due to the off-centre positioning of the large toroidal mains transformer. This Creek amplifier is also physically larger than previous designs which should allow the designer a bit more freedom in the layout of the components. The solid casework, along with the clear labelling and large, well-finished control knobs, lend the amplifier serious presence. While it is not as pretty as the Roksan Caspian for example, it certainly looks like its worth the money. You won't have to make excuses for the appearance when the in laws visit, or indeed if you recommend it to them. In use all of the controls feel very solid, well damped and have a positive action that increases your general pride of ownership of the amplifier; you should be thinking Volkswagen not Vauxhall at this point. Secondly, features. The Creek (like the Rotel 1060) is fully loaded.

Remote control of volume and input selection is possible from an, admittedly nondescript, handset, with speaker mute also remotely controlled. This remote uses the RC-5 standard and for once actually works across a wide acceptance angle and with high sensitivity which makes using it a charm rather than a pain. I actually have the Creek CD53 CD player at the same time as the 5350SE and currently the remote of each device will not control the other. However, an optional system remote should be available by the time you read this. The amplifier offers 4 inputs and two tape loops via RCA phono sockets, selection of which is controlled via a high quality motor driven Alps rotary switch. A separate record controller allows any input to be recorded whilst listening which will be very useful for some and is an unusual feature to find at this price level. Two pairs of speaker outputs are provided and both sets are controlled from the front panel to be used independently or concurrently which makes bi-wiring or running a separate pair of loudspeakers easier. Pre-amp outputs and power amp inputs (linked when operating in integrated mode) give further flexibility of application with bi-amping a possibility. Both MM and MC phono modules are an option. I did not have a chance to try them myself (my Dynavector Te-Kaitora shod LP12 has a Naim Prefix phono-stage hard wired inside it) but based on previous experience of Creek amplifiers I am sure they won't let the side down. Also gracing the front panel is a full size headphone socket that further enhances this amplifiers all-round appeal.

The circuit consists of a passive input stage and volume control which then feed the power amplifier section. It is possible to make this pre-amp section an active device by adding again module. The amplifier is DC coupled from input to output to avoid capacitance in the signal path. It is an all MOS-FET amplifier using N-channel devices in the output stage driven by a P-channel phase splitter and double differential voltage amplifier which is run in class A. This topology has allowed Michael Creek to create a "fast and low distortion amplifier with minimal negative feedback". The amplifier runs pretty warm, not ludicrously, just hotter than the average integrated, implying higher than average bias currents.

During my time with the amplifier it was used in combination with the Creek CD53 (the subject of a review itself in the next issue) as well as with my own Micromega CD player and LP12 / Prefix vinyl front end. Speakers were my usual Shahinian Obelisks and the Creek, like the Rotel and Naim before it, seemed very happy driving these speakers which are well outside the list of those you would expect it to be partnered with. The amplifier was always a pleasure to use once it had settled in.

So after all the guff above about sound quality not deciding sales success what does the Creek sound like? Well the first thing that strikes you about this amplifier is its mid-range performance and in this area the Creek excels. Listening to virtually anything on the 5350 SE and you are presented with a very expressive mid band that is wonderfully seductive and very easy to listen to. The obvious place to experience this is with female vocals and I listened to a lot of female vocalists with the Creek. Take Suzanne Vega and her Nine Objects of Desire album. Ms. Vega has a very communicative voice and this is both well projected and given plenty of space by the Creek on this her most rhythmical album. Those rhythms are very well portrayed with minimal time smearing across the whole frequency range keeping the music whole. Bass underpinned the song in a very satisfactory way with pretty reasonable weight although the lighter balance of the CD53 was appreciated more than the full range output of my Micromega. Creek have obviously balanced the sound of these products extremely carefully and the fuller Micromega and excellent bass performance of the Shaninians sometimes exposed the Creek a little too much. The 5350SE lacks the leading edge definition of the Naim Nait 5 but has excellent tonality in that all important midrange giving instruments plenty of body and realism.

Testing the other end of the performance envelope by playing the AC/DC album Stiff Upper Lip and indulging in a little heavy metal nostalgia (and air guitar playing) we are given plenty of emotion in the unique vocal. Again the quality midrange is making itself apparent. Over and around this, Angus Youngs guitar was constantly singing its hypnotic tune, the Creek resolving the subtlety and speed of the guitar playing. The result is very tuneful allowing you to simply enjoy the music. When things got going at serious volumes the amplifier did start to lose control and as a result lost some of its musicality. But bear in mind that at these sorts of levels you are basically listening to the limits of the power supply (especially given the Obelisks' awkward load) and this was well outside of the operating range of most domestic situations. But a spin at high volumes does emphasise the lack of absolute control and depth in the bass that we would get with the Rotel 1060, or indeed my much more expensive Dynavector and Naim amplifiers. You need some pretty serious speakers to make this deficiency apparent and using more typical partnering devices the bass is ample and well controlled, keeping the result musical while the 5350SE rocks well enough for all bar the most heavily studded of user's.

This amplifier continually demonstrates a rhythmic integrity that is rare to find. Sure, the Naim and to a lesser extent the Rotel also have it, but increasingly this ability to hang a song together rhythmically seems to have been sacrificed on the audiophool altar with far too many components at many times the Creek's price. The Creek is definitely a strong performer in this most important area. Take Natalie Merchant and her latest long player Motherland. When you first listen to this album the obvious springs to the fore; Natalie's fantastic and unusual voice. But if that voice lacked a connection to the music of the song the result would be simply dull and boring. Through the Creek you don't have to worry, all of the performers can strut their funky stuff and produce a result greater than the sum of the parts, making music that grabs you emotionally.

The Creek's balance of sonic virtues makes it an excellent choice for the classical music lover. I am a complete amateur in this musical sphere (which you will have picked up from my references in various reviews!) but I know what I like, and the Creek is more than capable of getting it out into the room. String tone and timbre are extremely well handled. Take the "Libiamo ne'lieti calici" from Verdi's La Traviata. Here the string section is allowed to provide a wonderful backdrop to the singers. And again in Aida, "Se quel Guerrier". The upper registers are sweet and don't draw unwarranted attention to themselves. The treble is a very natural extension of the mid-band and means nothing is forced on the listener.

The result is a low fatigue sound allowing you to listen to many records in a row. My only concern is the lack of control under extreme duress. There is no hardening but there is a thickening and lack of absolute control of the transient power. Provided you stay in the envelope however you can only be impressed with the dynamic contrast that is available. This amplifier performs extremely well in my relatively small listening environment, but if you want to fill a hall with music make sure the speakers are efficient! Other competitors will play louder but at the expense of the pure quality of the Creek. You pays your money and takes your choice.

Which is exactly the point. At the end of the day you are spoilt for choice if you have this sort of money to invest in an amplifier. Whether the Creek ends up in your equipment rack will depend on how you react to its specific blend of virtues. The competition is so hot that a definitive recommendation is impossible, but the 5350SE should definitely be on your listening list. Its combination of looks, facilities and sound quality is amongst the best on offer.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Creek 5350SE Integrated Amplifier
Type: Line integrated amp with optional gain and phono sections.
Inputs: 4 x Line; 2 x Tape; 1 x Power-amp
Input sensitivity: 525MV
Outputs: 2x Tape; 1 x Pre-out; 2prs Speakers
Rated Output: 85W into 8 Ohms
Weight: 8kg
Dimensions (W x H x D): 430 x 80 x 280 mm
Price: UK£799

Manufacturer: Creek Audio
Tel. (44)(0)208-361-4133
Fax. (44)(0)208-361-4136
E-mail. info "at" creekaudio.co.uk

Net. www.creekaudio.co.uk

Back to Last Page | Top | Forward to Next Page | Technical Review index