Graham Slee at Walrus

Graham Slee

In the old days, when men were men, shirt collars were wide and trousers flared, amplifiers came with phono stages and headphone provision already built in. In fact, almost every component had a headphone socket. Nowadays, they don't, and perhaps that's a good thing, because it's spawned a whole raft of add-on products to do the same thing, but with far better quality than the previously integrated but compromised solutions.

Graham Slee's phono amps and headphone amps have come from nowhere over the last few years to become one of the most popular examples of these vital components, winning many awards. They're popular because they simultaneously sound excellent and cost relatively little. In case, by the way, anyone was wondering, Graham has had a long association with the UK audio industry - he worked as a design engineer with Sugden for many years.

GS phono stages range from the basic Gram Amp 2, through the ever popular Gram Amp 2SE to the top Reflex M. There are also models, the Jazz Club and the Revelation M, to cater for the equalisation needs of vintage 78s and LPs. The lower cost units come with a tiny basic switch-mode mains power supply and can be upgraded with the superior PSU-1 at extra cost. This can either be done when purchasing, or for slightly greater cost at a later date.

GS now have several headphone amps in their range. The original Solo model is now available in two varieties and has been joined by the lower cost, popular Novo and the portable Voyager, an interesting unit which is battery powered and improves the sound of small music players including iPods, and allows the use of larger, less sensitive headphones too.

If you find the complete current GS line-up confusing (check out their website, link below) you are not alone!

Please contact us and we will endeavour to explain what's what before you purchase.

All images courtesy of Graham Slee.GS website