Sugden Audio is a British engineering company that manufactures hi-fi and audio equipment. Founded by James Edward Sugden in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire in 1967,[1] the company is best known as the manufacturer of the Sugden A21 amplifier.
| Company type | Private limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audiovisual equipment manufacturing and distribution |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
Key people | Jim Sugden Richard Allan |
| Products | High fidelity equipment Audiovisual equipment |
| Website | www |
Sugden had been involved in the manufacture of scientific equipment since 1960 with his company Research Electronics.[1][2] Sugden was keenly interested in hi-fi, in particular in overcoming the problem of crossover distortion common in Class B solid state amplifier designs at the time. He developed a Class-A amplifier, the Si 402, which avoided this, however it was extremely expensive, costing 100 Guineas (£105, equivalent to £2,400 in 2023[3]) and few if any were sold.[2] At the time, Sugden was the only company in the industry using Class A design in their Hi-Fi amplifiers.[1]
The following year Sugden agreed to work with local loudspeaker manufacture Richard Allan, which would market Sugden's amplifiers under their brand name.[4] In April 1968 the A21 amplifier was premiered at an audio fair in London. It would sell for a much more attractive £52 and received good reviews in the audio press.[4]
Shortly after they set up a factory at Carr Street in Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire and started producing the A21 amplifier under their own name.[1] They subsequently expanded their range of products to include other amplifiers and tuners.
In 1981 they relocated to Valley Road in Heckmondwike where they remain.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Sugden Heritage". Neophonics.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ a b "The Si402". www.audiomisc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Richard Allan Class A amplifier". www.audiomisc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2017.