Any info on a British made company called ITL??? Looking for info on the MA-100 power amp.

ITL was manufactured in Portsmouth in around 1986. I met the designer who was an eccentric character if I may say so. I had a demo of a ITL power amp at home in 1987 but the transformer had a loud mechanical buzz so I returned it. A few years later, I believe B & W bought the design and launched them under the Aura brand. Please correct me if I am wrong.

That chap would be Andy Hunt I believe. I too had a couple of prototypes on loan before they set up business at ITL in New Road. I've not seen him since then but assume he worked for B&W.

As for MA-100 I have no idea...

There amps, where they any good??

I had a demo of a ITL power amp at home in 1987 but the transformer had a loud mechanical buzz so I returned it. A few years later, I believe B & W bought the design and launched them under the Aura brand. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Nothing much changed when (if) it became Aura, then. Auras were nice amps, but suffered from some serious reliability problems.
I suspect that parts and servcing would be a real issue irrespective of how good the amps sound.

I bought an ITL amp for my parents system about 20 years ago – it is still running reliably. I would say the build quality is fine. I compared the amp to a naim 42/110/snaps setup, hardly a fair comparison, but that is what I was using at the time in my system. I preferred the naim however the ITL was excellent value and fairly powerful. I would say the sound quality was in the same ballpark as an audiolab integrated of that era.

Thanks I just was curious I saw some on ebay and they looked a bit like the old "black" Exposure stuff.

I bought an ITL amp for my parents system about 20 years ago – it is still running reliably. I would say the build quality is fine.
That's good to hear. I would still be running my Aura had it been more reliable.

I had a brief pm conversation with Joel when I first found pinkfish, and remember discussing Aura's. My VA100 is fine, I bought it in April 1993. Of course I may have been lucky. I believe Joel's was one of the bigger ones, in the UK we mostly got VA80's and VA100's, I think.

Not exactly ITL, but for what it's worth here's a link with some info about Aura products,

http://www.dustystylus.com/hifi/aurap.html

My experience with Aura : I bought a used Aura VA100 int amp a few years ago and it hummed through the speakers.

Hi What do you whant to know about Itl.
i started the companey and desighned the amps
andrew hunt

I sold out itl to Michel Tu he sold it to Band W and then the amps went down hill,problems like buzzing transformers this is becouse he stoped useing quality ones for cheep ones

well it is a suprise to see you lot talking about my work,arfter so long

Hey Andy.

My oldest bit of kit is about 20 years old, the newest about 3 months old..

I think hifi has a huge shelf life.. which must be a nice thought for someone involved in the industry.

I dont know ITL myself, but welcome - I'm sure some fans will be along with some questions.

I remember Freetime Audio run by Nick in the Tricorn Centre of Portsmouth. Nick used to sell ITL amps. Are you still designing audio amps? What is Nick doing now, he is a really nice chap?

I remember seeing ITL amps years ago. I recall liking the simple understated looks.
Were they Mosfet designs?

Nick i heard works at the portsmouth museum.
i still make amplifiers look on ebay at matrix amplifier,
i make them!
if i remember i used to call him peker (big nose)

yes lateral fet,the one i make now str3000 has 64 fet's in it.
it can put a voltage across a 4 ohm speaker of 280v

I sold out itl to Michel Tu he sold it to Band W and then the amps went down hill,problems like buzzing transformers this is becouse he stoped useing quality ones for cheep ones

Andy

It's interesting to hear some comments from the designer about the parts used by manufacturers. ;)

I have fond memory of Freetime audio run by Nick who is a true audiophile, very passionate about hi fi. I remember he demonstrated the Philips CD960 (I think that's one of the first audiophile Philips CD players) costing more than 500 pounds in 1986. I bought a Elite Rock/ Excalibur arm/ Goldring Eroica from him. Pity I had to sell the turntable when I couldn't find a job after university. Just before closing down Freetime, Nick had an electronic technician working in Freetime who was designing a valve pre amp after I took my Croft Micro valve pre amp to show him. I think that the simplicity of the Croft inspired them to design their own.

Thanks for your contribution. All the best.

Hon

Hi Everyone....
I do remember the croft but i have to admit i don't remember the owner... sorry I guess that makes me a bit of an anorak !!... we never really did anything with the valve pre amp Freetime had to close before we could, but my word didnt it sound good !!... I would'nt be supprised if Nick still had it ( Must look him up one day).. The Elite rock was a real winner of a TT... fantastic sound, allthough i do remember that one of Nicks sales staff(pecker to those who knew!) had a habbit of "Scratching" with it !!!!
Ah yes Freetime was a place of discovery for all.... not just Hi Fi... there was the hair training salon on the first floor with all those young ladies, the first time i tasted Blue Mountain coffee (the coffee shop that opened 2 months before the tricorn closed (I'm sure we where there only customers). and the first time i ever got even with traffic wardens... who strangley could'nt get into there little room when it was snowing (the day after giving me a ticket... Thank-you plastic padding)... Wow happy memories... The last i heard of Nick he was working for the Museum in portsmouth... and loving it. Who else is out there then ?

Look forward to hearing from you...

PS i know my spelling sucks....

Steve.