Fiona Cheeseman « Setton AS1100 Amplifier »
Published on 06/03/19 at 07:57
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
My father owned a TV / HiFi store in Colchester England. Apart from Hi-Fi Brands like Bang & Olufsen, Sony, JVC, Technics, Teac, AKAI, Rotel, Sansui and Pioneer we sold Tannoy, Quad, Thorens, Revox, Leak and Wharfedale. One day we were approached to sell a Brand organised by Jacques Setton, a famous French, millionaire, racing driver and in France he was the importer for Pioneer. I say organised as he didn't make Setton Hi-Fi he commissioned it.
We decided to take a receiver, and an amplifier to try to sell them, at the same time we had a range of our own speakers, GSR, which I had designed.
As a young hi-fi enthusiast I was blown away by the quality of the sound especially when driving Tannoy Cheviots. The Setton's didn't sell so they were dropped down in price to clear. No-one new the brand. I couldnt ever afford my perfect setup.
Move on many years, the shop is closed, long gone and forgotten. Its taken years and I have in the main house a Bang & Olufsen 7700 system driving Tannoy Cheviots, I also have a Denon for surround sound on the TV with a Rotel CD player switched to the same Cheviots. My children have Quad44/405 / Tannoy605 and Leak3400 Tannoy605 systems in the bedrooms.
In my outside office I have had B&O 3000-2, B&O 4000, Rotel RX803, Leak3400, Technics SA5460 driving Tannoys Eaton but still kept looking at e-Bay for Setton, then one appeared nearby at a price I could justify to the family. I was the only bidder and I won it. The seller was sad to see it go as he thought it was the best amp he had owned.
I put it in at home and I was blown away, it was good as I remembered even though my own frequency response has attenuated. Clear trebles punchy bass and precise transients. It has plenty of inputs, easy to use and looks fantastic.
I have now stopped looking for more HiFi. I drive it with a Technics RS-TR474Mk2 and Sansui TU-D33XL. I'm using a computer for MP3 but Ill be looking for a CD.
We decided to take a receiver, and an amplifier to try to sell them, at the same time we had a range of our own speakers, GSR, which I had designed.
As a young hi-fi enthusiast I was blown away by the quality of the sound especially when driving Tannoy Cheviots. The Setton's didn't sell so they were dropped down in price to clear. No-one new the brand. I couldnt ever afford my perfect setup.
Move on many years, the shop is closed, long gone and forgotten. Its taken years and I have in the main house a Bang & Olufsen 7700 system driving Tannoy Cheviots, I also have a Denon for surround sound on the TV with a Rotel CD player switched to the same Cheviots. My children have Quad44/405 / Tannoy605 and Leak3400 Tannoy605 systems in the bedrooms.
In my outside office I have had B&O 3000-2, B&O 4000, Rotel RX803, Leak3400, Technics SA5460 driving Tannoys Eaton but still kept looking at e-Bay for Setton, then one appeared nearby at a price I could justify to the family. I was the only bidder and I won it. The seller was sad to see it go as he thought it was the best amp he had owned.
I put it in at home and I was blown away, it was good as I remembered even though my own frequency response has attenuated. Clear trebles punchy bass and precise transients. It has plenty of inputs, easy to use and looks fantastic.
I have now stopped looking for more HiFi. I drive it with a Technics RS-TR474Mk2 and Sansui TU-D33XL. I'm using a computer for MP3 but Ill be looking for a CD.
