CREEK

4040 A Integrated Amplifier

£799

As the recent 2023 Munich High End Show proved, hi-fi is undergoing a strange fascination with its past right now - 'newstalgia', if you like. Of course, the flow of new products never stops, but more so than ever, we are seeing so-called 'Tribute' or 'Anniversary' designs appear. These are either close copies of the original or so-called 'reimagined' versions of classics with the same name and aimed at the same niche but quite different in engineering terms.

Creek Audio's new 4040 A is one such example of the latter. Designed to commemorate the famous British company's fortieth anniversary, it shares the same name as Creek's first-ever product, launched way back in 1982. Yet it's technically totally different from, and bears little visual resemblance to, the original CAS4040. Traditional values in a modern setting, you might say! It has all the bells and whistles that you'd expect from a modern integrated amplifier – such as a built-in DAC and a small centrally mounted display – but still channels the minimalism of the original eighties classic.

UP CLOSE

Interestingly, the new 4040 A is a half-width design; vital statistics are 215x60x255mm [WxHxD] and 2.2kg. As the original couldn't really be called a full-width amplifier, in real terms, the size difference isn't that large – yet still, this amplifier is very compact and appears to cram an awful lot into a small space, just like Doctor Who's TARDIS does. Designer Michael Creek says that his new baby puts out 55W RMS per channel into 8 ohms, and a very healthy 110W into half that load, both channels driven. Contrast that to the old CAS4040 with its 30W, which itself was based upon an upgraded version of a 10W power amp circuit used by his father's audio company, Wyndsor.

Of course, this is only possible thanks to the use of Class D power modules; Mike tells me that it simply wouldn't have been viable to do a Class AB design (like the original CAS4040) in a half-width case and incorporate the DAC and Bluetooth functionality of this new amp. Thanks to the very high efficiency of Class D – which gives out far less heat than conventional designs – it's possible to reliably produce a lot of power in a small space.

This might produce tears of sadness in some hardcore audiophiles' eyes because many people still prefer Class AB, but everything is a compromise. Class D technology is coming on apace and can sound rather good nowadays. It's also fair to say that the 4040 A would be an inferior product were it Class AB – because its power output would be well down due to the lack of internal room for heatsinking.

This little amp employs a 7x7mm stereo Class D integrated amplifier IC with built-in MOSFETs, which Mike says hasn't been used in a high-end product before – namely the MERUS Infineon Technology MA5332MS. Claimed efficiency is 95% at full power, with over 8 amps maximum current, 0.01% THD, and a signal-to-noise ratio of over 102dB. Frequency response is said to be 1Hz to 50kHz, +/-3dB. One key reason for this relatively high power output and load-driving ability (for its size) is Creek Audio's specially developed switching power supply, rated at 350 watts and voltage-stabilised. Mike says it doubles its power output each time the load impedance is halved, regardless of the mains voltage.

Ironically then, despite its very different engineering DNA, the new 4040 A actually closely resembles the original amplifier. This is because it is, as Mike once described the original CAS4040 to me, “a unique design in a case that was far slimmer than the norm at the time.” It should prove to be a winning combination, as – lest we forget – the original went on to be a huge success. Mike tells me that he first made 100 pieces with a £4,000 bank loan, and by 1985 he was selling 1,200 amps and 350 matching tuners per month. He admits that his largest problem was actually getting the amplifiers made rather than convincing people to buy them in the first place. This was partly why he sold his company to TGI PLC in 1988, and more than 25,000 CAS4040s were sold before it ceased production in 1993. By the way, in 1994, he repurchased his company and has been running it ever since.

The new 4040 A has good connectivity with two pairs of unbalanced RCA phono inputs and one pair of balanced XLR ins. The first auxiliary input can be reconfigured to a power amp direct input, and the second aux input can also accommodate Creek's Sequel Mk4 phono board. Four digital inputs are fitted: coaxial, optical, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth aptX HD wireless. Digital conversion is courtesy of an ESS Sabre ES9018k2m stereo DAC.

As you'd expect for an amplifier aimed at relative newcomers to this hobby, it's easy enough to use. It has two large rotary knobs controlling source and volume, respectively, plus a menu system that's accessible by pushing the source selector in. Together with the small but clear and precise colour display, you can select all manner of things via the sub-menu – including bass and treble controls. A 6.3mm headphone socket is supplied for 30 to 300 ohm 'phones. The amplifier feels nicely made and comes in a choice of black or silver fascias.

THE LISTENING

It's a hard life for a budget amplifier nowadays. They're expected to have ample power to drive most speakers, and not disgrace themselves in the sound quality stakes. The new Creek 4040 A ticks these boxes immediately – it doesn't sound or behave like a cheap integrated. Of course, more expensive amplifiers do better, but the key thing about this little box is that it hides its tracks very well – never do you feel like you're sitting in the cheap seats.

In fact, this is its defining characteristic – it's a budget amp that doesn't sound like one. It has a smooth tonality – maybe just a tad on the soft and warm side but not excessively so – plus a decent amount of power and a satisfyingly musical nature. It's not wildly euphoric to listen to because, in absolute terms, the Creek 4040 A is a little opaque and can't quite punch out heavy programme material with the best of them, yet still, it's a capable listening partner. Via one of its analogue inputs, fed by a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC, it did a great job of Slave to the Rhythm by Grace Jones…

This is an expansive-sounding Trevor Horn production from the late nineteen eighties. The little Creek didn't sound in the least bit bothered, driving a pair of Cambridge Audio Aero 6 floorstanders. It set up a solid groove and a soundstage that pushed wider and deeper than expected. It handled the singer's distinctive vocals really well, giving an accurate rendition of the grain of her voice and her expressive phrasing. At the same time, the rhythm section pounded out with no sense of strain, driving the song along. The 4040 A was able to conjure up a sense of dramatic tension as the song pushed to a crescendo.

This track is heavily synthesiser-driven, but it continued to impress with acoustic rock music. The Dandy Warhols' Bohemian Like You sounded big, brash and breezy; the opening electric organ was impressively natural, the close-miked and compressed vocals had a strong presence between the speakers, and the guitar work was suitably buzzy and impactful. This is a dense mix made for FM radio, and the Creek was detailed enough to unpick it and let the listener home in on individual instruments. All the elements of the song hung together in a rhythmically convincing way; the song had power, direction and soul.

This little amplifier's midband performance is impressive at the price; it's more lucid and natural sounding than perhaps you'd expect. It lacks ultimate detail but still paints an accurate enough picture to make any type of music enjoyable. For example, The Crusaders' Street Life – a late seventies jazz/soul classic with Randy Crawford on solo vocals – was really well carried, even through its built-in DAC fed from a high-end Sony CD-PX77ES CD player. The 4040 A conveyed an impressively wide recorded acoustic, with the Fender Rhodes electric piano and percussion precisely located in the mix, and the strings soaring above and the bass guitar chewing along underneath it all. The amp remained well composed on the song's chorus while the singer really belted it out.

In absolute terms, the Creek's bass is a little lighter than more expensive integrated amps, such as the Exposure 3510 (at three times its price), and the treble lacks some definition and air. Yet it hides its tracks so well that most will simply enjoy the music and forgive it its foibles. Whatever programme material I chose, from the glorious orchestration of Elgar's Symphony No.1 (LSO, Simon Rattle) to the dreamy synth-pop of AIR's All I Need, this amplifier really enjoyed itself.

THE VERDICT

Nostalgists might not like me saying this, but I think the new 4040 A is a better all-rounder than the iconic original amplifier it pays homage to – it has more power and detail. It also retains the original's joie de vivre and generally likeable nature, as well as adding facilities and connectivity that a modern amp can't really live without these days. It's proof that four decades on, Creek Audio hasn't lost its touch – and is a fitting tribute to the company's illustrious past.

For more information visit Creek Audio