Manley Labs

Stingray II Integrated Amplifier

£8,799 RRP

Whichever way you look at it, Manley's Stingray II must be one of the most visually striking tube amplifiers on sale. It's as though it has beamed down from the imagination of a nineteen-fifties sci-fi writer's idea of twenty-first century spacecraft – or something like that. This is due to its unusual hexagonal shape and the way it appears that the unit 'hovers' above your shelf. The floating effect is possible due to the amp's weight distribution – and it's a heavy beast – allowing for the front supports to be situated further back along the chassis.

UP CLOSE

The Stingray II is a line-level integrated amplifier with a passive preamp section and power from eight (four per channel) EL84 output valves – or tubes if you prefer, as this is an American design, after all. It can be run in two different modes, triode offering around 20 watts per channel and ultra-linear providing almost 40 watts of push-pull power. Premium tubes are used throughout, the aforementioned EL84s being NOS Russian types, for example. Bias is user-adjustable and requires a volt meter or multimeter (supplied) to set. Manley Labs recommends checking once every three months or whenever a tube is replaced.

While you'll need an outboard phono stage if you want to use a turntable, the amp has three RCA line inputs on the back panel along with a mini-jack input at the front, should you want to plug in your phone or other such device. Headphone users are catered for via the excellent onboard headphone amp and its standard quarter-inch jack input connector; connecting your cans automatically mutes the output to loudspeakers. You also get Recording Out/Loop Send and Loop Return connectors to facilitate taping or inserting an external device, such as an equaliser, if you go in for that sort of thing.

Two chunky rotary dials reside on the frontmost side of the hexagonal case, along with a standby button. Tiny blue LEDs run along the circumference of the dials, which can be configured to display in a multitude of dazzling ways that I won't go into here, except to say I used the dimming feature to make them as discreet as possible. The volume knob, which doubles as a balance control, is a delight to use. It is indented for minuscule and precise level changes, yet swift to react when you want to drastically reduce volume quickly.

Likewise, the input selector knob feels purposeful in use and, apart from selecting the source, controls the Main Menu functions of the Stingray II. This includes all of the LED display options as well as facilitating input level adjustment to match the incoming signal from various sources; a nice touch. This also configures the operation of the remote control, which I'll explain once I've mentioned that a standby button sits between the rotary dials on the front fascia, and that the amp defaults to standby mode upon power-up.

The aforementioned remote control is a sizeable object with large push-buttons ideal for those who find standard cluttered devices fiddly. It's heavy too, weighing in at an arm-aching 11.3 oz (319g), contrasting significantly with the remote control for my Leema Stream IV streamer/CD player. This, at a mere 2.2 oz (64g), is gossamer-light by comparison! Two modes of remote control are available, allowing communication with the Stingray II via infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF), the latter enabling remote operation from just about anywhere in your house.

As a line-level only amplifier, I primarily used my Stream IV throughout the review process, although I also spun vinyl using my SME 3009-equipped Garrard 401 turntable. This was hooked up to the Stingray II via an Icon Audio PS1 phono stage for a pure analogue/valve front end. Anglo/American collaboration was furthered with the use of three pairs of classic British loudspeakers (not at the same time, of course), namely Tannoy Berkeley, Rogers LS3/5a and original Quad ESL, colloquially known as 57s.

THE LISTENING

Like all good valve amplifiers – and the better they're designed, the more this applies – the Stingray II majors on its portrayal of the music's midband. Which means that lead instruments and voices, for example, positively drip with harmonic content. It manages to separate musical strands without pulling apart the production for forensic analysis, always putting the performance first. The result is a very beguiling yet engaging listen when this amplifier is giving off its best.

That's easier said than done, however, as its choice of triode or ultralinear modes requires some active experimentation on the listener's part. While there was very little difference in the sonic character in either mode, the nature of the speakers used ultimately dictated operation. While triode mode was certainly a better, more synergistic match for the large Tannoys, which will go extremely loud with relatively few watts, things weren't quite so clear cut with the Rogers LS3/5a mini-monitor. Despite the relative insensitivity (82.5dB), this classic BBC design is reasonably easy to drive and again triode operation impressed with its lush, engrossing and more musically satisfying character.

Ultralinear, on the other hand, seemed in some ways more controlled and correct – more BBC-like, if you will. That extra helping of power added focus to the musical picture for a more concise and clear-cut sound. Driving the Quad electrostatics, Ultralinear operation was clearly the better option, with the ESL's wild impedance swings not really compatible with the way triode mode sees and reacts to the loudspeaker load.

While my chosen three pairs of speakers are vastly different in various ways, they all work well with my vintage Leak TL12 Plus amplifiers, which produces 14 watts per channel of push/pull power, so the Stingray II has more than enough juice for each of them. Do bear in mind, though, that some speakers – even relatively sensitive ones – require significantly stiffer solid-state power to sing sweetly, so system synergy should be at the forefront of your mind when building a system around this amplifier.

A spin of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Deja Vu CD illustrates this point perfectly. While it's not the purest hi-fi recording, it has a lovely warm, homely vibe that the Stingray II makes the most of musically. The three-part harmonies of Teach Your Children blend beautifully yet remain distinct from the soft acoustic and pedal steel guitar accompaniment. The late, great David Crosby has never sounded more exasperated singing Almost Cut My Hair. It's the emotions expressed so exquisitely through the Stingray II that divert attention from the track's underwhelming attempts to rock out.

That's not to say the amp wimps out when presented with some proper powerful rock, as I discovered when playing Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit (24-bit, 96kHz) at party levels through the big Tannoys. Here, the performance comes across with great momentum and drive, yet without the midrange glare and hardness that this track often promotes through solid-state amplification. And while I've heard slightly more low-end control from beefy transistor designs, the balance between the smooth yet punchy midrange and weighty bass makes for a more cohesive, less aggressive presentation.

Switching to vinyl with an all-time favourite of mine, Kate Bush's The Man With The Child In His Eyes, and the harmonically rich yet delicate nature of the Stingray entered the spotlight. The interplay between the piano and cello is a good indicator of timbral accuracy, with this amplifier showing its strength here along with its wonderfully open and sweet treble quality. There's a certain sheen, like a halo of air, that seems to be the preserve of thermionic devices, lending music a sense of space so that the highest frequencies seem to extend up into the stratosphere.

The musical heart of this amplifier is always apparent, especially when playing some well-recorded jazz, as I discovered while listening to my recently acquired reissue of trumpeter Harry Beckett's Flare Up LP, lovingly remastered from the original stereo mastertape through an all-valve, analogue signal chain. The effortless, free-flowing nature of the amp's rhythmic and dynamic prowess that I had grown accustomed to was highlighted superbly. Don't expect hard, trip-hammer transients at the expense of the heart of the music from the Stingray II. Here, you get the full picture, without leading edges overshadowing the body and tail of notes. Music is unforced yet remains powerful and dynamic, while the amp's tonal palette is wide-ranging and vivid.

THE VERDICT

The type of audiophile who revels in 'inky black silences' might mistake this amplifier's natural musical poise as lacking in resolution, yet in truth, you're missing nothing, and all the music is there. The Stingray II's designer EveAnna Manley has created an amplifier with music in its heart and soul, rather than going for the stark, brutalist approach of some hi-fi components. It brings out the joy of music, never highlighting flaws in recordings that often make you reach for audiophile test discs.

If you are seduced by Stingray II's visual design, I would be amazed if you were unimpressed with its sound. Choose a pair of loudspeakers that won't buckle without several hundred watts of power through their terminals, then mate with a first-class front-end, and you'll have a wonderfully beguiling system that makes the most of whatever music you choose to enjoy through it.

For more information visit Manley Labs