As a long time user of the old Stereo Alecto, in fact I use a bi-amped pair, I was a natural choice to review the new and 'improved' version. Outwardly identical to my amp(s), retaining the highly individual 'potty from hell' look, the guts have been thoroughly revised and Michell claim improvements in all areas, particularly speed and detail retrieval. This sounded promising but a slight warning note sounded somewhere in the dusty cupboards at the back of my mind: The original Alecto is in my opinion a rather special and magical beast, at least when it is connected to the right accompanying kit. So before getting into the review proper, I think it would be useful to consider why it is that I rate the older amps so highly.

My speakers are Ruark Paladins, an unjustly maligned (and no longer in production) speaker, that when properly matched can produce an almost panel like sound that on acoustic material, and with vocals in particular, is very beguiling. In common with any well balanced speaker, matching is critical, and having tried everything from small Meridian amps (close, but no cigar) to the big Meridian 557 (not even in the same fairground and barely worth a chocolate cigarette), the Stereo Alecto immediately did the trick. It brought the Ruarks alive. The main quality was a valve-like presence to vocals, and whilst there was a slight softness to the treble and bass extremes, the amp produced an open and airy soundstage. Seeming much more powerful than its predecessors, it created a real sense of dynamic clout.

It's hardly surprising that the amp demonstrated this valve-like tendency since conceptually it was inspired by the legendary Leak Stereo 20, a '60's classic that is still sought after today. Inspired in terms of musical performance rather than its circuitry you understand. The 20 had that magical combination of just enough power to drive most contemporary speakers, and few enough output devices to have the midrange agility and dynamics to make really enjoyable music. You know how it is when after many years of searching and countless 'near misses', you finally hit on a product that is simply right. One that allows music to be reproduced in a way that'll have you leaving record sleeves and CD cases littering the floor as another listening session turns into a four hour journey of re-discovery. That's the Leak. It's also thee Stereo Alecto. My only mild concern after some months of use was that I felt the Paladins could do with a little more control, particularly in the bottom end where they tend to the vague and wooly if not tightly gripped. Since I thought that this was the amp for me, the simple solution (at least it seemed simple when Roy suggested it to me), was to add another Allecto to bi-amp the system. Voila: a small overdraft enhancement and sheer happiness. Without losing any of the magical qualities, the bottom end was now better controlled with the added bonus of further improvements in staging, dynamics and detail retrieval. Vocals were if anything even better, full, rounded and three-dimensional, and the sheer naturalness of acoustic instruments was a delight.

Having now lived happily with these amps for over three years, the thought of a totally revised model brought an inevitable sense of trepidation. Would this be another special where the baby was slung out with the bath water at update time? Even though the amp was from the same designer (Graham Fowler of Trichord Research), could he manage a repeat performance having already (in my highly satisfied and therefore slightly biased opinion) painted a good part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling with the original design.

The new amp, although it looks identical, is a completely novel design, and part of Michell's drive to re-vamp their entire range of electronics in order to maintain their status as affordable, but truly high-end products. The new Stereo Alecto is intended to offer improvements in all areas at (approximately) the same price as the original amp. Key to the new design and replacing the original Hitachi devices, an output device from Exicon. Designed principally for the pro audio market, these mosfets are intended to radically improve the 'grip' and speed of the amp.

Since I had but one amp to play with, it was a case of back to the single, bi-wired stereo set up to allow proper comparison. Re-wiring the system to connect the new amp brought about an immediate criticism. A little re-tooling of the casework could make it a lot more user friendly and flexible: the heat sink fins run across the entire back of the unit with the speaker terminal block cut into the centre. This provides adequate space to single wire any cables, but installing a bi-wire set of my fairly chunky Audioplan LS6 is another matter. New and richly descriptive Celtic expressions were brought into play before a set was safely installed without fear of immediate shorting. And whilst this hasn't changed from the original design, time had allowed the painful memories to fade. By simply removing the heat sink fins above the terminal block, much better and importantly, much safer access would be possible. I know it wouldn't be quite so pretty to look at, but think of the benefits to my blood pressure.

Hooked up originally to my Meridian 501 pre-amp / Michell Iso / Hera, I selected a few favourites and settled down to quick a pre-run-in listen. First impressions were that Michell were spot-on about speed. If my older Alecto is an Alpha GTV, then the new Alecto belongs at Silverstone. This, and the much improved resolution were immediately apparent. Equally apparent was the loss of midrange, at least at this somewhat premature 'fresh out of the box' stage. Clearly a period of run-in was required and after extensive casual listening, coupled with playing CDs on repeat whenever we left the house, I settled in for a serious session. As expected the mechanical constriction that had been clamped around the mid-band pre run-in had now disappeared. Whilst vocals didn't have quite the life and dimensional presence that the old amp demonstrated, everything was much ore even handed. You didn't get that sense of mid-range uber alles. I suspect that this amp is simply more accurate whilst the older amp demonstrated a degree of (very beguiling) voicing.

The speed was still very much in evidence. Steve Earle's all acoustic Train a Comin opens with 'Mystery Train Part 11', the attack of fingers moving over strings as they're strummed at manicure threatening speed is palpable. Throughout this superbly recorded album the tone and character of each instrument, whether it's guitar, fiddle, mandolin or acoustic bass is both identifiable and full of character. The bass because it's better defined and tighter, excites room resonances (where are those Bass Tunes?) in a way that is much more akin to the real thing than the slightly soft and bloomy version that I'd become used to with the older amp. The gruff edge to Earle's voice is also caught in a way that allows that crucial bit more expression to come across, making the whole performance absolutely riveting.

And the improved broad band resolution was there regardless. A recently acquired Japanese pressing of the Kenny Burrell / Gill Evans LP Guitar Forms took on new life. Take 'Lotus Land'. Pretty impressive stuff with the original amp, with plenty of crisp drum rolls, castanets, horns with real weight and presence, forming a backdrop to Burrell's Spanish flavoured guitar work. With the new amp the whole piece was simply more real, more involving and more musically convincing than the original. Similarly, on the track 'Terrace Theme' with it's slinky rhythms and loping bass, the newly expansive sound-stage was immediately obvious. Bongos that had sat firmly around the left speaker were now a couple of feet outside it. Each element of the drum kit was now more clearly defined, and the relationship between Burrell and the band took on the 'proper' proportions.

Moving to a treasured first pressing of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances with Kubelik and the VPO, the chorus is spread in a natural arc between the speakers and there's much clearer definition between the separate voices that make up the choir. There was a much greater sense of group, a collection of individuals acting as a whole. String tone is also more natural, with much more clearly defined separation between the various instruments. And this definition holds rock-steady during crescendos, with no card-house collapsed to mar the integrity of the performance.

On the Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzie Gillespie and friends Alternative Blues album, Terry's muted trumpet is more precisely defined with less ''fizz' than the old Alecto, and Bobby Durham's cymbals have a more natural hiss and decay. Ray Brown's plucked bass strings carry more weight, and you are more aware of the body of the instrument. To be honest, this is a performance that would get you going even if it was played with a chipped porcupine quill on a Dansette, but the 'in the studio' feel and the enhanced pleasure that the new Alecto brings are a joy.

You've probably guessed by now that I like the new Alecto. It is yet to develop the same magic as the old amp (give it time) but it already does much more, more accurately and with greater finesse, and as such offers another and more powerful magic of it's own. From album to album it enhanced my listening pleasure, helping to give a greater insight to recordings and performances and that surely is what it's all about. And for me there's an additional fringe benefit: my Paladins are now held in a vice-like authoritative grip with but a single Stereo Alecto. Like all the best power amps it does it with a sense of ease and unflappability. And since Michell can upgrade older amps to the new specification via a simple change of board I'm left with one simple problem. I'm going to upgrade an amp but will have one spare. Does anyone out there want a much loved, low mileage , bodywork in immaculate condition, used Alecto? (Oh sod it, what are overdrafts for?)