Exposure Reviews

2010S Series

Art Dudley Reviews 2010S in November 2005 Stereophile...
... Exposure wins Stereophile Class A Recommended Component rating.

"This is a positively magnificent little amp. Its tunefulness and timing are beyond reproach, and, among other things, it's probably one of the most transparent amplification products I've ever heard at any price.

The Exposure 2010S is a terrific amp, and a bargain on the order of the Rega tonearm and Spendor's entry-level speakers. I know and like a lot of the folks whose products compete directly with the Exposure 2010S but they're going to have to work harder than hell to beat this thing.

What did surprise me was my own reaction: Every time I sat down to listen with the Exposure 2010S in my system, it pulled me in and made me smile; every time I tried to play it while I was doing something else, it made me sit down."

2010S CD Player - Best Buy

"Chalk up another hit for Exposure. After the success of the 2010S integrated amp in HFC 262, this matching CD spinner had a lot to live up to and - lo and behold - it did. It offers good imaging with some of the best depth we've heard around this price, very sweet treble and an extremely even-handed midrange... completely at home with everything from solo piano to glam rock to jazz ballads. It's an engaging Best Buy." - Hi-Fi Choice, March 2005

2010S CD Player

"The first thing that struck me when I slipped the CD player into my reference system was the naturalness of the presentation... vocal had a wonderful combination of smoothness and clarity... tonal balance was spot on right across the frequency range... the expected punch was present in spades. I was impressed how the 2010S CD felt at home with such diverse material. The key was the player's neutral performance. It doesn't shout about any one particular attribute, but this allows it to be a bit of a sonic chameleon... the player was totally devoid of any digital harshness, which allowed extended listening sessions with absolutely no listener fatigue. Highly recommended." - Hi-Fi News, April 2003

2010S Integrated Amplifier - Best Buy

"A fine example of how a hi-fi amp should be - it doesn't draw attention to itself, it just gets on with its job and does it very well. Suffice it to say that this amp gives an admirable degree of musical insight and communication, and altogether fulfils the criteria of high-fidelity sound. All-in-all a clear Best Buy." - Hi-Fi Choice, January 2005

2010S Amplifier and Integrated Bi-amp System - Best Buy

"The basic sound is not dissimilar to the 2010S integrated. In case you missed it, we found it punchy, rhythmic and tonally well-balanced, with a very open and natural treble, offering excellent dynamics and fine imaging. Above all, it was considered very musical and communicative, really drawing the listener into a performance. Measurements confirmed that its basic electrical performance is of a high standard, and its manners are good.

The 2010S power amp is slightly cleaner than the integrated, which figures given there's less in the way, (there's no volume control, source selector, buffer stage). That means on its own it's a stonkingly fine power amp at a price where there's very little competition. If you're after a 'starter' pre/power system we would have some trouble suggesting a better place to start.

Now, add the power amp to the integrated to form a bi-amp system and things really get interesting. After a track or three the penny begins to drop that there is a significant amount more musical information coming across. Images that before seemed clear enough are now even more clean and considerably more concrete and stable. Instrumental timbres are more naturally preserved, and inflections more meaningful. As upgrades go, it's a goody.

So, is this a sane upgrade? We'd have to say absolutely. So strong is the performance of this pair at a still-modest total [price] that we would urge you to try it. The combined price is still less than some integrated models of similar spec, and the result is very fine with a real lift over the good performance of each alone." - Hi-Fi Choice, March 2005

3010S Series

3010S CD and Integrated

"Exposure's 'Proudly Made in England by Music Lovers' tagline isn't just marketing BS. It's clear that the people behind these products know what music sounds like and are able to design components that bring music's emotional and intellectual power alive in a way that makes both standouts in their price class. The 3010S CD player and integrated amplifier make listening to music so intensely involving that it borders on an addiction." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, April/May 2008. (See link to full review on 3010S Series page.)

3010S CD and Integrated

"The electronics have a really musical gait to them which digs deep into the recording and lets the flavour flood out. I loved its ease of use, directness and overall musicality. Flare-flapping bass, a detailed and well lit midband and crisp, spry treble were all on offer, an enjoyable listen!" - HiFi World, February 2009.

3010S CD

"A highly articulate CD player, Exposure's 3010S possesses impressive breadth and depth, and good air and detail... a musically natural presentation capable of reproducing bloom, complex harmonics, excellent rhythmic pace, and deep, authoritative bass that's always easy and effortless sounding.
- TAS 2008 Editors' Choice Award Winner.

3010S Integrated

"The Exposure took to the Quads like a duck to water. The combination sounded wonderful in all the ways I expected - clarity, immediacy, presence, lack of obvious colorations... and sounded surprisingly big for such a relatively inexpensive solid-state product. More important, the amp followed the music with a good sense of flow, and preserved a lot of the touch and humanness. This newer one is very good." - Art Dudley, Stereophile, June 2008.

3010S Integrated

"Exposure's electronics deliver the goods by beautifully balancing detail with warmth, rhythmic precision with lyricism, and delicacy with power. With an optional phono card, the 3010S morphs with the music as each recording demands; it can be either sweet and mellow, lean and mean, or a combination of the above depending on the disc." - TAS 2008 Editors' Choice Award Winner.

Classic Series

Classic 35 Integrated Amplifier - Best Buy

"The 35's sound really is quite remarkably solid and weighty. It likes nothing better than to get properly stuck into some really hefty bass and deliver it with both aplomb and finesse. And yes, it does definitely do 'finesse', and very well, too. Lovers of subtler stuff should take note, too, because alongside the finesse at high levels is a good dose of subtlety with quieter music.

This is almost the best of both worlds, the precision of the best solid state design combined with just a touch of the qualities for which valves are renowned, and the end result is often that music is particularly pleasing to the ear where before it was perhaps a shade harsh.

For just sitting down and really getting properly involved in some music, the Exposure 35 looks like a very good choice. The 35 is very clearly a music-lover's amplifier first and foremost. Its sound may be a touch tailored, but it's been done in such a way as to maximize connection with the music without losing detail or or imaging - definitely Best Buy material." - Hi-Fi Choice, September 2005

Classic 23 Pre and 28 Power Amp win Hi-Fi Choice Product of the Year!

"There's something of the valve sound about the Exposure combo's fluid and natural midrange that is extremely engaging, the combination with Living Voice speakers proving highly fruitful on test. Tonally it's particularly gratifying, with instruments and voices reproduced very convincingly. This Exposure pre/power combo has a musical transparency and lightness of touch that gives it a distinct edge over the competition." - Hi-Fi Choice 2004

Classic 23 Pre-Amp and 28 Power Amp

"As well built as ever, with a more refined sound and presented in attractive new livery, the 23 / 28 combination maintains Exposure's deservedly solid reputation. This is proper hi-fi."