A03

About the A03

The Acoustic Research A-03 is a compact solid-state stereo integrated amplifier from Acoustic Research’s early‑1990s range, designed with a purist, no‑tone‑control layout and a focus on natural, low‑distortion sound reproduction. It provides around 30–40 watts per channel into 8 ohms (roughly 35–40 watts into 4 ohms) and is intended to drive typical 4–16 ohm hi‑fi loudspeakers with good current capability and damping. The front panel is deliberately uncluttered, with only the mains power switch and large volume control visible; most other controls are hidden behind a flip‑down front fascia. The amplifier includes multiple line‑level inputs (CD, tuner, aux, tape) plus a moving‑magnet phono input, along with tape/record output, CD direct switching for a shorter, cleaner signal path, and a front‑panel headphone jack. Frequency response extends broadly across the audio band (approximately 15 Hz to 20 kHz) with low total harmonic distortion and high signal‑to‑noise ratio for both line and phono inputs. The chassis is black, relatively low‑profile, and measures about 430 × 93 × 354 mm, with a weight of roughly 6–6.6 kg, reflecting a straightforward but well‑built solid‑state design without remote control but aimed at audiophile‑grade performance for its class.