An Evolution of the Audio Variety
by Venoth Nair
Creek Audio is a quintessentially British Hi-Fi company which has been producing source and amplification components for more than 30 years. The new Evolution series by Creek is the company’s latest iteration of Hi-Fi gear which is set to compete in the ruthless mid-range market. This segment has no shortage of great gear that leaves audiophiles grinning from ear to ear. So, what does Creek has to offer us hungry audiophiles with the Evolution series? Well let’s take a look at the lineup.
First up in the Evolution series is the two integrated amplifiers, the 50A and 100A. Placed side by side the two amplifiers are absolutely identical. The main difference as the names might have indicated is the rated power output with the 50A putting out 55watts while the 100A delivers a muscular 110watts at 8ohms respectively. The amps share pretty much the same feature list with 5-line level inputs (1 phono), a balanced XLR input and a single preamp output. Both units also come with headphone outputs which is now somewhat mandatory for many audiophiles. The major difference physically though is noticeable only on the rear where the 100A has 2 pairs of speaker outputs as opposed to the single pair on the 50A.
On the source front the Evolution series has the 50CD and 100CD, which is meant to pair up in a manner that’s somewhat coherent to the amplifiers from Creek. Both CD players utilize the same Wolfson WM8742 DAC and have pretty much the same digital innards which make them very similar. The similarities however end there as the 100CD has a number of distinct additional tricks up its sleeve, with the first being it’s built in headphone output with dedicated volume control. The digital volume control also means that the 100CD could function as a preamp and can be paired to a power amp or active speakers, extra plus point.
Another major difference between the 100CD and the 50CD is the former being equipped with 7 different source options as opposed to the latter’s 6 (the additional being Bluetooth support). The plethora of digital inputs on both components mean that either can be used as a hub for all your digital sources or just simply to allow the connected equipment to take advantage of the Creek’s superior DAC to improve the sound quality. The 100CD also comes with a little extra oomph on the inside curtesy of its larger 30watt toroidal transformer which has 3 separate secondary voltage windings (the 50CD has a 25-watt unit instead). This little power tweaks help to squeeze additional performance from an already well-engineered design.
Appearance wise all the units are sized identically and look rather modern with its slim chassis design and brushed aluminum fronts. The bright OLED display which is applied to the entire lineup adds another layer of modernity to the Creek’s looks. The included remote which comes with each component however looks rather typical but to our advantage, can be used to control all other equipment in the evolution range and is pretty well designed.
Initial listening with both the Evolution 50CD and 50A reveals a confident and fun sound that is highly likeable. There is a good amount of detail and a rather full sound that never feels dull or weak. Priced at RM 4900 for the Evolution 50A and RM 8100 for the Evolution 100A the Creek amplifiers represent a pretty good deal. The CD players are priced at RM 5200 for the 50CD whereas the 100 CD comes in at RM 6900.
The Creek Audio Evolution range which is brought in to our shores by the folks at AV Designs will be available for viewing and audition at the upcoming KL International AV Show 2018 at Sunway Putra Hotel.
For further details contact:
AV Designs Sdn Bhd.
Tel: 03-6275 2817/2171 2828
Tony Low: 012 2330771
