SUGDEN

Sugden Audio is an British engineering company that manufactures hi-fi and audio equipment. Founded by James Edward Sugden in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire in 1967, the company is best known as the manufacturer of the Sugden A21 amplifier.

Sugden had been involved in the manufacture of scientific equipment since 1960 with his company Research Electronics. Sugden was keenly interested in hi-fi, in particular in overcoming the problem of crossover distortion common in Class B solid state amplifier designs at the time. He developed a Class-A amplifier, the Si 402, which avoided this, however it was extremely expensive, costing and few if any were sold. At the time, Sugden was the only company in the industry using Class A design in their Hi-Fi amplifiers.

The following year Sugden agreed to work with local loudspeaker manufacture Richard Allan, who were a company who manufactured loudspeakers. They would market his amplifiers under their brand name. In April 1968 the A21 amplifier was premiered at an audio fair in London and received good reviews in the audio press.