Music cannot be measured , but this is what it looks if you try
Our CTO Adam Worsfold insists we only use parts that do not fail OUR tests, he has learned specification means nothing. We listen to every single part. ( after all its sound that counts ) Components used in any OA21 amplifier must never fail and must last for decades. We are not about "volume" or quantity made .
After 35 years one simple sentence has taught us many lessons: "Specification subject to change without notice". When we design a component or a system for use of that component, we test it, we listen to it and then we dissect it, and we will use that exact part unless we find a better one .
We see how every component is made, we see what it's made from and often where , we make sure that every component that we use is only used to 50% of its working limit. The cost of this basic design principle our signature , often halved by other companies for the sake of profit. We refuse to compromise, reliability or longevity for these typical cost savings. Every component is inspected and its rejected if does not meet our requirements.
EXTREME TESTING
We test every single part before we allow its use in any OA21 product. We establish its manufacture process, its material content, its origin of manufacture (where it's made), its destruction limit and more importantly than any of this... how it sounds when we use it. Every product we have ever sold before it is released for sale, is tested to establish the abuse it can take and the result of any failure , our products cant fail and this is how we make sure .
Our tests include undergoing extreme loads of temperature - up to 145 degrees Celsius. In many cases we halted the tests when the adhesive pads of the rubber feet started to melt. OA21 amplifier continued to perform without any degrade of performance. No consumer environment would ever exceed this test.