Cambridge P-40

Little is documented about the Cambridge P-40 integrated amplifier. The record is sparse.

Audio (October 1988, p.215) described the P-40 as “the world’s first high performance solid state integrated amplifier,” and credited it to Cambridge Audio founder Stan Curtis and his drive for inventive solutions. If that claim is accurate, the P-40 comes very early in the solid-state era. No production dates have been confirmed from period directories or service literature.

Only one technical detail survives. The auxiliary input is rated at 50 mV sensitivity with a 100 kΩ impedance, and the amplifier can tolerate a stronger signal than the nominal figure. No power output, frequency response, distortion figures, dimensions, weight, or full list of inputs and outputs have turned up in any surviving source.

If the P-40 truly was the first solid-state integrated amplifier of its kind, it would be a landmark piece — but the evidence is too thin to say more. No original price, no user reviews, no service manual, no production numbers have turned up.

Product type: Integrated amplifier
Known spec: Auxiliary input — 50 mV sensitivity, 100 kΩ impedance
Notable claim: Described as the world’s first high-performance solid-state integrated amplifier (Audio, Oct 1988)
Production years: Not documented
Original price: Not documented