Founded in 1982 by Antony Michaelson, a clarinettist and Hi-Fi enthusiast, Musical Fidelity began on Michaelson's kitchen table with 'The Preamp.' Known for unusual industrial design, Nuvistor tube use, and Class-AB amplifiers, particularly the famous A1 integrated amplifier that created the 'budget audiophile' category. Pioneered miniature metal-ceramic vacuum tubes in the NuVista preamp (1997). Acquired by Austrian company Audio Tuning (owner of Pro-Ject) in May 2018, operations moved to Austria while retaining British heritage and brand identity.