Classic Integrated Amplifiers!

[DSJR]

My first proper amp was an Armstrong 621 which looked great but motorboated straight from its sealed box (not at all uncommon apparently)

The Armstrong 600 Series

They got it sorted by production end in the late 70's but it was a bit of a tortuous journey I gather and last ones went out through the discount houses here.

I replaced it with this - a lovely 'sounding' Lustraphone LP100 amp but with a frail output stage, a higher voltage capacity of which becoming available just as the company folded. I'd love another for the collection but they rarely come up - I ended up with two plus the tuner but gave them away thirty years ago to a colleague who had a massive clear-out some years later. They went to a collector apparently...

 

[restorer-john]

This is the 621:

 

[Mart68]

This is the most classic integrated I ever owned, Leak Stereo 30 Plus:



No power - it could not even drive a teenager into depression - so loudspeaker choice very limited, but with the right ones it was very sweet and clean, nothing old fashioned about the sound.

Not to be confused with the original Stereo 30 which used Germanium transistors.

 

[cochlea]

This is my setup at my office. Technics SU-7600 integrated amp and ST-7600 tuner that I bought around 1985. Still works great and sounds not too bad.

 

[DanielT]

Classic for Sweden anyway. Integrated amplifier Luxor 7082A. I have one.
(not mine in the picture, but that model)
View attachment 314515


I have the 7082A due to the fact that the company that made them was located 30 kilometers from where I live. A bit of a hometown feel, sort of. To have it that is.

Luxor 7082 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Manual | HiFi Engine

www.hifiengine.com

Luxor was a company that produced,among other things, sound/audio-related products for the people. Focus on products that were affordable, they were produced for the masses, not exactly "fine" HiFi. But sometimes Luxor created slightly better stuff (style and/or better in terms of sound).
The Luxor 7082A is a result of such a drive. Luxor also tested a little more luxurious stuff, for example:

View attachment 314516
Luxor Empire from 1948. "A tasteful Gustavian style piece of furniture that happily combines high culture with 50's technology."

Luxor AB - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I am considering having my Luxor 7082A amp in my main rig. It will then drive some midrange and/or tweeters drivers. If I do so, I think I'll do a recap on it. Don't know if it's necessary, but the electrolytic capacitors in the power supply part that are starting to approach 50 years old might make sense to replace in any case.I checked the DC offset a while ago and it was good.

OT.
What the hell, I couldn't help it. I bought the 7082-T tuner, which is part of Luxor's professional series, for $25. According to the seller fully functional. I actually listen to some talk FM radio stations sometimes, so why not. It will certainly fix it brilliantly by bringing in those stations, plus the "Rock classics" channel. The tuner fits in with the amplifier. Some lights that shine are also nice now that winter is approaching.
It is actually possible to tune to five preset channels with the vintage tuner. Good I think.

Not mine in the picture, but that model:

A little DIY with fixing matching lights in the tuner and amp will be needed. A mini project to tackle now this winter.

Boys and girls remember. It's just a hobby, you do what you think is fun with it all.

 

[DanielT]

OT.
What the hell, I couldn't help it. I bought the 7082-T tuner, which is part of Luxor's professional series, for $25. According to the seller fully functional. I actually listen to some talk FM radio stations sometimes, so why not. It will certainly fix it brilliantly by bringing in those stations, plus the "Rock classics" channel. The tuner fits in with the amplifier. Some lights that shine are also nice now that winter is approaching.
It is actually possible to tune to five preset channels with the vintage tuner. Good I think.

Not mine in the picture, but that model:
View attachment 327169
View attachment 327170
A little DIY with fixing matching lights in the tuner and amp will be needed. A mini project to tackle now this winter.

Boys and girls remember. It's just a hobby, you do what you think is fun with it all.

View attachment 327174

...and here it is..Good FM receiver in it. Okay, the FM antenna on the roof is still connected, I discovered. There is a plug in the apartment to connect the antenna. I thought it didn't work anymore but it does. Or at least it should be because I get such damn good reception.

I currently have no lamps in the amplifier Luxor 7082A , but I will fix that.

 

[audio_tony]

Oh, not the spontaneous twin drive! I never understood what they meant by that? 2 channels of output? Kidding.

Spontaneous twin drive was separate power supplies for the driver and output stages.

Some manufacturers isolated the driver stages from the main HT rails using an RC network (usually a 4.7 ohm to 10 ohm resistor with a 100uF cap).

The separate supplies were derived from the same mains transformer, but with their own bridge rectifiers and smoothing caps, so theoretically, the driver supplies were unaffected when (reasonably) heavy loads were drawn from the main rails

D901 -> D904 / C902 & 903 below were the driver rails, and D900 (RBV-602) was the main bridge rectifier with C900 & 901 smoothing caps for the output stages.

It worked quite well. Some higher end manufacturers even go to the trouble of regulating the supplies for the driver section.

 

[eddantes]

I always thought the Wega stuff in light grey was the $#!7 42V is a cool looking piece of kit!

The new Technics integrateds are sure to be classics - too pricey though

Pioneer A-09 was always an understated and uber-desireable piece of unobtanium

 

[Eric Natural]

my little HK 401 with fully refurb'd innards
& why oh why did manufacturers stop making silver face units ?

Peace

 

[Joe Smith]

2 headphone jacks in that unit...quite uncommon...love the face. I still am using my lovely HK430 receiver (unrestored) in my basement system, paired with Advent 5002 speakers. Other HK units have aged out for me but this one keeps on goin'...

 

[Mart68]

The new Technics integrateds are sure to be classics - too pricey though

View attachment 334269

Not keen on the new Technics - all the right things but in the wrong places. Looks like it's upside down.

 

[DanielT]

The new Technics integrateds are sure to be classics - too pricey though

View attachment 334269

Or not...

Regarding Technics SU-R1000.

Voodooless. #25:

As far as I can see, it’s a really poor Class D implementation:

Technics SU-R1000 integrated amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

Very badly load dependent frequency response, so lack of post filter feedback. Only about a 78 SINAD, worse at high frequency, and much worse at low impedance. For that kind of money I would expect SOTA performance, not something a 100$ Chinese amp could best (except for power).

Thoughts on Accuphase 800 not powering speakers as good as Luxman?

I used to be skeptical about YouTube videos and audio. However in my real life experience, it does give a pretty good representation. For instance, I owned the Sonetto II speakers for a while and they did sound like this video I definitely am curious about class d also. Since I heard class a...

audiosciencereview.com

Edit:
Incidentally, if you include power in the equation, my subwoofer amp, t amp E800 can probably give the Techncis a match.

E800, Power: 2x 500 W at 4 Ohm, 2x 350 W at 8 Ohm, 1 x 880 W bridged at 8 Ohm. At half power 0.03% distortion. Class D amp so probably no load dependency with it.
Costs a fraction of the Technics SU-R1000, or rather about 5% of what the Technics SU-R1000 costs.

 

[Byrdsmaniac]

View attachment 313316

My newest addition to the stereo family

Marantz 1060.

Had one 24 years ago, left it with ex wife.

Just got this one a month ago.

I had one of those for a dozen years. I sold it in the mid '80s. The guy I sold it to still uses it.

 

[Byrdsmaniac]

Audio Pro made no major design changes when they ...:
View attachment 317697View attachment 317698

I use an NAD 3155 in my bedroom. I've had it since 1986 and I like it a lot.

 

[DanielT]

I use an NAD 3155 in my bedroom. I've had it since 1986 and I like it a lot.

We'll see if in 39 years someone says: I use an class D amp in my bedroom. I've had it since 2024 and I like it a lot.

Classic NAD look on your NAD 3155. Ugly, stylish, cool. All at the same time.
I like the stripped down "raw" look anyway.

 

[mhardy6647]

... or the NAD 7155 receiver

 

[Byrdsmaniac]

... or the NAD 7155 receiver

I preferred to have a separate Denon tuner. I've long lived in rural areas away from radio towers, so I needed the superior sensitivity. Denon tuners are hard to beat in that respect. Even their stereo receivers tended to have excellent station pulling abilities. No matter how good your tuner sounds, it's not much use if it can't pick up your favorite stations.

 

[mhardy6647]

I would have, too -- I found the NAD at the dump, though, so I didn't have a choice of avec or sans FM.
Unlike most of the vintage NAD components I've encountered over the years, that receiver worked. It just had very dirty controls -- which were a true pain to get to to clean... but sometimes (sometimes!) I relish a challenge.

 

[Robin L]

My first serious bit of electronics, the Acoustic Research Integrated Amplifier, bought new in 1973. Plenty of power for the AR 3s they were attached to.

The Scott 299b integrated amplifier. Got one around 2010. Wonderful with LPs into high efficiency speakers. Unfortunately, no good with anything solid state due to impendence mismatch.

 

[brunes]

Someone gave me one of these! Hooked it up and it works, just missing a dial. I know its swiss made, do I understand I should be keeping it!