restorer-john
Grand Contributor
I sold mainly integrated amplifiers (and early HT gear) back in the day. The main reason was the TOTL integrated amplifiers from the big Japanese companies were often better designed than the more expensive separates from the same companies. Other sales guys would push the big pre/powers to the tweeter blowing crowd. To me, a great integrated could see you through many upgrades of sources and speakers.
High quality integrated amplifiers have always been popular in the Japanese home market- much more so than separates. (space issues no doubt) We were lucky and often got small numbers of those world multivoltage military sale models. (the ones with every conceivable voltage range 100-110,120-127,220-230,240V etc) Sometimes those models were brought in as halo products for shows and put on 'appro' in dealer showrooms. I got a few of them.
I have a Marantz PM-95 here. It sold in 1990 for AU$6000 and the build quality is stupendous (27.5kg). It's performance is beyond criticism IMO and it is 30 years old.
Another of my absolute favourites here (and currently in use) is my 'Reference' Pioneer A-91D. It was sold with an 'Elite' moniker in the US and sold rather well. The heaviest (29.9kg) and best integrated Pioneer ever built. Back then it was AU$2699 and I still regard it as one of my absolute best integrated amplifiers. Here's an internet shot of her partially naked:
Both those units BTW have onboard D/A converters (for 32-48/16bit vintage). The Marantz PM-95 has the TDA-1541 S1 select in it's own internal isolated case and PSU. Same implementation as the Reference CD12/DA12LE which is here too. The optional remote cost 40,000 Yen (USD$350)!
https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/amp/pm-95-e.html
I posted a couple of random shots when I was inside the PM-95 doing housework (scroll down):
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...m-technical-picture-upload-thread.1452/page-5
There's one of these in my storeroom too:
https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/amp/pm-94-e.html
There's also several big Sonys here too from the same era, TA-F333ESR, TA-F444ESX and some others. Big, heavy and high performing. This is how they built them:
Basically, they outperform, outlast and are a joy to use, compared to the rubbish I see and work on made these days. Quite simply, outside the reference grade, hang the expense, high end, the big Japanese majors simply don't make anything I am remotely interested in anymore. A pity, but it's true.
Anyway, I'm happy to start a thread, take a bunch of photos inside and out if anyone is interested and describe the internals and construction of these beasts. It's about time to look back at how things were done properly and balance this seemingly endless stream of cutesy little disposable toy pieces of Chinese circuit-boards-in-a-box.
There's plenty of members here with excellent US made vintage gear too. Stuff that cost a fortune, was bulletproof and it still serving them well, decades later. Honestly, that gear is just as interesting, if not more so.
High quality integrated amplifiers have always been popular in the Japanese home market- much more so than separates. (space issues no doubt) We were lucky and often got small numbers of those world multivoltage military sale models. (the ones with every conceivable voltage range 100-110,120-127,220-230,240V etc) Sometimes those models were brought in as halo products for shows and put on 'appro' in dealer showrooms. I got a few of them.
I have a Marantz PM-95 here. It sold in 1990 for AU$6000 and the build quality is stupendous (27.5kg). It's performance is beyond criticism IMO and it is 30 years old.
Another of my absolute favourites here (and currently in use) is my 'Reference' Pioneer A-91D. It was sold with an 'Elite' moniker in the US and sold rather well. The heaviest (29.9kg) and best integrated Pioneer ever built. Back then it was AU$2699 and I still regard it as one of my absolute best integrated amplifiers. Here's an internet shot of her partially naked:
Both those units BTW have onboard D/A converters (for 32-48/16bit vintage). The Marantz PM-95 has the TDA-1541 S1 select in it's own internal isolated case and PSU. Same implementation as the Reference CD12/DA12LE which is here too. The optional remote cost 40,000 Yen (USD$350)!
https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/amp/pm-95-e.html
I posted a couple of random shots when I was inside the PM-95 doing housework (scroll down):
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...m-technical-picture-upload-thread.1452/page-5
There's one of these in my storeroom too:
https://audio-database.com/MARANTZ/amp/pm-94-e.html
There's also several big Sonys here too from the same era, TA-F333ESR, TA-F444ESX and some others. Big, heavy and high performing. This is how they built them:
Basically, they outperform, outlast and are a joy to use, compared to the rubbish I see and work on made these days. Quite simply, outside the reference grade, hang the expense, high end, the big Japanese majors simply don't make anything I am remotely interested in anymore. A pity, but it's true.
Anyway, I'm happy to start a thread, take a bunch of photos inside and out if anyone is interested and describe the internals and construction of these beasts. It's about time to look back at how things were done properly and balance this seemingly endless stream of cutesy little disposable toy pieces of Chinese circuit-boards-in-a-box.
There's plenty of members here with excellent US made vintage gear too. Stuff that cost a fortune, was bulletproof and it still serving them well, decades later. Honestly, that gear is just as interesting, if not more so.
Last edited: