Most aesthetically pleasing amplifiers

[Ralph_Cramden]

Kenwood Supreme 600

 

[Soniclife]

If they stop working as amps can you still use them as a slide rule?
(I prefer these to any of the massive boxes with VU meters that are inexplicably popular)

 

[conqueeftador]

I think I am seeing a running theme here. Everyone loves VU meters.

 

[Mart68]

I think I am seeing a running theme here. Everyone loves VU meters.

VU meters, grab handles, rack mounts, lots of buttons and switches. Most of us are children of the 1960s and 1970s is my guess.

 

[Mart68]

Revox did some classy looking amplifiers:

 

[JeffS7444]

So, aesthetics are only skin deep, and folks are going to regress to one measly amplifier per channel?

For the Linkwitz LX521 speakers that I might like to build someday and the budget that I've got:

x3

x1
So, 10 channels of amplification, one per driver.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

For years, I enjoyed the sound and appearance of this in my system:

But now I prefer these, each one discretely hidden behind its connected speaker:

 

[Ken1951]

For years, I enjoyed the sound and appearance of this in my system:

But now I prefer these, each one discretely hidden behind its connected speaker:

Added bonus is you don't need a forklift to move them! That Mac is beautiful though.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Added bonus is you don't need a forklift to move them! That Mac is beautiful though.

Bingo! I had the Mac until it became time to refinish the floors in our apartment and I faced the prospect of relocating it.

 

[mhardy6647]

Hello all, spoilsport here

While you lot are wetting yourselves over acres of bling and meters (and a very average performance inside I bet), old grumpyguts here appreciates the half century old charms of this little beastie -

View attachment 197790

This is the very sample, but better pictured from the sale info. It's the perfect amplifying appliance and I love it for that (and the low price I paid for it). Currently, not even the optional front panel that was an add-on for these earlier models...

Looks like the dirty side a Crown D-150.
Heck, I can even see the Crown logo on the left.

EDIT:
my dump-find D-150 and IC-150, FWIW.



Here's another (arguably) very beautiful amplifier, of the brutalist type.

With 1500 VDC on the plates, the "hands off" tag isn't just a prop.
This amplifier was made by RCA for a very particular client & purpose, I might add. They're not exactly common, but... there are some around.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

The first and original McIntosh amplifier, the 50W for me beats them all. This is a set of two for stereo.

Then there's the 'older stuff' of which the Western Electric cinema amplifiers can't be beat.

 

[BDWoody]

I love my old Mitsubishi...

With meters,

Or without.

 

[Astoneroad]

40 years old and still a looker

 

[mhardy6647]

The first and original McIntosh amplifier, the 50W for me beats them all. This is a set of two for stereo.

View attachment 197831


Then there's the 'older stuff' of which the Western Electric cinema amplifiers can't be beat.

View attachment 197835

Don't have an ad for the 50 per se handy, but it does make a guest appearance in this ad for the, ahh, thriftier Mac "30"
(the parsimonious Scotsman trope featured rather prominently in the early McIntosh ads)


(scanned from a Radio Electronics magazine, if memory serves)

 

[DSJR]

Looks like the dirty side a Crown D-150.
Heck, I can even see the Crown logo on the left.

EDIT:
my dump-find D-150 and IC-150, FWIW.



Here's another (arguably) very beautiful amplifier, of the brutalist type.

Got to say I'd like the front plate should one become available - I missed one a while back and thought it too expensive - not an issue now as complete amp examples are climbing in price. The IC-150 and 'A' replacement was rejected by the new wave of audio enthusiasts back then in favour of warm soft toned valve/tube preamps, but if I do a highly unscientific straight connection from CD player to power amp (with gain controls set accordingly) and then put the IC-150 in series with gain set around the same (it has 10V output at least), I'm damned if I can hear a difference - my two have 5534 op amps in them and the four unreliable tants have been replaced with Nichicon FG's currently.

 

[iMickey503]

40 years old and still a looker

View attachment 197840

this photo can easily be a cover on a magazine in his my personal favorite so far great job with the candles!
Soothing, warm and inviting.
My Fave of the bunch so far.

 

[cubanmetalguy]

 

[Angsty]

Audio Research Reference 160 S Stereo Amplifier​

 

[Kegemusha]

Amps from Gato Audio

 

[TheBatsEar]

View attachment 197786

View attachment 197797

Why do you guys keep trying when, objectively, the most aesthetically pleasing devices already have been posted?