Older Amplifiers Better?

[pablolie]

METERS? That could sway me.

I liked what NAD did here (C 3050), with very good Class D inside. Would have preferred it in Sansui black/silver without the wood, but hey.

 

[lucian]

If I'm honest, I think I'd enjoy class D in a vintage case...for a while...hmm...


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thats why I bought my first KA 1500. But after I hear how good it actually sound I could not bring myself to gut it.

now its got family with my KA 6100 & KA 8150. Build quality and what they get out of a couple of transistors is impressive.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

No point in ordering a drop forge when all you need is a tack hammer.

...or an arbor press when all you need is a pair of pliers.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

It's a whole other can of worms that has been beaten to death. (although canned worms should be already dead, you'd think)

If you can beat a dead horse, surely you can beat canned worms, right?

 

[Bruce Morgen]

They were sunned by the pubic

Is this a bikini waxing reference?

 

[egellings]

Is this a bikini waxing reference?

I think an "h' got dropped somewhere.

 

[Count Arthur]

I liked what NAD did here (C 3050), with very good Class D inside. Would have preferred it in Sansui black/silver without the wood, but hey.

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TEAC make some nice looking Hypex Class D based amps with meters:

 

[pablolie]

TEAC make some nice looking Hypex Class D based amps with meters:

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Absolutely - great designs (to me)!

 

[Old_School_Brad]

That's a super cool idea.

I’ll just say this: if I catch any of you maniacs performing this gut-ripping, field-surgeon, amateur sacrilege on an MX-800, MX-70, or anything similar, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will show up at your doorstep and leave a fiery paper bag.

 

[MRC01]

Modern amp
It amplifies
With no noise or distortion
It looks like something you might keep your biscuits in
It's no fun

I like a big black box with nothing but an on/off button. Anything else is extraneous. Form should serve function. You called that "modern amp" but it depends on your definition of "modern". Mine is like that and is over 30 years old. And that style was at least 20 years old back when it was new, so now we're talking 50 years ago.

 

[Chrispy]

I like a big black box with nothing but an on/off button. Anything else is extraneous. Form should serve function. You called that "modern amp" but it depends on your definition of "modern". Mine is like that and is over 30 years old. And that style was at least 20 years old back when it was new, so now we're talking 50 years ago.

More my thought for a power amp. Altho if no vu meters, do like leds at various points especially clipping.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

I think an "h' got dropped somewhere.

I think an "l" also got dropped in one of the words as well.

 

[killdozzer]

I think an "h' got dropped somewhere.

He thinks 'h' is the problem there...

 

[DanielT]

I am curious to find out if there has been a “ruling”, study or conclusion that older amplifiers sound quality is generally better than the newer ones? (Not talking reliability)

I see comments every now and then about how good a 30 or 40 years old amplifier sounds and is much better than current models. Hasn’t there been design developments over the years that would have improved sound quality?

I, for one, like the look of some of the older amplifiers and their nice looking VU meters but that’s very superficial (and subjective ). And does not help the sound quality. ‍‍

Any thoughts or source of info (testing) on this matter?

Then we have this aspect if we are to compare modern with old, vintage. Compare here and now, that is:

Overall, I am happy to recommend the NAD 2200. I almost gave it the highest honors
That sounds good, but then comes a but: but given the upgraded nature of the test unit, and the fact that used amps may have issues, I avoided that. But you could have easily pushed me to give it the golfing panther.

...NOTE: the output relay on stock 2200 gets corroded and fails over time...

This is a review and detailed measurements of a refurbished and upgraded NAD 2200...fully updated ...So not only have the inside components been updated/replaced, but a lot of care has gone to cosmetically clean the unit. Peter sent me a long list of parts he has upgraded including reservoir capacitors and such. As a result, I don't know how representative of measurements are of stock units although probably not too far off.

NAD 2200 Vintage Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of a refurbished and upgraded NAD 2200 stereo amplifier. It was bought by a member, sent to QuirkAudio to be fully updated and then loaned to me. The work that Peter has done is exemplary. The inside looks brand new! I have repaired hundreds of...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[SSS]

I like and use amplifiers from the 1980ies. My Yamaha M-85 power amp has specs not far from the class-D ones and enough power. Sound is still very good with my big speakers. Whether a new class-D amp will sound better, I don't think. Benefit of the old ones with discrete components is that I can repair the unit without needing specialized integrated circuits which may not available anymore after 10 years.

 

[roog]

I recall the day we swapped out our Marantz 1030 with a Technics SU-V3, perhaps a decade between them and just over double the rms power but I quickly realized how poor the 1030 sounded compared to the SU-V3.

Build quality of the 1030 lovely, sound quality less so :0(

 

[Sokel]

There was a time I had a thing about Restek gear,to me it was the sweet spot (middle models at least) .
They had VU's and everything too.I don't see much of those around.

 

[Haskil]

The signal-to-noise ratio of well-designed devices has made significant progress since the advent of CD. I am 70 years old and therefore experienced the end of tube amps (before their rebirth) and the generalization of transistors...
If we omit the very high-end devices from the 1970s which could have a remarkable signal/noise ratio, generally the amplifiers of twice 30 to 50 watts which were the delight of music lovers in the 1960s and 1970s were not silent neither on the phono input nor on the others which are a little better anyway...

The progress from this point of view is notable as well as the increase in power at a falling price for the same type of amps. Both can be heard with certain speakers either having high efficiency (for noise) or low efficiency (for power).

And for sound quality again, the fact that all the settings common to integrated devices and preamps in the past have been removed has caused many modern devices, which are otherwise more powerful and quieter, to decline in practice... Settings removed due to a imbecile audiophilia coming primarily from Great Britain with their small brands based on a musicality of the lowest technical... When we conversely remember the British Quad and its so well thought out bass and treble settings... when we look at the facade of an American Marantz or a Japanese of the time we can measure the decline of this point of view... which nevertheless remains present at Accuphase, for example.

 

[EJ3]

The Cord in its day, was viewed as Buck Rodgers space aged, too modern. Ford, Olds, Chevy looked like a horse should have been in front of them. The objections to the Cyber Truck are somewhat the same not much being said about it's power plant and a lot about styling.

I do not care. I have what I like & want. And there is not much that I like & want that I don't already have.
Neither the CORD or the CYBER TRUCK could survive where I live. Neither can go over landing & carry & pull everything that one needs to be off the grid for weeks at a time. (a kitchen, a boat, a place to live, the ability to traverse rugged terrain, etc). I have ZERO use case for either of them.
I have no desire for either one. Neither one is my cup of tea.
Neither of them can make it to where I live.
But, subjectively: If I had to make a choice between those 2, (even if they were both ZERO mile vehicles), I happen to like the look of the CORD better.
But I would have to leave it somewhere, as it is useless to me. As is the Cyber Truck (which also happens to be ugly to me [so was the DeLorean]).
Maybe it's the stainless steel.

 

[restorer-john]

TEAC make some nice looking Hypex Class D based amps with meters:

Hopefully they will scrap the Hypex and put traditional Class AB back in their gear. Teac are never one to hang onto inferior tech, especially when the reliability becomes a problem.