Spade lugs can be tightened firmly, but to be honest, the first thing I did with my Dyna amps was to swap them out for five-way binding posts. Many times the strips were on rather flimsy phenolic boards that had a tendency to age poorly, crack and split, especially if you torqued lugs tight.
View attachment 170887
Japanese amplifiers of this era often used bare wire spring clips for speaker terminals. The Accuphase E-202 is actually a variation on that theme, where a screw loosens a plate, the bare wire is inserted, and then the plate against the wire is tightened. This is no doubt more secure than a typical spring type of connection.
View attachment 170885
For integrated amplifier comparison, in 1977
Audio magazine's equipment listings, the E-202 (called Kensonic by Accuphase, imported by Teac) is rated at 100 watts/ch into 8 ohms. Accuphase documentation indicates 140 FTC watts into 4 ohms, so it had some current capability. List was $750.00 (USD). 43 pounds.
The equivalent Pioneer (SA-9900) was rated at 110 FTC watts into 8 ohms, with the same rating into 4 ohms. $750.00, 44 pounds.
A Lux L-100 with comparable power specs listed for $995.00.
The top 'monster' Japanese integrated amplifier of the era was probably the Sansui AU 20000, rated at a whopping 170 FTC 8 ohm watts per channel, with a list price of $1000.00. 52 pounds.
Domestically, a McIntosh MA-6100 rated 70 FTC watts/ch, and sold for $700.00.
Generally, you could find a pretty solid 'discount' on Pioneer and Sansui. Accuphase and Lux were less common. I don't recall those brands being discounted, or ever sold mail order. By that time, McIntosh had a well established dealer network, and were almost always sold at list.
From a marketing standpoint, this was the beginning of the 'underground tweako' era. It was difficult for Japanese companies to move high priced integrated amplifiers in America. Most consumers wanted 'all in one receivers', and 'high-enders' gravitated more toward boutique separates.