It's not a Yank list ,it's a list of the most significant and the ones listed by you are not. That aside the Yanks especially during the era's of those amplifiers listed , made the best amplifiers....
I think you will find my list to be very significant to anyone from the U.K. and some of them, such as the Quad 405, to be infinitely more significant internationally than any of the amps on that original list.
I would add the Williamson amp to my list BTW.
And they sound like it! Face , the DC-300 sounded like garbage, but they were absolutely indestructible. One of those and a pair of LaScalla's you could fill a stadium with a PA.
Arragon 2002, Rotel 840, Creek, Bryston 2B, OK I have not listened to many that cost more than a car. No point.
Actually they sound good if you can ignore the awful top end
The bass is fantastic! Not quite indestructible but certainly a workhorse. The problem is that when they go wrong they usually take out the speakers with them due to the DC....
I'll buy that. But they could sit in the sun all day, bounce around in trucks, and were almost roadie proof. You could not say that about the consumer amps bands tried to use like the Phase 4000, Dyna 400, GAS, SAE, and so on. Like most pro gear, what I want on the road was not want I want in my living room. Remember when everyone wanted "Studio Monitors" and bought JBL L-100's? Great for the studio to have what was wrong with a recording blare out at you, but they continued to do so in you home. LS35A also comes to mind. I went with Ditton 44's instead.
Have to disagree ....again ..... strongly.................
Actually they sound good if you can ignore the awful top end
The DC300 sounded like crap, PERIOD !!!
collecting prestine models for historical significance not with standing ..
Last edited:
And I'll buy most of that.... JBL L-100's though.... just plain lousy at anything other than going loud with punchy bass. The mid and top was not accurate at all! Capable of cutting glass and inducing an instant migraine more like!
As far as i remember ,most of the foreign gear sold in France was from Japan.
When comparing the few others countries , it seemed to me that US products
were rugged but technicaly outdated.
British amps were not that bad but generaly not very reliable , although
some made good products , as Ferguson IIRC.
Japanese production was far better , with some awsome amps as the overhelmingly
underated JVC AX 1/../9 serie , surely the best mass produced amps in hifi history..
When comparing the few others countries , it seemed to me that US products
were rugged but technicaly outdated.
British amps were not that bad but generaly not very reliable , although
some made good products , as Ferguson IIRC.
Japanese production was far better , with some awsome amps as the overhelmingly
underated JVC AX 1/../9 serie , surely the best mass produced amps in hifi history..
Last edited:
Have to disagree ....again ..... strongly.................
The DC300 sounded like crap, PERIOD !!!
Stop press! It seems that A. Wayne and I disagree strongly!
FERGUSON
Dont remember if it was Ferguson or early Amstrad
that did produce a very good 2X45W receiver.
Will check , but the product was on par with japanese parts ,
at least for performances.
Edit : It was in fact Ferguson/Goodmans/Thorn , they did
use the same schematic.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Last edited:
I have a DC300A and it may not have the best high end but it is adequate.
I have been running mine on a 1.6 ohm load For quite sometime and have heat cycled it all day long at times and it just keeps on going.
I also have an Ashley FTX 2000 and it is definitely a cleaner amp but I don't use it much because it has either a bad input capacitor or a cold solder joint on one of the channels and is intermittent.
I used to run it bridged for a 1000watts on two MCM Select 15's in a Sunn 215 cabinet and that thing rocked !
I also have a BGW 250e with 150 watts per channel into 4 ohms and has a great sound and was quite the work horse as well.
It was my first decent power amplifier.
I used it a lot!
Until one channel developed a problem and that causes the speaker relay to stay off.
I have the manual for it, so it is on my list of things to fix.
I was lucky to get the manual when I did because the model number is missing off of the back panel and the company was going through some transition at the time.
I was able to figure out what it was because it is the only amplifier made that looks the way it does with the curve led level meters.
I have also had a Sansui G9000 receiver at a 160watts per channel and was one of the best sounding amps I ever had.
But it disappeared one day,Some day I will replace it as they can still be found on ebay sometimes for a reasonable price.
It was the most powerful receiver ever made second too I think a Teac or something,I know this because I had one of those too,only I got as a repairable carcass but I never did anything with it.
jer
I have been running mine on a 1.6 ohm load For quite sometime and have heat cycled it all day long at times and it just keeps on going.
I also have an Ashley FTX 2000 and it is definitely a cleaner amp but I don't use it much because it has either a bad input capacitor or a cold solder joint on one of the channels and is intermittent.
I used to run it bridged for a 1000watts on two MCM Select 15's in a Sunn 215 cabinet and that thing rocked !
I also have a BGW 250e with 150 watts per channel into 4 ohms and has a great sound and was quite the work horse as well.
It was my first decent power amplifier.
I used it a lot!
Until one channel developed a problem and that causes the speaker relay to stay off.
I have the manual for it, so it is on my list of things to fix.
I was lucky to get the manual when I did because the model number is missing off of the back panel and the company was going through some transition at the time.
I was able to figure out what it was because it is the only amplifier made that looks the way it does with the curve led level meters.
I have also had a Sansui G9000 receiver at a 160watts per channel and was one of the best sounding amps I ever had.
But it disappeared one day,Some day I will replace it as they can still be found on ebay sometimes for a reasonable price.
It was the most powerful receiver ever made second too I think a Teac or something,I know this because I had one of those too,only I got as a repairable carcass but I never did anything with it.
jer
Last edited:
FERGUSON
British gear ...yes !!!
Gerald,
The most powerful recievers were , Technics, Rotel and Sansui during the reciever wars. My DC300 cannot drive my 1 ohm ribbon without going into protect at any volume over back ground music and my Technics high powered reciever was an match for my ML9 many moons ago ...
Your ESL is only 1.5ohm in the upper frequencies ...... easier target ..
Best? Significant? Two very different things.I suspect the OP meant best sounding. I offer the fringe position that best sounding is one that had no sound of it's own at all. An amplifier.
One also must look on history carefully. What may have seen as a fantastic leap forward then, Quad maybe, in today's light belongs only on a shelf to be looked at and not heard. Parts have gotten better. Designs better. Today's made in China AVR is actually well superior sonically than much of the high end from the 70's or anything before. I'd take a $300 Denon AVR over a DC-300 fro my living room any day. Maybe the 300 for my sub.
Consider the trial when they took a Jag E-type and a Dodge minivan to the road track. The van blew the E's doors off. The E was highly significant, was and is highly desirable. But as a function of a performance car by today's standards it is pathetic.
Yes, we had EC here every now and again. Never took off.
Significant is more fun as one can point to a personal reason. St-120 as they sold a ton of them. Quad for first truly functional solid state amp, The Cary triode as it could make you think someone poured melted butter all over your music. DC-300 as it set a benchmark for years on what a "pro" amp is. KSA 100 because it was one of the first truly sonically superior amps. Dyna 400 as it was the first affordable monster amp. Old Mac or Luxman amps for their transformers. The list goes on.
Good call the posting that reminds us of some of the amps from the rising sun. I remember a Niko that totally blew away every Mac or uber-priced amp in the store. Circa 75 or so. Kyeosera, Onk, Luxman. Some great stuff for their time.
One also must look on history carefully. What may have seen as a fantastic leap forward then, Quad maybe, in today's light belongs only on a shelf to be looked at and not heard. Parts have gotten better. Designs better. Today's made in China AVR is actually well superior sonically than much of the high end from the 70's or anything before. I'd take a $300 Denon AVR over a DC-300 fro my living room any day. Maybe the 300 for my sub.
Consider the trial when they took a Jag E-type and a Dodge minivan to the road track. The van blew the E's doors off. The E was highly significant, was and is highly desirable. But as a function of a performance car by today's standards it is pathetic.
Yes, we had EC here every now and again. Never took off.
Significant is more fun as one can point to a personal reason. St-120 as they sold a ton of them. Quad for first truly functional solid state amp, The Cary triode as it could make you think someone poured melted butter all over your music. DC-300 as it set a benchmark for years on what a "pro" amp is. KSA 100 because it was one of the first truly sonically superior amps. Dyna 400 as it was the first affordable monster amp. Old Mac or Luxman amps for their transformers. The list goes on.
Good call the posting that reminds us of some of the amps from the rising sun. I remember a Niko that totally blew away every Mac or uber-priced amp in the store. Circa 75 or so. Kyeosera, Onk, Luxman. Some great stuff for their time.
Thanks ,a.wayne,it was a Technics.
I picked it up for 20$ at a TV shop that I was working at.
The guy that had brought it in's Wife had accidently plugged it in to a socket that he had wired for his 220V European turntable.
I got it to stop blowing fuses but that is all the farther I could get with out a schematic.
So I stripped it and was going to build up a new unit using the case But I never finished it.
Sad I know,But that was back in the 80's and the info just wasn't as readily available like it is now days.
I am using My DC300A on my woofer system at the moment at 1.6 ohms.
It also was what I was using when my little ESL had exploded and it would run for about 15 or 20 minutes turned all the way up until it would get to hot and shutdown.
So now I keep a little fan on it.
jer
I picked it up for 20$ at a TV shop that I was working at.
The guy that had brought it in's Wife had accidently plugged it in to a socket that he had wired for his 220V European turntable.
I got it to stop blowing fuses but that is all the farther I could get with out a schematic.
So I stripped it and was going to build up a new unit using the case But I never finished it.
Sad I know,But that was back in the 80's and the info just wasn't as readily available like it is now days.
I am using My DC300A on my woofer system at the moment at 1.6 ohms.
It also was what I was using when my little ESL had exploded and it would run for about 15 or 20 minutes turned all the way up until it would get to hot and shutdown.
So now I keep a little fan on it.
jer
Last edited:
I don't understand this term:
"overhelmingly" (sorry for my bad english)
JVC is in general greatly underated from the most user's, both by cheap products like hifi systems and ghetto blasters/portable systems and top quality products like the monaural integrated Amplifier JVC AX-M9000 - go to
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass...p-30-so-integrated-amp-very-special-rare.html
The best cd transport for top loaders also comes from JVC - go to
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digi...ch-ct-1-ct1-better-than-vam1254-cdpro2lf.html
unfortunately very few manufacturers have known this at those days.
Accuphase would have made a better choice for their cd player models with it than with those transport versions of Sony.
After or before recapping?
Last edited:
I would wager you have never heard a Pr of 3500's .......
Yes, you're right. I gave up tube amps thinking that tube amps can only satisfy me if it is built with "cost no object" in mind. For the best amp I will go with something like the McIntosh. But like I said, with more money it can even be further improved.
This thread/topic should better be about DIY (solid state) so I can benefit from it. The esoteric stuffs have no relevance to me
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.