70's and 80's AMPS

[Madmike2]

I did a brief look back at past posts looking for this answer. I didnt find it. Are the old monster AMPS of the 70's and 80's all class A ? and AB ?
I am finding tons of these things for sale in Buy and Sell and E-bay but i am a bit nervous about buying them. I know i wont get a tube project going like i thought i would as i am running out of my yearly alotted toys money.

I already missed out on the guy in Canada with the monster amp near Collingwood. SOmeone point me towards a good amp for my new subs

Oh and mabey a smaller one for the top end as well. might as well stay in one decade

[SY]

Both.

[pinkmouse]

Class A is probably wasted on a sub amp. Just try and find something with 100-150W per channel, class AB, and solidly built.

[anatech]

I'll second that. Adcom or Carver would be good choices for that, especially the Carver.

-Chris

[Madmike2]

I didnt know Bob was doing anything back that far ....
He looks way to young

80's sure but 70's ?

Sub power isnt the only thing as i was more then a little curious to see what the overwhelming opinion was. I have seen a few posts where people have said that 70's and 80's were far beefier amps.

[amplifierguru]

What about the Crown DC300A (got me into opamp drive and complex phase comp) or Phase Linear 700B - wasn't that Bob Carver?

[EchoWars]

Sub power isnt the only thing as i was more then a little curious to see what the overwhelming opinion was. I have seen a few posts where people have said that 70's and 80's were far beefier amps.

Like everything else, it depends on the $$.

The more inexpensive amps from that era were certainly better built than the more inexpensive ones now, if that's any way to level the playing field.

[SY]

FWIW, I've got a 1985-vintage Adcom 555 driving my subs (JBL 2245Hs in sealed, downfiring 300 liter enclosures). Despite numerous hacks and lots of abuse, it keeps on ticking. Fine amp.

Phase Linear were the contemporaries of Kawasaki H1/H3 and were of a kind: wild, unpredictable, and a tendency to self-destruct.

Crown DC300 were solid, but watch out for aftermarket output transistors.

Threshold amps were excellent, but not cheap.

Kenwood had some nice monoblocks with a unique feedback sensing system. I still see them around from time to time.

A real score would be a pair of Onkyo M510 monoblocks.

And, of course, Macintosh was as solid as it gets. Quite cool looks.

[Madmike2]

Originally posted by EchoWars
Like everything else, it depends on the $$.

The more inexpensive amps from that era were certainly better built than the more inexpensive ones now, if that's any way to level the playing field.

It levels just fine, it just goes to prove, to me anyway, that they did it right back then. They let the bean counters come and tell them to do it better 'cheaper' which is rarely better.
\
My plan is to find a nice pair of 2 channel amps or find 2 amps that look reasonably similar. I am not spending 499 on some current Pioneer POC when i can score 2 'old' amps that are probably better for that money and have more power and class AB or A. NOT class H T Z and L or whatever the flavour is now.

and yes i think that anything with a B was Mr Carvers. I was being Facisious when i said he looks too young . No offense Bob, i had a Sunfire for awhile.

[Madmike2]

Originally posted by SY


And, of course, Macintosh was as solid as it gets. Quite cool looks.

I had two MC30's for a good 2 years . Very nice and yes they looked way cool. Sold them and started looking for them again. No point in going back since i am doing things all diffrent now.