2. amps-preamps
  3. 1322333418

How do we remember 1970s amplifiers?

I would be curious to hear some of the memories and impressions associated with the following short list of 1970s amplifiers:

- McIntosh "first generation" SS amps, MC2105, MC2505, MC2300, MC250, MC2100
- Dynaco Stereo 400 and Stereo 120
- Phase Linear 400 and 700
- Bang & Olufsen "slide rule" receivers (i.e. especially blackface Beomaster 4000)
- Original Ampzilla (not Son of Ampzilla)

I've chosen this list mainly because they cover a wide range of approaches to solving the issues of early semiconductor technology, and they were all pretty mainstream products in the U.S. I'm excluding the Japanese receivers/amps not out of predjudice; it's simply that the circuit designs varied quite a bit with each model, and thus harder to broadly classify their characteristics.

I'm interested in impressions of both sonic and non-sonic attributes, and a preferred ranking of the above, if you like.
kirkus

Showing 1 response by vicdamone

vicdamone
850 posts
 
We bought a Cerwin-Vega A-1800 to power a small PA in 1977. As with some of the amps on your list this was the first generation of higher powered solid state amplification so there was little to compare. When the band split I got the amplifier. I also had a pair of Marantz 8B's at the time. I never did warm up to the Vega as a playback amp so it did duty in my DIY Bass amp rig which never left the house.

In the mid nineties I decided to go through the Vega and upgraded as many parts and wire as I could. Surprisingly, it warmed up and became fairly listenable.
More to discover