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Best vintage amps (late 70s / early 80s) under $3k?

The golden age of audio was arguably the late 70s / early 80s, when corporations were willing to dump a ton of money into R&D / materials to make the best equipment possible. The downside to owning equipment from this period now is possible refurbishment and maintenance costs, but it seems good deals can still be had.

Wondering if you guys had recommendations of great sounding amps from this era? Ideally I'm looking for something that's 100W minimum, doesn't run hot, and under $3000 second hand.

I already have a fully refurbished late 70s Pioneer M-22 that outputs 30W into 8ohms. I love this amp, but being Class A it's like a radiator and not suitable for Southern California's summer months in a smallish room. More power would also be good as my speaker efficiency is 89.5db. I listen to many genres of music, so the amp needs to be a good all-rounder.

My current chain:

Turntable: Technics 1210M5G w/ AudioMods tonearm and Lyra Delos MC cart
Phono stage: Avid Pulsus
DAC: RME ADI-2 Pro
Preamp: Schiit Saga
Amp: Pioneer M-22
Speakers: Prana Fidelity Bhava
Subs: Rythmik L12
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mrdecibel
2,904 posts
 
I do not believe a vtg McIntosh ss amp is as good sounding as the M22, given my own ownership and listening experiences. I gave you a solid recommendation. Enjoy ! MrD.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,595 posts
 
Steve’s speakers work well with our amps- we showed together at one of the last T.H.E. Shows in Las Vegas. Great guy too.

They are getting a bit harder to find now, but if you can find one of our older ’12-tube’ MA-1s (made in the late 80s or early 90s), you can often pick them up for a price within your budget. They are reliable and easily refurbished. The only downside is the heat- but there are simple and inexpensive ways to get rid of heat in a room. The better amps, whether tube or solid state, are going to make some heat due to the class of operation.
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glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,504 posts
 
with your budget why go that old there are many better choices that are much newer for your budget. 
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