Old SS amps

Many older power amps are still excellent - check them out and have them recapped if they need it. I still run small production Class A amps like the Belles A, a pair of bridged Classe DR3 VHC, a stereo Classe DR3, a Jeff Rowland 5, and a Robertson  4010 in various systems,

@jasonbourne71:

My Eagle 2 still works (and sounds) fine. I sold my Bedini 25/25 when it needed it's transformers replaced. I paired it only with QUAD 57 ESL's.

I never had a BEL 1001, but still have a PS Audio 200C, which I use with the bass panels of my Magneplanar Tympani T-IVa speakers. I guess I could have included the PS Audio amp in my list, but I don't know how it rates when compared with the others (I haven''t heard it in a while).

@bdp24 Was the Tympani Bass Panels used in Conjunction with the 57's?

I'm assuming in recent times the Bass Panels from a 25ish Year Old Speaker to augment a 65ish Year Old Speakers Bass.

 The Circular Economy is thriving.

If Yes to my assumption, I would like it if you would be willing to share more.

@pindac: No but using Tympani bass panels with Quads is a very interesting idea! The problem for me would be the required room size; the two Tympani bass panels are about 40 inches wide, the Quads about 34". Side-by-side the Tympani/Quad pairing requires just over 6 feet per channel! That 12 feet (for both channels) plus say 8 feet between left and right speakers requires 20 feet, and that’s with the Tympani/Quad pairing being right against the side walls. 

In the 90’s I put my Quads on top of ESS Transtatics, the Transtatics laid on their sides (20" tall when so placed). I used the Transtatics as subs; they feature a transmissionline-loaded KEF B139 woofer (Dave Wilson used a pair of that woofer in each of his original 1970’s WAMM super speaker).

In the 80’s and 90’s the Finnish company Gradient offered dipole/open baffle subs designed specifically for both Quad 57’s and 63’s. Those subs also served as bases for their respective speakers. The dipole/open baffle sub now offered by GR Research and Rythmik Audio is a much improved version of the ob/dipole design, and work splendidly with all dipole/panel speakers, including of course Quads. My Quads are now in storage, as I am currently listening to Eminent Technology LFT-8b’s and LFT-4’s. The GRR/Rythmik OB/Dipole Sub may be used in place of the LFT-8b’s stock 8" sealed woofer; the LFT planar-magnetic driver plays down to 180Hz (crossing over to the 8" dynamic woofer), and while "normal" subs can typically play no higher than 100-120Hz, the GRR/Rythmik OB/Dipole woofer can be used up to 300Hz.

I bought my Quad 303 new in 1978. It was still sounding great when I had it serviced by Quad in 2021. My Sumo Polaris II was untouched and working beautifully when I sold it in 2023, at 28 years old. I bought a recapped Mark Levinson 331 in 2020 - zero problems, and sold it for a profit last year. My star SS amps are my Michell Alecto II monoblocs, serviced by their designer in 2019 and still sounding fantastic at 30.

So I’ve had precisely zero problems with old SS amps over many years. As base class A/AB technology is pretty mature, they’re a good buy, and are a good way to experience different design philosophies and circuit topologies.