Are Nakamichi amps any good?


I currently have a Krell KST 100 amp with a YBA 2 preamp driving my Vandersteen 2's but Threshold amps have caught my attention.

1) Would a Threshold amp be a step up from the Krell?

2) Are Nakamichi amps any good or are they Threshold wannabes?

I'm trying to keep the upgrade below $1000 and I'll recap amp if needed.
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I would take an amp designed by Pass over a Krell. The Vandersteen's are very detailed speakers and your old Krell, while well made and very powerful, may not be the best match. I think you would be very happy with the upgrade.
The Nakamichi amps had a reputation in the service industry for being unstable and prone to failure. They were not popular on this account even back when they were being made. They sound OK, but they are not the sort of amp that you want to push hard or abuse.
Nakamichi amps NEVER had a "reputation" for being unstable. They were a Nelson Pass design and well-respected when introduced, and still popular today.
They made a PA-7 and a PA-7 MK-2. The MK-2 is a better amp but hard to come buy. If you can find one at a good price get It. they are hard to find in mint shape tho.
I had remembered minor problems with these units from my years in the business, went to my old Tech, he said that the Nak amps had protection circuits that were a bit touchy and all in the original PA 5/7 really need to be replaced, but the series II didn't have that problem... Also on the Original PA series, there were minor issues with bridge rectifiers. He said that they certainly had to deal with those problems, but overall a sweet design and very stable amp.