That's really interesting. I hope an informed member has the answer.
Bedini Amplifiers - two different builds/layouts of the same model amp?
I've got two Bedini 100/100 amplifiers here and I opened them up and they both have two completely different builds to them. The labeling, chassis, model numbers, etc are all identical between the two. It seems to be the power supply that is the main difference.
One has one transformer with 8 capacitors. The capacitors are about the width of a soda can and 1.5x the height. They're almost touching the amplifier boards above them. This one also has all the fuses located on the back panel, whereas the other has them internal.
The other has 4 times the transformers but half the capacitors, and the capacitors are also smaller.
Does anyone have any info on why there might be a discrepancy between the two? A mid-production design change or is one of them a one-off/custom job? They've both got John Bedini's initials on them on both the power supply and amp boards so I would think they came from the factory this way.
In most magazines I've seen I would think the 4 transformer variant is the more popular one, because it is heavier and matches the advertised weight. The one with the larger capacitor bank is noticeably lighter.
Pictures attached:
Amp 1:
Amp 2:
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Thanks for the response @mrdecibel . Do you know if the MEG just mean upgraded power supply? Or transistors? I've also got a 25/25 that I suspect is a MEG but does not have it written anywhere on it. From other 25/25s I have seen it seems to be a bit larger.
Which Bedini amps did you own? I've in the process of putting together a collection of them.
Here's the 25/25 in question. Once again thanks for the input:
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@hoten03 ,Too many to remember. I understand your interest with collecting these, however I would caution you with buying these up. Although nice amps, many out there have had, or are, in need of some service....ime. The photo of the open chassis shows this......2 of the Motorola output transistors have been replaced ( shiny ones ). What does all of this mean ? Find a good tech who can do measurements / upgrades / repairs. Just as an fyi. The speaker designer Richard Shahinian ( RIP, 2017 ), recommended the Bedini amplifiers almost exclusively with his offerings. My favorite was the MEG 25/25 ( if I am remembering the model correctly ). My best, MrD. |
I agree, they're 40+ years old at this point so most need some touching up. The photo above was repaired before I owned it. I've had a few in for service with a reliable repair technician and most are going strong. Usually just a few small things need replaced and they're back to working order. I'm mostly after the rarer ones, and less interested in the main stream models. They had many unique variants of and one-offs which sort of adds to the allure of the brand and those are the ones I'm interested. So far all of the ones I've listened to have been worth the trouble of getting them repaired. The main one I am after now is a Bedini/Strelioff 200 which was their first amp. As of now I've got a 10/10 (only a few given to dealers), a 25 DE, these one MEGS in this thread and a couple other odd ones. One is a 200/200 S/N 001 that i think might be a prototype model?
The mass-produced MkII models and BA-8xx models I am less interested in.
Shahinian Loudspeakers are still around (at least via email) and I talked to them a few years ago and to this day they still keep a Bedini amp at their factory. Most of their speakers have low impedance loads so that maybe something to do with them pairing them together. |
