Buy new integrated or vintage?

hey man there's what appears to be a bangin Marantz integrated on *new 2 days* RIGHT NOW for 150.00! with upgrades. WELL WORTH IT i am certain. (dec 14, 2010)

for my own money, there are a LOT of options out there on the vintage market, but it doesn't seem as tho this is the place to get a lot of support for such things. you really have to know what you want. in your case, there are vintage integrated amps all over the place. i'd be wary of some but on others, you just can't go wrong. some that will always hold some interest are the 70s Marantz for example, also look at Sansuis.

i was warned off some older amps that either nobody wants to work on or that might not be of interest to others if you want to re-sell. some problems might be leaky caps, for example. look closely, ask the right questions and do your homework and you should be OK. not all brands that were considered *high end* back in their day have any real cred now, bear that in mind as you search... but others are still considered to be worthy. you have to remember that the modern stuff is really hot, if not expensive- but that's the comparison base for a lot of folks here at A-gon.

one thing i WILL say about the folks here is that they are VERY helpful, knowledgeable and friendly, also very honest. this is great for neophytes and newbs. ask up front so you won't be disappointed in the end.

good luck to you!

Smitty,

What sound are you looking for, fast, clean and airy, warm, sweet and dimensional, lots of Pace Rhythm and timing, etc?

This should be more important than new versus old.

One comment, I find many of the vintage Japanese amps from the seventies to be a little bright and glossy sounding, at least thirtyfive years hence.

Two suggestions for solid state amps used: the Naim Nait or Portal Panache. Both very good.

Thanks for your thoughts. I am a professional musician and owner of a small project studio. I have also worked in live sound reinforcement for years, so I am familar with accurate sound reproduction. The reason for my question was one more concerned with build quality. It seems good integrated amps from years passed had beefy power supplies, chassis and in my opinon, better esthetic (metal knobs switches etc). Now it could be I am a bit of a relic of a passed era but much that I have looked at (esoteric exotica excluded) in the Grand and under catagory looks like a step back. Is this the case and I should just get over it or am I missing something?
On the technical end, other than the power supply are there things to be concerned with when purchasing an older amp?

If you're looking for great build, longetivity, excellent customer support, and accurate sound, Bryston should be at the top of your list IMO. Owning a small project studio, you may have heard the name before, as they're a very popular studio and audiophile brand.

I own a B60, so I can tell you it's built like a tank. Solid metal chassis, tight knobs, etc. It's a true dual mono amp - it uses one power transformer for each channel, and on and on. And it sounds phenominal IMO. Very transparent and musical sounding.

The B60 integrated can be found within your budget. There's one currently listed for $725 - no connection to the seller.

Bryston has a 20 year transferrable warranty, and when that expires, they'll fix anything they've ever made for a great price.

The Naim Nait is also a great integrated amp. If it weren't for the B60, that's the amp I'd own.

Not sure what speakers you're driving nor how big the room is. The B60 is 60 watts, and the Nait is 50. From my experience with both, they can drive any realistic speaker to realistic volumes in normal sized rooms. My B60 can drive my Audio Physic Yara bookshelves louder than I can for them too withough straining. If you're looking to drive something like a Totem Mani-2 in a big room to rock concert levels, they're not going to get the job done.

I think I understand what you like: Old school build quality or "Beefiness" e.g., robust parts made of metal and chosen for their operational and structural integrity that easily exceeds any demands that will be placed upon them through normal and probably even excessive use. I'd be surprised if you could find that in a new component for under, or anywhere near, a grand nowadays.

One guy who shares your values is Andy from "Vintage Tube Services". He might be willing to advise you if you give him a call.

For my part, I wouldn't go too vintage unless I had a good tech who I trusted.