Old Amps that can still Kick Butt
Not being a believer that time necessarily = progress, I would like to offer the following example of a sonic gem that has transcended time and can totally kick butt in a modern milieu:
The Robertson 4010. I got one of these about two years ago because it was in immaculate condition, the price was so low and I was inquisitive. I hooked it up and let it warm up for a couple of days. OMG this thing was in the super amp league: Transparency to die for, slam that you couldn‘t‘ believe for for a 50W amp.. Peter Moncrieffe wasn‘t wrong in his review of this amp: this thing is in the Sterreophile Class A component category hands down. Even after all these years.
What amps have you encountered that have defied time and can still kick butt today?
@calvinandhobbes, I belong to a similar school of sound, i.e tonal accuracy and timing being the fundamental goal. Check out Croft amplifiers from UK. http://www.croftacoustics.co.uk/ |
The Music Reference RM-9 Mk.2. THE classic tube amp, better than the Marantz 8b and 9, the Mac MC75, and the ARC D76. For low impedance loads, the RM-200, "Class A" rated in Stereophile by Michael Fremer since 2002. The only tube amp I know of that puts out as much power into 4 ohms as it does into 8. |
@bdp24 My friend has an RM-9 Mk2. It is excellent. But so are McIntosh 225 and 240 amps. While this is a current amp, the Prana Fidelity Class D amp has no shortcommings. At the LA SHOW yesterday, I heard the $10K 400 watt 8 ohm amp driving the Prana two-way average efficiency speakers off of a Townshend Allegri Reference Autotransformer preamp, Silversmith cabling and EAR Classic CD player. Best in show sound (it was a limited size show with only about 70 vendors). Other than deep bass, it had superlative coherent sound, dynamic and involving. Better than a twice the price Harbeth 40.2 anniversary. Listened for 45 minutes (analog too). Never heard a autotransformer pre-amp with such slam/dynamics and colorful sound. I heard the amp several years ago and was impressed. Our records and CDs, classical, vocal, jazz and rock. Now, the entire chain of music was magnificent! https://pranafidelity.com/index.php/project/purnama-amplifier/ I use a combo of classic amps, EAR 890, radical modified Dyna ST70 and a pair of custom Altec 1459 (transformer and case only original parts). The Prana is definitely in the running to replace the custom pair and 890. |
