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How do we remember 1970s amplifiers?

I would be curious to hear some of the memories and impressions associated with the following short list of 1970s amplifiers:

- McIntosh "first generation" SS amps, MC2105, MC2505, MC2300, MC250, MC2100
- Dynaco Stereo 400 and Stereo 120
- Phase Linear 400 and 700
- Bang & Olufsen "slide rule" receivers (i.e. especially blackface Beomaster 4000)
- Original Ampzilla (not Son of Ampzilla)

I've chosen this list mainly because they cover a wide range of approaches to solving the issues of early semiconductor technology, and they were all pretty mainstream products in the U.S. I'm excluding the Japanese receivers/amps not out of predjudice; it's simply that the circuit designs varied quite a bit with each model, and thus harder to broadly classify their characteristics.

I'm interested in impressions of both sonic and non-sonic attributes, and a preferred ranking of the above, if you like.
kirkus
grimace
624 posts
 
This is slightly before the 70s, but my old man had a Fisher tube receiver, a Garrard Lab 80 turntable with an Empire cartridge, and AR speakers, and he ran that kit well into the mid 80s. Lamp cord for speaker wires, with the speakers just lying on the floor.

He was just here for Thanksgiving and couldn't repeat often enough how completely insane modern hi-fi is (which translates to "You may be 43, but you're still a schmuck), and he can't understand why anyone would want/need anything more than a Bose table top thingy.

Despite this bravura, he did take the time to listen to a Van Karajan Mozart CD all the way through three times. So how ridiculous was that, pop?
markpao
519 posts
 
Good thread. Brings back memories to my Dynaco SCA 80 and then Stereo 300/ Pat 5 mated to my large Advents. Boy did that set up sound good back then.
isochronism
2,893 posts
 
70's amplifiers were comparable to 70's clothing. Loud and obnoxious!
bizango1
276 posts
 
I seem to remember Phase Linear amps had a reputation for catching on fire. That made an impression on my memory.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Well it was from an earlier time, but what I had in the 70s - the MAC MA 230 hybrid integrated. I remember it as being the greatest piece of gear of all time. I assume I was delusional, but I did not know any better and so it was the greatest piece of gear of all time.
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