2. amps-preamps
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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

Showing 2 responses by salectric

salectric
758 posts
 
My system in 1976 would probably still sound pretty good by today's standards. Here's the lineup:

Table #1--Rabco ST-4 with ADC XLM
Table #2--Thorens TD-124 with homemade pivoted arm and Decca Mk 5

Phono---homemade based on Trevor Lees circuit (supposedly a copy of the Paragon 10)

Linestage--homemade passive (pot in a box)

Power amp (100 Hz and above)---Dyna 70 with extensive mods

Power amp (below 100 Hz)--Williamson Twin-20 (Audio Amateur magazine project)

Speakers---KEF B200 in homemade transmission line; Fulton FMI-80 for mids; RTR ESR-6 electrostat tweeter
salectric
758 posts
 
Tbg, I would have loved to own a set of Fulton J-Modulars or the later Premiers, but they were way out of my limited budget.
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