nakamichi pa5 or 7

Power rating is slightly more. I belive it weighs a few more pounds as well. Looks are the same. Obviously, decals in the back will also let you know the difference. The amp runs cooler as well

Nelson Pass designed those amps , so there's nothing wrong and much right with the design. Having the caps upgraded is not hugely expensive (if they need replacement). I think the pa7 was 200 or 225 wpc. All in all , very nice amps for the money now. They show up on fleabay now and then. You can almost always sell them for about what you pay for them. They are probably worth a shot if the price isn't bad. Good luck!

The first series of the Nakamichi PA7 in my opinion is the best. It is a Threshold in a Nakamichi box. Nakamichi got sued by Threshold because Nak did not change anything inside of the amp. Nak just dublicated the Threshold. Hence, the second model MKII amp. MKII sounds a little dry in the middle sections.

Hope this helps,

wbkco@aol.com

Well... regarding the last posting, that's not entirely true. There are some differences between for example the Nak PA 7 and the similarly specced Threshold S/300. Both use the STASIS-design made by Nelson Pass, but due to a different lay-out and different components, for example the power-transistors, there is a difference in sound. To my ears, the Threshold sounds better, but the Nak is a great sounding amp.

As for the capacitors: a very rough comparison is that they act as batteries, only faster responding. They separate the electronics from slight changes in the incoming elektricity by storing energy, releasing this energy as the music/volume demands more power form the amp. When caps get older, they lose the ability to store and release energy. I had my Threshold revised a couple of months ago. The technician measured all components, and they were still on, or even over spec. Changing the big capacitors will cost around 250 dollars. So it's up to you to decide if you think the amp is worth it. Also, caps tend to get older quicker when the amp gets hotter, so caps in a Class A amp wil lose their capacity quicker.

PER TONE PUBLICATIONS - Introduced in 1988, the PA-7 retailed for $1,595, a bargain compared to the Threshold S-350e that cost twice as much and sported a rated power output of only 150 watts per channel. Nakamichi’s scale of manufacturing made it easy to grab one of Pass’ best designs at a very reasonable price. Today, clean PA-7s can be found on the used market for $600-$700. According to Pass, the original PA-7 (not the PA-7 series II) is “the one you want.” (continued) If you troll the Internet in search of a unit, insist on seeing pictures and deduct heavily for cosmetic dam- age. Replacements are unavailable and greatly diminish the resale price should you decide to resell at a future date. Run away screaming from an amplifier that has been “modified.”