Old Amps that can still Kick Butt

While I much prefer Audio Research products, I still use a Hafler 500 I built at my desk in my shop in 1974.  Recently checked over, the bias was adjusted and the amp pronounced perfect, and it sounds that way.  I am using it on the bottom end of my bi-amped Tympani I-C's, so it is not called upon to be full range, but it works just fine either way.  Not perfect in accuracy, but just fine.

The Adcom 535 I got around the same time runs my home office system, which I use when doing stuff like this.  Neither is as accurate as the Audio Research amps I use on the top end or such older amps as the D-150--wish I still had one of those!--but they run and run and run and never give me a problem.

So yes, some older amps are just fine.  This is not to say I would not buy a new amp given the $$ and desire, but since this is not a priority for me right now--fixing up my newly-purchased house is #1--I am not in the market.

But those two amps seem to do the job for over 40 years, so why complain?  What else do you use that is 40+ years old and works as well as it did when new?  Maybe a musical instrument, and of course my C-2, which needs constant attention, but that's about all I can think of.

Cheers!

@douglas_schroeder

I know nothing about Class D, but will look into it.  Mainly, I wanted to support your conversation regarding boxes.  When I opened my shop in 1974, I thought I knew a lot.  HA!  After locking the doors every evening, the real work began.

I learned VERY QUICKLY that ALL boxes distorted reproduced music.  My guitar and bass amps are boxes, but they are built for a different purpose than hi-fi speakers.

The real revelation, after learning about box speakers, was listening to the ever-popular Bose 901 hot mess and then turning on a set of Magneplaners driven by Audio Research gear of the day and a Linn Sondek with a moving coil cartridge.  A Lincoln Mayorga Direct-to-Disc source finally got me to put down the guitar and listen to recorded music.

There it was, and I have never looked back. 

Certainly there are many boxes today that are much more refined and have much better engineering than they did in the 1970's and '80's when I had the shop, but they remain boxes. 

While I understand different strokes, I still find it interesting that people will not even try Maggies before dropping tons of money on boxes.  My point is, at least try them in your room.  If they don't work for you, at least you will know that.  And, you might learn something.  Imagine that!

Cheers!