Old Amps that can still Kick Butt

One vintage piece that is often overlooked is the Fisher 400 CX-2 preamp "The President".   This was Fisher's competitor to the Marantz 7 and Mac C22.   I got a chance to hear one once and OMG, it's every bit as good as either.   A Marantz 7 will run you at least $7000 today.  A good Mac C22 will go for as little as $4500, but to get one nice will be at least $5000.   When you can find one of these Fisher preamps, in fully restored condition, will run you about $3000 - $3500.   And they're beautiful.  Really.  With that classic Fisher look.

My brother has a pair of BEL 1001 Mk V's running as mono blocks. Great sound.

Threshold S/450e

I also have a Scott Lk-150, and it is a special amplifier. It’s my “back up”, but I’ve tried it in my main system in place of a very well respected, current model amp, and it competes very well. I actually prefer it with some music. I took it with me to audio stores to compare to new amps when I was looking to buy. It sounded better than all the ones I auditioned. We’d listen to the new amp first, then put the Scott in its place and listen again. I could tell the moment the salesman realized the 60 year old amp sounded better… his jaw would drop. Literally. It’s also gorgeous to look at. I haven’t heard everything out there, but I’ve owned dozens of amps, and I’ve listened to many dozen more. Something about this Scott just sounds “real”.

Accupahse P300. H-K Citation 16, GAS Ampzilla, Meitner MT101,