I still use an 8002 Aragon solid state dual monaural for my power amp. It is clear as a bell and puts out 400 watts into 4 ohms and is about 30 years old. Bought it new and have never been disappointed.
Old SS amps
What are people's experiences with old SS amps. And I'm talking old like close to 20 years. I guess this can be called vintage(though to me it's yesterday.)
Either you bought it new and have had it that long or you bought it used.
Is buying it used a really bad idea even though it was owned by one person with no service issues? Like an old Pass.
I hear something about capacitators needing to be replaced. Should it be avoided like the plague? Am very interested in one but don't want to be stuck with a cat in a sack.
Thanks for any thoughts.
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@bdp24: I have all three! My Bedini 25/25 still doesn’t work despite being sent to John Bedini (RIP) in Idaho three times. The Brown Electronics Lab (BEL) 1001 amp worked briefly after I acquired it from the original owner. He was a friend of Richard Brown (RIP). It is the first production one - serial no. 0001. The John Iverson (RIP) Electron Kinetics Eagle 2A is still working. All three are competitive sonically with today's six-figure made-in-Switzerland amps! |
My Classé Audio DR-9 amps are over 35 yrs. old and functioning fine. They came with a lifetime warranty. Try to get one of those these days. I expect they were built to last. They are Class AB, so never get as hot as Class A amps, so that also helps with their longevity. I use them in bridged mode, so they provide loads of power and current. About a year ago I removed the lids to remove dust, and I think I inspected the caps and didn't see anything suspicious. |
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