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Recommended cheaper vintage SS Integrated Amps?

I’ve been pondering trying a vintage SS integrated amp for a while. Which brands *in general* aside from the obvious Sansui do you recommend, or specific models? Looking for that warm, mellow vintage sound I read about, which I know is very brand (or even down to model) specific

Three that I’ve found from a reputable vintage dealer are: Marantz 1070 (not recapped), Kenwood KA-3500 (recapped) and Pioneer SA-5800 (not recapped). Any thoughts on these? I know the Marantz 1070 is well liked but what about the other two?

Side question: should ca. 1970s amps be recapped? I’m getting different opinions on this but I would say yes given their age (electrolytics of this vintage aren’t nearly as robust as current ones)
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Showing 1 response by boothroyd

boothroyd
365 posts
 
Many great choices out there including Sansui as mentioned. 
I feel of all my SS restored vintage integrated amps (20 or so) the Kenwood 7100 is the peach without breaking the bank.

As long as a pre/pwr loop is not needed, it seems to make the best sounds with a variety of speakers and overall more reliable than the KA-8100 which suffer from noisy Filter switches (buttons).
The Marantz 1060 is also worth mentioning as its MM phono section is a very good, but overall it is a bit darker overall by comparison.

Not sure just how similar these are to the KA-3500 & 1070 although I suspect similar characteristics with the Kenwood being Direct Coupled & the Marantz capacitor coupled.
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