Best vintage amps (late 70s / early 80s) under $3k?


The golden age of audio was arguably the late 70s / early 80s, when corporations were willing to dump a ton of money into R&D / materials to make the best equipment possible. The downside to owning equipment from this period now is possible refurbishment and maintenance costs, but it seems good deals can still be had.

Wondering if you guys had recommendations of great sounding amps from this era? Ideally I'm looking for something that's 100W minimum, doesn't run hot, and under $3000 second hand.

I already have a fully refurbished late 70s Pioneer M-22 that outputs 30W into 8ohms. I love this amp, but being Class A it's like a radiator and not suitable for Southern California's summer months in a smallish room. More power would also be good as my speaker efficiency is 89.5db. I listen to many genres of music, so the amp needs to be a good all-rounder.

My current chain:

Turntable: Technics 1210M5G w/ AudioMods tonearm and Lyra Delos MC cart
Phono stage: Avid Pulsus
DAC: RME ADI-2 Pro
Preamp: Schiit Saga
Amp: Pioneer M-22
Speakers: Prana Fidelity Bhava
Subs: Rythmik L12
128x128pts
with your budget why go that old there are many better choices that are much newer for your budget. 
+1 stereo5! I have two GAS Sons! Am listening to one right now with the DCM Time Windows 1A. Superb sounding combination! As good as today's big-buck gear!
glennewdick - Well, it depends on your definition of "better". In my opinion, to get a modern amp that’s of the same caliber as a vintage M-22 (generally around $1k used) you could potentially spend 5 to 10 times the price. I’m not ruling out contemporary audio equipment, but the really good stuff tends to be crazy expensive. This thread was designed to see if there are hidden vintage gems that can compete with today’s high-end offerings, without the need to sell a kidney.


I also have a mono pair of Quad 50's (fully refurbished!) that I might part with. Very rare amps! PM me!
As it always is, synergy and electrical compatibility would determine what vintage amplifier might be more preferable so as not to keep you waiting for ebm’s crystal ball.