Kreshna

...but I have to know.
Like, what was the very first amplifier you owned? And when?

My first amplifier had a brown, wooden casing, with silverface of sort. Lately I tried to remember what brand and model it was. It was a pretty basic amplifier, with only few control knobs. I recently thought it was Pioneer SA-500 due to its simplicity, but turned out I was wrong.

Yes, I accidentally found this amplifier on ebay (no affiliation), then I realized: it was the brand and model my first amplifier belonged to. Yes, my very first amplifier was a Standard SR-157SU, given by my dad when I was 11 years-old. I couldn't be mistaken. The amplifier has obviously wooden casing, and black-accented silverface. It was also very simple, very basic amp. It doesn't even have "tape monitor" function.

Yes, I was still a kid at that time, still in elementary school. But it was also the time dad gave me elementary lessons in audio, which started by connecting the tape player to the amplifier, then the amplifier to the speakers.

gpTkcPN.jpg

The Standard Electronics SR-157SU (not mine)

The speakers was a pair of Philips single-driver whose model I couldn't remember. The sound was warm, but rather shrill when played loud. Coincidentally, the Bowers & Wilkins DM302 I just bought somewhat reminds me of the upper-mid shrillness of the Philips, although the similarity ends there (because the B&Ws are much better, of course). In any case, I remember dad added a pair of car speakers, which add more top and bottom ends. So yes, we (me and my younger brother) used two pair of speakers simultaneously; the Philips single-driver on the floor, flanking our study desk, and the car audio speakers on the said desk. And the Standard SR-157SU amp doesn't even have A+B switch; it was a brute force method as we connected the two pairs of speakers in parallel.

Now, I don't remember how exactly did they sound, but they sound pretty good. However, I just couldn't forget an oddity I experienced with the song The Great Pretender by Freddie Mercury (1987). The song closes with a series of synthesized strings riffs that fades away with each iteration. Now, the riffs at the minute 2:52 and 2:54 clearly sounded as if they come from the car speakers on the desk, but the later riffs at the minute 3:02 and 3:04 clearly came from the Philips single-drivers on the floor.

That's really weird, because there is no way such simple amplifier could extrapolate surround sound from stereo channel. Also, the car audio speakers on the desk and the Philips single-driver on the floor are simply connected parallel --no Hafler circuit or such.

Nonetheless, that was my very first experience with audio. Quite exciting.

About two years later, my beloved mom (who sadly passed away in 2015) introduced us (me and my younger brother) to IBM PC compatible, and my hobby shifted to computers. In fact, I became quite a computer freak; immersing my teenage days with DOS games like Hero's Quest, F-15 Strike Eagle II, and Chris Crawford's The Global Dilemma: Guns or Butter. But I still have great interest in good sound. When other kids used flimsy, beige-colored computer speakers with their Sound Blaster, I already used the speakers and power amp section of dad's Kenwood DC-20. In 2007 I had forgotten many things about audio, but still had the instinct to choose musical-sounding multimedia speakers instead of Logitech's boom booms.

So, that was the story of my very first amplifier, and the start of my great interest in good sound.

How about yours?
 
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Kenwood KA-3500 in 76 or 77 - don't recall which year I got it. It was my senior year in H.S. - sounded great and loved it.
 
I dont have a picturefor this amp but I preety remember what was that... My father take me him old amp somewhere from `70. when I was 15yo. This amp have 2x30W RMS at 8 Ohm and it was be hand made amp. It was be in wood enclosure from top and sides but front, bottom and rear was be on solid metal and front face is from polished aluminium with all signs on it made with site printing. Also this amp drive with 30V from inside on its enclosure with single transformer. Output is based on 2N3055 transistors. It have four imput with MM input and on it I ride my Dual CS-621 turntable. After that, when I was 18-20yo I`m decide to change and improve sound on it but never finish this work and amplifier did not work anymore. It stay disassemble and I forget on him, all pieces is today somewhere, who know where... This was be my beutiful past... :(
 
Mine was a Marantz 1120 integrated when I Was maybe 16 or so (1972ish). Sliders for the tone and balance controls and the heat sink and outputs were exposed outside the box. Was a pretty good amp till it started overhearing and shutting down . Used to sometime put ice packs (frozen beer once) on the sink till that didn't work anymore, then I brought the Kenwood 700 series and haven't really looked back since.
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Dynaco Stereo 80 coupled with a PAT4 preamp. It powered a AR4x until replaced by a Dynaco A35. It was fine until I acquired Magnepan IIa speakers which really need more power. The power issue was solved with a Carver M400.
 
Was about 13 or 14 when my uncle gave me a 20 watt Bogen DB-20df mono amp he built from a kit n the 50's. I used it a lot in the the early 80's then occasionally up to the late 90's early 2000's I still have it but I'm afraid to power it up now.
 
My older brother took me to San Antonio's Bjorns in 1984 or so, where the obvious choice for a high school kid was the NAD 3120 and Boston A60s. Thanks brah!
 
Sansui AU-D7 integrated amp, I bought in about 1982, and I still have it. I fired it up the other day with some Timeframe TF-500s, sounded really good!

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011. I setup this rig. It’s been all down hill from here. Marantz 6300 TT with Shure M97Xe. Marantz 1060. Dynaco A25’s.

I’ve basically rebuilt this system again now for my bedroom rig. All these pieces were sold within a couple years of getting into the hobby.

- Woody

F71045EC-BA06-442E-9CDA-290F18F79549.jpeg
 
Like, what was the very first amplifier you owned? And when?

My first amplifier had a brown, wooden casing, with silverface of sort. Lately I tried to remember what brand and model it was. It was a pretty basic amplifier, with only few control knobs. I recently thought it was Pioneer SA-500 due to its simplicity, but turned out I was wrong.

Yes, I accidentally found this amplifier on ebay (no affiliation), then I realized: it was the brand and model my first amplifier belonged to. Yes, my very first amplifier was a Standard SR-157SU, given by my dad when I was 11 years-old. I couldn't be mistaken. The amplifier has obviously wooden casing, and black-accented silverface. It was also very simple, very basic amp. It doesn't even have "tape monitor" function.

Yes, I was still a kid at that time, still in elementary school. But it was also the time dad gave me elementary lessons in audio, which started by connecting the tape player to the amplifier, then the amplifier to the speakers.

gpTkcPN.jpg

The Standard Electronics SR-157SU (not mine)

Your post really made me smile. I bought an extremely similar amp at a thrift store a few years ago for $5. Couldn't resist. I'm sure I can remember seeing a unit like it many years ago at someone's house, and nostalgia must've kicked in and overpowered reason.

The model number is slightly different: it's a SR-A401AU. It has a couple of additional switches: loudness (woo -- fancy!) and a tape monitor switch instead of a tape position on the selector. It actually has a switch on the back for MAG and X'TAL phono cartridges (I'm not even sure I know exactly what that means! Ceramic carts, I'm guessing.) The stupid thing still works, so I guess I shouldn't be entirely dismissive!

(A search indicates that in 1970 it sold for around $90; the ad specifies that it is 60watts. That can't be right. http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1970/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1970 - 3175.pdf) It also specifically mentions the SR-157SU; $70, man!

The earliest amp I can remember actually having myself (at about the age of 14-16, I'd say) was a tube amp that was in an old Admiral console with built-in stereo speakers; I sat an Akai Invert-O-Matic cassette deck on top of the whole deal. The turntable in the console was too shitty to dare use it for any record that you actually cared about, so it was cassettes only in those days. I'm sure this was it:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mid-century-admiral-stereophonic-1695615488
Ah, good times . . .
 
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Pioneer SA 5200 integrated amp.

Great sounding 10 Watts per channel. Bought it in 1973. Gave it to my brother in 1983. He still has it. it still works.
 
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How long did you have it for? Do you remember how it sounded? The reason I ask is bc I have an LA-950 which I believe is from around 1972. One of the channel works but the other doesn’t. Is it worth trying to fix up? Was the volume knob on yours behind the balance?!?

Thanks!

View attachment 1066296
Still have it, it sounds great, currently sitting idle waiting to be gifted to my son
 
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