Another Hitachi MOSFET: Lucky me!!

[sealy]

Found this one locally. HMA 6500. 60 w/ch. Same beautifully detailed sound as my other, slightly larger HMA 7500. Certainly the most powerful 60 watt amp I've ever heard.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

That's awesome. What time-period is it from? Early 80's or late '70's (Maybe '79-'80?)?

Those meters don't look cheap.


I'd love to see more shots if you have/take any. I assume it's pretty-big for a 100-watter.

I used to have a Hitachi boom-box back in '81-82. Nothing since then. Too-busy buying a big Pioneer audio.video receiver I didn't need.

 

[sealy]

I think very late 1970's or early 1980's. This MOSFET sound is very addictive. I had a Yamaha M-50 power amp I thought was very good. In terms of sound, it is a full step below the Hitachi's. Away went the Yamaha. Now I need a 100 watt amp to complete the set.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

I think very late 1970's or early 1980's. This MOSFET sound is very addictive. I had a Yamaha M-50 power amp I thought was very good. In terms of sound, it is a full step below the Hitachi's. Away went the Yamaha. Now I need a 100 watt amp to complete the set.

Wow, I'm getting better at this. I think my receiver is some sort of mosfet-hybrid (I couldn't tell you what that means), but it's a good 8 or 9 years older than that thing. What's on the back for connections? 1/4" jacks?

 

[wualta]

Sealy, you're starting out just like I did, and if you're not careful... Well, it's probably too late to warn you now, so grab all the MOSFETs you can and enjoy.

The 6500 and 7500 were Hitachi's first-gen MOSFET power amps, around 1978. Anything earlier than that was using a small-signal MOSFET in the input stage or the front end of a tuner.

The 6500 is nice and compact, certainly no bigger than any other 50w/ch amp. Hint: Spray the input switch (capacitor/DC) with contact cleaner.

 

[kamagong]

Found this one locally. HA 6500. 50 w/ch. Same beautifully detailed sound as my other, slightly larger HA 7500. Certainly the most powerful 50 watt amp I've ever heard.

hi, please correct me if i'm mistaken but i think your unit is a Hitachi HMA-6500 (1979) which is a power amp. the HA prefix is for integrated amps and HCA is for preamps. tried to enlarge your picture but can't make out the letters..

here is the japanese version..
http://audio-database.com/Lo-D-HITACHI/amp/hma-6500-e.html

Lo-D /HITACHI site
http://audio-database.com/Lo-D-HITACHI/amp/index.html

and yes, they do sound fantastic. i myself have the HMA-9500 and HA-8700. they are keepers :yes:

 

[Artie]

Nice, clean looking amp. Enjoy. :thmbsp:

 

[sealy]

hi, please correct me if i'm mistaken but i think your unit is a Hitachi HMA-6500 (1979) which is a power amp. the HA prefix is for integrated amps and HCA is for preamps. tried to enlarge your picture but can't make out the letters..

here is the japanese version..
http://audio-database.com/Lo-D-HITACHI/amp/hma-6500-e.html

Lo-D /HITACHI site
http://audio-database.com/Lo-D-HITACHI/amp/index.html

and yes, they do sound fantastic. i myself have the HMA-9500 and HA-8700. they are keepers :yes:

You are correct. HMA it is, on both amps. The Japanese version is identical to mine. I see the power output is 60 w/ch.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

You are correct. HMA it is, on both amps. I stand corrected.

What does the "M" stand for? "Massive"? "Monster"? "Mondo"? (I know it's not THAT big, but it's still awfully-beefy-looking.

 

[sealy]

Sealy, you're starting out just like I did, and if you're not careful... Well, it's probably too late to warn you now, so grab all the MOSFETs you can and enjoy.

The 6500 and 7500 were Hitachi's first-gen MOSFET power amps, around 1978. Anything earlier than that was using a small-signal MOSFET in the input stage or the front end of a tuner.

The 6500 is nice and compact, certainly no bigger than any other 50w/ch amp. Hint: Spray the input switch (capacitor/DC) with contact cleaner.

I stripped down the amp first thing and sprayed all switches with zero residue contact cleaner as you suggested. Although, the switch is never going to be set in anything but DC, as I find the sound noticeably cleaner than with the capacitor setting.

 

[sealy]

What does the "M" stand for? "Massive"? "Monster"? "Mondo"? (I know it's not THAT big, but it's still awfully-beefy-looking.

MOSFET, I would assume.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

MOSFET, I would assume.

Man, I should have seen that coming.

It looks like a great amp. Like I said before, those meters look like they're of high-quality. The overall construction quality looks excellent on those. And people sure seem to like them.

Love the picture of the dog.

 

[wualta]

What does the "M" stand for? "Massive"? "Monster"? "Mondo"?

Or aMp. Kidding. Haven't figured out the Hitachi nomenclature. HA does indeed indicate the integrated amps, but they're so rare in the US as to be virtually nonexistent. Some of them were imported to Canada, so if you don't mind some French on the back of your amp, the integrateds are beautifully austere and lovely to look at, if you can find one.

As long as you have the DeoxIT habit, your life will proceed placidly in the socalled vintage realm. Even though you'll leave that switch in the DC position (where mine stays too), you don't want corrosion right at the input. The less sentimental owners jumper the switch and are done with it.

50w/ch for the 6500, measured in real '70s watts. Probably 100w/ch by today's standards. That's at both 8 ohms and 4 ohms, according to the service manual.

 

[jhoyt]

Aren't "M" and "C", referring to power and pre amps, common nomenclature industry-wide?

 

[fastbike]

This is my vote for the understatement of the year! These are dual mono designs are are amazingly heavy for the size. Takes you by surprise the first time you pick one up.

The overall construction quality looks excellent on those. And people sure seem to like them.