Big Japanese Powerhouses

Which Japanese behemoth is your favorite powerhouse:


  • Total voters
    75
I'm running two Yamaha PC2002's bridged @ 700 wpc. Great sounding amps!

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great sturdy amps, have had the hifi version of them in the eighties the M2 combined with a C2a.
Beautiful made and solid sound it even could drive my Acoustats 2 + 2.
 
:D real fine units, thanks for the pics.

Really like that stand 'cactus bob'.. looks sturdy.


I found the rack a few years ago at a GW in mint condition and searched everywhere for another to no avail. It's solid as a rock, great access to the cables and looks great. I'd buy a half dozen if I could. A real space saver and the TT is at a perfect height for this 6'5" 'r.

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This is pretty much like asking what is your favorite food. There isn't any amp listed there that I wouldn't bring home provided the conditions are right (price, availability, function, and cosmetics) and not necessarily in that order
 
Nor would I, but having worked on and listened to, the Sansui BA-5000 that is my vote. ;)



Mine too! Sansui at the time were out to prove a point... that they could build the best quality power-amp ever in Hi-Fi's heyday (MRRP and/or development budget didn't really come into play). They surpassed McIntosh,and as you know John,I own the near mint,fully recapped/restored one that you worked on. Your Sansui technical knowledge is quite frankly unbelievable!
 
LOL... Of course you're right. A few years back, I was in the market for a pair of Denon monoblocks. I came upon a pair of the POA8000 which I should have popped on - including the matching pre - and didn't. Did some research however and apparently there were some major flaws with the 8000 with regard of over heating and burning out circuitry. Very unreliable, so I've read, however they - apparently - were a major step down from the S1. Had a fellow contact me last year with a pair of S1 for sale however the shipping from his location - Australia - would have have added an amazing cost.......
PS: I love the look of the big VU meters however if I was offered a pair of high quality high powered monoblock lumps like those S1 without the VU meters... My door would remain wide open.. ;-)
Regards..
Is said I have had the POA-8000's on a pair of Infinity's Q2. No good match impedence wise, meters where very quick in the right corners. Did not experience any problems with it apart from failing bulbs though.
Had them for quite a while on Altecs without problems but after I got Acoustat fullrange electrostatics I sold them and bought big Thresholds, Krells, Rowlands and Levinsons that could drive tough loads.
And you probably right the S1's would be a better alternative then the POA-8000's but the last one does look quite pretty and the countdown (like the McIntosh MC-2255) sequence ads another nice touch to it although it's more like a frill.
 
Nice. The reason I didn't pop on the 8000s is an audio store near was going out of business and had a POA2800 for sale. One of their employees bumped it and it had a hairline crack on the bottom right hand corner underside of corner molding. Got it for a song. Figured, at the time, 200wpc was enough for my old Paradigm. Might I ask which Rowlands you had and what your opinions were? Was thinking about either the Rowland Model 7 Transimpedance or the Classe M1000 for my Epi 1000. They crave power and I don't think my Epicure M1, though sounds actually very nice, is up to the power craving of these speakers...

Don't know the Classé M1000, only had a Classé DR-3.
Have had a JRDG Model 7 Series II en transimpedance (Series IV) amplifiers and I both loved them.
Very powerfull, more slam then the Model 8Ti I had and moere alive the the latter.
Also one of the most musical solid states I had almost as good as the Levinson ML-2's
Heartly recommended!
 
Another vote for the KENWOOD L-09M amps. Awesome sound, quality, built very heavy duty, usually measure out at plus 400 watts RMS actual power by pros, nice looking, and for the best bang for the buck they are very hard to beat considering they are sold usually for $400 to $500 each. IMHO you will have to pay considerably more for those 6 amps listed for a bit more power and possibly better sound but I doubt you could hear much of a difference. But if I had to choose between the 6 amps listed in this thread it would be the YAMAHA 101M for sure for the best looks, quality & power output. Just my .02c
 
Hi MarZutra,

How's your acquiring mission of the JRDG Model 7's going?
I just scored them for the second time after selling my first pair due to a low WAF or high MIF.

I've seen that the Sansui BA-5000 is the most popular Japanese power amp around here till now.
Even the Yamaha 101m (PC5002m) has been left behind which I thought would win hands down at Audiokarma...
 
Imagine the speakers you'd have to have just to get these amps even warmed up and running at top efficiency.
 
Well, I had almost scored a pair in a trade deal however a friend of mine, due to his tardiness, killed the deal for me.
What a bummer! I've had several Krells but I prefer the model 7's. Have an old Krell for my Watkins woofers and the JRDG model 7's drive the other 16 units :)
 
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