Vintage 80s/70s amp war

mindbomb

New Member
Hi all, I'm (re-) building my setup.

In the market for a vintage 70s/80s integrated amp with phono stage. Will use mainly for music (need to pair speakers too) coming from vintage (Dual probably) turntable + some modern-day streaming devices (thru external HDMI splitter/DAC to the unit's AUX in). Lotsa rock, 80s dark and female vocalists.

Budget ~130$ (amp only)

I've put my eyes on:
1. Kenwood KA-3500, saw some nice feedback here about it, looks very solid build, dry tech specs are not-so-good: 0.2% THD, "only" 40W RMS per channel, I'm sure sound is a whole different thing. 70s unit, separated non-switching power supply.

2. Sony TA-AX500 - about 6 years younger than the Kenny, looks very solid, found one in pretty good condition, has an extra IN, MM/MC phono stage, some "CD direct" mode, a 0.008% THD and 80W RMS per channel.

more options:
3. extend budget for a higher model from Kenwood like KA-6100/5700/601?
4. something newer as Denon PMA-520 (not AE), is that pure class A? advantage over previous ones SQ-wise?

Really confused on what should I pull the trigger on.

Any insights greatly appreciated!! Thanks!
 
I've heard the Kenwood, but not the Sony. I've heard a lot of similar pieces from Sony, etc.. stuff from that era and never been impressed with anything less than the totl, or close to totl gear.

In my experience the 70's gear like the KA-3500 sounds better than later amps like the Sony and others in the same price range. The THD may be higher on the old Kenny but I don't pay that too much attention. Listening is the only way to tell what is better sounding.

If you think you'll need more power than the KA-3500 you should look into the other Kenwood models you listed.

If you are going to use a tt you'll want to consider what has a better phono stage. Do you need mm/mc or not ?

The Sony looks better on paper but that does not mean it will sound better IMO. The Denon might be ok but it's a 1990's $100 (or less) amp and I avoid cheap 1990's gear like that no matter who makes it.
 
The KA 3500 was my first amplifier, purchased it new for something like $250 in the early 70's. I liked it a lot better than the Pioneer SX-525 which was my first receiver. The only issue I ever had with it was the limited power rating. When we would crank it up loud at parties in college, it melted the plastic diaphragms on my ESS Heil AMT 1A speakers. I assumed this was because we were driving it too hard and the amplifier was clipping.

I liked the build quality and the looks of the KA 3500. I've thought about getting another one for nostalgia sake in the past.
 
You know, one vintage amp that really hits the sweet spot is the Kenwood KA-7100. They're low enough in the Kenwood line to be cheap, but well built and well engineered. It's a great amp, does everything right without a high price tag.

Good luck, and welcome to AK!
 
Save your pennies/extend your budget and a lot more doors will open up. Don't know where you are located, but try to search locally--that way you can actually listen to/inspect the piece you are considering. If you shop on that auction site, unless you get lucky, everything is marked up 20% to account for fees and then there are shipping charges as well.

My advice to anyone setting up a new system or reconsidering an existing system is to pick that one "must have" or "most impressive" component and build from there.
 
As above.. move away from the thrift shops.
Suggest a Hafler 'transnova' (their name) Amp 93/9500 models.
About as good as it gets in amp design from that era.
 
While somewhat harder to find, I picked up an Optonica SM-4545 as partial payment for another amp I was selling a couple of years ago.

Two phono inputs, with a very good phono amp section...including variable capacitance and impedance. Excellent sound quality, and very well built. I had assumed I would just listen a bit and then sell it...instead, I've used it regularly in one of my systems. And, I am so impressed with it I recently bought another Optonica integrated - the SM-4646 (dual mono power supplies, plus separate transformer for the preamp section).

Effectively, I paid $50 for the 4545, then spent another $35 or so for parts to recap it. Paid $85 for the 4646...haven't done any updates to it yet. The only downside that I can see to the 4646 is that it uses difficult to find Darlington power packs. The 4545 has a fully discrete output section (and all of its boards are plug-in...very easy to work on).

I know that towards the end of their relatively brief existence, Optonica (Sharp's foray into a higher-end product line) put out some much lower-quality receivers and amps...but I can vouch for these two as exceptionally well-built consumer-class amps. So, if you happen to come across one in your searching, I recommend that you give it strong consideration.

By the way...I've had a KA-3500 - nice little amp, but not in the same league as either of these Optonicas from the standpoint of build quality or performance. On the other hand, the 3500's are pretty easy to find. I've also owned the KA-7100...agree with Jhoyt that it would certainly be worth considering vs the 3500...same build quality as the 9100, just less power.
 
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Welcome. Look for dual transformer Kenwood KA-7300 or KA-9100. Look for dual transformer HK 665 or 665VXi. There are many other affordable dual transformer models. IMO, worth stretching the budget to get something you will really be happy with.
 
I would go for the Kenwood.

Very nice looking in and out and a warm sounding amplifier.

40 wpc is enough to fill a room with nice full sound.

If it's a bit underpowered for you, then get some efficient speakers

A pair of Dynacos A25 would fit perfectly.

Less vintage are some Paradigm or Energy speakers that are effecient.

Amp and speakers pairing is important.

Back to the Kenwood, only thing I disliked ( had one once ) is,
there is no relay protection and this amp is not cap coupled.

But hey... you only live once !

Your move !
 
Wow thank you guys, thanks for the warm & informative welcome, absolutely great forums here!

@savatage:
Shopping around locally is possible (SF, CA) but will be hard to do listening comparison in different locations with different sets of speakers hooked up. Also didn't find too many serious places for vintage audio sales here (maybe didn't look good enough). Any ideas?
What should I extend my budget to in your opinion?

@krowmagnum: If I'm not mistaken the Sony TA-AX500 is a totl model, or close to it.. found some posting about it here, got its full service manual. looks solid
http://www.theadditionstudio.com/sony-ta-ax-500-integrated-amplifier-audiophile-introduction/

The KA-3500s are going strong on ebay, the more advanced models, not so much.

@kcbluesman.. Mmm Optonica - didn't look into that yet.
There's a Optonica SA-5206 for sale now on ebay, though, I don't care much about tuners for now.
 
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I'm not a huge fan of the sony either however I do quite like the Kenwoods I own myself, KA-5700, KR-6160 and KR-4070.

If you're interested I'm actually fairly close to you (Fairfield) and have a spare Pioneer SA-720. There might be some other stuff on Craigslist under the electronics section, though I haven't checked in a while.
 
@Warpserver: thanks! SA-720 does look interesting. Does it posses the same sweet round vintage sound as the Kennys?

a new option has opened up - a Yahama A-1, from same era, which looks like a complete TOTL unit, super heavy strong amp. to my surprise budget is not being extended. Only thing is unit appearance is disappointing (the black version, not silver).
Is it a good investment?
 
on that Denon PMA series - if its like the PMA-920 integrated we use in our system ("topical class A") best explanation I could find for it came from here:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=469337

a bit confusing to me, but alas I do really enjoy our PMA-920 paired up with slightly modified/upgraded HPM-100's and primarily spin vinyl + digital sources through HDMI audio extractor/chromecast - I believe it was made between '88-'91 or somewhere around those years
 
If you can find a (working) Yamaha A-1 integrated amp for the price mentioned in the first post...you must be living right...as those usually go for a lot more cash and are an excellent choice. Some other reasonably priced units worth considering:

Silver:
Kenwood KA-7100
Technics SU-V8
Onkyo A-7
Yamaha CA-810
Luxman L-210
JVC A-X7

Black:
Yamaha A-1000
NAD 3080
Harman/Kardon PM665Vxi
 
Big thumbs up for the Yamaha A-1000....an excellent integrated amp, with 120 watts per channel, and can often be found for low $$.

Here's an inside look at one I restored a couple of years ago...shouldn't have sold it!

IMG_1828_2_1.jpg
 
@Warpserver: thanks! SA-720 does look interesting. Does it posses the same sweet round vintage sound as the Kennys?

Similar but to me a bit "cleaner". If anything it reminds me most of the Sansui G-X000 receivers.

If you can get that Yamaha though I'd go with it instead.
 
No Yamaha A-1000 to be found now.. "Just" the A-1. still no answer from seller.

yesshows77:
I found a Onkyo A-5 (not A-7) in almost mint condition - around 120$. should I pull the trigger on this one? love those brushed aluminum faceplates
 
I have a Proton 550 integrated amp that I bought new. It still sounds great, and probably would be a good one if you can find, and very reasonable.
 
I would like to think that you could find an Onkyo A-5 for less $$ than that, but the big auction site indicates that is a typical price. It is a good quality amp and I owned one back in the late 70's for a while. I would definitely go for the Onkyo over the Kenwood KA-3500.
 
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