Top three vintage power amps, submit your votes

[KentTeffeteller]

For me, the best practical is simple:

McIntosh
Crown
Bryston

All 3 sound great, are well made, are supported very well even when older. And are nice to own even when elderly. All 3 also are conservatively engineered, never have stressed component parts in their design, and live lives of ease under normal use. All 3 also sound great. All are also among the most reliable ever made.

 

[FONSguy]

Mac 2300
Crown DC300a
Phase Linear 700

 

[avionic]

Northrop AN/ALQ135. Its vintage and kicked ass. And.. They had tubes in them . Travelling wave tubes.

combat proven.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

For Radar duty, that is a awesome choice. Bet it's not as nice of a AF amplifier though. But it does GHZ frequencies great.

 

[theophile]

Of course it kicked ass: It is AN/AL.

 

[vonclod]

Without doubt: Sony TAN-8550. I have heard many of above but none beats the VFET sound.

I was thinking Yamaha B1, have one and love it..would love to hear the Sony one day.

 

[hunter00]

Fisher 50a triode monos
Mac30's mono's
HK citation 2

 

[avionic]

For Radar duty, that is a awesome choice. Bet it's not as nice of a AF amplifier though. But it does GHZ frequencies great.

Heavy SOB's as well.

 

[Descartridge]

Threshold S200
Luxman MB3045s
Bryston 4B

 

[Hunted11]

Carver PM-350
Mac MC2100
G.A.S. Ampzilla
I presently own and use 2 of the 3.

 

[kjello]

My 3 of choice from the 80's (and one from the early 90's )
All made in Norway back in the golden years.

ADYTON P3000 (1982)
http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet...37493878-diger-gammal-adyton-poweramp-001.jpg
http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet...37493962-diger-gammal-adyton-poweramp-002.jpg

DYNAMIC PRECISION Power Amplifier No1 (1985)
http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet...dynamic-precision-power-amp-no-1-dsc_8392.jpg
http://www.dpguiden.no/?page_id=20

TANDBERG 3016A (1986)
http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/tandberg-tpa-3016a-and-tca-3018a-241.html

ELECTROCOMPANIET AW-100 (1993)
http://www.electrocompaniet.no/files/manuals/aw100dmb.pdf

 

[BMWCCA]

Of what I own:
Crown Studio Reference-II
Crown PS400
Soundcraftsmen Pro-Power-Four

 

[onemug]

Threshold SA-1's
Marantz Model 9's
Krell KSA-250

(I have to give a honorable mention to the McIntosh 275)

 

[uvafan420]

Threshold SA-1's
Marantz Model 9's
Krell KSA-250

(I have to give a honorable mention to the McIntosh 275)

Good list. I will just switch two of them up The Marantz Model 9 is tubes is it not?
Krell KSA-250/MDA-500
Threshold SA-1
Jeff Rowland Model 7

 

[onemug]

The Marantz Model 9 is tubes is it not?

You are correct sir.

I read the thread title as "top three vintage power amps" and forgot I was in the "Solid State" forum.

I will be watching you should you ever mention the Rowland 7 in the Tube Forum.

 

[uvafan420]

You are correct sir.

I read the thread title as "top three vintage power amps" and forgot I was in the "Solid State" forum.

I will be watching you should you ever mention the Rowland 7 in the Tube Forum.

Lol, we are all human, so I am sure you will find me out somewhere...

 

[Trebolo]

Manley 250 mono blocks
Nikko alpha 3
Krell KSA

 

[Roadrash]

Three of the best I've personally heard
HK Citation 16
Kenwood L-09M
Onkyo M-510 Grand Integra

 

[techguy0192]

Any from the following....

McIntosh
Bryston
Audio Research

 

[Bostown]

Dunlap Clarke Dreadnought 1000

Reviving a dead thread to test out photo linking from my Google Photos repository. Google isn't making embedding images easy any more.

This amp ( if the pic actually showed up) is still on my GET TO ONE DAY. list. I just have a few others in queue first.