All time greatest amplifiers

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I thought this thread would naturally gravitate to the highest end kit but it seems I am wrong so in retrospect I put forward The original Naim Nait XS as a contender...it's a great amplifier...all round ability and reliable as f%#k.in fact I don't think anyone could be offended listening to a well set up xs.

 

[drummerman]

I thought this thread would naturally gravitate to the highest end kit but it seems I am wrong so in retrospect I put forward The original Naim Nait XS as a contender...it's a great amplifier...all round ability and reliable as f%#k.in fact I don't think anyone could be offended listening to a well set up xs.

Agree, a great amplifier. Problem is that fickle Naim ownership (no offense) is such that most XS owners soon 'move up' and dont stay with an XS for long. Usually at great expense.

Not unique to Naim it also happens with Cyrus, Exposure etc.

Just as the Cyrus 8 series the XS is my pick out of the Naim separates catalogue.

 

[Diamond Joe]

I would suggest the Audiolab 8000A amp. I know that some here don't agree but I thought it was a good amp for the money, certainly worked well in the system I had at the time and still pop up for sale at a reasonable price.....

I still use mine every day *biggrin* (it's got to go pop one of these days surely?)

​They'll be along in a minute... *secret*

 

[stereoman]

Having the 8VS / 8VS2 Cyrus in a greasest of all time amplifier list is stretching it a bit Have owned the 8VS2 matched with many different speakers and personally love it but 'one of greatest of all time' ? I don't think so.

It's more about the sound character than specifications. In terms of overall sound - it is simply great and you can compare it to no matter what. Love it. Also one of the greatest, because it sold very well and it is still one of the best recognizable Hi Fi audio amplifiers. I also love Accuphase which might be a different league but sound is sound.

 

[Gazzip]

Audio Research Reference 75 in to a pair of Audio Research 610T’s. I have never heard, and probably will never hear, better.

 

[davedotco]

Audio Research Reference 75 in to a pair of Audio Research 610T’s. I have never heard, and probably will never hear, better.

I came to ARC quite late in the day, late 80s early 90s and tried many of the LS Series pre-amps along with the D250, D400 and Classic 60 power amps. I used the D400 to drive my CLS11z electrostatics, far more involving than the Krell, heavily recomended at the time.

The truly great models were earlier, the SP9 for example was one of the great analogue pre-amps, though sadly I never had the chance to live with one. Modern 21st century models such as the various Ref models are, by reputation, quite formidable but well out of my reach, wouldnt mind a go at some point though.

 

[Gazzip]

Audio Research Reference 75 in to a pair of Audio Research 610T’s. I have never heard, and probably will never hear, better.

I came to ARC quite late in the day, late 80s early 90s and tried many of the LS Series pre-amps along with the D250, D400 and Classic 60 power amps. I used the D400 to drive my CLS11z electrostatics, far more involving than the Krell, heavily recomended at the time.

The truly great models were earlier, the SP9 for example was one of the great analogue pre-amps, though sadly I never had the chance to live with one. Modern 21st century models such as the various Ref models are, by reputation, quite formidable but well out of my reach, wouldnt mind a go at some point though.

Indeed. I’ve been chasing an SP9 for some time now but keep missing out.

 

[lindsayt]

I personally like amplifiers from one man band type companies. Ones with genius / experienced / dedicated designers. Preferably ones sold on a cost plus basis, direct. And preferably at second hand prices. These are the sort of amplifiers that tend to do well at bake-offs. A few examples, in alphabetical order:

Avondale, Coincident, Jeff Korneff, Longdog Audio, NVA, Tube Audio Labs, Colin Wonfor.

SET valve or solid state. Horses for courses. Flat track or steeplechase.

 

[drummerman]

And the consensus of this thread is ...

... no all time great amplifiers (or many).

 

[Blacksabbath25]

You could say the same for the Marantz PM6005 which i am sure Marantz has sold a lot of units of

 

[chebby]

You could say the same for the Marantz PM6005 which i am sure Marantz has sold a lot of units of

Probably a tiny fraction. The market for any separates (even budget models) is miniscule in comparison nowadays.

 

[Happy_Listener]

1. Naim Nait

2. Ion Obelisk

3. Musical Fidelity A1

4. Creek 4330

5. Audio Innovations Alto

6. Sugden A21

7. NAD 3020

8. Alchemist Kraken

9. Rega Brio

10. YBA Integre

 

[chebby]

The Sugden A21 for sure. For longevity if nothing else. (50 years.)

 

[Vladimir]

The importance/significance of the 1.1 million NAD 3020 amplifier sales cannot be dismissed (even on grounds of personal taste) as they kick-started a fairly moribund budget hi-fi separates market-place that didn’t really exist until then. (Most people people just bought one make ‘racks’ or ‘stacks’ in their local discount warehouse.)

I will propose the A&R Cambridge A60 as another important amp in it’s day.

How about the Marantz 90's amps and CDPs, especially the Ken Ishiwata Signature budgets?

 

[chebby]

The importance/significance of the 1.1 million NAD 3020 amplifier sales cannot be dismissed (even on grounds of personal taste) as they kick-started a fairly moribund budget hi-fi separates market-place that didn’t really exist until then. (Most people just bought one make ‘racks’ or ‘stacks’ in their local discount warehouse.)

I will propose the A&R Cambridge A60 as another important amp in it’s day.

 

[Al ears]

Like many have said before does the fact that an amplifier manages massive sales answer the question? Greatest or simply best selling?

 

[Al ears]

Like many have said before does the fact that an amplifier manages massive sales answer the question? Greatest or simply best selling? It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[chebby]

Like many have said before does the fact that an amplifier manages massive sales answer the question? Greatest or simply best selling?

I qualified my replies with words like ‘important’ or ‘significant’. I am talking about ‘greatest’ in terms of it’s influence.

And yes, 1.1 million new customers mattered to everyone in the business (and most of those customers were new just like I was at the time).

It meant up to a million potential upgrades over the following years and - potentially - up to a million new turntables, speakers etc. etc. It meant up to a million people who might just buy an Audiolab or Creek or A&R Cambridge or Dual or Linn or Rega or Naim next time around rather than the - previously - obligatory, one brand rack/music-centre from the Comet warehouse that was just replacing an older one.

The 3020 changed a retail sector that was barely more engaging than buying refrigerators - at least for those at the lower budget levels - into an interest for a lot of folks.

I believe a lot of 1980s hi-fi companies that followed became possible because of a multi-brand, mix ‘n match system approach that had only really existed at a higher budget echelon, for a relatively small number, before the £79 NAD came along and shook things up a bit.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I’m with some sentiments here, that there are not any all time great ones. This is because it all comes down to taste and the commercialisation of hi Fi too. So what is cheap or well below expected price outcompeting rivals, will sell well, and that would factor into its believed or perceived greatness. Greatness connotes an idea of desirability too but unlike a car, a hi Fi is just a box producing a sound and is much more of a commercial product. A car like an e type is great or worth it’s price for the emotion it invokes from its looks and design. Hi Fi is largely a functional product with much more competition and feriocious competition on price.

 

[Diamond Joe]

I’m with some sentiments here, that there are not any all time great ones. This is because it all comes down to taste and the commercialisation of hi Fi too. So what is cheap or well below expected price outcompeting rivals, will sell well, and that would factor into its believed or perceived greatness. Greatness connotes an idea of desirability too but unlike a car, a hi Fi is just a box producing a sound and is much more of a commercial product. A car like an e type is great or worth it’s price for the emotion it invokes from its looks and design. Hi Fi is largely a functional product with much more competition and feriocious competition on price.

I'm probably going to get some stick for this (and I couldn't care less) but I've never liked the E type Jag, horrible looking vehicle, the bonnet's way too long, I've never understood what folks see in it.

 

[davedotco]

I’m with some sentiments here, that there are not any all time great ones. This is because it all comes down to taste and the commercialisation of hi Fi too. So what is cheap or well below expected price outcompeting rivals, will sell well, and that would factor into its believed or perceived greatness. Greatness connotes an idea of desirability too but unlike a car, a hi Fi is just a box producing a sound and is much more of a commercial product. A car like an e type is great or worth it’s price for the emotion it invokes from its looks and design. Hi Fi is largely a functional product with much more competition and feriocious competition on price.

The idea that the quality of a hi-fi system is subject to the "taste" of the listener is absurd.

It is, I think, an idea put about by those who do not understand what hi-fi is for and do not know what real music sounds like.

It is very common though, perhaps that explains why most hi-fi systems that I hear sound so awful.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

At the level of making comparisons between quality amps, which is what this thread is about, The quality of hi Fi is subject to taste and we see this as a frequent theme of this forum. Not many people like one brand versus another, so how on earth could someone say an amp is an all time great amplifier subject to a sound taste they don’t like.

Your common theme is to say that you understand sound and what music should be and sound like. Let me tell you everyone knows what music sounds like (which isn’t some exclusive preserve of knowing about music or having huge technical knowledge of hi Fi) and all they are really buying in a hi Fi is the extent this is faithfully reproduced, which they get used to differences and better systems as they change. If they don’t change it’s understandably easy and right for them to think the system is the dogs balls, on that basis, as no comparison. Assuming there aren’t major issues with the sound or problems.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Because this thread was about what people thought was the greatest amplifier of all time new or old amplifiers it doesn’t make any difference it’s there opinions it’s also a interesting read because you can learn some history about a amplifier that you have never listen to before or heard about before .

some people collect vintage amplifiers so the greatest part would interest them if the subject came about a vintage amplifiers if it was a modern amplifiers then someone who was looking for a modern amplifier and lots of people commenting about that modern amplifier they might be interested in listening to one or buy one. .

Because when I first joined this site we all used to talk about very interesting subjects about hifi and you learned about stuff that you never knew before it gets everyone involved weather you no lots about hifi or no nothing ....do you get the idea !

 

[lindsayt]

Who was the best ever James Bond?

Barry Nelson

Bob Holness

Bob Simmons

Sean Connery

George Lazenby

David Niven

Roger Moore

Christopher Cazenove

Timothy Dalton

Michael Jayston

Pierce Brosnan

Daniel Craig

Toby Stephens

 

[insider9]

Who was the best ever James Bond?

Barry Nelson

Bob Holness

Bob Simmons

Sean Connery

George Lazenby

David Niven

Roger Moore

Christopher Cazenove

Timothy Dalton

Michael Jayston

Pierce Brosnan

Daniel Craig

Toby Stephens

Connery