old vs new - amplifiers

[treesey]

OK so I'm looking to buy another amplifier, and I'd like you to treat me like a newbie please.

Is the new generation of budget amplifiers a patch on the older high-end kit?

So could you give me any pros/cons of buying say

a 'new' Yamaha AV500/501

vs

an old Quad 44/405-2 which I can upgrade or not depending on how it actually sounds.

Thanks in antiipation

 

[treesey]

AS500 apologies for the typo...

 

[FennerMachine]

Quad

 

[Al ears]

The older high end kit was exactly that - high end kit.

Amplifier designs move on in leaps and bounds with new classes (Class G) etc appearing every now and again but whether or not they are going to sound any better than a good old A/B design is questionable.

Older amplifiers need care when buying and probably will need servicing to produce their best, new amplifiers come with a warranty, and that's about it.

Obviously a old classic-design valve amp will still pass muster even today if suitably serviced with new designs tending only to be more powerful due to improvements in modern valve / tube designs.

In your example I too would go with the Quad with the proviso that it has been recently serviced.

 

[treesey]

Thanks.

 

[lindsayt]

Chances are, you'll prefer the Quad.

I'd rate the Quad as competent mid-range. I'd rate something like top of the model range old Accuphase and Pioneer Exclusive as high end.

 

[rainsoothe]

Imo the AS500 sounds completely lifeless. With that budget, you're better off getting their active studio monitors (Yamaha HS5 or HS8 if they fit the budget) and a pre-amp - Maverick Audio Tubemagic D1 or, if PC is the only source, an audio interface like Behringer UCA202. Haven't heard the Quads, but only hear good things about them.

 

[drummerman]

Your mentioned Quad is likely to need an overhaul/service.

If you are happy to do that I'd choose that one of the two.