Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

[moon]

The time has come for the top ten budget amplifiers list.

Under £300

any era

any type.

nominations here.............. Will NAD make the list?

:read:

 

[Lost Angeles]

Audiolab 8000A £299 in 1986. :rockout:

 

[Anonymous]

For me the Marantz PM44SE has to feature somewhere in this top ten. £250 new in early 90's and excellent amplifier in its time.

 

[plastic penguin]

Pioneer SA-706, retailed around £170 in 1976 when first produced, which takes closer to the midrange sector. Cracking amp.

 

[moon]

Pioneer SA-706, retailed around £170 in 1976 when first produced, which takes closer to the midrange sector. Cracking amp.

ooo.....shiny

 

[John Duncan]

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

 

[Frank Harvey]

Definitely 8000A, but how about the original Naim Nait? That must've been just under £300...hopefully 🙂

 

[moon]

ok Audiolab 8000a makes the list.

 

[Anonymous]

For me it has to be the NAD C320BEE...

I had one up until a few years back and it was absolutely superb; even better than my Dads Musical Fidelity XA-1 I thought...

Only sold it as I bought a 2nd hand Arcam Alpha 9 and it's matching power amp and then sold them to get a Marantz CR603...

 

[plastic penguin]

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

Oooo you shouldn't replicate other people's style, s'okay? hehehaha

BTW, rather than put in well known makes how about lesser known amps.

 

[tonky]

I bought an A and R Cambridge A30 amp for 139£ in 1977 approx. It used to do really well in blind listening tests. It had a beautiful euphonic sound. It was THE amp to buy in its price range at that time

I heard the NAD 3020A - a good amp - but not as good as the A30.

The Pioneer A400 is another class act. I still have the A30 and A400 but use a CA 840A V2

cheers Tonky

 

[moon]

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

Oooo you shouldn't replicate other people's style, s'okay? hehehaha

BTW, rather than put in well known makes how about lesser known amps.

any amp is welcome...... I think the NAD 320 might make it, also the A400....

we shall see.

What about the Denon PMA 250. ........ bucket loads sold!

 

[grimmers]

marantz pm 7200. :rockout:

 

[Anonymous]

Musical Fidelity A1 Amp.

I bought the A100 in 1990 for £500, I think the A1 was £300, pretty much the same amp just less power (30W compared to 50W IIRC).

 

[chebby]

Number one on this list has to be the original NAD 3020. (My first one cost about £70).

It was a revolutionary product and NAD sold 1.1 million of them. (Far more if you include subsequent variants.)

 

[plastic penguin]

Number one on this list has to be the original NAD 3020. (My first one cost about £70).

It was a revolutionary product and NAD sold 1.1 million of them. (Far more if you include subsequent variants.)

"...revolutionary product..."

In what sense?

 

[chebby]

"...revolutionary product..."

In what sense?

It changed the market forever. (The best selling integrated amp, ever, will do that.)

 

[MUSICRAFT]

The time has come for the top ten budget amplifiers list.

Under £300

any era

any type.

nominations here.............. Will NAD make the list?

:read:

Hi moon

The truly great Pioneer A-400 🙂

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[moon]

"...revolutionary product..."

In what sense?

It changed the market forever. (The best selling integrated amp, ever, will do that.)

Dont think we an argue with that one ..... on the list it goes...

 

[chebby]

JVC JA-S11 and Sansui AU-217.

If you didn't own a NAD 3020 then there was a very good chance you owned one of these instead 🙂

 

[plastic penguin]

JVC JA-S11 and Sansui AU-217.

If you didn't own a NAD 3020 then there was a very good chance you owned one of these instead 🙂

Nope, not me...🙂

 

[chebby]

The A&R Cambridge A60

 

[John Duncan]

Creek CAS4040

Rotel RA820

 

[eggontoast]

[DUPLICATE UNPUBLISHED JD]

 

[eggontoast]

Cambridge Audio P40

& +1 for the Creek CAS4040