It could be integrated or separates. For myself... As a young boy, my mom gave me one of those all-in-one turntable/amp combo units that was a half-sphere. No idea of the brand or model. Got a Sanyo boombox as a 10-year old. When my aunt moved when I was about 17, she gave me a wonderful Sansui receiver, along with a couple of Sansui speakers. No idea of the exact model but it sounded infinitely better than the ol' boombox and I was thrilled! When I moved into an apartment, I ended up using Klipsch ProMedia speakers through my PC. Roughly at 35, I got an Arcam AVR350. For my 40th birthday, I upgraded to a Line Magnetic 508IA. The last 2 upgrades were as seismic as a 9.0 earthquake in significance and impact on SQ! What's your amp history?
First my uncle gave me Technics SU-V500, so it became my first integrated because he upgraded to a better vintage amp and speakers. That happened in like 2012-2013. After that, he received a job offer and decided to move, leaving his then current amp and speakers to me. That's how I got Pioneer SA9900 which is the basis of my CD-LP system.
Technics HD-55 mini-system Quad 303 (used with a cheap passive preamp) Sansui 9090DB Rogue Audio Cronus Line Magnetic 216IA Leben CS600 Shindo Montille CV391 Line Magnetic 518IA Shindo Cortese F2a Luxman MQ-88uC
Ah, Memory Lane. Let's see... Starting in the 70's and onward... McIntosh 2105>2205>2255>MC500>MC1000's>Krell KSA250>MC275CE>MC2000>Welborne DRD300b SET monos> Cary 300b push pull>Pass XA30.5>Pass XA100.5's>Bedini 45/45>custom 300b SET + custom 2a3 SET (together in bi-amp form)>Marantz 8b>8>9's>Mc275-6. Still have and use the amps from the Welborne on.
Technics integrated in the 80's - Luxman integrated (one of the cheaper models) in the 90's - Quad 33+303 in the 00's - Parasound a23, followed by Parasound a21 from 2018 on. Just like OP these last 2 changes (Quad + Parasound) were huge and opened my ears to the importance of amps.
I started with a used Arcam Delta 290 back in 2009. Then I got a Marantz PM7005 and now I’m using an Audiolab 6000A. Didn’t notice any particular jumps in SQ.
Just going with my audio room: B&K multichannel amp NuPrime ST-9 NuPrime ST-9 (upgraded modules) Odyssey Stratos Extreme, fully upgraded Bedini 200/200 McCormack DNA-125, now modified heavily by SMC Audio I feel like I'm forgetting one, but that's the gist. The progression has been one of increased authority and increased dynamic capability, with the modded DNA-125 adding a layer of refinement that somehow makes a very warm, approachable sound but maintains ferocity (for metal and rock) and detail. It's just a killer amp. The Bedini before it was super nice, very authoritative and controlling, but lacked some upper end sparkle and transparency.
Parents’ all in one (1970s) Pioneer SX-450 1977 Kenwood receiver 1982ish? Traded for Thorens TD-145 TT soon after Yamaha A-700 integrated amp 1984 Dynaco SCA-35 tube integrated 1994 Audio Analogue Puccini SE integrated 2002 Bottlehead Paramount 300B kits (200x? whenever they were released) (Puccini as pre, then McIntosh C220, then Parasound P 7) Bottlehead Paramount 300B kits (unbalanced outs on P7) Parasound A 21 (balanced outs on P 7)
45 years with gaps Old tube amp pulled from console Dynaco ST70 (kit) wish I still had it Dynaco ST120 (kit) Hafler DH220 (kit) I still have it Mac MA6300 current a period review (reprinted 1975?) of the ST120 Dynaco Stereo 120 transistor power amplifier J Gordon Holt Conclusion Summing up, then, we are finally forced to do an about-face on our long-held conviction that transistor amps are not for the perfectionist. Not only does this one seem to have no sound of its own, it also makes most loudspeakers sound betterthan do tube amplifiers. This kind of performance, finally, justifies switching from tubes to transistors. It's a sad commentary on the industry that the justification had to come three years after the switch.
From the earliest, probably missed some. Power amps and integrated only. Yamaha Pioneer Fisher Luxman - two units Conrad Johnson - Premier 11 Graff - GM 200 Cary - SLM-100 Jadis - SE300B's Mac MC2000 Mark Levinson - 20.6 - 336- 431- 532 Audio Research - VS110 - VTM200 Ayre - MX-R Ayre - AX5 Twenty There's a few from my vintage collection that I didn't use daily so I omitted.
First decent amp was a Pioneer 20 w Receiver about 1985 Sony Receiver 2020 Yamaha Receiver 2021 Yamaha integrated amp 2021
1) Marantz - can't remember the model but it lacked power and was rather too smooth for my younger ears. There was also a trial of a NAD 3020 and a Rotel (again can't remember model) but was inspired by..... 2) Cyrus 1 - well that got everything sizzling nicely! 3) Cyrus 2 + PSX - more power for floorstanders and bigger rooms. 4) Primare i30 - lots of power and a more refined and neutral SQ than the Cyrus. Not too many amps for 30+ years, and still own the two Cyrus amps. Next up? - maybe a class A Sugden or a big Yamaha or Luxman, but am in no hurry.
Main System Cheap amp built into a stereo record player with separate speakers Tube amp pulled from a Magnavox console Kenwood integrated (circa '75) with about 70 w/ch. SAE 2200 Mark Levinson ML2 Mark Levinson ML3 Mark Levinson No 23.5 Krell MDA-300 monoblocks Krell FPB-300 Nord NC500 monoblocks Parasound JC-5 DIY amps - Firstwatt F5T monoblocks, Neurochrome Modulus-286 monoblocks, Purifi monoblocks Pass XA-60.8 monoblocks Other systems Mark Levinson 333 Proceed HPA3 Mark Levinson 383 integrated Bryston ST-4b Krell KAV-200 Sunfire Theater Grand
Receiver: Concord 1972 Sony (1973-75) Pioneer 1010 (1975 to 1992) Amp: Adcom 565 (1992) McIntosh 275 (1993-1995) Cary 805 (1995-97) VAC Concert Fidelity Audio Note UK
Some receiver Dynaco ST-70 Bottlehead Paramours Currently I swap between Home built 45 (doesn’t see much action) Dynaco ST-70 (I missed the old one so I rebuilt another although it also sees little use) Home built 300B amplifier Dynaco ST-35
Started with a Pioneer sx434 several decades ago and ended up with Mcintosh mc1201's. Far too many amps in between for me to remember even half of them.
Onkyo TX-8555 Rotel RB-1582 MkII, Parasound 2125v2 I'm a big believer in getting the "MkII," "v2," etc. versions of gear. Just kidding about that, folks.
Mine started with a Sanyo boom box in high school…I wonder if it was the same one as OP. After college, did the whole home theater thing with a Sony 5.1 AVR. I stuck with that until buying an Outlaw RR2150 in 2012 - which was my first entry into stereo. I just upgraded to a Parasound A21+ last year.
1980 Kenwood KA-30025wpc 1990 JVC SEA JR-S201 receiver 35wpc 1993 current Pioneer SX-980 80wpc receiver+ Technics SU-V5 60wpc amp (second system)
1982-ish: Sony STR-VX22 (or similar, can't remember precisely) receiver 1991: Adcom GFA-535 power amp (college graduation gift from my father; paired with a GTP-450 tuner/preamp) 2015: had the GFA-535 serviced and rebuilt 2017: Adcom GFA-5400 (first paired with GFP-565 preamp, then run directly from Oppo BDP-105 and then UDP-205) 2020: Audiophonics HPA-S400ET Purifi-based power amp (still fed from the UDP-205) Every step produced a clearly audible improvement.
Bryston B-60 conrad-johnson premier 11a Cary 300b Sig monos Air Tight ATM-1 KR Audio Monstrosity Graafiti GM5050 Deja Vu Custom EL-34 amp- current last 14 years Edge M4- bought this just to help trace some noise issues wanted a SS amp resold it after two weeks Deja Vu Custom 2a3PP amp- on loan now while my amps power supply is being rebuilt I think that's it!
1977 Kenwood KA3500 Integrated 1983 Apt Holman Preamp/Apt 1 Power Amp 2001 Arcam A85 Integrated 2014 Modwright KWI200 Integrated
Harmon-Kardon Citation 12C PS Audio 2C+ GAS Grandson Audio-Research D-76a Marantz 8b – twice! McIntosh MC60 – all too briefly B&K ST-140 Ayre V-5xe Probably a few others that I’ve forgotten.
