Marantz 1090 integrated amp - 1979 to 1983 Yamaha A 500 "Natural Sound" integrated amplifier - 1983 to 1991 Adcom GFA 555II power amp - 1991 to 1999 (paired w/ Adcom GFP 555 preamp) Proceed AMP2 power amp - 1999 to 2002 Proceed HPA2 power amp - 2002 to 2003 Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300 integrated amp - 2003 to 2011 Proceed HPA2 power amp - 2011 to 2014 Hegel H30 power amp - 2014 to 2021 Bob Carver Crimson 350 tube mono blocks - 2021 to ?
JVC AS5 31W 1978 Rotel RA820A 30W 1989 Pioneer A-A6-J 60W 2009 Rega Elex R 72.5W (8ohms), 90W (6ohms) 114W (4ohms) 2016 Yamaha A-S3000 100W (8ohms) 150W (4ohms) 2019
Receivers: Realistic Modulaire (1972) Note 1 Realistic STA-46 (1973) Sherwood S-7310 (1975) Sansui 9090 (1976) Yamaha R-9 (1985) Yamaha RX-V2095 (1999) Yamaha Avantage RX-A1070 (2017) Note 2 Integrated & AVR: Parasound HINT 6 Anthem MRX-720 Note 1-This was my first receiver and first big mistake. I bought this modular system with speakers and a BSR TT for the princely sum of $122.95. This was big bucks for me in high school. I did this with the idea of upgrading to the Realistic acoustic suspension speakers I really wanted, but couldn't yet afford. When I did upgrade the receiver couldn't really power the speakers. The front panel lights wold dim and blink on and off to the beat when I tried to turn it up. I ended up quickly upgrading the receiver and TT in addition to the speakers. Note 2-Second big mistake. I was renovating my 3rd Bedroom into a home theater in 2017. I wanted to upgrade to a new AVR that could switch 4K video signals. I had already started the renovation and my equipment was in storage. I didn't do my due diligence in terms of listening tests and research. Based on my satisfaction with my last two Yamaha receivers I bought the Avantage RX-1070 at Best Buy as a grab and go. They were having a good sale and I just pulled the trigger. When I finally got up and running 3 months later I was not overwhelmed by the sound of this receiver. It was too late to return it. When I got back into vinyl with the arrival of my TT in October of 2018 I was blown away by how good the sound of LPs could be. I also found I was cranking the music up louder, but after 45 minute or so I found I was turning the volume back down. I realized it was due to what I believe was listener fatigue. This AVR had more channels than ever, more CODECs, networking protocols and streaming services. All those additional features come with a price I discovered. The receiver had a smaller power supply for all those channels and it seemed I was hearing this when I drove the receiver hard. The solution was to get a Parasound HINT 6 with a home theater bypass switch and use it for 2.1 sound. I was really pleased with the sound and no more 2-Channel listener fatigue. But I still wasn't totally happy with the surround sound and 2 months later I got the Anthem MRX-720. I notice a huge improvement in the home theater sound and the ARC is a vast improvement over the YPAO room correction. It wasn't a total loss, the Yamaha was moved to the Living Room where I don't do critical or loud listening.
Starting in 1975: Harman Kardon HK 430 ( my fav) still clean as new Harman Kardon 690i Rotel ( can’t remember model # at the moment) very nice little integrated Unison Research Unico (original in 2002, still doing its thing very well) TBD in 2022??
1. Rotel RA-05 This was a great first amplifier for when I got into speaker listening about 15 years ago. At the time I thought how crazy I was being, spending that much on a piece of audio equipment! Little did I know...... 2. Rega Elex-R The final component in a three year long journey to build an all-Rega setup that included Rega P5 turntable, Rega DAC & RS5 speakers. This is the only piece I still own - because it's awesome. 3. Pathos Logos I fell in love with this thing without even hearing it. So much so I risked importing one from the UK second hand. Rich, warm and runs super-hot! 4. DIY First Watt F6, then Aleph J & M2 Then I thought I might try doing it myself. Turned out to be rewarding both personally and aurally. I think I'm pretty well covered for amps now, lest a pair of hard-to-drive speakers knocks at the door.
And as of last week, I have added a Bryston 4B SST to the mix. I don't really need that much power, but...
1977 : JVC JR-S81W, 35 WPC part of my all JVC System... you never forget your first love. ;>) 1980's : Sansui (forgot the model) , Harman Kardon PM640, Yamaha RX350 (not the motorcycle !) I also picked up a Marantz 1515 as a second receiver . I'm sure that there are a few others that have slipped though the cracks of my memory ... 2017 to present : I started with vintage units, but that quickly changed when the amps were always having issues... NAD 3020 Pioneer SX650 Marantz PM8005 Rega Elex-R Sugden A21SE Sig Doge10 next one is... ?
My first high end amp was a 200 watt per channel adcom, forget the model. After that I had a CJ mf2500 for over 20 years I just got 2 Bryston 7b SSt2 mono blocks. That's really my whole history for the last like 30 years or so.
Lafayette integrated>Sony receiver>Mac MA 6100 integrated>Sony receiver>JVC receiver>Onkyo receiver>Luxman integrated>Anthem 225 integrated
Let me see….. Dipping my toe into midfi waters in the 80’s for the first time, it was a D940 Proton receiver. After that- Adcom 545 B&K (I think it was model 22-something, sounded kinda anemic but inoffensive) McCormack DNA-1 (now this was more like it!) Music Reference RM-9 Mk 1 PS Audio M700
It was cheap, and it's reliable. I like the aesthetics also. Haven't compared it to anything sound wise. It just does the job. Couldn't be happier with it.
Sansui tube receiver, don’t recall model number, high school -1974 Sony 3200f, 1974-1985 hafler XL280, 1985-1988, which was converted into …. Audio by van Alstine Omega 2, 1988-1992, high current model (drove my Infinity kappas properly). This was upgraded to…. Audio by van Alstine Omega 3, 1992 Audio by Van Alstine 400, forgot exact model, 2008-2010 bryston 4bsst-2, 2010-2015 bryston 28 bsst-2, 2015 to present. the two AVA omega amps and the Bryston 28 mono blocks are the notable amps. Really nice tonality - listening sessions lasting hours and hours well into the night. I’ve thought of moving to the Pass XA.8 series but what I have now is getting things very right. First 50 watts are class A.
Add to my list an incoming NOS conrad-johnson MF2275. It's been sitting in a box for around 7 years so if it lets out the magic smoke it'll be known as the MoFo 2275 and if it doesn't it'll be the MightyFine 2275.
Dynaco Stereo 70 Dynaco SCA80Q Dynaco Stereo 120 Sony TA3200F GAS Grandson Hafler DH200 (modified by Musical Concepts)* Parasound HINT* Audio Research Reference 110 Bryston 4BSST2* Parasound A21 PS Audio BHK Signature 250* PS Audio BHK Signature 300 monoblocks* * still own
Bryston 9B-ST Bryston 6B-ST Peachtree Audio Grand Integrated X-1 McCormack DNA-125 B&K Reference 200.2 Pass Labs XA30.5 Hegel H300 Rogue Audio Stereo 100 (current in main system) Rega Brio (selling soon for Croft) Croft Phono Integrated (on order for office system) What a trip down memory lane trying to remember them all...
Mission Cyrus One MK1 Mission Cyrus One MK2 Audiolab 8000A Creek 4330 Creek 50A ...I just noticed only English amplifiers in 35 years of listening! BTW I am not including the dreadful German Schneider music centre I had as a teenager.
This sounds familiar to me I had the combination of bi-amping English amps the longest of all. Although I don't have any more now ...
Mission Cyrus One Sugden A21a Albarry M1002 Art Quintet Amptastic x 2 (still got) Temple Audio monos Hypex ncore Event opal - Active speaker Schiit ragnarok KEF Ls50 - Active speaker Audiolab 6000A (still got) Willsenton R8 (in use)