Our Favorite Vintage Integrated Amplifiers- What A List It Is!!!
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
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We have owned and used every product we recommend
Kicker speaker to Line level adapter amzn.to/3D2ghyB
Recommended Subwoofers with high level speaker inputs
$250 10” Polk Subwoofer (with speaker level) amzn.to/3qp74sL
$100 6” Acoustic Audio (with speaker level) amzn.to/3d0YVaR
12” Polk Subwoofer (with speaker level) amzn.to/3DmBnaZ
Recommended Bookshelf Speakers
Klipsch B100 bookshelf speakers amzn.to/3xk9dd6
Elac Debut 2.0 speakers amzn.to/3LeI4y4
Klipsch RP-500m speakers amzn.to/3DuRROi
Recommended Turntables
Audio Technica LP60 Great entry-level “fully automatic” turntable for under $150 amzn.to/3eAPC1B
U-turn Orbit Plus- Skylabs favorite new turntable with a 3 year warranty for under $350 amzn.to/3delM2H
Recommended Phono Cartridges
Grado 3 series- Made in Brooklyn NY since 1953 amzn.to/3L9t8B7
Ortofon 2M Blue amzn.to/3d9fBNw
Recommended Phono Preamps
U-turn Pluto- awesome little preamp for under $100 amzn.to/3RHm01k
Parasound Zphono- excellent choice if you want to try moving coil cartridges amzn.to/3RJ31TY
#vintagehifi #vinylrecords #vintagestereo #marantz #pioneer #yamaha #kenwood #sansui #stereorepair #turntable #recordplayer #skylabs #skylabsaudio #skylabsiowa #stereo - Jak na to + styl
I've got a Marantz 1040 from 1976. My Dad was pissed that I spent $150 on it while he paid for college. College wasn't worth the cost but the HI-FI was worth every penny. I still use it daily.
Thanks so much for the shout out, my man! Such a pleasure talking to you the other day.
I still have my 1978 Pioneer 9500II integrated amplifier and matching tuner I bought in Guam. We were stationed on submarine. 80 Watts per channel. Had them refurbished, new caps and led lights. Still have 1978 Technics SL-1950 turntable and JBL L65s, both refurbished.
Technics SU-3100 (1973) 40watts. 2xphono, 2xtape, aux, tuner. Vu-needles. Excellent quality.
Just discovered this site. I am glad to see so many audio heads of my vintage (age 77) out there still buying, selling & collecting vintage gear. Vintage audio has been an off/on hobby since the late 1960's. My specialty was McIntosh tube gear. In the early 70's people were getting rid of their McIntosh tube stuff for the new solid state gear. I would buy it up and wait until a McIntosh Clinic was hosted at one of the many Mac dealers in the Los Angels area (very frequent in those days) and have the gear brought up to spec for free. Then container loads of high-end tube gear would be sent off to Japan for top-dollar resale. The clinics were great advertising for McIntosh as one would often see how poorly other equipment performed under test. As solid state equipment started getting much better the clinics were cancelled for various reasons.
It's not just you old guys and us getting old guys, COVID made the vintage amp world explode for some reason.
So many integrated amps and we all have our favorites. I especially like your insights as to servicing them. Great channel!
I love my Pioneer SA-9100 and the TX-9100. I bought mine new in the 70s and still use it to this day.
In the very distant past, the shop I worked for sold a boatload of Sansui receivers, namely the 2000 and 4000. Nice sounding with Advents, trouble free and beautiful. My favorite integrated from the yonder would be the Kenwood KA-5001 or 2(?). Loved the look, the way the controls worked and trouble free, 50WPC. Wish I still had it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Live in the Des Moines area and have been going to Skylabs Audio for years; have bought some items, sold some items and serviced some items. Kevin has always treated me right and love just going to the store seeing what goodies he has on the shelf. Truth is he could charge admission and I would gladly pay it just to look and listen. This guy is a true master of his craft. Did not know Kevin had CZcams videos out until stumbled on to them this week. They are funny (Lugging in equipment secretly under dark of night---truth best ingredient of comedy!), informative and sage (All roads lead to McIntosh). So glad we have this guy and his store in our town! Our secret is now out for the world. Keep the videos coming!
I really appreciate it, Gary! Thank you for the kind words. Our local customers, like yourself, are incredible and the reason we do not ship :)
Is the guy who runs "Fix My Dual" in West Des Moines still in business? I drove down there from St. Paul one day about 4 years ago on the promise that he'd rehab my 1974 Dual 1229 while I waited, which he did. Southern MN and northern IA had experienced freezing rain the night before I left so it was definitely a white knuckle drive on the way down.
@@skylabsaudio Hi Thanks for the info . My question is , what preamp receiver can I pwr Mackie HR825 active studio monitors with ? Thank You
Jealous.
I was also totally unaware of the CZcams channel despite being aware of Skylabs for years and visiting a few times. CZcams recommended it randomly today. Subscribed!
Loved my old Kenwood amp in the late 70’s. Bought a Rotel RA 1062 about 20 yrs ago. Love the sound it drives through my B&W speakers.
I love that you show the inside of the amps.
Love your store...Screams vintage. Looks like a step back in time! Good Times!
All these units I grew up with are works of art in my opinion. Great video
Great list of intergrated amps Kevin!
You & I think so much alike on this subject.
My early 80s Akai 2250 may be needing a proper service, but it was my college years purchase that continues to give me quality sound.
I'm also a lover of integrated amps. I've never had tons of money to spend on equipment but back in 1986 I saved for a long time so I could buy a Sansui AUG-77Xii. To this day I still own it and it's in flawless condition. I did have a little work done on the internals a few weeks ago that amounted to $150 ( It cost me $460 new). Worth every cent! It has been my best sounding piece of equipment ever and will never sell it. It's clean musical sound with lots of dynamic range draws me into the music to where it makes me kind of emotional. Just awesome! I guess the point of this all is if you want something just wait until you can afford it. Your wait will be worth it.
I have an Accuphase E 202 and I love it. I had it serviced by Accuphase three years ago. I bought an Accuphase C 200 preamp and an Accuphase P 300 amplifier off Ebay. Both need repair.
Found a Marantz 1060 at a garage sale about 7 years ago for $13. Then found an original WC-10 wood case with the original box on local craigslist for $80. After about 20 minutes the left channel makes some noise so now I'm using it as a preamplifier for my Quicksilver Horn Mono tube amplifiers. And they are powering a pair of refurbished 1995 Klipsch Forte ii. The 1060 is a fantastic standalone preamp with a great turntable input. The 1060 should be on list. What a great integrated amplifier.
I never used the radio, always had either an integrated or separate power amp and preamp. Love your videos.
My two favorite vintage integrated amplifier, pre cd input, The Yamaha CA-2010 and the Post cd/AV input The Denon 900V .both of theses put out over 120 wpc.. so nice…Great video Kevin.. wouldn’t mind picking up a McIntosh someday..it’s a great big rabbit hole😮
Caught the bug years ago, love my stash of vintage!!!
I have a nice little collection of vintage integrated amps. They are my favorite pieces of equipment by far.
I started with Sansui intergrated amp in the 70’s . I’ve been using a Marantz 2325 for over 30 years. It probably needs to be recapped ect. Still rocking, it’s a tank pushing two pairs of Klipsch 1 pair K- Horns and 1pair of Belle’s on B channel in back. It will bring the house down. It has never been passed half volume as my room 24x28 is completely pressurized. The big Sansui is on my wish list and has been for quite awhile.
With winter rolling in, good time to check out some of your recommendations for hifi gear. Good job!
My first audio purchase was an H.H. Scott 35-watt receiver bought at the Base BX. Next was a Sony V-fet integrated that I plugged my receiver into for the tuner, which had a 50 watt at 8 ohms output. Loved that amp but sold it for Carver stuff. Wish I had kept the Sony but that was long ago. Thanks for another great video.
Great video. My pride and joy is a Marantz PM-74D with the matching tuner from the mid/late 80's. It is what Marantz called a "Quarter A" amp. It runs in class A for the first 25 watts. Awesome sound!
"Quarter A" that's a very interesting concept. Makes a lot of sense.
My first stereo purchase was an AU-5900....loved it. Lost in a move
Love my McIntosh MA 6100 Integrated! Glad it made this list - great content!
Love my AU 555a and AU 888 .I paid $1.00 for the 555a and $10.00 for the 888. I had the 888 recapped ..it is stunning !!!. :)
I have owned the Yamaha CA-1000 since the 70’s and love to crank the volume through pairs of OHM Walsh 4’s (70’s)and Klipsch towers (2010’s). Nothing better.
I recently learned about you and really like your videos. When I was younger in the 70’s I had an integrated amp from Harmon Kardon call an Award Series A50K. I’m forever sorry I sold that. Thanks for this video it was really fun.
I bought an 1060 in the 1970's new, and parted with it 42 years later, still in great working shape... liked the midrange control, and the pre/main in out. jacks..
Great units
I’m a big fan of Randy too - cheers to all Navy Vets too!
Awesome video and can't agree more on your picks. Keep up the good work!
Luv the Amp list...my first intro.into anything I knew had an amp pushing it, Was in the mid 70s, Set of 6x9 tenna mindblowers,Iid never errd anything like that,up till then..And a pioneer tp 900 for the audio source,it was unreal to hear a system with speakers,that had there own seperate wiring harness,bass boost switch,amps mounted under the magnets on bottom of the speaker magnets ,car audio,.tenna was truly for car audio ahead of there time family had a couple of fisher recievers, but ,that truly enlightened me, moving forward, how amps can push the sound,besides what's coming out of the source...Really digging ur videos skylabs, I watch em on my TV set in my house....I wish I could afford one of the great ol receivers or amps or speakers, butt,!!Just to be able to watch Kevin and skylabs video, keeps the loving,retro stereo talk, bout the greatest Era in audio in both house or car..Thee 1970s,Thanx again skylabs...peace
Another great video and topic. My first setup was Yamaha CA-410 II then a few years later Yamaha A-500 which I still have today. Matched with the right speaker's great results. A few years ago I bought a Sansui AU/TU-317. I find the AU-317 much better to my liking and will keep it as long as possible.
I bought my Sherwood AI-1210R 100 watt RMS integrated amp and matching tuner still sound great !
good work...thank you for sharing your opinion based on exsperience!! great effort!!
Love these videos. My pride and joy is a Pioneer SA-9500ii with a matching tuner. I almost never use the tuner but still had to have it. People sometimes give me a bad time about hanging onto something "so old" or that the speakers are "so big" but I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Stay strong, they are missing out!
For cleaning POTs and switched, I would recommend LPS1 which is marketed as a "greaseless lubricant". I used this product for years and found it to revive the most noisy pots and clean the wafer switches quite well. Most of the time one application was good for at least 5+ years or more.
crc 3-36 is great for pots too
Glad to see some love for integrated vintage amps here. Great list! I personally own a Marantz 1122DC which is a lot like the 1030 however has those sliders for EQ that I think you said looked cheap (I'll disagree). Aside from that, yes, everything from the AU line of Sansui is great as well. I've also had an AU-5900 which looked incredible however you are correct, the slack on those wires made it really tough to service.
The only thing I would say you missed (and I'm sure you have a ton of people mentioning their favorites), would be a Sony TA-F4 or TA-F5. Both are excellent units, that look great, have big VU meters, decent power for the time and both sound excellent.
That Sansui looks freakin amazing! I'll be keeping an eye out. I do agree with your taste here. Low pwr Marantz, Yammy Nat Sound.... I'm now loving a seemingly unobtanium piece, Japan only and seems like not many made/sold.... Pioneer A-004, Class A/AB. A beast and beautiful integrated look-wise and sound-wise..... Oh, Luxman in the house now too.
Cool list, thank you.
I love your videos, I'm a similar vintage stereo junkie. I bought my 1st system with part time earnings back in high school. I didn't have to drive far because there was a few brick and mortar stores back in 1978. I was able to afford a new Marantz MR 235 receiver, a Teac cassette deck and a Pioneer PL-400 turntable. It was awesome for entry level gear. I still have the Marantz and plan to give it a good going through one of these days. I've bought a lot since from tubes to Tripath. Just when I thought I was out, I see your channel and I'm pulled back in. I bought a Nikko NR-1019 a while back. I wish I knew more about it. Do you ever get any of that brand coming through your doors?
I will never stop missing my marantz 1200b!!!
I have the SA 8100 and matching tuner. Love em both. My brother has the SA9100 but not a tuner. Another great vid! Thanks.
Thanks for putting the E202 on my map. I happened to discover someone in TX is fully refurbishing them and even covers issues for one year. Super happy with it. Thanks again
Love mine too! Glad you like it
Great video mate. I really appreciate companies like Mcintosh that support their legacy products. Up until recently I had a '69 mercedes, and there were still a few parts I could go to my local dealer and order new. Blew my mind.
My recent AU6900 at 50wpc matches the Audio Concepts (pre Mirage) sealed two way with Audax drivers with impressive results. I appreciate your selection and concur with the 20000 specifically. Of course my attempt to clean the pots was only short lived. A professional musician/tech had a go and I am blissed out again for a hundred bucks. This unit cost still under five hundred. With the right source, I respectfully submit, I am consistently satisfied.
I have a Sony TA-4650 Vfet integrated amp that I bought new in 1975. Since the diodes were properly modded after purchase, it's performed perfectly. Gotta clean the pots periodically...no surprise. The external adaptor loops allow outboard processors without any goofy hookups. The vaunted Vfet preamp always yields a clean sound from my vinyl. They'll have to pry my cold, dead hands off this puppy. 😁
I traded a Pioneer SA-8500 & $$ for a TA-4650. It had superior sonics over the Pioneer IMHO. At that time I was powering a pair of Advents, sourced with a Dual 1249 turntable with a Shure V-15 type II cartridge.
Kevin, I saw that KA-7300 on your video, I used to be so amazed at the sound of that back then. Separate L and R power supplies. With no input and volume on max and no hiss from speakers, I had BIC Venturi IV and Stanton turntable and cartridge. But of course what good is it without the music and there was never and never will be a better time for music than those days.
I used to go to a place called Stanal Sound in Kearney Nebraska just to look at the high end audio gear. The Owner, Stan Miller knew his stuff. He setup the sound system for the Universal Amphitheater and the 1981 Pink Floyd "The Wall' tour. Going in and looking at all those amazing amps and tuners and trying them out on all the speakers they had in stock with just the push of a button. I think those were better days than the times we live in now.
Accuphase E202! Wow! Just the looks makes me think it sounds amazing. 🙃
Love the Sherwood S-5000 EL 84 integrated amps, you need to replace the selenium rectifier, but you can get two of them and run them in mono. They have tube rectification and a great tubed phono section. I used two to power my Quad 57s to great effect.
Love my pioneer sx-1250 and pioneer sx-7000D!
My friend bought the 9100 with large Advents in1973.At the time,it was the best I had ever heard.Great memories.
Yeah, I have always liked integrated. I have a (not-yet vintage) NAD. Love it!
Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed it.
Love that you can still buy McIntosh parts new and easily, Ohm is another brand where you can get all kinda new parts / upgrades etc still.
My high school's music department had a Sansui IA similar to the one at 21:37. That was a nice piece.
Have considered looking at Tandberg hifi from 1960's-1970's they made some great gear, made in Norway
Missed the Kenwood 650. Awesome amp.
I'm using my Marantz 1030 as a pre-amp for a Heath kit model AA-40 tube amp, sounds great. My main stereo is the Sansui AU-555A with a pair of Klipsch Chorus one speakers. Also the Sansui 4000 receiver sounds really warm.
Thanks for the videos, bless you & your business.
Same to you!
Very good video..great presentation.
Thanks
My name is Miles and I am vintage stereo addict too! Luckily even though I live in a small town, we have record store that also refurbishes and sells old stereo equipment!
I have a Marrantz MR-1030 with Klipsch RF3-2, Its one of my favorite system in my Man's Cave. I still have a Sony TA-E1000ESD feeding the Kenwood Basic M2 hooked up in Sigma Drive to a pair of Altec Lansing Model 14. My third system is a big LLoyd's H440 a hair under 20" wide driving a pair of Mission Model 70 and a Paradigm 10" active subwoofer, you would never believe it's a LLoyd's.
I have one integrated amp, a Technics SU-V16 with matching Tuner ST-S16, decent sounding system not hooked up at the moment but I have a pair of Technics SB-L100 for it. I confess, I am an addict too. 🤔
Thanks and Take care.
The McIntosh MA6100 was my favorite integrated amp for many years, until I made the jump to the MA6200, made from 1979-1991. It eliminated the volume knob/power switch, added a five band eq, has lower harmonic distortion, and more WPC. This unit is just a cleaner, clearer, higher caliber piece of audio excellence from McIntosh.
Damn early McIntosh power/volume knobs...
Sneaking speakers in, in the middle of the night. That's hilarious! About a week ago, I had to resist the temptation to pick speakers at the roadside. It was difficult to do.
Nice list you put together!!! A Kenwood 600 Supreme Circa 1977-79 would be a nice addition too it. Love the channel!! Keep it up.
Thank you, Kyle!
Thanks for the video.I hope you can do it regularly.
another great vid, my brother has an integrated amp and matching tuner from the 70's he still uses, forget the name but it is a sweet unit. Another topic, perhaps its already on the list, cassette tape decks... have a good one and once again, really enjoying the vids. 👍👍👍👍👍
Nice list. Another common issue on the SA-9100s is the little blue Sanyo caps tend to go bad developing a low DC resistance which defeats the purpose of the caps. You end up with noises and scratchy/popping pots and controls as a result. Easy to work on though, relatively, so it's not too bad of a fix. Probably swap out all the bad caps for $30 or so. Otherwise it's a great amp.
I just acquired and Adcom gfp-750 integrated pre amplifier.
I'm hook also, thx for the content.
Great video. I would add 2 more to your list: 1.) NAD 3020, 2.) Luxman L-80V.
My son has a mint Luxman L-80V that his father in law gave him. It's a beauty.
Yamaha AX-500.
Epic integrated amp. Great sound, build quality style and features.
Of course, mine's matched with the Yamaha TX-500 tuner and KX-500 cassette deck as well as a CDX-810 (I know, the OCD in me says I should have got the CDX-500 but I bought it new and could stretch to the 810).
Yep Sneaking stuff in yep been there. Had the threats. Had to Downsize recently and still have a itch. But Love my Sansui Au555a! I am itching to see if it made your list!
I still listen to FM and have an excellent stand-alone tuner. That puts me into the integrated amp market.
yes it does!
Boom! I was guessing you would have a CA 2010! I do as well! Way undervalued, I agree. I love mine. I also have the CA 1000. Both are awesome. Congratulations on a great video!
Good choice!
I just bought an Pioneer SA-7700 with tuner Pioneer TX-900. Top of the line tuner for year... 60 WPC. A great unit the 7700
I love this channel, it’s fun to watch and super insightful. I was looking for a good integrated amplifier for my office when I watched this video. I have some JBL L100s in a small office room and am looking for a integrated amp that won’t overpower the room or make the speakers boom as is the case with most tube amplifiers. I really like the reviews of the marantz 1030, it has a reputation of a clean simple sound of a tube amp without the booming sound. My only worry is that it will not have enough watts for the L100, any thoughts recommendations?
Last week I visited a local jewelry store to have a watch band adjusted. At the front of the store, they had an immaculate Marantz 2270 along with a pair of Klipsch Fortes that were playing River Man by Nick Drake. I started buying audio in the mid-70's so I remember the originals and I've seen hundreds of pictures of the old Marantz receivers, but I'd kind of forgotten how beautiful they look in real life. I didn't mind waiting for the watch to be finished.
I bought a pair of Forte IIs in 1990
Still have them
Great speakers !!!
Proud owner of daily use Marantz 2230…
Yes, I totally agree with you on equipment choices ! I love your channel and am subbed. You must be the most patient person in the world? Your rants are so controlled and polite ! I always loved the look of the Nikko equipment. Wondering why I never hear anything about it ? Kudos !
Well, thank you! I'm sure some of my family members would laugh at your "patient" compliment- but I do think its learned. Nikko equiptment is not very common (at least in Iowa). We have had a few power amps/ receivers and whatnot, however- service literature was not Nikko's strong suit, at least the pieces we had- which like I mentioned, was only a couple. The Nikko amplifier looked and sounded great though! The one or two that were repairable.
My first integrated amp was a Sony TA-1150 that I bought in 1975 when I was in the Navy, my second was a Kenwood KA-7100 that I bought when my ship was in Japan in 1978, and my third was a Harman Kardon PM-650 that my wife bought me in 1984 and I still have. I loved them all.
I just picked up a restored Sony TA 1130. Great era for them.
@@dustinrilcof2504 Nice! I misspoke, mine was a TA-1130. D'oh! It's specs would be comparable today.
Thats my recap job on the Marantz 1030 at 9:20 Great little amplifier
i used a phase linear preamp paired with a phase linear amp..i liked it
Oh, the Marantz 1030 was my first piece of real hi-fi (I know, mid-fi....). I was so proud of that amp, I loved the way it looked, the way the controls worked. That blue power jewel lamp just screamed "classy". I hope someone, somewhere is still enjoying it.
BTW- "...all roads lead to McIntosh..." So true. Original Marantz 2385 owner, but after 10 years of deterioration, sold it and bought a MAC 4100. Same age as the Marantz, yet everything still worked great. Much better build quality. Today, a mint 2385 will outsell a mint 4100, though. Go figure.
That 1250 is just magic.
We have one from cuba.
It’s a legacy amp round here.
My Sansui stack is definately the centre point in my room. Someone that has never seen it , stands and stares at it in amazement. From the top down, TU-9900 CA-3000 AU-11000A BA-3000 BA-3000 BA-5000. Not a typo , theres 2 BA-3000,s. You cant beat the look of this equipment !
Great set up!
Oh yes. My Kenwood KA-5700 integrated amp paired with my KT-5700 tuner are my prized possessions. The amp has become too noisy for everyday use, but the tuner is still in service. I bought both in 1977. Classic look and sound.
I was a high end audio store located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Audiophile Specialists Inc), and handled a large group of the very best audio products. I am very surprised that you have not included any of the Luxman, Hardon Kardon, NAD or Parasound products. Those products are so much better than the run of the mill Japanese audio products. So maybe recommend any of the above (NAD 3020 best selling integrated amp in the world). Loved the quality of the above, when we ran test bench on any of the above, everyone over performed all specs every time. Sold many high end separates, and speakers (electrostatic and dynamic speakers). Still love the audio hobby, was lucky to turn a hobby into a successful business. Great page and you are another audiophile who loves the value of the older, mostly better built products. Thanks for the page.
well said.i don't get why harmon kardon doesn't get love mine have been rock solid all these years...they were a big deal in the 80s.good deal nowadays
My Pioneer SA-8100 (little brother of the 9100) I bought new in the 70s is still going strong, as my garage stereo. Build quality and component selection are unsurpassed, I just need to clean the TAPE MON switch occasionally.
Onkyo a7 and a10… love those. On par with those covered imho
Funny thing that I just watched this tonight and two days ago finally picked up a TX9100 to go with my SA9100. I couldn't resist.
Congrats!
Of all the Marantz receivers I've had (many) I have kept only one (ok I have two of them) the 2215. I believe the reason they sound so good is I believe they use capacitors to deculp the output from the output transistors.
I have a Marantz 1030 -- playing music on my garage speakers while I work in my workshop. In the house it's the Marantz 1200 integrated. Of all of the many Marantz amps and receivers I have owned, the 1200 is the best sounding. The 1030 is a sweet little unit, but it can't compare to the 1200.
My personal favourite is the the Sony TA-8650 Vfet amplifier. Yeah it's rare, and need some modifications to preserve the ultra rare output transistors, but it's worth it. This is an amazing integrated sound wise, and they look incredible. They are extremely sturdy built too. Very interesting video as always.
Integrated amps are great for your budget but really separates still are my favorite components.
If I had to pick my favorite integrated it would be the Sansui AU-919
The 717 IS BETTER
nice video man, i am new to this just bough a Marantz 1060 which i love already but your list is great, can absolutely relate to the intro :) - cheers from switzerland
Sneaking speakers and amplifiers in, I can relate 🤣