Oldest amp I use is the pioneer sx-950 receiver which still holds value today because of its looks. It was bought in the late 70’s as a teenager from working all summer for $2.65/hr. It cost then $640Cdn. In those days looks were important since audio equipment was coming out of the wooden console days that I was raised in. It was furniture that was designed to be aesthetically pleasing and fit into a living rooms decor. Dad had a Electrohome console. But in the 80’s with plastic injection moulding, beautiful industrial design was on the out and replaced with what is now referred to as BPC or black plastic crapThey just don’t make beautiful looking gear anymore. All of the stuff from the 70’s and 80’s looked good. Some fantastic pictures here.
BPC is a significant cost savings so it won out and continues today for most consumer gear except for the high end stuff that affords the usage since prices can hit the clouds for some of the stuff I saw at the latest axpona exhibits online. I would not go to it since I am not in the market for inflated costing audio gear.
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it's time to do my coming here.
I have owned, listened to and assembled several hundred amps but I have never had or listened to the Leach.
That's it, it's done, don't judge me
Everything has gotten better.
While the circuits are obsolete, the design approach of making the open-loop linear and wide bandwidth, and not applying much global feedback (25dB) can still produce a good amplifier today.
Ed
Some integrated amp from Lafayette Radio Electronics catalog circa 1968, I don't remember much about it but it must have been cheap for me to afford it. I think it was about 10 or 15 watts into 8 ohms because it was paired with two 8 inch full range drivers I bought at the same time that I remember were only rated for 10 watts, so I was always careful to not drive them too hard...it took an entire summer vacation for me to earn enough to buy them and the amp, so I didn't want to risk damaging them.
Mike
Mike
Oldest amp I use is the pioneer sx-950 receiver which still holds value today because of its looks. It was bought in the late 70’s as a teenager from working all summer for $2.65/hr. It cost then $640Cdn. In those days looks were important since audio equipment was coming out of the wooden console days that I was raised in. It was furniture that was designed to be aesthetically pleasing and fit into a living rooms decor. Dad had a Electrohome console. But in the 80’s with plastic injection moulding, beautiful industrial design was on the out and replaced with what is now referred to as BPC or black plastic crap
So that's what they call it, BPC. In high school I worked in an electronics shop doing mostly grunt work, but I still remember a console stereo coming in that the woman said, "Now be careful with that, it's solid wood! I won it from the Reader's Digest." I should probably have kept my mouth shut, but I didn't, and pointed out that the console itself was chipboard with staples and that 'carved wood front' was all painted plastic. I still can't stand the sight of this kind of product. It was the same reason that I started woodworking.
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