Just for fun I picked up this well built by today's standards and probably by the mid 80's standards this Sears Professional Series amp.
Sears always had a audio and TV department and they produced only a few decent products some of it on par with Radio Shack stuff.
This amp, although it is built to look like a Sansui was actually built in Korea by AGS, who also made Audio Reflex products. This amp is also known as the Audio Reflex A-120.
The build quality is pretty decent and uses silicon transistors on the output stage, it has a fairly heavy transformer, two 4700uf caps and really nice machined controls.
My bet is this unit is around 45 watts per channel, I have had this unit running the Celestion Ditton 110's and the sound is very neutral, bass is nice and tight and the mid range is pleasant with nothing missing in the high end. It is a pretty clean amp all around.
Sure this is no Sansui or Pioneer from the same era but like Radio Shack units probably do not get any respect, which is too bad.
Sears always had a audio and TV department and they produced only a few decent products some of it on par with Radio Shack stuff.
This amp, although it is built to look like a Sansui was actually built in Korea by AGS, who also made Audio Reflex products. This amp is also known as the Audio Reflex A-120.
The build quality is pretty decent and uses silicon transistors on the output stage, it has a fairly heavy transformer, two 4700uf caps and really nice machined controls.
My bet is this unit is around 45 watts per channel, I have had this unit running the Celestion Ditton 110's and the sound is very neutral, bass is nice and tight and the mid range is pleasant with nothing missing in the high end. It is a pretty clean amp all around.
Sure this is no Sansui or Pioneer from the same era but like Radio Shack units probably do not get any respect, which is too bad.
Thanks for this description. I think I'll get mine tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteI found one I think I will buy it $60.00
ReplyDeleteSears AM-4657
ReplyDeleteI got one of those for free because the wooden cover was destroyed.
except for cleaning all the potentiometers and switches everything
was okay.
Here is a list of the most important electrical parameters as measured.
All measurements made with both channels driven.
THD @ 60Hz:
- 0.22% @ 1W/4Ohm
- 0.16% @ 1W/8Ohm
- 1.20% @ 25W/4Ohm
- 1.80% @ 30W/4Ohm
- 0.42% @ 32W/8Ohm
IMD (Intermodulation Distortion) 250/8020 Hz 4/1 ratio
- 0.21% @ 25W/4Ohm
- 0.07% @ 32W/8Ohm
Tone corrections:
- Bass +/- 14.5dB @ 50Hz
- Mid +/- 6.5dB @ 1200Hz
- Treble +/- 10.0dB @ 12500Hz
Loudness @ 20% Volume know position:
+ 9dB @ 50 Hz
+ 5dB @ 12500Hz
Linearity +/- 1.1 dB in the 20Hz - 20Khz band.
Overall the unit sounds great as is (no recaping done), and the
existance of mid range tone correction is a plus.
The Loudness lifts both Lows and Highs.
Sears AM-4657
ReplyDeleteI got one of those for free because the wooden cover was destroyed.
Except for cleaning all the potentiometers and switches everything
was okay.
Here is a list of the most important electrical parameters as measured.
All measurements made with both channels driven.
THD @ 60Hz:
- 0.22% @ 1W/4Ohm
- 0.16% @ 1W/8Ohm
- 1.20% @ 25W/4Ohm
- 1.80% @ 30W/4Ohm
- 0.42% @ 32W/8Ohm
IMD (Intermodulation Distortion) 250/8020 Hz 4/1 ratio
- 0.21% @ 25W/4Ohm
- 0.07% @ 32W/8Ohm
Tone corrections:
- Bass +/- 14.5dB @ 50Hz
- Mid +/- 6.5dB @ 1200Hz
- Treble +/- 10.0dB @ 12500Hz
Loudness @ 20% Volume know position:
+ 9dB @ 50 Hz
+ 5dB @ 12500Hz
Linearity +/- 1.1 dB in the 20Hz - 20Khz band.
Overall the unit sounds great as is (no recaping done), and the
existence of mid range tone correction is a plus.
The Loudness lifts both Lows and Highs.
Just found one (25.00) and looking for information.
ReplyDeleteI was a audio service Tech for almost 50 years and found the Audio Reflex A-120 to be a very, very good amplifier. I had one of these brought in for a minor issue and had the opportunity to listen to the unit for an hour or two. Talk about underrated and flying under the radar, the A-120 was a bit of a shocker. Design and Build quality was excellent and a pleasure to work on. Well laid out PCB's and the overall design reminded me of a Marantz. High quality switches, pots and PCB's. The surprise for me was the sound quality. It matched any Marantz, Pioneer or Sansui from the mid-late 1970's and in some cases was better. Would have never guessed how good it was had I not heard it. Being AGS I always though Audio Reflex was just so-so equipment, but not anymore. It was only one of this model I had seen or heard in my 50 years and my guess is they sell at a relatively low price due to the brand name. Don't be mislead this is a very well built and in my opinion an lovely elegant sounding amplifier.
ReplyDelete