Sears Professional Series AM-4657 Amp

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. 

Single Ended Tube Amp

A little update on the Electrohome tube amp that I recently picked up, first off it is a Single Ended tube amp as opposed to a Push/Pull tube amp. There is a tone of debate on which sounds better and for the price I paid for my amp there is no debate.

The 6BQ5 tubes run around 5.7 watts per channel of pure Class A power, plenty of power for very efficient speakers at a normal to semi loud listening level.

I have run the gauntlet of speakers through this amp and only two pairs really shine and bring out the best in the audio signal and believe me this amp is extremely revealing, open and absolutely clean and clear, so much I hear things I never heard before.

So, which speakers sounded best with this amp?

Tannoy Oxford Gold, hands down winner....

There is something about the horn loaded tweeter that is spot on with this amp. The Oxford Golds are 93db efficient and the 10" woofer rounds out the solid bass perfectly. The tweeters are nearly time aligned with the woofer, so the sound is great. The highs sparkle, the mid range is spot on as if you are in a studio with the musicians and instruments right in front of you, it really is amazing to listen through these speakers. When listening to my audio sources through solid state equipment, the Tannoy's do not shine as well as they do with tubes.

Another great speaker to run with the tube amp is the Sound Dynamics 10S, once again a very efficient speaker at around 96db, the bass is much fuller with the Sound Dynamic but the overall sound is more like you are at an 1000 seat concert room.

The recessed horn loaded tweeter throws out a wider sound stage and is not recording studio precise as the Tannoy's. These speakers are time aligned due to the recess of the tweeter, smooth across the mid range and deep in the bass. Like I said these are like you are at the concert where as the Tannoy's you are in the studio.

I am absolutely  awe struck in what I am currently listening to and feel that I have reached a peak in performance and I will find it hard to top this set up.

Akai AM-2450

Another great little amp fell on my lap recently, this Akai AM-2450 amp.

A very solidly built 45WPC amp from the latter 70's, I have spent a bit of time with this amp and was very impressed with the sound.

Electrohome Marseilles tube receiver

My first tube receiver was found today inside a console stereo, an Electrohome Marseilles unit.

When tested it fired up in the store and it is a stereo unit so I was in luck.

I see there is a growing trend in some areas in restoring old console stereos but locally there is not.

I managed to safely remove the receiver unit from the wood coffin, the turntable did not look worthy of saving.

I do not have the space for a full console stereo and if it was more of a mid century piece perhaps I would refurbish the unit.

The receiver is out and resting on top of the Marantz 2270 and now I know what tube sound is all about...smooth, detailed and warm.

This unit is currently powering the Braun L830's.

This unit is missing a few knobs so I moved the knobs from the tuner section down, I do not plan on using the tuner portion of this unit.

Marantz 2270 Receiver

I came across a surviving Marantz 2270 Receiver today, which will need a fair amount of restoration work.

This beast weighs in at 40 lbs. and is rated at 70WPC.

This is my first step into the cult of Marantz outside of the later year Marantz SR-1000. No comparison in build at all.

This unit needs new bulbs, feet a power button and probably needs a full cap replacement.

So far the unit powers up without the on/off button, I have yet to attach speakers and a source, that will be next.

It would be worth the money to restore a receiver of this vintage, given the following it has.

Yamaha CR-400 Receiver

The little amp that could, is a 16 watt per channel CR-400 entry level unit from Yamaha.  This unit just needed a new fuse to get it working and will need a few new bulbs installed.

I love the simplicity of this amp along with the clean lines and the veneer wood case. The sound from 16 WPC is spot on, I am currently auditioning this receiver with the B&W D5's.....Wow!

Solid bass with clean mid range and silky smooth on the top end.

The CR-400 is the little brother of the 45WPC CR-800 which I found is well liked on this recent site I found that reviews vintage amps and receivers.

I look forward to running through the speaker collection with this receiver. 

Bose 601 Series 1

Finally the Bose 601 Series 1 are finished, they have been done for about a week or a bit.

I picked this project up as I had a spare woofer from a previous Bose 301 project. This pair was purchased with a missing woofer.

A full re foam job was required on all 4 woofers, extra dampening material was added along with new banana plug connectors.

I left the crossover as is as Bose appeared to use a better quality metal polyester cap.

So how do they sound? Not bad, the bass from the two 8" woofers is nice and deep, the mid range is very smooth. The direct reflecting tweeters are not as detailed as newer dome tweeters but the reflection does add to the sound coming at you from all directions, which is pretty cool.

The 601's from what I gather are the best of the Bose series although the 901's have a cool retro look following but from what I understand do not sound as good.