I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your excellent reviews and great common sense explanation with minimum hyperbole! I've been in the hobby since I was a teenager and worked in a specialty audio shop for some time. Your clear and detailed reviews are some of the best I've seen.
Hi Tarun. Great video as always. I entered the world of Hifi 2 years ago and studied most of your videos, which I appreciate a lot. I just became a happy vintage system owner, and built an early 90s Technics stereo system mostly from the digital reference series, which I am really happy with. It consists of Technics SU-MA10 fully featured amp with built in dac in dual mono bloc design weighing 25 kgs, the matching SL-PA10 cd transport and a ST-G90 tuner. All separates are in silver and all have just been checked and serviced by a local hifi repair shop and run smoothly like new. My Canton Vento 30 bookshelf speakers with Scottish Atlas speaker cables match really nicely with the Technics system. I really enjoy the punch and quick bass of the amp and the highs are very clean. Vintage, taken care of audio gear can still sound great and being enjoyed today, even after 30 years. :) Best regards from Austria Vienna. Looking frw to your next videos.
I just found your channel. Superb stuff. I really enjoyed your commentary.. Thanks also for letting us see inside the Technics: absolutely fantastic engineering! That said, I am slightly biased as I too, have a penchant for the older gear as I run as set of Denon monoblocks for my amplification (POA 4400A) which sound fantastic, especially when paired with a valve pre... Subscribed!
Hi Anton, sorry for the delayed response. There is some great vintage gear to be had a reasonable prices if you know what to look for. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video and supporting the channel.
I have one of Nelson Pass’s VFET based amplifiers that is based on the transistors designed by the Japanese in the early 70’s. Wonderful sounding devices made for audio that somehow became extinct due to higher manufacturing costs. Yet some audiophiles seem more interested in face plate thickness than actual Sonics produced. The world is a very strange place indeed. Thank you Tarun for another fine video !
Thanks, Tarun - this review was well worth waiting for. I'm glad to see how well the M100 holds up against today's offerings, and it's great to see an audiophile giving a Japanese manufacturer a fair hearing. I'd add an extra word of caution about buying vintage gear: some decent contact cleaner is essential for dusty mechanical pots, sliders and switches. Incidentally, it's also worth considering a vintage amp as an alternative to a modern headphone amp. Today's amps often use a fairly lame amp-on-a-chip for their headphone output (to create a market for separate headphone amps? perish the thought), but back in the day an amp's headphone socket took a feed from the main amp which was stepped down via resistors. Even a modest vintage amp could drive a wide range of loads. I'm currently checking out a lowly 1977-vintage JVC JR-S50 17wpc receiver, and I'm hugely impressed by how consistently well it drives headphones - from modern Beyerdynamics and Sennheisers to vintage planar magnetics like the B&O U70 - with clarity, definition and a clear sense of space. (Plus, of course, you get a phono preamp thrown in for free with older amps!)
Hi thisisnev, great to hear your thoughts about using vintage receivers as headphone amps. I bow to your superior knowledge in this area as I am not much of a headphone listener. Would love hear more about your experiences of using vintage gear, including your thoughts on your vintage Technics SU-V7 and SU-8044. Thank you for your continued support of this channel.
That is true.Headphones output sounds very good,very neutral on my technics su-c3000 preamp with sony mdr7506headphones.Power amp headphones output easily drives grado ps1000 headphones with very powerfull sound ruclips.net/video/wy-yKN-C8ho/видео.html
Hi MrZenderOne, that’s a beautiful preamp. Do you have the matching power amp? If so I would love to know what you think of them. I am sure they are in quite a different league to the Technics SE M100 that I have. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video.
I'm building a mid 90's Technics system, it is expensive but so rewarding when you land the right separates in the right condition as most are battered due to age, I have the AS900m2 amp which is a stunning piece of design and engineering which is now receiving a proper LED PCB conversion to the lit VU's and shortly a full recap and service with a banana plug conversion to the speaker terminals. I would love to ad the SL-P1200 CD player which was a broadcast quality separate with the looks of a control panel on the Death Star, but these are so few and far between and finding a minter at the right money is unicorn territory. This is a great channel BTW and found by accident so I will be subbing and hoping for more reviews of vintage separates.
Fantastic review as always. One of my first receivers was a Technics SAGX505 age 16 (I’m so sad I remember the model no 34 years later) and it was paired with my first audiophile speakers the ACI (Audio concepts) spirits which used Vifa tweeters and scanspeak drive units and were made by a cottage company in Wisconsin. Still sought after even today. I remember the technics has some real welly and was surprisingly good. It also had pro logic and was my first HC system
Thank you for that clear explanation of how an amplifier works, great for us amateur audiophiles! My system is analogue based. I have an Avid Pluses phono preamp feeding a Rega Elicit R, which I am very happy with. I need to update my Linn with the new Karousal bearing before I think about adding a digital source, my ancient Sony CD player probably doesn't count!
Remarkable how often audio interested RUclipsrs have poor sound quality recordings. The room aucustics are among the worse thinkable. Anyhow, getting past sound problems, the content is excellent. He is easy to understand, on the point and seems knowledgeable. His cable video is highly recomendable. Cheers from Finland
Technics still holds the world record for most powerful receiver of all time! If your local repair shop isn't a fanatic of hifi equipment, I would recommend taking it to someone else who is. The difference is day and night, for both audio quality output and long life! The black and green transistors are representative to the two different types available, one is a PNP type and the other is an NPN type, basically one is always on until it receives power while the other is always off and together they work in push pull. Having two sets allows higher current capacity! Their model number should return a datasheet with a Google search and inside the datasheet you will find what voltage and current those transistors are rated for! I'm not sure about this particular amplifier but the one that I have is rated for 50W RMS per channel and is also a class AA but it operates in class A upto 30W and then switches over to class A/B after that. The dip in the midrange for me is a good thing, generally I turn up the bass and treble to combat the midrange of any amplifier that I have had or have, where possible I would use a graphic equaliser and everything just sounds that much better. I personally don't care for purity, I'm not into sterile sounding music, if the system can't bring my music alive by adding it's own magic to it then it's just wasting my time! I believe that if you don't feel like grabbing a drink and dancing when you turn up the volume then it's just not doing it for you! That's when you know that you have found euphoria! There's no such thing as a pure home hifi amplifier, only the belief that one exists! If you want a pure sound, get yourself a pair of Yamaha passive studio monitors and an amplifier that is used by studios, that is as pure and flat response as you will ever get, but I guarantee that you won't like the pure sound! Because it's designed to be revealing so that an engineer can pick out errors in levels and panning, they use that flat sound to set up the sound to sound good on home hifi! Yes, flat sound is not for enjoyment! It's a studio tool! Someone somewhere had a great idea, if it's used in a studio then it must be the best! Maybe we should listen to music on a flat sounding system because that's what studio engineer's listen to? No! It's not what you are supposed to do, they worked hard to get the mixdown as tight as possible so that it sounds amazing on your home Hifi system, you tweek the bass, treble and balance till it sounds right and FEELS good to you... Believe me when I say that chasing pure audio is a waste of time and money! If you ask for pure audio equipment, someone will build it and sell it to you even though they know what actually sounds good... That Technics amplifier is truly a monster but without an analogue pre amp with tone controls and old school style 15' three way speaker system, you are wasting your time! That thing is designed to start a block party like there's no tomorrow! And it will do it reliably for the rest of your life!
Thank you Peter for sharing your knowledge and insights. I suspected the two different types of transistor were down to the PNP & NPN push-pull arrangement but wasn’t sure. Thank you for clearing that up. I really enjoyed reading your comments and agree that there is no such thing as complete accuracy. It all comes down to a matter of personal taste 😉👍
Another great review. The output transistors being different colours are when the Japanese separated the PNP & NPN transistors by colour. I think they look like Toshiba which were very well regarded. I'd like you to review the classic Pioneer A400 and Kenwood KA-3020 SE that's been recapped at least, I've recapped these classics and sound quality restores and even maybe slightly better than original when using better quality capacitors
Thank you Stewart for clarifying about the transistors, they looked like originals and I couldn’t figure out why there were too different types. I would love to review more classic/vintage gear. Will do so if I get a chance 😊
Interesting comparison. I bought my Rega Elicit 30ish years ago and it has given me exemplary service. I recently took it to my local dealer to have them return it to Rega for a full service. I told the dealer that when my Elicit was back in the shop, I’d arrange a demo looking toward upgrading. The Elicit is still in production. It now features a remote control which my 30 year old version doesn’t! At the end of last year Rega introduced the Aethos, the natural upgrade from the Elicit and costing twice the price. We did 2 separate A-B blind listening sessions. I think the shop staff were as stunned as I was. Driving a pair of B&W’s we really, really struggled to hear any difference. When we stopped the B&W’s for a pair of more difficult to drive ATC SCN40’s the Aethos did have a tighter grip on the bottom end. There again, it does have an extra 20w in Reserv. Needless to say, I went home with my original Elicit, and now it is back in my familiar listening environment, the difference to audio reproduction, after Rega serviced my amp is significant. I have upgraded my speakers and subs, and I am exploring the current amplification market, made slow and difficult by the current lockdown, but in the meantime my 30 year old Elicit is still giving exemplary service, and after it’s service has a renewed lease of life and still kicks arse!
Hi Howard, I am not surprised the Elicit is a very good amp. I dropped my Technics SEM100 in for a service before lockdown. When we are out of lockdown, I look forward to collecting it and if the sound has improved significantly I will do an updated video. Thank you for watching 😉
G’day mate, great video. Definitely get it serviced. Contact cleaner does wonders, let alone old caps to replace. I have this amp, it’s pre amp , manuals - it’s a big bold beast to a admire over a COLD beer , cheers old boy
Hi Tarun. That's an area/comparison that I haven't seen being talked about too much. it's great you made this video. So far, I gladly would have bought a vintage turntable as opposed to the newer pricier rega plastic TTs, but didnt think of venturing into vintage amplifiers.
Another alternative Run a vintage pre amp with more modern active monitor You can get expensive genelec monitor for cheap I have HT208B They also have active bi amping and room correction mode switches
It would be very interesting if you re-review this unit after its been serviced or re-caped. I suspect after that the difference in performance between vintage and modern will close.
Thank you for the interesting and entertaining comparison, not least for your level-headed commentary. Apparently, 1000£ in 1989 is worth 2500£ today, so the Technics was no cheapo!
I agree on your judgement regarding the sound quality from that Technics amplifier, but I was waiting for you to mention the esthetics. I would always prefer the looks of the Technics then the Hegel amp any day. It kind of hurts my eyes how the minimalist approach actually results in somewhat ugly or even funny look of an amplifier or other kind of HiFi component today. Also, as you've mentioned it, the VU/power meters of any kind are now really hard to find on amplifiers of recent design... I'm just wondering why is that... Anyway, I really had a good time watching this video and many more other videos you produced and I applaud on your honest attempt to be as objective and informative as you can. You've definitely got a new subscriber :) Keep up the good work!
I think VU meters are having a bit of a revival with a number of amps incorporating them. They do look fantastic. Thank you for watching and your kind support of this channel. It is very much appreciated.😉👍
Agree,most of todays amps look more like heating controllers : ugly. On the other side,higher class old amps,especially those from japanese production often suffer from a (to) economic passive components cocktail and are relativly easy to better,although its - depending on the model - a lot of work resulting that in most cases only the DIY option as the worthwhile one. Its a different story with vintage state of the art pieces.
I owned the Technics flagship models SE-A1/SU-A2 back in the day. Absolutely fantastic. It was like parting with a limb when a house purchase necessitated their departure. To this day, amongst the finest I have ever heard, and a constant source of regret.
Im pretty impressed at the lay out of the amps wiring harness,Technics took the time to wire the amp beautifully,alot of budget or consumer grade amps wiring looks like spaghetti with wires run for shortest distance,the lay out is gorgeous,it really reminds me of the pair of Mcintosh Mc-300 300 watt amps i have .
This amplifier is a beast! 2 power transformers, one for each channel! It could certainly drive very demanding speakers, but on the other hand, a nightmare to service! The accessibility of components on the main board is almost impossible. That is one thing I like from non-japanese hi-fi products: the parts are mostly placed on a single motherboard and easily accessible. I'm still using my good old ARCAM A80. This is not the last word in technical refinement but it can drive 2 pairs of 8 Ohm speakers to party level without breaking s sweat. Sadly, we don't hear much about that brand anymore. I would like to know how it compare to more recent models. How much should I invest if I want the same quality today (it was 1700$ in 2004)? Thanks for another great presentation!
I really enjoyed your review! That Technics amp was a well-built unit. I love ProAc's. I was noticing that there seems to be a fair bit of echo in your room though. Have you ever thought about adding some room treatment or some more soft surfaces? Just a thought. Looking forward to watching some more of your videos.
Hi 66Ferrari, actually the sound quality of that entire video is pretty bad. I had just got a new iPad Pro and didn’t have a USB C mic so was using the internal iPad mic. The room itself isn’t so bad although some treatment would help. I just can’t get away with it from an aesthetic perspective as it is a family space and not a dedicated listening room. Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for taking the time to comment on it.
Every audiophile should experience the joys of quality vintage Japanese amplification. The venerable Pioneer A-400 being one of many. Currently have a Yamaha AX-496 on the main rig (picked up for under $200 NZD) A remarkably swift amp.
Hi Tarun - great videos - detailed & informative. Aren't Technics similar to the JVC super-A designs with tiny distortion such as the for- peanuts A-X1 & AX 311 I picked up for 79€ & 49₹ respectively from Ebay & they sound fantastic for the money. I found an online discussion of the designs which highlight the very low THD for the time & the 311 in particular is very clean & dynamic using the (unfortunately CD only) direct channel. The adjustable super bass (50 hz only) helps the impact also if necessary I've now grabbed an audiolab 6000a after reading your & many others reviews but appreciate this vintage comparison & inclusion. I intend to recap some of my oldies when I can build up the courage to accept the risk of ruining them. Whilst the 6000a is clearly superior it's a great tool to also allow me to properly judge how well the JVCs & my old Pioneers 656 mk2 , A447 & SA508 did in getting pretty close to that ideal clean & dynamic sound for a very reasonable budget! Plenty of reputable used hifi dealers in Germany from my new home in Portugal.... just as well with Brexit! Here's the link - you're probably much more au fait with the terms & principles than me. I used to build guitar effects in the 70's from Practical / Everyday electronics plans when discrete were so expensive transistors came with their own sockets! My band & I caught on to the importance of screening when taping a version of Honky Tonk Woman was prefaced with a lovely violin introduction via radio 4 / 3 interference into his cardboard cased (!) fuzz box!! So that's why they have metal cases! Anyway thanks again & all the best Andy www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/new-class-a-super-a-non-switching-need-a-revival.162559/
Nice review, thank you. I completely agree with the merits of buying second hand. I picked up a Musical Fidelity A308 dual mono integrated to replace my X150. I expected a small improvement but boy was I wrong. It's night and day. Since then I've replaced the electrolytics with DNMs and Elna Silmic IIs and they're running in beautifully. Total cost for amp and caps, about £1,100. I'd be interested to know how it compares with your amps. Oh, and it makes the Technics and Hegel look a bit puny by weighing in at a shelf bending 23Kg!
Hi Mark, I am not surprised you like them. MF have produced some of my favourite amps over the years. The A1 and the A1000. I remember them fondly in the early days of my audiophile journey but could not afford them at the time.
When I moved to this house in Jan 2001 I put some of my stuff in a cupboard. It's now Aug 2021 and I've just had a sneak peak at that SU-A40 & SE-M100 sitting there all chilled out. Not touched in all that time. I bought them in 1990 or 1991 I'd say. Used a lot then but then got replaced. Glad I didn't just give them away! (Like I did my SL-P999 CD player).
Very informative upload. I think it will sound full to its real potential after properly recapped by new audio grade capacitor, fine tuned(biased well) then listen.
The "high" frequency digital electronics of the Technics all in their own metal can. Very fancy. As an upgrade you could consider replacing the old components with their modern equivalent that have tighter tolerances and lower noise.
Really enjoyed this video and your others too. Nice to see a realistic approach to hifi which is often a world full of snobbery. I’m one of those who thought 70’s 80’s and very early 90’s higher-end Technics kit like your amp was and still is great, this is of course before the hifi “crash” and then Technics hifi seemed cheap and commercially churned plastic nonsense by the late 90’s before they disappeared altogether. I couldn’t help but have a look on the BOE inflation calculator. Think you’ll find your trusty ole Technics amp would be around £2,500 in 2019. Does that make a fair comparison? Still both new and old amps have their place and both very respectable amps indeed. Please keep up the great videos. Am really enjoying your channel. 👍🏼
I enjoyed this review, thank you. I noticed in the comments you mentioned a pending service and recap, have you noticed a difference in the midrange since then? I would be interested to see a re-visit for this amp - I always loved Technics in the 80'sand 90's - I still have my old Separates in a box somewhere!
Hi Christian, I haven’t got it back as the dealer is still in lockdown. Hopefully, they have been clearing their backlog of repairs and services and I can get it soon after they reopen. If there is an improvement I will post an updated video. Thank you for watching 😊
Hallo Tarun I recently bought a Hegel h190 for my r7 with rel sub … I found the top end is not coming live , very rolled off . I am happy with mids and especially low end . What could be my possible best solution to get the hifi bliss I am looking for . I don’t listen my music too loud too.. please help
For audio lovers that plan on holding on to their amps longer, it would be interesting to see how the current crop compare against each other. Assuming you love the sound of two amps, what can one look out for to know which would last longer. Service network of the brand aside.
Hi, Love your channel … Could you recommend a decent (used or old) budget amplifier to run a pair of Tannoy Mercury M3 floor standers? I know it’s way below your standards but my budget dictates my options. Many thanks …
Thank you, great review. There are some variables here to be considered. The electrolytic capacitors of Technics most likely need to be replaced after all those years for the amp to work 100% like it did when it was originally bought. I find the non replaceable power cable of the Technics a serious limitation specially for an amp over 100w of power. I know many don't believe in cables but i have found the power cables to be the most influential cables in my system. The dac chips in Technics look like R2R (TDAx Philips perhaps?). If that is the case then we are talking about different technologies used here. The Technics is built like a tank even for today's standards.
Hi Calaf_72, I would much prefer an IEC connection as well but you just don’t seem to find them on equipment of this age. I have the same problem with my Exposure amplifiers. I have made some power cables using Belden and Lapp shielded power cables with Martin Kaiser IEC connectors. This is an effective, inexpensive upgrade which I use with my newer equipment. I did consider chopping the captive mains lead off on my technics and Exposure amps and connecting a female IEC connector but I think the extra connection will probably add as much noise as the shielded power cable will remove. Also, it is the kind of mod that tends to put people off buying the amps if I were to ever sell them. I would love to know more about the DAC and how the Class AA bridge works between the Class A voltage gain and the Class B current drive stages. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on the video.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, I agree with Calafs point of view regarding the caps. I have a PM-75 from 97 and I've sent it last year to Marantz for a full recap, the result was a much better body, more humfff... and the excellent Highs that Marantz gave at the Hi End Game.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I constantly for years research vintage gear which is highly difficult through translations of Japanese (and a pain) The odd thing is when I was researching a Sony N902 Esprit (an exeptional power amp ) A technics power amp scored higher .... There may be some units in the AA line i underestimated , it's hard to believe ESPRIT is highly regarded - 902 is pinnacle esprit FET VFET is holy grail Solid State , a PS-X9 Sony broadcast table is like 15 grand and is a complimentary 902 component
I do miss my Technics suv60 amplifier from 1987. It could really kick and being a class AA had very low distortion levels. It had great clarity. Don't know how it would hold up to today's amplifiers. I changed it for a Audiolab 8000a after hearing rave reviews back in the 1990s. I guess my Audiolab is also classed as vintage now. Not sure how it would compare either to today's amps or the Hagel.
Hi Andy, the Audiolab 8000a is a classic amplifier. A close friend of mine had one for many years. Very clean and precise sounding amplifier. Similar to a Hegel H90 in many ways. I haven’t done a direct AB comparison but my general impression is that the Audiolab would stack up very well with the Hegel H90. Hope you are enjoying yours and thank you for sharing 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 that puts my mind at rest. I do enjoy my amplifier. There is always that little voice saying its getting old so time for change. The Hegal is one I would seriously consider, heard it at shows and it is impressive. Thanks👍
Beautiful piece. Tour de force. And it had a DAC built in, too. Nifty. I didn't know of a piece with a built-in DAC made that long ago. Most of the Japanese audio manufacturers offered some high end pieces, and Japan had, and has, high-end targeted brands. I had some of the Sansui Signature pieces. Beautifully made, too. Sounded good. I still have a Yamaha CR820 receiver. I like that monochrome Yamaha aesthetic, though the sonics tends to sound like the unit looks (a bit bleached). I still have my old Pioneer PD-65 Elite CD player. Handsome, made well, nice to use. There was better then, and there's better now. Audio today is better than ever. The lower and mid priced tiers have gotten so good with revolutionary leaps forward in ever better performance at ever lower prices. The high end is seeming to offer ever decreasing marginal performance. There are many venerable bits of kit. Some of it could well still stand up against some of today's better gear. Some of it may still be a good value, that is that it sounds good and at a good price. Then, there's the nostalgia thing, which I also can appreciate. And then there's simply admiring gear made to the level of this Technics SE M100. You do know that the SE M100 is wasn't a run-of-the-mill piece then (written with tongue in cheek)? And like so many top-quality things, it's still a nice thing.
So, does this mean, with digital sources the volume control is applied BEFORE the signal is converted to analogue? Than it just goes directly to the power amp with full blast?
Just found this video. Enjoyed it. A question remains in my mind: How does this vantage amp (and other vintage amps) handle the frequent very low actual impedances of modern speakers? My experience with solid state amps of this vintage hasn't been so very good. Given that all amp outputs are both max voltage and max current limited, too often vintage designs weren't capable of supporting high currents required by low Z speakers near amp rating at reasonable distortion levels. Today's amps are coming around to solving that, to drive speakers that drop well below their 4 Ohm nominal over the audible range. How do they do, when higher SPL's are demanded? I'm enjoying your pieces. Hope you can continue. BTW, your listening room sounds very, very live.
Thank you for watching Jim. Most modern speakers don’t drop below 3.5 ohms. A solid state amp with a decent power supply should be able to cope with this without a loss in dynamics. This Technics SE M100 has plenty of filter capacitance backed by two large power transformers. I don’t know what the peak current output is but I suspect it is sufficient to drive most modern speakers.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes. I think I have a pair of now unused Pioneers that can bleed out an old 100w/chan Yamaha integrated at just moderate volumes. That is why they're unused. As is the Yamaha. I tend to think that most vintage solid state amps were really designed to fit 8 ohm speakers. Thus, rail voltage is set to give the power rating at 8 ohms, but at 4 ohms the power supply can't maintain the current, and things get gritty, fast. I recall one industry amp manufacturer who testifies he's seen less than *half* the nominal impedance in some speaker models, at some frequencies. Of course, that violates the standards' guidelines. Glad to have you here. I trust your opinions.
According to the Bank of England inflation calculator 1000 GBP in 1989 was the equivalent of 2506 GBP in today's money , so the comparison is about even. I never bought much Technics equipment back in the day except for a 3-head cassette deck which was pretty good. Technics was always very clean , maybe a bit thin sounding. Just my 25 cent opinion. Thanks for sharing.
Technics doesn't get enough love. They are still pushing the state of the art. You should look into the SE-R1 one of the earliest examples of the next generation of digital amplifiers that uses Gan-fets or Gallium Nitride Transistors. Reviews have pegged the sound as close to smoothness of tubes without heat issues.
Matsushita (aka Technics) made some very impressive audio components. Love the stuff from the early 90ies, consider it as the golden age of HiFi. They had excellent components even in lower tier. How did you hook up the Technics, digital or analog?
@@kotokoto9472 It was a revolution; A good class AB amplifier can come very close to class A, and depending on the implantation be a hell of a lot better; however, i usually prefer class A amplifiers, and i prefer analogue sources when convenience isn't a factor. They can be expensive but I think they are worth it (sometimes). I can't comment on class D amplifiers as I've only heard two class D amplifiers, and I was only impressed by one of them (for a sub-woofer).
@@hugodabron3556 I own a Pioneer A-70 amplifier from 2014 built in class D and I can say that it sounds phenomenal compared to a NAD I don't know the model, but it cost 2500 euros at that time and Pioneer knocked it out in tests with two speaker cables from
Do you think tastes in the way old and new hifi presents the music has changed? I have found that combining old and new hifi can produce stellar results. Perhaps you could do a piece on how component matching works. What systems have you heard that sound bad and what piece of equipment was swapped out that made a drastic change for the better?
I have Technics SU-Z1 entry level amp, i bought it because I liked the looks, but it sounds ok totally, you can enjoy music whit this amp, it is not high end, but it will do the job, Technics have some good amplifiers for all money ranges. I'm happy with it.
Good review, but knowing this Technics is an old amp that you be would be more wise to give it a service check b4 hand and then u could truly understand it's true grace and power . I await a possible update when u get a chance to do so , thank u.
Hi Athur, the Technics was dropped off for full service last week. It will be interesting to get a before and after comparison when it returns. If the sound changes, I will post an updated review. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video.
For the areas it was deficient was that in the amplifier or the preamp or DAC? I would use it simply as a power amp only. Even if the refinements need to be made in the power amp, what a set of bones to start with and modernize. Love your channel!
Hi Phil, the DAC doesn’t stand up to modern equivalents. The rest of it is essentially a power amp with a potentiometer volume control. That bit stands up very well with modern gear 😊
This is great. I love the fact that someones is doing this vintage against new compare. I must say that I do prefer Technics components. I am sure that Technics gave many new amps run for their money. I do own Technics SU-V900 and am very pleased with its performance. I do know there are many amps, both new and vintage that are better than it but that is not the point. Everyone needs to find what suits them. Oh, you should try Technics SU-MA10. I think that one was the best of that dual mono platform sharing amps. It kinda fixed all the little imperfections SE-M100 and SU-V900 had. Was the best looking too :)
Hi Bojan, thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed reading you comments and checked out both the SU-V900 and the SU-MA10 online. They are some hefty amps. I would love to get more into the vintage Technics stuff. There is a reason they have such a loyal following and now command good second hand prices. Great to know that you are enjoying you SU-V900 and I am looking forward to getting my SE-M100 back from the engineers who are servicing it once lockdown is over. Thank you once again 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the prompt reply. I have posted a few ( amateur ) vids of some Technics stuff i own, feel free to check them out under my account and drop your thoughts in the comments :)
i would love to hear comparison between hegel vs any vintage amp using the same external DAC... i personaly have a KENWOOD KA-880D amp (partially restored)... i'd went to a high end audio show and while obviously the hegel are just better amps in all regards, the KENWOOD has the exact same sound presentation with loudness on (the hegel has even more lush in the bass), now this kenwood is a 1000 damping factor controled power beast from the 80's
Hello, Please advise if these Hegel H590 built in China are any good? I would like to pair a Hegel H590 with a pair of Dali Rubicon 8 speakers? Do you think that these will be compatible? Any thing that you don't like about the Hegel H590? Advantages & Disadvantages of owning a Hegel H590?
Hi Richard, I have only listened to the H590 at shows. Sounded great with Dynaudio Confidence 50s. If you are spending that kind of money, you should really find a dealer to guide you through. Thank you for watching 😉
Thanks Lance. That is really useful to know, I should have used that before posting the video. I think that pure inflation has to be balanced against improvements in technology and refinement in processes. That is what brings me back to £1,500 for the Technics SE M100 when I compare it to what else is out there today. Purely subjective, of course. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment on the video.
I'm in Arizona, and I'm always looking on Facebook Marketplace at these older receivers. I want to buy them all. They have beautiful older Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha, Kennwood, ect. and they are all in the 50-300 dollar range. They look so nice, but I am worried about the parts and repair on them. I'm not good with working on anything. But, still I want everything.
Hi Jeff, it is worth tracking down someone who really knows what he/she (let’s face it, more likely to be a he) is doing when it comes to servicing an amplifier. Ask them to send you photos of stuff the have worked on if you can’t go and visit them in person and see how they work. These guys are worth their weight in gold and worth posting your equipment to if they are not local as long as you have checked out the quality of their work. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Love this review. I have an old Technics SU 800 which I can't seem to get rid of because it was my first delve into proper HiFi. I paid £25 for and now after seeing this video I might just get it out of the shed and hook it up to my system to see how it compares to my Quinpu amp. Thanks for sharing. :-)
@@abritishaudiophile7314 The one problem I have is the speaker jacks aren't compatible with the terminals at the back of the amp as they are those stupid twisty terminals that you push bare wires into lol!
Hello and thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I'm looking for speakers to use with the Technics SE M100 amplifier, i wonder if Q Acoustics 3030i would be a decent option for a small room listening experience, and if the two can be put together technically speaking. I´m new to Hifi sound trying to learn. Will appreciate so much your help, thanks.
Hi Javier, I haven’t heard the 3030i but Q Acoustics make some good speakers. The SE M100 will drive them with no problem. In fact, I am sure it can drive almost any speaker as it is a power house. The sonic signature of the Technics is a classic V presentation with the emphasis on the bass and treble. I can say how it will sonically match the 3030is as I haven’t heard this combo. All I can suggest is to try for yourself and make sure you can return the speakers if you don’t like how they match to your amplifier. Thank you for watching 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you so much for your advice. it seems to be a good choice and i love the look of that speakers i will try them myself. :)
Are there many different routes in the design of an amp to get to the same goal, or are there only one set of correct things in design which work and the best amps have many or all of them?
Hi Coneman3, there are many different ways to design an amplifier. For example, different ways of biasing transistors (Class A, Class AB, Class D) etc. Different ways to build power supplies (linear or switch mode). Solid state amplifiers (i.e. not valve amps) essentially have 3 stages, preamplifier (input switching and volume control), voltage gain (1st part of the power amp) and current gain (2nd part of the power amp that drives the speakers). Stick with designers/companies that have a good reputation and you won’t go too far wrong 😉
Interesting. I dragged my Bob Carver C-500 Power Amplifier for 40 years without using it...I just this week resurrected it after a considerable amount of research and phone calls to reputable resources. I bought a Schiit Freya + (in obscure black) to steer my ancient beast (250wpc into 8 ohms 😮). I did not need to replace the capacitors, so far. This Techniques amp that you have seems more impressively built, I have to say. Although, mine is just a stereo power amp. Actually, I do not have enough experience to know how good the sound quality is...and thanks to the Freya and its tubes/solid-state choices, I get a nicely distinctive set of sound choices. This combo DEFINITELY has more punch than my Marantz SR6015 in stereo mode, but I will have to listen more carefully, but cannot do any more listening just now as I made a really dumb error and blew a fuse in the Caver which I cannot source locally and have to wait on mail order. It appears that Bob Carver's protection circuitry safely protected my $5K speakers from my boner, amatuer mistake!!!😥
@@abritishaudiophile7314 What did you do? Wire it incorrectly? Yes Turan...I had all new gear that I was slowly getting involved with...and I sat down for a listening session...when the Freya + preamp's tubes are warming up it is shut down (no volume engaged)...I ran the volume up with the remote thinking that I was in solid state mode (no warm up time needed) and right at that moment when I mistakenly maxed-out the volume, the tubes were ready-for-use and turned on the volume!!! All 400watts into 4ohms attempted to blast forward into my brand new Dynaudio Contour 20s from the Carver Amp! I think that Carver built in some protection circuitry...and that, and the fuse saved me. I had to crawl down from up on back of the couch from what sound blast there was. My speakers appear to be fine....I think a full power surge was averted....but I was sick that I had ruined them in the moment!!! I won't know for sure until I get the fuse in 5days if that is the only damage there is. It was such an easy mistake to have made.
@@bobb.9917 ouch! As you say easily done. I was trying to be clever and biamp using a massive Bryston power amp. I didn’t turn it off and shorted the terminals. The Bryston’s overload circuit protected it but overwhelmed the Arcam with a current surge. Live and learn 😢
Hi Tarun, great video as ever. Very interested in your views on vintage amps. I have had a LuxmanL309 at the heart of my setup for over thirty years. During that time my audio journey has been from analog to digital. This year purchased a chord qutest and auralic aries g2.1 which are sensational. The Luxman is in repair and it’s proving hard to get caps. I’m considering buying a Pioneer A91D for €1.5k from my hifi dealer or splashing out on a new amp for €5k or more. Any thoughts? I really value your opinion!
Thank you for for sharing. It depends on the speaker s you are using but the Aries G2.1/Qutest should be a very good front end. Shame you are struggling to get the Luxman recapped 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thanks for the reply Tarun. I forgot to mention the speakers are Ohm Walsh tall 1000s. Re luxman it's been with my dealer for a year, they cannot seem to locate luxman caps. Apparently there's a shortage. A friend of mine is having a similar problem servicing his Naim amp.
Hi Tarun, just to say thank you again for the advice re: amp. The Luxman eventually came back and it’s sensational. Only one issue: I’m still finding the system a bit bright and fatiguing though and looking at upgrading the DAC as a perceived weakest link. I suspect my age is showing here and I would like a more mature sound so looking closely at R ladder DACS you have reviewed like the Holo etc. (I just reposted your holo spring 3 review into the Auralic community site where there is a big discussion of DACS for the Aries source). What would you recommend? Thanks again and love the channel! Larry
Now this is my kind of video! Although, that Technics unit isn't nearly old enough to be considered a true "vintage" amplifier. If I lived in the UK I could loan you some repaired real vintage units to test against the more modern stuff - the freight from Australia would be hell though. :-) Glad to see the Technics stood up well - they certainly have really tight low end, one of their best features. To be fair, it's a product of it's time. That was the fashion in audio when it was built. Like others in the comments I am wondering if the re-cap has altered it's capability any? Higher value caps than standard can give an amp more headroom, but there can sometimes be a downside too. I wonder if that's what was done? Cheers
Hi woopimagpie (love your name), you are absolutely right, maybe classic would have been a more appropriate name than vintage. It a shame you are not in the UK, I would have loved to have tried out some genuine vintage gear. The Technics is in the shop currently being recapped. Hope to get it back soon when things reopen. If the recap makes a significant difference, I will do another video on it.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My username is a combination of the nickname of the town where I live (Woolgoolga, gets shortened to "Woopi", there is another town not far from here called Wooli, pronounced Wool-Eye, so Woopi it is for our town), and of course the bird "magpie". That comes about firstly because I was a Wildlife Information and Rescue Service volunteer for many years, and specialised in Australian Magpies and other corvids (crows, ravens, currawongs, butcherbirds, and wood-swallows) and secondly because it's the name of my shop, which is called Magpie Books. My real name is Andy. I look forward to finding out if the re-cap on the Technics makes any audible difference. It looks like we're in for a wet weekend here so I might do a bit of re-capping myself. There's a Sansui, a Pioneer, and a NAD all awaiting some attention in my workshop currently.... hours of fun. Cheers
I have four Amps. Pioneer A 616, Pioneer A447, Yamaha RX 797 and a Mini JVC UX - P5R. With the same speakers on "flat" all of them sound exactly the same. How do you hear differences between amps?
@@abritishaudiophile7314 In the moment the Canton Fonum 200. Uncritical speakers. An believe me, I tested it. If I swap the amps, there is no change in the sound. If they play in flat mode and without activated loudness. Even the small amp in the jvc compact system sounds like the bigger amps. If it's playing not too loud.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 An Amplifyer shouldn't sound. It only should amplify a signal to make it strong enough for driving speakers, not more. If it "sounds", it doesn't do what it is supposed to do.
Hi OB Zen, it is at the engineers being serviced and recapped before lockdown. Once things open again, I would love to get it back and find out. If there is a noticeable improvement I will do a follow up video. Thank you for watching 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Ah yes, the Great Disruptor. I like your 'sensible engineer' approach to audio. Just dipping my toes in real audio (IotaVX combo, 'good enough' hifi). Stay safe!
AB design have changed much the last two decades. The major problem with AB design is crossover distortion which makes harmonics which are not pleasant to listen to. Some fix this by having high bias current and others like Hegel solves this by having a distortion filter built into the topology.
I have this same amp with the matching preamp. I really like the amp, but I have a bit mixed feelings about the preamp. The amp is very simple no nonsense design, but the preamp has just about every feature possible in an analog preamp. The digital direct drive works so, that the output voltage to the speakers is the same as the output voltage of the dac, meaning that the amplification in the power amp is 0 dB. I've had my amp over five years and the preamp a bit less. I've had to fix the input terminals, as they broke off the pcb. They are very poorly supported. Ive also had to fix a few broken solders on the main pcb, but I'd consider that normal on equipment this old. The amp hasn't been recapped, but in the future I'll probably take it to a full service.
Hi Atri, you would have to look at each design on its individual merits. Generally advances in technology have resulted in better precision in the components (resistors, capacitors and inductors), better fabrication processes in integrated circuits and much more accessible and precise ways to test and measure equipment 😉
Why Hegel is overpriced while its one of the best in the price class? Its also better than Devialet who cost much more than H160 but stuck with 24/192khz DAC. Overhype? Dont think so, until you actually try it yourself, then I have to agree to disagree!
Thanks for this review. I'm currently in the market for an H160 so find it interesting if there are other amps that can give it a run for the money. if I may ask you, what does the Home Theatre input on the H160 allow you to do? Does it bypass its internal pre-amp and go straight to its amplification section?
Hi Hooman, you are essentially right. The HT input still technically goes through the preamp circuit but with the volume fixed to maximum output. If you connect an AV receiver it will mean that you can use the volume control on the receiver to control the volume instead of having to mess with two volume controls. The HT input on the Hegel can also be reset to a traditional line level input if you need two analogue inputs. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks very much for that explanation.. It may sound crazy but I've been fantasizing about what a Schitt Freya tube preamp into an H160 would sound like.
Hi Hooman, yeh... that would be an inefficient use of funds. A significant amount of the cost of the H160 goes into the Dac and Soundengine technology. Connecting the Freya to the HT input would mean that you are adding unnecessary, extra stages of amplification whilst trying to effectively use the H160 as a power amp. You would be much better served by spending your money on a dedicated power amp or mono blocks. Look for the Hegel H20 if you want that type of sound, it will comfortably outperform the H160 and I would imagine the H390 too.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I agree with you 100%. The reason I asked is because I want the integrated to begin with but down the line I want to experiment with tube pre into a hegel power but the H20 is out of my price bracket at the moment. Plus I'd like to experiment with an H160 then decide if the sonics warrent an H20 route.. all speculations at the moment because who knows what the fuure holds.. just wanted to know if electrically, it was possible to do this experiment. The H160 is the only integrated in its range that has a Home Theatre input.. which is why I"m curious about it.. I used to have the H80.
Hi Hooman, sounds like a good plan. I have demoed the H90 at home and the H160 is definitely better. Similar fast, clean, analytical sound but with more scale and authority. You could also consider a tube buffer like the ifi iTube2 to add a little richness as an alternative to the Freya.
Your criticisms of the sound of the technics amp. Could those problems be minimised by using better capacities etc or is the sound of the amp basically fixed?
Hi Brian, I am not sure as the used market can be volatile. I would stick it on eBay with a reserve you are happy with or contact 2nd Hand Hifi. 2ndhandhifi.co.uk
Wow, that is some amp. Thank you for the offer. I am just nervous about having viewers gear sent to me. There is always a chance of it getting damaged in transit or when I am moving it around. Much appreciated though 😊👍
Totally agree,Sansui were and still are regarded as probably the best sounding of all the Japanese makes, still using mine today and have tried dozens of amplifiers over the years vintage and modern, nothing gets close...
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your excellent reviews and great common sense explanation with minimum hyperbole! I've been in the hobby since I was a teenager and worked in a specialty audio shop for some time. Your clear and detailed reviews are some of the best I've seen.
Thanks Stanley
Stanley chen: I couldn't have said it better. Totally agree!
Just cruising back through a few of your old reviews and it's cool to see how your production skills have come along since a year ago! Nice one dude:D
Thank you buddy. Learning slowly 😊👍
Hi Tarun.
Great video as always. I entered the world of Hifi 2 years ago and studied most of your videos, which I appreciate a lot. I just became a happy vintage system owner, and built an early 90s Technics stereo system mostly from the digital reference series, which I am really happy with.
It consists of Technics SU-MA10 fully featured amp with built in dac in dual mono bloc design weighing 25 kgs, the matching SL-PA10 cd transport and a ST-G90 tuner. All separates are in silver and all have just been checked and serviced by a local hifi repair shop and run smoothly like new.
My Canton Vento 30 bookshelf speakers with Scottish Atlas speaker cables match really nicely with the Technics system. I really enjoy the punch and quick bass of the amp and the highs are very clean.
Vintage, taken care of audio gear can still sound great and being enjoyed today, even after 30 years. :)
Best regards from Austria Vienna.
Looking frw to your next videos.
Thank you Mario. Great to learn about your experiences 🙂👍
I just found your channel. Superb stuff. I really enjoyed your commentary.. Thanks also for letting us see inside the Technics: absolutely fantastic engineering! That said, I am slightly biased as I too, have a penchant for the older gear as I run as set of Denon monoblocks for my amplification (POA 4400A) which sound fantastic, especially when paired with a valve pre...
Subscribed!
Hi Anton, sorry for the delayed response. There is some great vintage gear to be had a reasonable prices if you know what to look for. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video and supporting the channel.
I have one of Nelson Pass’s VFET based amplifiers that is based on the transistors designed by the Japanese in the early 70’s. Wonderful sounding devices made for audio that somehow became extinct due to higher manufacturing costs. Yet some audiophiles seem more interested in face plate thickness than actual Sonics produced. The world is a very strange place indeed.
Thank you Tarun for another fine video !
Thank you Mike. Nelson has made some great amps over the years 😊👍
Excellent review. I was looking forward to your next upload.
Hi Tassos Tsoutis, thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on the video.
Thanks, Tarun - this review was well worth waiting for. I'm glad to see how well the M100 holds up against today's offerings, and it's great to see an audiophile giving a Japanese manufacturer a fair hearing.
I'd add an extra word of caution about buying vintage gear: some decent contact cleaner is essential for dusty mechanical pots, sliders and switches.
Incidentally, it's also worth considering a vintage amp as an alternative to a modern headphone amp. Today's amps often use a fairly lame amp-on-a-chip for their headphone output (to create a market for separate headphone amps? perish the thought), but back in the day an amp's headphone socket took a feed from the main amp which was stepped down via resistors. Even a modest vintage amp could drive a wide range of loads. I'm currently checking out a lowly 1977-vintage JVC JR-S50 17wpc receiver, and I'm hugely impressed by how consistently well it drives headphones - from modern Beyerdynamics and Sennheisers to vintage planar magnetics like the B&O U70 - with clarity, definition and a clear sense of space. (Plus, of course, you get a phono preamp thrown in for free with older amps!)
Hi thisisnev, great to hear your thoughts about using vintage receivers as headphone amps. I bow to your superior knowledge in this area as I am not much of a headphone listener. Would love hear more about your experiences of using vintage gear, including your thoughts on your vintage Technics SU-V7 and SU-8044. Thank you for your continued support of this channel.
That is true.Headphones output sounds very good,very neutral on my technics su-c3000 preamp with sony mdr7506headphones.Power amp headphones output easily drives grado ps1000 headphones with very powerfull sound
ruclips.net/video/wy-yKN-C8ho/видео.html
Hi MrZenderOne, that’s a beautiful preamp. Do you have the matching power amp? If so I would love to know what you think of them. I am sure they are in quite a different league to the Technics SE M100 that I have. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video.
I'm building a mid 90's Technics system, it is expensive but so rewarding when you land the right separates in the right condition as most are battered due to age, I have the AS900m2 amp which is a stunning piece of design and engineering which is now receiving a proper LED PCB conversion to the lit VU's and shortly a full recap and service with a banana plug conversion to the speaker terminals. I would love to ad the SL-P1200 CD player which was a broadcast quality separate with the looks of a control panel on the Death Star, but these are so few and far between and finding a minter at the right money is unicorn territory. This is a great channel BTW and found by accident so I will be subbing and hoping for more reviews of vintage separates.
Fantastic review as always. One of my first receivers was a Technics SAGX505 age 16 (I’m so sad I remember the model no 34 years later) and it was paired with my first audiophile speakers the ACI (Audio concepts) spirits which used Vifa tweeters and scanspeak drive units and were made by a cottage company in Wisconsin. Still sought after even today. I remember the technics has some real welly and was surprisingly good. It also had pro logic and was my first HC system
Hi Sound Ideas, must have been a good amp. That is why you remember the model number! Thank you for sharing 😉
A British Audiophile Not nearly as good as that one. But as a kid I was impressed. Plus you always remember your first love 😂👍🏼
Very true, Pioneer PM40SE 🥳
Thank you for that clear explanation of how an amplifier works, great for us amateur audiophiles! My system is analogue based. I have an Avid Pluses phono preamp feeding a Rega Elicit R, which I am very happy with. I need to update my Linn with the new Karousal bearing before I think about adding a digital source, my ancient Sony CD player probably doesn't count!
Hi B Shah, I think we are all amateur audiophiles. Some of those old CD players can still sound good. Maybe try an external DAC?
Remarkable how often audio interested RUclipsrs have poor sound quality recordings.
The room aucustics are among the worse thinkable.
Anyhow, getting past sound problems, the content is excellent. He is easy to understand, on the point and seems knowledgeable. His cable video is highly recomendable.
Cheers from Finland
Thank you for watching 😉
Wonderful review 🎉🎊👏 Thanks Tarun. We need more review like these. Great 👍 Job
Thank you buddy. Much appreciated 😊👍
Technics still holds the world record for most powerful receiver of all time!
If your local repair shop isn't a fanatic of hifi equipment, I would recommend taking it to someone else who is. The difference is day and night, for both audio quality output and long life!
The black and green transistors are representative to the two different types available, one is a PNP type and the other is an NPN type, basically one is always on until it receives power while the other is always off and together they work in push pull. Having two sets allows higher current capacity! Their model number should return a datasheet with a Google search and inside the datasheet you will find what voltage and current those transistors are rated for!
I'm not sure about this particular amplifier but the one that I have is rated for 50W RMS per channel and is also a class AA but it operates in class A upto 30W and then switches over to class A/B after that.
The dip in the midrange for me is a good thing, generally I turn up the bass and treble to combat the midrange of any amplifier that I have had or have, where possible I would use a graphic equaliser and everything just sounds that much better. I personally don't care for purity, I'm not into sterile sounding music, if the system can't bring my music alive by adding it's own magic to it then it's just wasting my time! I believe that if you don't feel like grabbing a drink and dancing when you turn up the volume then it's just not doing it for you! That's when you know that you have found euphoria! There's no such thing as a pure home hifi amplifier, only the belief that one exists! If you want a pure sound, get yourself a pair of Yamaha passive studio monitors and an amplifier that is used by studios, that is as pure and flat response as you will ever get, but I guarantee that you won't like the pure sound! Because it's designed to be revealing so that an engineer can pick out errors in levels and panning, they use that flat sound to set up the sound to sound good on home hifi! Yes, flat sound is not for enjoyment! It's a studio tool!
Someone somewhere had a great idea, if it's used in a studio then it must be the best! Maybe we should listen to music on a flat sounding system because that's what studio engineer's listen to? No! It's not what you are supposed to do, they worked hard to get the mixdown as tight as possible so that it sounds amazing on your home Hifi system, you tweek the bass, treble and balance till it sounds right and FEELS good to you... Believe me when I say that chasing pure audio is a waste of time and money! If you ask for pure audio equipment, someone will build it and sell it to you even though they know what actually sounds good...
That Technics amplifier is truly a monster but without an analogue pre amp with tone controls and old school style 15' three way speaker system, you are wasting your time! That thing is designed to start a block party like there's no tomorrow! And it will do it reliably for the rest of your life!
Thank you Peter for sharing your knowledge and insights. I suspected the two different types of transistor were down to the PNP & NPN push-pull arrangement but wasn’t sure. Thank you for clearing that up. I really enjoyed reading your comments and agree that there is no such thing as complete accuracy. It all comes down to a matter of personal taste 😉👍
excellent response.
Another great review. The output transistors being different colours are when the Japanese separated the PNP & NPN transistors by colour. I think they look like Toshiba which were very well regarded. I'd like you to review the classic Pioneer A400 and Kenwood KA-3020 SE that's been recapped at least, I've recapped these classics and sound quality restores and even maybe slightly better than original when using better quality capacitors
Thank you Stewart for clarifying about the transistors, they looked like originals and I couldn’t figure out why there were too different types. I would love to review more classic/vintage gear. Will do so if I get a chance 😊
Sir Tarun, great review again! PS I love your Palace! What a home!
Thank you my friend 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Absolute pleasure Sir! Keep up the great work! Superb channel!
Interesting comparison. I bought my Rega Elicit 30ish years ago and it has given me exemplary service. I recently took it to my local dealer to have them return it to Rega for a full service. I told the dealer that when my Elicit was back in the shop, I’d arrange a demo looking toward upgrading. The Elicit is still in production. It now features a remote control which my 30 year old version doesn’t! At the end of last year Rega introduced the Aethos, the natural upgrade from the Elicit and costing twice the price. We did 2 separate A-B blind listening sessions. I think the shop staff were as stunned as I was. Driving a pair of B&W’s we really, really struggled to hear any difference. When we stopped the B&W’s for a pair of more difficult to drive ATC SCN40’s the Aethos did have a tighter grip on the bottom end. There again, it does have an extra 20w in Reserv. Needless to say, I went home with my original Elicit, and now it is back in my familiar listening environment, the difference to audio reproduction, after Rega serviced my amp is significant. I have upgraded my speakers and subs, and I am exploring the current amplification market, made slow and difficult by the current lockdown, but in the meantime my 30 year old Elicit is still giving exemplary service, and after it’s service has a renewed lease of life and still kicks arse!
Hi Howard, I am not surprised the Elicit is a very good amp. I dropped my Technics SEM100 in for a service before lockdown. When we are out of lockdown, I look forward to collecting it and if the sound has improved significantly I will do an updated video. Thank you for watching 😉
I have the SE A50 (power amplifier) from the same era and it's a gem, still loving it.
Good to hear, thanks for sharing Keith👍
Love your reviews bro. Learned a lot...
Hi jonortet86, thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on the video. I appreciate your support.
G’day mate, great video. Definitely get it serviced. Contact cleaner does wonders, let alone old caps to replace. I have this amp, it’s pre amp , manuals - it’s a big bold beast to a admire over a COLD beer , cheers old boy
Thanks Karl. It has been fully serviced and re-capped 😊👍
Hi Tarun. That's an area/comparison that I haven't seen being talked about too much. it's great you made this video. So far, I gladly would have bought a vintage turntable as opposed to the newer pricier rega plastic TTs, but didnt think of venturing into vintage amplifiers.
Another alternative
Run a vintage pre amp with more modern active monitor
You can get expensive genelec monitor for cheap
I have HT208B
They also have active bi amping and room correction mode switches
I use a Sony TA-E7B
It kicks ass
Hi Sushant, great idea about vintage turntables and definitely worth checking out the vintage amplifiers as well. Thank you for watching and sharing.
Thanks Jeremy
It would be very interesting if you re-review this unit after its been serviced or re-caped. I suspect after that the difference in performance between vintage and modern will close.
Thank you for the interesting and entertaining comparison, not least for your level-headed commentary.
Apparently, 1000£ in 1989 is worth 2500£ today, so the Technics was no cheapo!
Thank you Greg 😊👍
Great review, sweet Couch!! 🍾👍😎
Thank you 😊👍
I agree on your judgement regarding the sound quality from that Technics amplifier, but I was waiting for you to mention the esthetics. I would always prefer the looks of the Technics then the Hegel amp any day. It kind of hurts my eyes how the minimalist approach actually results in somewhat ugly or even funny look of an amplifier or other kind of HiFi component today. Also, as you've mentioned it, the VU/power meters of any kind are now really hard to find on amplifiers of recent design... I'm just wondering why is that... Anyway, I really had a good time watching this video and many more other videos you produced and I applaud on your honest attempt to be as objective and informative as you can. You've definitely got a new subscriber :) Keep up the good work!
I think VU meters are having a bit of a revival with a number of amps incorporating them. They do look fantastic. Thank you for watching and your kind support of this channel. It is very much appreciated.😉👍
Agree,most of todays amps look more like heating controllers : ugly.
On the other side,higher class old amps,especially those from japanese production often suffer from a (to) economic passive components
cocktail and are relativly easy to better,although its - depending on the model - a lot of work resulting that in most cases only the DIY option
as the worthwhile one. Its a different story with vintage state of the art pieces.
I owned the Technics flagship models SE-A1/SU-A2 back in the day. Absolutely fantastic. It was like parting with a limb when a house purchase necessitated their departure. To this day, amongst the finest I have ever heard, and a constant source of regret.
I feel you pain John. Thank you for sharing 😊
Im pretty impressed at the lay out of the amps wiring harness,Technics took the time to wire the amp beautifully,alot of budget or consumer grade amps wiring looks like spaghetti with wires run for shortest distance,the lay out is gorgeous,it really reminds me of the pair of Mcintosh Mc-300 300 watt amps i have .
Hi Levi, it really is an impressively built amplifier. Thank you for watching 😉
This amplifier is a beast! 2 power transformers, one for each channel! It could certainly drive very demanding speakers, but on the other hand, a nightmare to service! The accessibility of components on the main board is almost impossible. That is one thing I like from non-japanese hi-fi products: the parts are mostly placed on a single motherboard and easily accessible. I'm still using my good old ARCAM A80. This is not the last word in technical refinement but it can drive 2 pairs of 8 Ohm speakers to party level without breaking s sweat. Sadly, we don't hear much about that brand anymore. I would like to know how it compare to more recent models. How much should I invest if I want the same quality today (it was 1700$ in 2004)? Thanks for another great presentation!
Thank you Yves. I recently had it recapped. I am sure it was fun and games for them to get the boards out. I should do a follow up video 😊👍
This is interesting. One of the best amps I ever heard was a Linn Klout. It still sounds better than many amps built today.
エリック, I am not surprised. Good to hear from you.
I am lucky to own one of these. Bought it about 10 years ago for around £100 and it's in good nick and still going strong.
That is great 👍
Great review this one is definitely a great amp !
Thank you T 😊👍
I really enjoyed your review! That Technics amp was a well-built unit. I love ProAc's. I was noticing that there seems to be a fair bit of echo in your room though. Have you ever thought about adding some room treatment or some more soft surfaces? Just a thought. Looking forward to watching some more of your videos.
Hi 66Ferrari, actually the sound quality of that entire video is pretty bad. I had just got a new iPad Pro and didn’t have a USB C mic so was using the internal iPad mic. The room itself isn’t so bad although some treatment would help. I just can’t get away with it from an aesthetic perspective as it is a family space and not a dedicated listening room.
Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for taking the time to comment on it.
Not up to today's power amps.only about 120 watts per channel
Thanks for the review. The Technics is truly a work of art. I’m very surprised that it is so cheap on the used market
Thanks Shahid, there are some real bargains out there if you are careful about what you buy and where you buy it from.
This amp aint cheap today.
Every audiophile should experience the joys of quality vintage Japanese amplification. The venerable Pioneer A-400 being one of many. Currently have a Yamaha AX-496 on the main rig (picked up for under $200 NZD) A remarkably swift amp.
Cool 😎
Hi Tarun - great videos - detailed & informative. Aren't Technics similar to the JVC super-A designs with tiny distortion such as the for- peanuts A-X1 & AX 311 I picked up for 79€ & 49₹ respectively from Ebay & they sound fantastic for the money.
I found an online discussion of the designs which highlight the very low THD for the time & the 311 in particular is very clean & dynamic using the (unfortunately CD only) direct channel. The adjustable super bass (50 hz only) helps the impact also if necessary
I've now grabbed an audiolab 6000a after reading your & many others reviews but appreciate this vintage comparison & inclusion. I intend to recap some of my oldies when I can build up the courage to accept the risk of ruining them. Whilst the 6000a is clearly superior it's a great tool to also allow me to properly judge how well the JVCs & my old Pioneers 656 mk2 , A447 & SA508 did in getting pretty close to that ideal clean & dynamic sound for a very reasonable budget! Plenty of reputable used hifi dealers in Germany from my new home in Portugal.... just as well with Brexit!
Here's the link - you're probably much more au fait with the terms & principles than me. I used to build guitar effects in the 70's from Practical / Everyday electronics plans when discrete were so expensive transistors came with their own sockets! My band & I caught on to the importance of screening when taping a version of Honky Tonk Woman was prefaced with a lovely violin introduction via radio 4 / 3 interference into his cardboard cased (!) fuzz box!! So that's why they have metal cases! Anyway thanks again & all the best Andy
www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/new-class-a-super-a-non-switching-need-a-revival.162559/
Thank you for sharing Andy 👍
Nice review, thank you. I completely agree with the merits of buying second hand. I picked up a Musical Fidelity A308 dual mono integrated to replace my X150. I expected a small improvement but boy was I wrong. It's night and day.
Since then I've replaced the electrolytics with DNMs and Elna Silmic IIs and they're running in beautifully. Total cost for amp and caps, about £1,100. I'd be interested to know how it compares with your amps. Oh, and it makes the Technics and Hegel look a bit puny by weighing in at a shelf bending 23Kg!
Hi Mark, I am not surprised you like them. MF have produced some of my favourite amps over the years. The A1 and the A1000. I remember them fondly in the early days of my audiophile journey but could not afford them at the time.
When I moved to this house in Jan 2001 I put some of my stuff in a cupboard. It's now Aug 2021 and I've just had a sneak peak at that SU-A40 & SE-M100 sitting there all chilled out. Not touched in all that time. I bought them in 1990 or 1991 I'd say. Used a lot then but then got replaced. Glad I didn't just give them away! (Like I did my SL-P999 CD player).
Thank you for sharing 😊
You got more bang for your buck in those day's. Hang on to that Technics their very rare. Nice to see you with some vintage kit!!!!
Thanks Tony. I don’t think it will be going anywhere soon. It is just having a full service and recap 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Did it's performance improve after servicing?
@@ProjectOverseer I haven’t collected it as yet.
Very informative upload. I think it will sound full to its real potential after properly recapped by new audio grade capacitor, fine tuned(biased well) then listen.
Thank you Amit 😊
The "high" frequency digital electronics of the Technics all in their own metal can. Very fancy.
As an upgrade you could consider replacing the old components with their modern equivalent that have tighter tolerances and lower noise.
good honest review, thank you1
Thank you Marco 😊👍
Really enjoyed this video and your others too. Nice to see a realistic approach to hifi which is often a world full of snobbery.
I’m one of those who thought 70’s 80’s and very early 90’s higher-end Technics kit like your amp was and still is great, this is of course before the hifi “crash” and then Technics hifi seemed cheap and commercially churned plastic nonsense by the late 90’s before they disappeared altogether.
I couldn’t help but have a look on the BOE inflation calculator. Think you’ll find your trusty ole Technics amp would be around £2,500 in 2019. Does that make a fair comparison?
Still both new and old amps have their place and both very respectable amps indeed.
Please keep up the great videos. Am really enjoying your channel. 👍🏼
Thank you for watching William and for your generous words of support 👍
Another great video. Subscribed 👍
Thanks Lee, i value your support. New video coming out in the next few days.
Stunning condition
Thank you 😊
Looks amazing ✌️
I am not sure what you are referring to Jason but okay 😉
Fun review! Maybe check out the DAC and comment on its performance, too?
Thank you 😊
Great video. Thanks a lot!
Thank you TCC. 😉
Great video. generally, modern audio gear is better than ever before.
Certainly at the more affordable gear has never been better value 😉
That Technics is Gorgeous!!! What a Gem!!!
Hi Mark, I think it will probably outlast me 😉
I enjoyed this review, thank you. I noticed in the comments you mentioned a pending service and recap, have you noticed a difference in the midrange since then? I would be interested to see a re-visit for this amp - I always loved Technics in the 80'sand 90's - I still have my old Separates in a box somewhere!
Hi Christian, I haven’t got it back as the dealer is still in lockdown. Hopefully, they have been clearing their backlog of repairs and services and I can get it soon after they reopen. If there is an improvement I will post an updated video. Thank you for watching 😊
Hallo Tarun
I recently bought a Hegel h190
for my r7 with rel sub … I found the top end is not coming live , very rolled off . I am happy with mids and especially low end . What could be my possible best solution to get the hifi bliss I am looking for . I don’t listen my music too loud too.. please help
For audio lovers that plan on holding on to their amps longer, it would be interesting to see how the current crop compare against each other. Assuming you love the sound of two amps, what can one look out for to know which would last longer. Service network of the brand aside.
I guess time will tell 😊
Hi,
Love your channel … Could you recommend a decent (used or old) budget amplifier to run a pair of Tannoy Mercury M3 floor standers?
I know it’s way below your standards but my budget dictates my options.
Many thanks …
15:35 Could you post the manufacturer and model of the other older amplifiers, please?
Nice old school amplifier. I like Proac sound, great speakers.
Thank you mystique 😉
Thank you, great review. There are some variables here to be considered. The electrolytic capacitors of Technics most likely need to be replaced after all those years for the amp to work 100% like it did when it was originally bought. I find the non replaceable power cable of the Technics a serious limitation specially for an amp over 100w of power. I know many don't believe in cables but i have found the power cables to be the most influential cables in my system. The dac chips in Technics look like R2R (TDAx Philips perhaps?). If that is the case then we are talking about different technologies used here. The Technics is built like a tank even for today's standards.
Hi Calaf_72, I would much prefer an IEC connection as well but you just don’t seem to find them on equipment of this age. I have the same problem with my Exposure amplifiers. I have made some power cables using Belden and Lapp shielded power cables with Martin Kaiser IEC connectors. This is an effective, inexpensive upgrade which I use with my newer equipment. I did consider chopping the captive mains lead off on my technics and Exposure amps and connecting a female IEC connector but I think the extra connection will probably add as much noise as the shielded power cable will remove. Also, it is the kind of mod that tends to put people off buying the amps if I were to ever sell them.
I would love to know more about the DAC and how the Class AA bridge works between the Class A voltage gain and the Class B current drive stages. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment on the video.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, I agree with Calafs point of view regarding the caps. I have a PM-75 from 97 and I've sent it last year to Marantz for a full recap, the result was a much better body, more humfff... and the excellent Highs that Marantz gave at the Hi End Game.
Hi Filipe, the Technics is at my dealer having a full service, including recaps where required as we speak.
@@abritishaudiophile7314
I constantly for years research vintage gear which is highly difficult through translations of Japanese (and a pain)
The odd thing is when I was researching a Sony N902 Esprit (an exeptional power amp ) A technics power amp scored higher ....
There may be some units in the AA line i underestimated , it's hard to believe
ESPRIT is highly regarded -
902 is pinnacle esprit FET
VFET is holy grail
Solid State , a PS-X9 Sony broadcast table is like 15 grand and is a complimentary 902 component
Hi Jeremy, I would love to hear more about your favourite vintage gear.
I do miss my Technics suv60 amplifier from 1987. It could really kick and being a class AA had very low distortion levels. It had great clarity. Don't know how it would hold up to today's amplifiers. I changed it for a Audiolab 8000a after hearing rave reviews back in the 1990s. I guess my Audiolab is also classed as vintage now. Not sure how it would compare either to today's amps or the Hagel.
Hi Andy, the Audiolab 8000a is a classic amplifier. A close friend of mine had one for many years. Very clean and precise sounding amplifier. Similar to a Hegel H90 in many ways. I haven’t done a direct AB comparison but my general impression is that the Audiolab would stack up very well with the Hegel H90. Hope you are enjoying yours and thank you for sharing 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 that puts my mind at rest. I do enjoy my amplifier. There is always that little voice saying its getting old so time for change. The Hegal is one I would seriously consider, heard it at shows and it is impressive. Thanks👍
Beautiful piece. Tour de force. And it had a DAC built in, too. Nifty. I didn't know of a piece with a built-in DAC made that long ago. Most of the Japanese audio manufacturers offered some high end pieces, and Japan had, and has, high-end targeted brands. I had some of the Sansui Signature pieces. Beautifully made, too. Sounded good. I still have a Yamaha CR820 receiver. I like that monochrome Yamaha aesthetic, though the sonics tends to sound like the unit looks (a bit bleached). I still have my old Pioneer PD-65 Elite CD player. Handsome, made well, nice to use.
There was better then, and there's better now. Audio today is better than ever. The lower and mid priced tiers have gotten so good with revolutionary leaps forward in ever better performance at ever lower prices. The high end is seeming to offer ever decreasing marginal performance.
There are many venerable bits of kit. Some of it could well still stand up against some of today's better gear. Some of it may still be a good value, that is that it sounds good and at a good price. Then, there's the nostalgia thing, which I also can appreciate. And then there's simply admiring gear made to the level of this Technics SE M100. You do know that the SE M100 is wasn't a run-of-the-mill piece then (written with tongue in cheek)? And like so many top-quality things, it's still a nice thing.
Well said Steven. Thank you for sharing 😉👍
So, does this mean, with digital sources the volume control is applied BEFORE the signal is converted to analogue? Than it just goes directly to the power amp with full blast?
It is does within the DSP engine of the DAC chip. Before the analogue stage 😊
Just found this video. Enjoyed it. A question remains in my mind: How does this vantage amp (and other vintage amps) handle the frequent very low actual impedances of modern speakers? My experience with solid state amps of this vintage hasn't been so very good.
Given that all amp outputs are both max voltage and max current limited, too often vintage designs weren't capable of supporting high currents required by low Z speakers near amp rating at reasonable distortion levels. Today's amps are coming around to solving that, to drive speakers that drop well below their 4 Ohm nominal over the audible range. How do they do, when higher SPL's are demanded?
I'm enjoying your pieces. Hope you can continue. BTW, your listening room sounds very, very live.
Thank you for watching Jim. Most modern speakers don’t drop below 3.5 ohms. A solid state amp with a decent power supply should be able to cope with this without a loss in dynamics. This Technics SE M100 has plenty of filter capacitance backed by two large power transformers. I don’t know what the peak current output is but I suspect it is sufficient to drive most modern speakers.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes. I think I have a pair of now unused Pioneers that can bleed out an old 100w/chan Yamaha integrated at just moderate volumes. That is why they're unused. As is the Yamaha.
I tend to think that most vintage solid state amps were really designed to fit 8 ohm speakers. Thus, rail voltage is set to give the power rating at 8 ohms, but at 4 ohms the power supply can't maintain the current, and things get gritty, fast.
I recall one industry amp manufacturer who testifies he's seen less than *half* the nominal impedance in some speaker models, at some frequencies. Of course, that violates the standards' guidelines.
Glad to have you here. I trust your opinions.
Very interesting. Thanks Jim 😉
According to the Bank of England inflation calculator 1000 GBP in 1989 was the equivalent of 2506 GBP in today's money , so the comparison is about even. I never bought much Technics equipment back in the day except for a 3-head cassette deck which was pretty good. Technics was always very clean , maybe a bit thin sounding. Just my 25 cent opinion. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Daniele. The Technics definitely has that V shape presentation 😊
Technics doesn't get enough love. They are still pushing the state of the art. You should look into the SE-R1 one of the earliest examples of the next generation of digital amplifiers that uses Gan-fets or Gallium Nitride Transistors. Reviews have pegged the sound as close to smoothness of tubes without heat issues.
Thank you Gokou Son. I have seen some of the new Technics amplifiers but not heard them. Would love to take them for a spin sometime 😉
Matsushita (aka Technics) made some very impressive audio components. Love the stuff from the early 90ies, consider it as the golden age of HiFi. They had excellent components even in lower tier. How did you hook up the Technics, digital or analog?
Used it both ways, with and without the inbuilt DAC.
However, you can't ignore the 80s when in fact the HI-FI revolution began.
@@kotokoto9472 It was a revolution; A good class AB amplifier can come very close to class A, and depending on the implantation be a hell of a lot better; however, i usually prefer class A amplifiers, and i prefer analogue sources when convenience isn't a factor. They can be expensive but I think they are worth it (sometimes).
I can't comment on class D amplifiers as I've only heard two class D amplifiers, and I was only impressed by one of them (for a sub-woofer).
@@hugodabron3556 I own a Pioneer A-70 amplifier from 2014 built in class D and I can say that it sounds phenomenal compared to a NAD I don't know the model, but it cost 2500 euros at that time and Pioneer knocked it out in tests with two speaker cables from
QED and Audioquest
Might have been a good idea to pair it with its specially designed pre-amp the SU-A40 which really made this heavyweight beast sing.
If I has it I would have 🙂
Do you think tastes in the way old and new hifi presents the music has changed? I have found that combining old and new hifi can produce stellar results. Perhaps you could do a piece on how component matching works. What systems have you heard that sound bad and what piece of equipment was swapped out that made a drastic change for the better?
That would be interesting Simon. Thank you for the suggestion 😊
Presumably two of the four output devices are a different colour because they make a complimentary pair NPN/PNP for push pull.
Thank you Laurie 😊
I have Technics SU-Z1 entry level amp, i bought it because I liked the looks, but it sounds ok totally, you can enjoy music whit this amp, it is not high end, but it will do the job, Technics have some good amplifiers for all money ranges. I'm happy with it.
Great videos Tarun!! Any chance of reviewing the Denon PMA-2500ne?
Thank you Alvin. If I get a chance, sure 😉
Good review, but knowing this Technics is an old amp that you be would be more wise to give it a service check b4 hand and then u could truly understand it's true grace and power .
I await a possible update when u get a chance to do so , thank u.
Hi Athur, the Technics was dropped off for full service last week. It will be interesting to get a before and after comparison when it returns. If the sound changes, I will post an updated review. Thank you for watching and commenting on the video.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi Tarun, thx for reply, take care.
For the areas it was deficient was that in the amplifier or the preamp or DAC? I would use it simply as a power amp only. Even if the refinements need to be made in the power amp, what a set of bones to start with and modernize. Love your channel!
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
Good question,,
Hi Phil, the DAC doesn’t stand up to modern equivalents. The rest of it is essentially a power amp with a potentiometer volume control. That bit stands up very well with modern gear 😊
This is great. I love the fact that someones is doing this vintage against new compare. I must say that I do prefer Technics components. I am sure that Technics gave many new amps run for their money. I do own Technics SU-V900 and am very pleased with its performance. I do know there are many amps, both new and vintage that are better than it but that is not the point. Everyone needs to find what suits them. Oh, you should try Technics SU-MA10. I think that one was the best of that dual mono platform sharing amps. It kinda fixed all the little imperfections SE-M100 and SU-V900 had. Was the best looking too :)
Hi Bojan, thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed reading you comments and checked out both the SU-V900 and the SU-MA10 online. They are some hefty amps. I would love to get more into the vintage Technics stuff. There is a reason they have such a loyal following and now command good second hand prices. Great to know that you are enjoying you SU-V900 and I am looking forward to getting my SE-M100 back from the engineers who are servicing it once lockdown is over. Thank you once again 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the prompt reply. I have posted a few ( amateur ) vids of some Technics stuff i own, feel free to check them out under my account and drop your thoughts in the comments :)
Hi Bojan, I checked out a couple of your videos. Really like your amp and digital tape players. Keep these videos coming 😉
Tarun A British Audiophile thank you. Sure will. Have some more exotic and unique Technics components to film very soon here😎
i would love to hear comparison between hegel vs any vintage amp using the same external DAC...
i personaly have a KENWOOD KA-880D amp (partially restored)... i'd went to a high end audio show and while obviously the hegel are just better amps in all regards, the KENWOOD has the exact same sound presentation with loudness on (the hegel has even more lush in the bass), now this kenwood is a 1000 damping factor controled power beast from the 80's
That would be a cool thing to do 😊👍
Hello, Please advise if these Hegel H590 built in China are any good? I would like to pair a Hegel H590 with a pair of Dali Rubicon 8 speakers? Do you think that these will be compatible? Any thing that you don't like about the Hegel H590? Advantages & Disadvantages of owning a Hegel H590?
Hi Richard, I have only listened to the H590 at shows. Sounded great with Dynaudio Confidence 50s. If you are spending that kind of money, you should really find a dealer to guide you through. Thank you for watching 😉
Nice comparison . According to an inflation calculator 1000 pounds in 1989 is equivalent to 2,201.61 pounds in 2020 .
Thanks Lance. That is really useful to know, I should have used that before posting the video. I think that pure inflation has to be balanced against improvements in technology and refinement in processes. That is what brings me back to £1,500 for the Technics SE M100 when I compare it to what else is out there today. Purely subjective, of course.
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment on the video.
I'm in Arizona, and I'm always looking on Facebook Marketplace at these older receivers. I want to buy them all. They have beautiful older Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha, Kennwood, ect. and they are all in the 50-300 dollar range. They look so nice, but I am worried about the parts and repair on them. I'm not good with working on anything. But, still I want everything.
Hi Jeff, it is worth tracking down someone who really knows what he/she (let’s face it, more likely to be a he) is doing when it comes to servicing an amplifier. Ask them to send you photos of stuff the have worked on if you can’t go and visit them in person and see how they work. These guys are worth their weight in gold and worth posting your equipment to if they are not local as long as you have checked out the quality of their work. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Sansui luxman Pioneer should be your first choice if available
Love this review. I have an old Technics SU 800 which I can't seem to get rid of because it was my first delve into proper HiFi. I paid £25 for and now after seeing this video I might just get it out of the shed and hook it up to my system to see how it compares to my Quinpu amp. Thanks for sharing. :-)
Hi steve, definitely worth a try. You could always build a second system around that amp? Thank you for watching and sharing.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 The one problem I have is the speaker jacks aren't compatible with the terminals at the back of the amp as they are those stupid twisty terminals that you push bare wires into lol!
You pointed out the Technics BJT transistors. Hegel uses FET . . . accounts for the difference in sound.
Thank you Leonard😉
Hello and thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I'm looking for speakers to use with the Technics SE M100 amplifier, i wonder if Q Acoustics 3030i would be a decent option for a small room listening experience, and if the two can be put together technically speaking. I´m new to Hifi sound trying to learn. Will appreciate so much your help, thanks.
Hi Javier, I haven’t heard the 3030i but Q Acoustics make some good speakers. The SE M100 will drive them with no problem. In fact, I am sure it can drive almost any speaker as it is a power house. The sonic signature of the Technics is a classic V presentation with the emphasis on the bass and treble. I can say how it will sonically match the 3030is as I haven’t heard this combo. All I can suggest is to try for yourself and make sure you can return the speakers if you don’t like how they match to your amplifier. Thank you for watching 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thank you so much for your advice. it seems to be a good choice and i love the look of that speakers i will try them myself. :)
Are there many different routes in the design of an amp to get to the same goal, or are there only one set of correct things in design which work and the best amps have many or all of them?
Hi Coneman3, there are many different ways to design an amplifier. For example, different ways of biasing transistors (Class A, Class AB, Class D) etc. Different ways to build power supplies (linear or switch mode). Solid state amplifiers (i.e. not valve amps) essentially have 3 stages, preamplifier (input switching and volume control), voltage gain (1st part of the power amp) and current gain (2nd part of the power amp that drives the speakers). Stick with designers/companies that have a good reputation and you won’t go too far wrong 😉
Thanks. I have MF A308CR pre and 2 powers and Myryad MI 120 & MA120 (2 systems). I love hi-if so much can’t bear to sell any 😃
Interesting. I dragged my Bob Carver C-500 Power Amplifier for 40 years without using it...I just this week resurrected it after a considerable amount of research and phone calls to reputable resources. I bought a Schiit Freya + (in obscure black) to steer my ancient beast (250wpc into 8 ohms 😮). I did not need to replace the capacitors, so far. This Techniques amp that you have seems more impressively built, I have to say. Although, mine is just a stereo power amp. Actually, I do not have enough experience to know how good the sound quality is...and thanks to the Freya and its tubes/solid-state choices, I get a nicely distinctive set of sound choices. This combo DEFINITELY has more punch than my Marantz SR6015 in stereo mode, but I will have to listen more carefully, but cannot do any more listening just now as I made a really dumb error and blew a fuse in the Caver which I cannot source locally and have to wait on mail order. It appears that Bob Carver's protection circuitry safely protected my $5K speakers from my boner, amatuer mistake!!!😥
I have been there myself. Blew up am Arcam A75 whilst trying to bi amp. Needed a new main board. Thanks for sharing Bob 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 What did you do? Wire it incorrectly?
Yes Turan...I had all new gear that I was slowly getting involved with...and I sat down for a listening session...when the Freya + preamp's tubes are warming up it is shut down (no volume engaged)...I ran the volume up with the remote thinking that I was in solid state mode (no warm up time needed) and right at that moment when I mistakenly maxed-out the volume, the tubes were ready-for-use and turned on the volume!!! All 400watts into 4ohms attempted to blast forward into my brand new Dynaudio Contour 20s from the Carver Amp! I think that Carver built in some protection circuitry...and that, and the fuse saved me. I had to crawl down from up on back of the couch from what sound blast there was. My speakers appear to be fine....I think a full power surge was averted....but I was sick that I had ruined them in the moment!!! I won't know for sure until I get the fuse in 5days if that is the only damage there is. It was such an easy mistake to have made.
@@bobb.9917 ouch! As you say easily done. I was trying to be clever and biamp using a massive Bryston power amp. I didn’t turn it off and shorted the terminals. The Bryston’s overload circuit protected it but overwhelmed the Arcam with a current surge. Live and learn 😢
Hi Tarun, great video as ever. Very interested in your views on vintage amps. I have had a LuxmanL309 at the heart of my setup for over thirty years. During that time my audio journey has been from analog to digital. This year purchased a chord qutest and auralic aries g2.1 which are sensational. The Luxman is in repair and it’s proving hard to get caps. I’m considering buying a Pioneer A91D for €1.5k from my hifi dealer or splashing out on a new amp for €5k or more. Any thoughts? I really value your opinion!
Thank you for for sharing. It depends on the speaker s you are using but the Aries G2.1/Qutest should be a very good front end. Shame you are struggling to get the Luxman recapped 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 thanks for the reply Tarun. I forgot to mention the speakers are Ohm Walsh tall 1000s. Re luxman it's been with my dealer for a year, they cannot seem to locate luxman caps. Apparently there's a shortage. A friend of mine is having a similar problem servicing his Naim amp.
Hi Tarun, just to say thank you again for the advice re: amp. The Luxman eventually came back and it’s sensational.
Only one issue: I’m still finding the system a bit bright and fatiguing though and looking at upgrading the DAC as a perceived weakest link. I suspect my age is showing here and I would like a more mature sound so looking closely at R ladder DACS you have reviewed like the Holo etc. (I just reposted your holo spring 3 review into the Auralic community site where there is a big discussion of DACS for the Aries source).
What would you recommend?
Thanks again and love the channel!
Larry
Can you do a rewiew of the NAD M3 duel mono?
Hi normik84, I am not familiar with that model?
Now this is my kind of video! Although, that Technics unit isn't nearly old enough to be considered a true "vintage" amplifier. If I lived in the UK I could loan you some repaired real vintage units to test against the more modern stuff - the freight from Australia would be hell though. :-) Glad to see the Technics stood up well - they certainly have really tight low end, one of their best features. To be fair, it's a product of it's time. That was the fashion in audio when it was built. Like others in the comments I am wondering if the re-cap has altered it's capability any? Higher value caps than standard can give an amp more headroom, but there can sometimes be a downside too. I wonder if that's what was done?
Cheers
Hi woopimagpie (love your name), you are absolutely right, maybe classic would have been a more appropriate name than vintage. It a shame you are not in the UK, I would have loved to have tried out some genuine vintage gear. The Technics is in the shop currently being recapped. Hope to get it back soon when things reopen. If the recap makes a significant difference, I will do another video on it.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My username is a combination of the nickname of the town where I live (Woolgoolga, gets shortened to "Woopi", there is another town not far from here called Wooli, pronounced Wool-Eye, so Woopi it is for our town), and of course the bird "magpie". That comes about firstly because I was a Wildlife Information and Rescue Service volunteer for many years, and specialised in Australian Magpies and other corvids (crows, ravens, currawongs, butcherbirds, and wood-swallows) and secondly because it's the name of my shop, which is called Magpie Books. My real name is Andy.
I look forward to finding out if the re-cap on the Technics makes any audible difference. It looks like we're in for a wet weekend here so I might do a bit of re-capping myself. There's a Sansui, a Pioneer, and a NAD all awaiting some attention in my workshop currently.... hours of fun.
Cheers
Hi Andy, looks like you have made the most of the wonderful outdoors in Aus. Thank you for sharing 😉
Does it have a digital out? Be interesting to hear it with a modern day dac.
It has analogue inputs so you can connect an external Dac to it 😉
I have four Amps. Pioneer A 616, Pioneer A447, Yamaha RX 797 and a Mini JVC UX - P5R. With the same speakers on "flat" all of them sound exactly the same. How do you hear differences between amps?
I don’t know what to tell you Jorg, those 4 amplifiers should not sound the same. What speakers where you using?
@@abritishaudiophile7314 In the moment the Canton Fonum 200. Uncritical speakers. An believe me, I tested it. If I swap the amps, there is no change in the sound. If they play in flat mode and without activated loudness. Even the small amp in the jvc compact system sounds like the bigger amps. If it's playing not too loud.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 An Amplifyer shouldn't sound. It only should amplify a signal to make it strong enough for driving speakers, not more. If it "sounds", it doesn't do what it is supposed to do.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Why should they not sound the same?
I'd be interested to hear if a replacement of the capacitors did anything if at all
Hi OB Zen, it is at the engineers being serviced and recapped before lockdown. Once things open again, I would love to get it back and find out. If there is a noticeable improvement I will do a follow up video. Thank you for watching 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Ah yes, the Great Disruptor. I like your 'sensible engineer' approach to audio. Just dipping my toes in real audio (IotaVX combo, 'good enough' hifi). Stay safe!
Hi 0B ZEN, a well engineered amps. I hope you enjoy them 👍
AB design have changed much the last two decades. The major problem with AB design is crossover distortion which makes harmonics which are not pleasant to listen to. Some fix this by having high bias current and others like Hegel solves this by having a distortion filter built into the topology.
I have this same amp with the matching preamp. I really like the amp, but I have a bit mixed feelings about the preamp. The amp is very simple no nonsense design, but the preamp has just about every feature possible in an analog preamp.
The digital direct drive works so, that the output voltage to the speakers is the same as the output voltage of the dac, meaning that the amplification in the power amp is 0 dB.
I've had my amp over five years and the preamp a bit less. I've had to fix the input terminals, as they broke off the pcb. They are very poorly supported. Ive also had to fix a few broken solders on the main pcb, but I'd consider that normal on equipment this old. The amp hasn't been recapped, but in the future I'll probably take it to a full service.
Very interesting Tuomas. Thank you for sharing 😉
Hey Tarun , what are the key differences between new amplifiers from 2019 and vintage from 1970-1980’s.
Hi Atri, you would have to look at each design on its individual merits. Generally advances in technology have resulted in better precision in the components (resistors, capacitors and inductors), better fabrication processes in integrated circuits and much more accessible and precise ways to test and measure equipment 😉
Cheers Tarun , point noted
I'll take the vintage Technics! Hegel is over priced and over hyped. Just my opinion. Enjoy your videos. Keep the love of the hobby alive!
Thank you suzigti92. I appreciate your support 😊
I agree Hegel is over priced. Hegel don't have own factory. Hegel is using third party factory in China.
@@82ivaylo But outsourcing is our greatest strength! :)
Why Hegel is overpriced while its one of the best in the price class? Its also better than Devialet who cost much more than H160 but stuck with 24/192khz DAC. Overhype? Dont think so, until you actually try it yourself, then I have to agree to disagree!
Thanks for this review. I'm currently in the market for an H160 so find it interesting if there are other amps that can give it a run for the money. if I may ask you, what does the Home Theatre input on the H160 allow you to do? Does it bypass its internal pre-amp and go straight to its amplification section?
Hi Hooman, you are essentially right. The HT input still technically goes through the preamp circuit but with the volume fixed to maximum output. If you connect an AV receiver it will mean that you can use the volume control on the receiver to control the volume instead of having to mess with two volume controls. The HT input on the Hegel can also be reset to a traditional line level input if you need two analogue inputs.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks very much for that explanation.. It may sound crazy but I've been fantasizing about what a Schitt Freya tube preamp into an H160 would sound like.
Hi Hooman, yeh... that would be an inefficient use of funds. A significant amount of the cost of the H160 goes into the Dac and Soundengine technology. Connecting the Freya to the HT input would mean that you are adding unnecessary, extra stages of amplification whilst trying to effectively use the H160 as a power amp. You would be much better served by spending your money on a dedicated power amp or mono blocks. Look for the Hegel H20 if you want that type of sound, it will comfortably outperform the H160 and I would imagine the H390 too.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I agree with you 100%. The reason I asked is because I want the integrated to begin with but down the line I want to experiment with tube pre into a hegel power but the H20 is out of my price bracket at the moment. Plus I'd like to experiment with an H160 then decide if the sonics warrent an H20 route.. all speculations at the moment because who knows what the fuure holds.. just wanted to know if electrically, it was possible to do this experiment. The H160 is the only integrated in its range that has a Home Theatre input.. which is why I"m curious about it.. I used to have the H80.
Hi Hooman, sounds like a good plan. I have demoed the H90 at home and the H160 is definitely better. Similar fast, clean, analytical sound but with more scale and authority. You could also consider a tube buffer like the ifi iTube2 to add a little richness as an alternative to the Freya.
They were also tuned to be more tube like less technical.
Looks alot lile my su-ma10. :) i totally enjoy mine with my rx50 speakers
Hi GRAA, thank you for watching
Would upgrading to newer and better components make a big difference to the sound of this amp?
Hi Coneman3, I am not sure what you mean, are you referring to my Technics or your amplifier?
Your criticisms of the sound of the technics amp. Could those problems be minimised by using better capacities etc or is the sound of the amp basically fixed?
I have this technics m100-a40 marching pre amp I’m selling it’s UK BASED ONLY .. just wondering how much it’s worth !
Hi Brian, I am not sure as the used market can be volatile. I would stick it on eBay with a reserve you are happy with or contact 2nd Hand Hifi.
2ndhandhifi.co.uk
Hi man may i ask how do u keep your vintage gear in good condition
I have had it serviced my Wilkinson Hifi in Lancashire, England 😊👍
I have a SU-MA10 25kg, I think it’s the better and bigger version of this. You can do a video on it if you like
Wow, that is some amp. Thank you for the offer. I am just nervous about having viewers gear sent to me. There is always a chance of it getting damaged in transit or when I am moving it around. Much appreciated though 😊👍
Tarun or anyone else... Any idea how this compares to an Arcam A39
I haven’t done a direct AB but the Arcam is a lot warmer sounding than my Technics SE M100 😊
Technics was middle of the road kit. Sansui was on top for some years and may be better comparison. Also, need to integrate current dac.
Thank you Tony 😉
Totally agree,Sansui were and still are regarded as probably the best sounding of all the Japanese makes, still using mine today and have tried dozens of amplifiers over the years vintage and modern, nothing gets close...
Smart room...new subscriber here..cheers
Thank you 78 Sound for watching and supporting this channel. It is very much appreciated.
Can you REVIEW the BRITISH SUPPLIED AG1500S Power Regenerator 600 pounds compared to PS Audio
Thank you for the heads up 😊