HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

What amps from the 80's did you think were good sounding amps?

They are the same as now just case variations, everything in them is underspecced so you don't get the service / upgrade daft rip-off nonsense, they are good to go for years and if anything does fail we look after them. The amp circuit hasn't changed apart from PC board relay for mechanised production, which has not changed the music / sound. So buy with confidence at what ever level you want. They are all good.

Im not referring to NVA but amps from the era in general

I can't comment on other makers, it would be unfair. Just avoid Linn and Naim. All the others who were put out of business by the industry control Linn and Naim applied made pretty good efforts.

Yeh there was a lot of Great Audio products that should have made it..

I heard some lovely amps in the 80s yet was still somehow brainwashed by the Linn/Naim bullshit. However let's not get sidetracked by that.

I had a Musical Fidelity A1 which wasn't that bad but it kept blowing up until I replaced the volume control with a huge dual pot out of a guitar amp. Being from a guitar amp, the pot was able to handle the heat.
I bought the pot for £1 from the sevice guy at Electro Music in Doncaster; a pro sound dealer.
I knew him via a BT colleague, who played drums in a local covers band. Eventually I sold the A1 to an exchange mainenance tech officer in 1990. He loved it with his Castle Conway speakers.

The best amps I heard in the 80s were a pair of Crimson Elektrik monos, a Myst TMA3 and an Audio Vois. Excellent all three of them, yet where are they now? I think Crimson are still going, but Myst and Audio Vois?

Ah yes the good old MF A1. I had one too and really liked it at the time, never had any issues with mine - handy for keeping your chinese warm too.

Skipton 'Castle Acoustics' were my fav speaker company. ive owned every single model they made with exception to the 'Chesters'..i used to go up and collect them from the factory.. My fave was the big cubed 'Howard Mk1.