KanedaK Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Thought I would post something about my amplifier. I said it again and again and i'll say it more: in ten years of owning Klipsch (LaScalas), my old Technics SE-A5 is the one that makes them sing the best so far. It's sweet, transparent, fast, dynamic, and sound as good at 0,001watt as at full blast (120W/8ohms). It's totally free of nasty SS "graininess" or harshness, images beautifully, and will blow your walls down if you're being over-enthousiastic with the volume control. Looks totally cool, weighs almost 40pounds, and when Technics introduced it it compared very well against more esoteric brands such as mark levinson (I still have some reviews from the time, that's what got me interested in the first place). The nicest thing it's true high end for a very, very reasonable price. I would highly recommend it to anybody who's looking for a good amp on a budget. Many people see "technics" and "eighties" (it's been introduced in 1981) and think of it as another brutish, harsh, unrefined japanese SS monster but it's all the contrary. A very refined piece of kit but if you feed it trough a mediocre preamp it will let you know immediately... it won't beat a SET amp but if you're in the market for something such as McIntosh or Accuphase but don't have any hope to find the cash, i'm not afraid to say this amp (and it's bigger brother Se-A3) bring you IMHO dangerously close at a fraction of the price. Interesting enough, the top of the line Technics at that same period included some monster horn-loaded spakers with 18inch woofers (SB 10000) so there might be some synergy there.(big SS amps designed to sound good on horns?) see the link: http://www.freewebs.com/mondaca/ I paid 1,140 USD for mine in mint condition, obviously not cheap for a 30years old amp but i've seen some going for much less on Ebay. And i see a lot of stuff selling for much higher prices because of the name only... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennie Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 It is great to hear (read) your passion for your fine amp! It is a beauty! [Y] Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us and a Big Hello from America! Dennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninshine Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I think it's a great looking unit! I love the big meters[Y] ......I also like how its about the same age as I am and it's still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted May 19, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 19, 2011 That looks cool, the old stuff works great, never seen one like that before. I like how one watt is straight up, with some amps used with klipsch you would never see the meter move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanedaK Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 That looks cool, the old stuff works great, never seen one like that before. I like how one watt is straight up, with some amps used with klipsch you would never see the meter move. Yup, those meters are great. Intimate late night listening shows to be around 0,001watt average (0,01watt is already too loud at night if my upstairs neighbour is there -i live in an apartment); 1 watt is friends-gathering-party loud; when I occasionnaly hit 10 watts the house is shaking. That said, i feel the reason why it still sounds pure and clean at 10 watts is because there's 120watts available. It also helps moving those 4ohms 15inch woofers. The main thing with klipsch is to find an amp that sounds clean and balanced when used between 0,01watt and 1watt, and they're not so common. That's why a lot of amps that sound very good on conventional speakers sound harsh and grainy on Klipsch or other horn speakers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Very nice!! It also has an "aesthetic" appeal. Sort of an "understatement of pure class". [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Excellent report and a very cool piece of gear. It's this type of information, detailed and accurate reporting, that makes this place so rewarding. Thanks for sharing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 It is a beauty! x2 [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danzo Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Panasonic is serious firma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 I had a Technics receiver back in the 80s that had distortion figures an order of magnitude lower than most other stuff available at that time. (.005 vs .05) Drove my kg-4s for over a decade of daily use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 http://www.vintagetechnics.info/controlpower.htm vintage technics specs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Thought I would post something about my amplifier. I said it again and again and i'll say it more: in ten years of owning Klipsch (LaScalas), my old Technics SE-A5 is the one that makes them sing the best so far. It's sweet, transparent, fast, dynamic, and sound as good at 0,001watt as at full blast (120W/8ohms). It's totally free of nasty SS "graininess" or harshness, images beautifully, and will blow your walls down if you're being over-enthousiastic with the volume control. Looks totally cool, weighs almost 40pounds, and when Technics introduced it it compared very well against more esoteric brands such as mark levinson (I still have some reviews from the time, that's what got me interested in the first place). The nicest thing it's true high end for a very, very reasonable price. I would highly recommend it to anybody who's looking for a good amp on a budget. Many people see "technics" and "eighties" (it's been introduced in 1981) and think of it as another brutish, harsh, unrefined japanese SS monster but it's all the contrary. A very refined piece of kit but if you feed it trough a mediocre preamp it will let you know immediately... it won't beat a SET amp but if you're in the market for something such as McIntosh or Accuphase but don't have any hope to find the cash, i'm not afraid to say this amp (and it's bigger brother Se-A3) bring you IMHO dangerously close at a fraction of the price. Interesting enough, the top of the line Technics at that same period included some monster horn-loaded spakers with 18inch woofers (SB 10000) so there might be some synergy there.(big SS amps designed to sound good on horns?) see the link: http://www.freewebs.com/mondaca/ I paid 1,140 USD for mine in mint condition, obviously not cheap for a 30years old amp but i've seen some going for much less on Ebay. And i see a lot of stuff selling for much higher prices because of the name only... Looks Great. I hope one of mine sound as good as you describe yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.