Top 10 Vintage Amplifiers That STILL Beat Modern Gear (2026)

Comments · 27

• TY

  @tyronejohnson6482 · 4 months ago (edited)

  I had the Fisher 500c with a Dual 1215 TT and Martin Labs MkII (NJ) acoustic susp spkrs. The music was outstanding, and with bass to the pits of hell. All listeners - to this day still remark about that system.

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• TY

  @tyronejohnson6482 · 4 months ago

  You've left a lot unpack in this gorgeously done, and visually appealing video. Great job!

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• TY

  @tyronejohnson6482 · 4 months ago

  Dear BT Hifi, you highlighted the Threshold  800-A. Please know that some of the original Threshold design team is still with us, in the form of Coda (California) high end amplifiers. They are crushingly powerful, and good looking in a variety of models. I have two SS amps from the 80's and 90's. Soon, my next  updated amp will be a Coda. Thanks, and Cheers!

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• RO

  @robertmceuen3630 · 4 months ago

  Marantz 1200B. Solid, good looking & powerful. Deserves at least a peek.

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• TY

  @tyronejohnson6482 · 4 months ago

  Dear BT HIFI, obviously you can not mention all of the great vintage hifi amplifies. But, for the record,  the Hafler 9505 by David Hafler, is a classic powerhouse, along with the Acoustat TNT-200 power amplifier are not to be forgotten.

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• KA

  @kartinosurodipo4520 · 4 months ago

  I have Sansui AU5500. Still singing beauty. It sounds not best but it has its own signature. Built like tank.

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• AL

  @allevi5158 · 4 months ago

  In the 70s Nordstroms built their flagship store in downtown Portland OR-<br>They furnished it with a hifi system built using Phase Linear &nbsp;- <br>On my lunch breaks I would head straight to it and drool

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• เฮ

  @เฮอร์เบิร์ตลําธาร · 3 months ago

  STUDER und Nakamichi sind und bleiben unerreicht in der Bandtechnik, Marantz und Pioneer bei Amps, DUAL bei Plattenspielern

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• MA

  @matthewduncan9606 · 4 months ago

  i guess we are leaving bryston off the list as well? &nbsp;i use a 4b to power my puppies and a threshold 7.0 to power my watt 3s oh lest i forget my audio research ls15 preamp the company that helped keep tubes alive along with conrod Johnson....

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• RO

  @rogerthomas9017 · 1 month ago

  Maybe you think they beat modern gear - I don&apos;t.

• RO

  @roger-k4s3s · 4 months ago

  You open up every one of those Vintage pieces of equipment and take a Close look at the Tolerances of the<br>Resistors, Capacitors etc.<br><br>At Best, they&apos;re just at &nbsp;+/- 10%. <br>That&apos;s all. <br>Cost of manufacturing them, dictated the Bottom Line.<br>$$$ - Full Stop.<br>So, they took a knee to the Bean Counters and upper MGT.<br>And the Price You have to Pay for less than Top Tier components, isn&apos;t worth the price.<br>Especially after 40-60 yrs later. Those components will and &nbsp;are out of spec. And, the Performance will be<br>less than what you&apos;d expect. <br>Sub-standard.<br><br>Don&apos;t get me wrong, I Love the Vintage Gear.<br>But, you&apos;d better understand that it&apos;s not like it&apos;s Brand New Stock.<br><br>You Up Grade with today&apos;s Resistors, Capcitors etc<br>I&apos;m talking +/- 2%,. and those Vintage Gear will out perform what&apos;s out there<br>in today&apos;s so called Top Tier Equipment...

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• TO

  @tonygower7380 · 4 months ago

  Your early statement regarding being built to a price point, everything is built, manufactured, designed to a price point! Early hifi, as with lots of products, were cluttered,ugly, ineffecient and &nbsp;often poorly designed with many flaws. Just look at all the knobs, switches, dial, meters and lights absolutely horrific and serve no real purpose especially those hideous v u meters!

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