Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!
What about the Marantz PM6003?
It's a modern classic which pushed the performance barrier for a budget amp and it is capable of sounding quite stunning with budget partners and more expensive kit alike. I also suspect it has got a huge number of new hi-fi users on the road to audio nirvana.
So it could be a Top 10 budget amps list without any of the 5 star award winning Marantz? 
Were MF ever classed as Budget?
What about the Marantz PM6003?
It's a modern classic which pushed the performance barrier for a budget amp and it is capable of sounding quite stunning with budget partners and more expensive kit alike. I also suspect it has got a huge number of new hi-fi users on the road to audio nirvana.
A worthy addition to the list!
A worthy addition to the list!
..and then there were Ten; unless of course, the list is dismantled, due to certain models not meeting the budget criteria. 
A worthy addition to the list!
..and then there were Ten; unless of course, the list is dismantled, due to certain models not meeting the budget criteria.
Audiolab removed...... apparently over budget.
For sure; £500 in its day. It only dropped in price in relatively recent years and definitely once the brand went to the IAG stable.
[Edit] Actually launched in 1983 but reported by Gramophone in their Feb 1984 issue.
It appears the Audiolab is off the list because of cost..... so now two spaces need to be filled.!,
I suppose it brings up the interesting argument of what constitutes a budget amp.
The Hifi Mag I have from 1987, describes the Nait as "the king of budget amps", and it was £241.50.
At that time the A1 was £209 and the Cyrus 11 and 8000A were both £299. They were all seen as in the same" ball park" soundwise.
For sure; £500 in its day. It only dropped in price in relatively recent years and definitely once the brand went to the IAG stable.
[Edit] Actually launched in 1983 but reported by Gramophone in their Feb 1984 issue.
It appears the Audiolab is off the list because of cost..... so now two spaces need to be filled.!,
I suppose it brings up the interesting argument of what constitutes a budget amp.
The Hifi Mag I have from 1987, describes the Nait as "the king of budget amps", and it was £241.50.
At that time the A1 was £209 and the Cyrus 11 and 8000A were both £299. They were all seen as in the same" ball park" soundwise.
As per a previous post, £250 was about 2.5 times the average weekly wage in 1984.
If £600 is the average weekly today then are we saying £1500 amps are budget, only perhaps to footballers and bankers me thinks.
If my theory is incorrect someone say so and why,
It appears the Audiolab is off the list because of cost..... so now two spaces need to be filled.!,
I suppose it brings up the interesting argument of what constitutes a budget amp.
The Hifi Mag I have from 1987, describes the Nait as "the king of budget amps", and it was £241.50.
At that time the A1 was £209 and the Cyrus 11 and 8000A were both £299. They were all seen as in the same" ball park" soundwise.
For sure; £500 in its day. It only dropped in price in relatively recent years and definitely once the brand went to the IAG stable.
[Edit] Actually launched in 1983 but reported by Gramophone in their Feb 1984 issue.
Oops! Well, it went up to £500 then...a bit later!
It appears the Audiolab is off the list because of cost..... so now two spaces need to be filled.!,