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Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

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moon
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The time has come for the top ten budget amplifiers list.

Under £300

any era

any type.

nominations here.............. Will NAD make the list?

read this

 

 

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Lost Angeles
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

Audiolab 8000A £299 in 1986. rockin out

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SteveD
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

For me the Marantz PM44SE has to feature somewhere in this top ten.  £250 new in early 90's and excellent amplifier in its time.

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plastic penguin
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

Pioneer SA-706, retailed around £170 in 1976 when first produced, which takes closer to the midrange sector. Cracking amp.

 

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moon
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

plastic penguin wrote:

Pioneer SA-706, retailed around £170 in 1976 when first produced, which takes closer to the midrange sector. Cracking amp.

 

ooo.....shiny

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John Duncan
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

moon wrote:

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

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David@FrankHarvey
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

Definitely 8000A, but how about the original Naim Nait? That must've been just under £300...hopefully Smile

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moon
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

ok Audiolab 8000a makes the list.

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Nad_fanatic
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

For me it has to be the NAD C320BEE...

 

I had one up until a few years back and it was absolutely superb; even better than my Dads Musical Fidelity XA-1 I thought...

 

Only sold it as I bought a 2nd hand Arcam Alpha 9 and it's matching power amp and then sold them to get a Marantz CR603...

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tonky
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

I bought an A and R Cambridge A30 amp for 139£ in 1977 approx. It used to do really well in blind listening tests. It had a beautiful euphonic sound. It was THE amp to buy in its price range at that time

I heard the NAD 3020A - a good amp - but not as good as the A30.

The Pioneer A400 is another class act. I still have the A30 and A400 but use a CA 840A V2

cheers Tonky

plastic penguin
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

John Duncan wrote:

moon wrote:

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

Oooo you shouldn't replicate other people's style, s'okay? hehehaha

BTW, rather than put in well known makes how about lesser known amps.

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moon
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

plastic penguin wrote:

John Duncan wrote:

moon wrote:

ooo.....shiny

"rights of the copyright holder acknowledged and trampled underfoot"

Oooo you shouldn't replicate other people's style, s'okay? hehehaha

BTW, rather than put in well known makes how about lesser known amps.

any amp is welcome...... I think the NAD 320 might make it, also the A400....

we shall see.

What about the Denon PMA 250. ........ bucket loads sold!

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grimmers
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

marantz pm 7200. rockin out

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chebby
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

Number one on this list has to be the original NAD 3020. (My first one cost about £70).

It was a revolutionary product and NAD sold 1.1 million of them. (Far more if you include subsequent variants.)

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Dr Lodge
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

Musical Fidelity A1 Amp.

I bought the A100 in 1990 for £500, I think the A1 was £300, pretty much the same amp just less power (30W compared to 50W IIRC).

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plastic penguin
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RE: Top Ten Budget amplifiers of all time!

chebby wrote:

Number one on this list has to be the original NAD 3020. (My first one cost about £70).

It was a revolutionary product and NAD sold 1.1 million of them. (Far more if you include subsequent variants.)

"...revolutionary product..."

In what sense?

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