I had a had the SE-A1 & SU-A2 back in the day. At the time it cost and arm and a leg, but it was worth every penny. A house purchase eventually necessitated their sale. To this day I mourn their passing, really astonishing kit, I am green with envy!
One of those all time classics, sounds so good but it's the build as well, the feel you have a piece of very special equipment that is so well made and looks like a piece of art, I love them.
Love these old hifi systems! I still have my parents Technics stack which was bought in the 80’s. Planning on restoring it soon and reliving those memories!
Very inspirational, I grew up looking at my mom's stack, based around the GX303. Now I have one of those in the garage, a 505 running my main rig, and I just got a 710 to replace it (thinking of putting the 505 by my bed). None of those are even remotely in the same league as your A1, but hey, I'm 23 and broke as hell. Someday...but for now, at least I can live vicariously through yours.
Toby, my friend, is an excellent system, SE-A1 course monster! I'll look for you decent speakers, though of course SB-G500 is very good too. Maybe I'll get lucky and I find SU-A2, then help you create an incredible couple of) All the best buddy!
Awesome components, as you would expect from the higher (to highest) ended Technics product range! I am looking forward to that massive upgrade (SB-8000 and SU-A6)! The SU-A2 is of course over the top, but even the SU-A6 is a very nice preamp. I recently acquired an SU-A4 and restored it; have to upload a new video as well.
Thanks, yes I'll try and upload a video this holiday with time off. The SB-8000's are simply awesome and of course their looks and build quality are stunning. The sound is just so clear and precise, the SU-A6 works very well but I'd like to compare it to an SU-A4, I don't know which one would be the better? My SU-A6 has been restored, new capacitors etc...very pleased with it.
Toby Carter The SB-8000 have been used by Matsushita for official presentations of the SE-A1 and SU-A2. I particularly love the TH800 leaf tweeter (my SB-10 have the TH400 in them). The SU-A4 is presumably the higher ended preamp compared to the A6. It also has massively more circuitry going on inside. However, also the A6 has usually been regarded as a very high end unit. Plus, it does seem to be a lot more "indulgent" when it comes to stability. I had my SU-A4 recapped as well, but it soon after started to produce loud crackling noises (reason was one puny faulty transistor). I hope it will do better now. Still looking for a power amp though. I will never have the chance to acquire a SE-A1 (although I know some people who have over six together). I will pick an A3, A3MK2 or an A5 instead.
I want to try and add a SU-A4 to my collection...I'll keep a look out for one to see how they compare. Yes those tweeters on the SB-8000's are a work of art, the sound is beautiful so I understand why they used them with the SE-A1/2, I wonder how they compare to the SB-10000? Be interesting to hear the difference. I may have another SE-A1 that doesn't work coming to me but that is still very much undecided, I hope so as I've spent a lot of time trying to understand their incredible complexity having repaired one of the channels on mine. If you are looking for an amp then go for the SE-A3MK2, the SE-A3 unless upgraded transistor wise had problems with its DLPT devices as they were under spec'd.
The very pinnacle of 70s high-fi, no amplifier is as precisely well built with as incredible of execution as the SE-A1 and it's matching SU-A2 pre-amplifier. At 2.6 million yen for the pair (give or take about $12,000 US at the time), it was an average salaryman's annual salary for two years back then in Japan. Consequently, they never sold many, only between 100 and 200 of each were ever built before Panasonic built their last one in sometime in the early 80s. too bad you don't have the matching SU-A2 and the matching SB-10000 speakers. A pair of SB-10000 speakers were up for sale on yahoo...sold for 800,000 yen. Expect an SU-A2 to go for north of 1mil yen (about $8800 US), even that A1 probably would go for 800k-1m if it ever came up for sale (they don't, or only once every several years at most).
+aegisofhonor I'm still looking for the SU-A2 but for now I've added an SU-A4 to the system which is as close as I can get to an A2 for now. The speakers are now SB-8000's which are equally rare, I think to be honest I prefer them to the 10,000's but in looks alone as I've never heard a pair of 10,000's, the 8000's do sound incredibly good with their leaf tweeters and I'm led to believe Technics used them in their seminars? There aren't many around though and there is little to no mention of them on the net or Technics catalogues. There is an A1 for sale for about 12,000 euros but it's been 'painted' in a gold colour!
+Toby Carter SU-A4 is still a very nice pre-amp and for the most part will function about the same since it's nearly impossible to utilize the benefits of what the A2 has to offer (unless you have a Pioneer Exclusive P3a turn table). From all the research I have done on it, not a single A2 has gone for sale publicly in at least the last decade and I can only confirm the existence of maybe 2 or 3 that people have confirmed as owning an SU-A2 i the entire world.. I read something a while back that there was about a dozen SU-A2s were found in an old Soviet era army warehouse along with a ton of other high-end Japenese made Hi-fi equipment some 20 years ago though the whereabouts of those A2s are today unknown.
Yes the SU-A4 is a beautiful sounding preamp, not to be confused with the MK2 version which is designed completely differently and certainly not of class A topology like the A4. There are several A2's dotted about and I suspect there are more than the internet likes to believe, I imagine in the region of 50 to 100, probably less than A1 production, though I've not seen serial numbers higher than mine (I have quite a few I know about) so 100 of those seems likely. I've been offered an A2 within the last year but at over £30k it's really more than I should be spending!
+Toby Carter 30k is a lot of money, certainly more then most people could afford but probably would pay that much if they had the money and were serious about owning one themselves.
+aegisofhonor it gets to a point where you are owning a piece of history, a piece made as a statement at the time to showcase the pinnacle of what could be achieved. I'm sure there has been better since but the margin of which is small and somewhat costly....
I just bought a pair of SB-G920 from original family owners (kid) and I quickly realized I don’t have and never have had anything nearly powerful enough to properly drive them. Says 360w on the back. Most I’ve ever had was 130wpc A/B It really puts into perspective for me, what real power is and frankly I’ve never had real power. Not yet, I shall seek it out in order to satisfy my curiosity.
@@tobym5 yeah I’m driving them OK with the 50 W amp but I have a lot of speakers and amps to compare things with and there is so much more room. I’m maxing out the amp easily driving these speakers my reference comparison speakers are reference Klipsch and reference premiere series 2
Hi , I have an opportunity to purchase 2 pairs of the Speakers for $125.00 a pair . is this a good purchase ? all four are in good working condition and look excellent
Very nice, I always wanted one. They are built like a tank. Not to mention the .0003 THD ! Very clean sound !!! 350 watts RMS per channel. Also the rumor has it that you had to pay to order. Made to order only what I mean. Wonder if that's true ?
Sorry for the distortion as I film closer to the equipment, the microphone on the I Phone 5 I was using to film with didn't cope at that volume level which is louder than the video suggest!
Le préamplificateur SU-A2 aurait été largement préférable au se9600 qui est vraiment très en dessous au niveau qualité sonore, les enceintes acoustiques ne sont vraiment pas non plus à la hauteur de ce formidable amplificateur qui est très musical et dont les performances sont encore très actuelles! J'ai eu la chance d'écouter à deux reprises l'ensemble SE-A1 et SU-A2 en compagnie des SB10000, platine tourne disque sl1000..., des souvenirs et des émotions encore intact dans ma mémoire plus de 36 ans après!
I now have updated the system, the SB-G500's are sold and replaced with Technics SB-8000, I still have the SU-9600 preamplifier but now have an SU-A6....I will upload a new video soon. Still looking for an SU-A2 if you ever here of one for sale? You are right, even after all these years the SE-A1 still sounds better than anything I've heard....patented technology that still amazes today.
Toby Carter Hello, with sb8000, the sound is much higher-eter, serious tighter, more breadth in severe infra, and a strong midrange better defined and detailed, especially with the TH800? If you can not find the SU-A2, the best looking SU-A4, I possessed the SE-A3, this is an excellent preamplifier Of course but less sophisticated than the SU-A2, which was also sold its time 10 times more expensive !!! If by chance I find opportunity in this type of material, I will send you an email. Best Regards Yves
Yes the SB-8000's are incredibly good still after all these years, the TH-800 tweeter sounds so clear and crisp. I will keep looking for an SU-A2 to complement the SE-A1, once I have that I have my system complete. I'm not into Turntables/Cassette or Reel to Reel, I stream everything from Tidal at the moment. If you hear of any nice Technics equipment then let me know. :-)
Toby Carter hello, The TH800 tweeter is still highly sought now! Find su-a2 going to be a very difficult task, because the preamplifier was produced very little exemplary! I will keep you informed if I find opportunities on material "Technics"! Best Regards Yves
I used to have a pair of Technics SB-G500's when I was a teenager but I blew one of the woofers so I left them at my parents house when I moved out and they eventually threw them out. Do you know how much they would be worth if I still had them so I can know how mad I should be at my parents?
I will try to do some more video's, there are some on my Instagram account 'Toby_Carter' but I need a better device for recording than an I-Phone 5S! :-) SE-A3MK2 is a nice amp and reliable compared to an SE-A3. I also had an SE-A100 and SU-A200 before the A1.
Toby Carter Hi Toby so I suppose you sold your SE-A3MK3 ? when and where did you buy your SE -A1? I only have the SE-A70 and SEA3 r&b which I upgraded the output trans. Great system.
Albert Balendran I only had an SE-A3 and SE-A100 before, I sold both, the SE-A3 wasn't working because of blown DLPT which affects them all. The SE-A1 came from Japan via a UK seller and sounds incredible, this video doesn't do it justice. I'm still looking for an SU-A2 to go with it.
Hey Toby, thanks for responding. I had to ask about the SE-A1 amp you have and the SE-A 100 amp you used to have. I was reading how both of those amps were Class AA amps. Do those amps get very hot, not to hot, or alittle hot if you put your hands on the amps. I'v been to some Hi Fi Shows and their were some Class A amps that were Quasi Class A like the Electrocompaniet Nemo amps, Blue Circle 206 amp etc. When i would put my hands on the Electrocompaniet Nemo amps and Blue Ciricle Amp, the amps didn't get hot. I was amazed at that. Cause usually Class A amps get very hot. I used to have the Krell KSA Class A Amp from the late 80s. When you would put your hand on that amp, It would be as hot as a stove. I'm curious on your Technics amps if they got hot or not to hot? Thanks
Hi Dan, actually there is a difference between the SE-A1 and SE-A100, the class AA is not a traditional class A design so doesn't run hot at idle (developed by Technics to give the sonic qualities of Class A or close to it, without the huge heat/electricity bill!) The AA design is a more 'computerised' development of the design in the SE-A1 dubbed A+. The system in the SE-A1 is a patented design taken out in 1977, it runs hotter than the class AA system Technics developed after it, also known as syncro bias. I did some measurements on mine that uses a 5v and a 100v DC rail in the output stage...this is where the sliding current bias design works to give no switching distortion, I think the 5v side runs at about 40 watts a channel, about 7.5amps of bias current. If you do some hunting you can find info on it but there really isn't much, the SE-A1 really is very rare/virtually non existent due to it's original price point of £4k in 1977.
Now this is strange, I went in with the initial thought that the much newer SE-A100 should be better sounding given it was a lot newer in design, building on the SE-A1's design. However the SE-A1 just out classed it, I was literally blown away by the incredible clarity and soundstage from it. A true masterpiece which I shall never sell. I don't doubt better has been built since but you will be looking at high end stuff. It's a true testament to its original design being so good....and nearly 40 years old now!
Toby Carter You know whats funny, someone on Ebay is selling a broken Technis SE A3 amp just for parts for 1200$ I emailed him and said why would someone buy a broken amp for 1200$, when you can find lots of those well built Japanese amps from the late 70s on Ebay. www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNICS-SE-A3-STEREO-DC-POWER-AMPLIFIER-/301537709804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46350c4eec
Dan Livni I've seen it for sale, it's reduced from what it was but it's still too much, it's in terrible condition and missing a load of bits. People will pay good money for mint equipment though.
Awesome system my friend...I have the speakers Technics SB-G500....I like your amplifier. SE-A1....If you want to sell it one day contact me. I am a Technics vintage collector.....
Thanks for the positive comment...those speakers are actually very capable....I'm looking for a pair of SM-M1's or SB-8000's. I may have another SE-A1 coming my way soon...:-D
Toby have you ever seen these Technics SB-MX200D speakers? I'm guessing these are from the 80s or early 90s. These look gorgeous. Here's pics of them. 888-audio.com/2014/01/8325
Dan Livni I've seen only pictures of them but not seen or heard them in the flesh. They look well finished off and I don't doubt they sound good, Technics can make some good gear, though I prefer the 70's stuff mainly.
Technics made some good speakers in the 80s. There was also the SM-M10000. These were their top of the line speakers. Here's a pic www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic1896255.html
Toby Carter Thanks. Toby, have you ever seen a Technics SU-A2 preamp for sale? I know one guy on UA-cam in Japan has that preamp with the SE-A1 amp. That's the only guy i'v seen with the SU-A2 preamp.
I had a had the SE-A1 & SU-A2 back in the day. At the time it cost and arm and a leg, but it was worth every penny. A house purchase eventually necessitated their sale. To this day I mourn their passing, really astonishing kit, I am green with envy!
One of those all time classics, sounds so good but it's the build as well, the feel you have a piece of very special equipment that is so well made and looks like a piece of art, I love them.
As a Technics colllector this is the hollygrail.sounds so beautiful.
Technics remained my number 1 priority in Vintage Audio Gear......Great stuff.
Sweet setup you got there 😍
Love these old hifi systems! I still have my parents Technics stack which was bought in the 80’s. Planning on restoring it soon and reliving those memories!
technics are wonderful... I have an old pair of technics tower speakers and I refuse to get rid of them.
Such a great system. Enjoying the sound...then....suddenly....stopped!😀 need more of these!
Beauty unmatched SE-A1 power amplifier
Very inspirational, I grew up looking at my mom's stack, based around the GX303. Now I have one of those in the garage, a 505 running my main rig, and I just got a 710 to replace it (thinking of putting the 505 by my bed). None of those are even remotely in the same league as your A1, but hey, I'm 23 and broke as hell. Someday...but for now, at least I can live vicariously through yours.
bobwinslow it’s all in the passion for HiFi, as long as you enjoy it just keep collecting and playing with it, that’s all that matters. Cheers
best power amp ever made , in best hifi years....
speedy cool certainly an amazing piece of design....electronically and mechanically, I love it!
I agree, stuff the rest, I would settle for this kit any day of the week....
Toby, my friend, is an excellent system, SE-A1 course monster!
I'll look for you decent speakers, though of course SB-G500 is very good too.
Maybe I'll get lucky and I find SU-A2, then help you create an incredible couple of)
All the best buddy!
Awesome components, as you would expect from the higher (to highest) ended Technics product range!
I am looking forward to that massive upgrade (SB-8000 and SU-A6)! The SU-A2 is of course over the top, but even the SU-A6 is a very nice preamp. I recently acquired an SU-A4 and restored it; have to upload a new video as well.
Thanks, yes I'll try and upload a video this holiday with time off. The SB-8000's are simply awesome and of course their looks and build quality are stunning. The sound is just so clear and precise, the SU-A6 works very well but I'd like to compare it to an SU-A4, I don't know which one would be the better? My SU-A6 has been restored, new capacitors etc...very pleased with it.
Toby Carter The SB-8000 have been used by Matsushita for official presentations of the SE-A1 and SU-A2. I particularly love the TH800 leaf tweeter (my SB-10 have the TH400 in them).
The SU-A4 is presumably the higher ended preamp compared to the A6. It also has massively more circuitry going on inside. However, also the A6 has usually been regarded as a very high end unit. Plus, it does seem to be a lot more "indulgent" when it comes to stability. I had my SU-A4 recapped as well, but it soon after started to produce loud crackling noises (reason was one puny faulty transistor). I hope it will do better now.
Still looking for a power amp though. I will never have the chance to acquire a SE-A1 (although I know some people who have over six together). I will pick an A3, A3MK2 or an A5 instead.
I want to try and add a SU-A4 to my collection...I'll keep a look out for one to see how they compare. Yes those tweeters on the SB-8000's are a work of art, the sound is beautiful so I understand why they used them with the SE-A1/2, I wonder how they compare to the SB-10000? Be interesting to hear the difference.
I may have another SE-A1 that doesn't work coming to me but that is still very much undecided, I hope so as I've spent a lot of time trying to understand their incredible complexity having repaired one of the channels on mine.
If you are looking for an amp then go for the SE-A3MK2, the SE-A3 unless upgraded transistor wise had problems with its DLPT devices as they were under spec'd.
Holy moly, that's a great system
Thanks....will try and upload some better ones in the near future.
The very pinnacle of 70s high-fi, no amplifier is as precisely well built with as incredible of execution as the SE-A1 and it's matching SU-A2 pre-amplifier. At 2.6 million yen for the pair (give or take about $12,000 US at the time), it was an average salaryman's annual salary for two years back then in Japan. Consequently, they never sold many, only between 100 and 200 of each were ever built before Panasonic built their last one in sometime in the early 80s.
too bad you don't have the matching SU-A2 and the matching SB-10000 speakers. A pair of SB-10000 speakers were up for sale on yahoo...sold for 800,000 yen. Expect an SU-A2 to go for north of 1mil yen (about $8800 US), even that A1 probably would go for 800k-1m if it ever came up for sale (they don't, or only once every several years at most).
+aegisofhonor I'm still looking for the SU-A2 but for now I've added an SU-A4 to the system which is as close as I can get to an A2 for now. The speakers are now SB-8000's which are equally rare, I think to be honest I prefer them to the 10,000's but in looks alone as I've never heard a pair of 10,000's, the 8000's do sound incredibly good with their leaf tweeters and I'm led to believe Technics used them in their seminars? There aren't many around though and there is little to no mention of them on the net or Technics catalogues. There is an A1 for sale for about 12,000 euros but it's been 'painted' in a gold colour!
+Toby Carter SU-A4 is still a very nice pre-amp and for the most part will function about the same since it's nearly impossible to utilize the benefits of what the A2 has to offer (unless you have a Pioneer Exclusive P3a turn table). From all the research I have done on it, not a single A2 has gone for sale publicly in at least the last decade and I can only confirm the existence of maybe 2 or 3 that people have confirmed as owning an SU-A2 i the entire world.. I read something a while back that there was about a dozen SU-A2s were found in an old Soviet era army warehouse along with a ton of other high-end Japenese made Hi-fi equipment some 20 years ago though the whereabouts of those A2s are today unknown.
Yes the SU-A4 is a beautiful sounding preamp, not to be confused with the MK2 version which is designed completely differently and certainly not of class A topology like the A4. There are several A2's dotted about and I suspect there are more than the internet likes to believe, I imagine in the region of 50 to 100, probably less than A1 production, though I've not seen serial numbers higher than mine (I have quite a few I know about) so 100 of those seems likely. I've been offered an A2 within the last year but at over £30k it's really more than I should be spending!
+Toby Carter 30k is a lot of money, certainly more then most people could afford but probably would pay that much if they had the money and were serious about owning one themselves.
+aegisofhonor it gets to a point where you are owning a piece of history, a piece made as a statement at the time to showcase the pinnacle of what could be achieved. I'm sure there has been better since but the margin of which is small and somewhat costly....
This is awesome............ love it!!!
Nice setup nice room
I just bought a pair of SB-G920 from original family owners (kid) and I quickly realized I don’t have and never have had anything nearly powerful enough to properly drive them. Says 360w on the back. Most I’ve ever had was 130wpc A/B
It really puts into perspective for me, what real power is and frankly I’ve never had real power. Not yet, I shall seek it out in order to satisfy my curiosity.
Tbh you don’t need a lot of power generally to drive speakers that are ‘rated’ at that max power level, a 50w amp will be fine I’m sure.
@@tobym5 yeah I’m driving them OK with the 50 W amp but I have a lot of speakers and amps to compare things with and there is so much more room. I’m maxing out the amp easily driving these speakers my reference comparison speakers are reference Klipsch and reference premiere series 2
Hi , I have an opportunity to purchase 2 pairs of the Speakers for $125.00 a pair . is this a good purchase ? all four are in good working condition and look excellent
Wow! Very nice system!
Thanks.....preamp SU-9600 now for sale along with a pair of Sony SS-G7's if anyone is interested?
+Toby Carter how much cost the SS-G7 pair?
Radu Druncea
They are sold now, they were £1250.00.
SS-G7 + Sony TA-F80 is a dream
Very nice, I always wanted one. They are built like a tank. Not to mention the .0003 THD ! Very clean sound !!!
350 watts RMS per channel.
Also the rumor has it that you had to pay to order. Made to order only what I mean. Wonder if that's true ?
Sorry for the distortion as I film closer to the equipment, the microphone on the I Phone 5 I was using to film with didn't cope at that volume level which is louder than the video suggest!
+MakeMyDay I didn't know they existed, thanks. I'll see what I can find.
What are those silver grilled (tweeter?)speakers all about? I saw some massive ones in a club in Majorca once.
Mark Hall yes there's a tweeter behind them, they are designed to diffuse the high frequency.
Le préamplificateur SU-A2 aurait été largement préférable au se9600 qui est vraiment très en dessous au niveau qualité sonore, les enceintes acoustiques ne sont vraiment pas non plus à la hauteur de ce formidable amplificateur qui est très musical et dont les performances sont encore très actuelles!
J'ai eu la chance d'écouter à deux reprises l'ensemble SE-A1 et SU-A2 en compagnie des SB10000, platine tourne disque sl1000..., des souvenirs et des émotions encore intact dans ma mémoire plus de 36 ans après!
I now have updated the system, the SB-G500's are sold and replaced with Technics SB-8000, I still have the SU-9600 preamplifier but now have an SU-A6....I will upload a new video soon. Still looking for an SU-A2 if you ever here of one for sale? You are right, even after all these years the SE-A1 still sounds better than anything I've heard....patented technology that still amazes today.
Toby Carter Hello, with sb8000, the sound is much higher-eter, serious tighter, more breadth in severe infra, and a strong midrange better defined and detailed, especially with the TH800?
If you can not find the SU-A2, the best looking SU-A4, I possessed the SE-A3, this is an excellent preamplifier Of course but less sophisticated than the SU-A2, which was also sold its time 10 times more expensive !!!
If by chance I find opportunity in this type of material, I will send you an email.
Best Regards
Yves
Yes the SB-8000's are incredibly good still after all these years, the TH-800 tweeter sounds so clear and crisp. I will keep looking for an SU-A2 to complement the SE-A1, once I have that I have my system complete. I'm not into Turntables/Cassette or Reel to Reel, I stream everything from Tidal at the moment. If you hear of any nice Technics equipment then let me know. :-)
Toby Carter hello,
The TH800 tweeter is still highly sought now!
Find su-a2 going to be a very difficult task, because the preamplifier was produced very little exemplary!
I will keep you informed if I find opportunities on material "Technics"!
Best Regards
Yves
I'm sorry for asking, tell what year makes SB-G500 ?
I used to have a pair of Technics SB-G500's when I was a teenager but I blew one of the woofers so I left them at my parents house when I moved out and they eventually threw them out. Do you know how much they would be worth if I still had them so I can know how mad I should be at my parents?
Hi, I sold mine on EBay for around £325.00 I think....does that make things worse for you? :D
Technics speaker is very common in the Philippines. I have technics sb 240 and sb cf 25
Muy bueno, por favor algún video mas de la SE-A1, yo tengo un SE-A3 MK2 y es maravillosa.
I will try to do some more video's, there are some on my Instagram account 'Toby_Carter' but I need a better device for recording than an I-Phone 5S! :-) SE-A3MK2 is a nice amp and reliable compared to an SE-A3. I also had an SE-A100 and SU-A200 before the A1.
Toby Carter Hi Toby so I suppose you sold your SE-A3MK3 ? when and where did you buy your SE -A1? I only have the SE-A70 and SEA3 r&b which I upgraded the output trans. Great system.
Albert Balendran I only had an SE-A3 and SE-A100 before, I sold both, the SE-A3 wasn't working because of blown DLPT which affects them all. The SE-A1 came from Japan via a UK seller and sounds incredible, this video doesn't do it justice. I'm still looking for an SU-A2 to go with it.
Toby Carter Hi Toby you should search Japan yahoo auction for the SU A2.
Albert Balendran I have done, they don't even come up there, they are even more rare than the SE-A1! :-)
Hey Toby, thanks for responding.
I had to ask about the SE-A1 amp you have and the SE-A 100 amp you used to have. I was reading how both of those amps were Class AA amps.
Do those amps get very hot, not to hot, or alittle hot if you put your hands on the amps.
I'v been to some Hi Fi Shows and their were some Class A amps that were
Quasi Class A like the Electrocompaniet Nemo amps, Blue Circle 206 amp etc.
When i would put my hands on the Electrocompaniet Nemo amps and Blue
Ciricle Amp, the amps didn't get hot. I was amazed at that. Cause usually
Class A amps get very hot.
I used to have the Krell KSA Class A Amp from the late 80s. When you would
put your hand on that amp, It would be as hot as a stove. I'm curious on
your Technics amps if they got hot or not to hot? Thanks
Hi Dan, actually there is a difference between the SE-A1 and SE-A100, the class AA is not a traditional class A design so doesn't run hot at idle (developed by Technics to give the sonic qualities of Class A or close to it, without the huge heat/electricity bill!) The AA design is a more 'computerised' development of the design in the SE-A1 dubbed A+. The system in the SE-A1 is a patented design taken out in 1977, it runs hotter than the class AA system Technics developed after it, also known as syncro bias. I did some measurements on mine that uses a 5v and a 100v DC rail in the output stage...this is where the sliding current bias design works to give no switching distortion, I think the 5v side runs at about 40 watts a channel, about 7.5amps of bias current. If you do some hunting you can find info on it but there really isn't much, the SE-A1 really is very rare/virtually non existent due to it's original price point of £4k in 1977.
Toby Carter Thanks for the answer.
How did the SE-A100 sound in comparison to the more expensive SE-A1
Now this is strange, I went in with the initial thought that the much newer SE-A100 should be better sounding given it was a lot newer in design, building on the SE-A1's design. However the SE-A1 just out classed it, I was literally blown away by the incredible clarity and soundstage from it. A true masterpiece which I shall never sell. I don't doubt better has been built since but you will be looking at high end stuff. It's a true testament to its original design being so good....and nearly 40 years old now!
Toby Carter
You know whats funny, someone on Ebay is selling a broken Technis SE A3 amp just for parts for 1200$
I emailed him and said why would someone buy a broken amp for 1200$, when you can find lots of those well built Japanese amps from the late 70s on Ebay.
www.ebay.com/itm/TECHNICS-SE-A3-STEREO-DC-POWER-AMPLIFIER-/301537709804?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item46350c4eec
Dan Livni I've seen it for sale, it's reduced from what it was but it's still too much, it's in terrible condition and missing a load of bits. People will pay good money for mint equipment though.
what is the other speaker ?
Qué modelo de bocinas tiene?
Awesome system my friend...I have the speakers Technics SB-G500....I like your amplifier. SE-A1....If you want to sell it one day contact me. I am a Technics vintage collector.....
Thanks for the positive comment...those speakers are actually very capable....I'm looking for a pair of SM-M1's or SB-8000's.
I may have another SE-A1 coming my way soon...:-D
Hey buddy, could you please confirm if these speakers (SB-G500) can be supported by which vintage Technics Receiver?
Система моей мечты
Toby have you ever seen these Technics SB-MX200D speakers?
I'm guessing these are from the 80s or early 90s.
These look gorgeous.
Here's pics of them.
888-audio.com/2014/01/8325
Dan Livni I've seen only pictures of them but not seen or heard them in the flesh. They look well finished off and I don't doubt they sound good, Technics can make some good gear, though I prefer the 70's stuff mainly.
Technics made some good speakers in the 80s.
There was also the SM-M10000. These were their top of the line speakers.
Here's a pic
www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic1896255.html
Ahhh yes, you mean the SB-M1000? There are a pair on Ebay at the moment for £3700!
Or the SB-M10000 - now they are rare!
Toby Carter Thanks. Toby, have you ever seen a Technics SU-A2 preamp for sale? I know one guy on UA-cam in Japan has that preamp with the SE-A1 amp. That's the only guy i'v seen with the SU-A2 preamp.
Ale kaszana !
ad an eq like i did much better sound