EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed below here do not necessarily reflect those of our editorial team – just in case you wondered. Neil.
I see the price of big 1990s Japanese integrated amps are steadily rising on the bay....are they really worth it Apart from the Sony ES line which I know are good, how do you guys feel about the following:Technics SU-VX800/820/920
- Technics SU-V90D (the one with the dac)
- Technics SU-V660/670
- Technics SU-MA10 (the gold dual mono one again with a MASH Dac)
- Technics SE-M100 (dual mono centre volume model, I think with a DAC!! Usually mated to SU-A40 preamp)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Technics-S...item233550587d
Technics SU-A900 (this one was well reviewed in its day)
Pioneer A676/777/878 - these are insanely engineered and well built - offering a lot more perceived value than the Pioneer A400 of the day, but it was the A400 that everyone thought sounded better?!
Kenwood KA7020
Kenwood DA9010 (also with a dac)
These were all like 100w per channel models selling in excess of £500 in the 1990s. Not that well reviewed, and probably not that well liked by the reviewers of the day - but they seem to be well engineered and offer a lot of bang for buck, then and also now. I own a Technics SU-VX800 - its ok, but no giant killer. Its a pleasurable but a little too laid back listen for my liking.
What does everybody else think (based on experience) - is there a real gem in the list above?
