It’s the beating heart of your hi-fi system and, as anyone who’s read this publication knows, ignoring its sonic relevance in your setup would be extremely foolish.
Several long-established and highly respected audio firms began when one or two people shared a common goal: to release a decent stereo amplifier – something better than anything that was currently powering their system.
Naim NAP 200 (1973)
Julian Vereker’s switch from building cars to designing loudspeakers (for London’s Capital Radio, no less) led to the founding of Naim Audio in 1973.
With both Julian and co-founder Shirley Clarke as directors, their store in central Salisbury, England, was the birthplace that same year of the company’s first consumer product: the NAP 200 power amplifier.
Vereker originally designed the NAP 200 in 1971 and, although its interests are very different – the line continues to evolve with products like the excellent NAP 100 to this day – Naim still captures the same performance goals of speed, rhythm and timing.
Cyrus One (1984)
The Mission Cyrus One – back when Cyrus was part of Mission – was a piece of kit aimed more at audiophiles, despite its budget-friendly price tag.
It had no tone or balance controls and carried multiple source inputs. Early models had a plastic case to eliminate the distorting effects of eddy current, but later versions switched to a sharp metal case – a complex for a budget amp.
Of What is Hi-Fi? review, we concluded that the original One conveyed an accurate soundstage, but was also able to handle low-level details that other loudspeakers “suppressed or simply wasted”.
Combine that sound with excellent build quality, and you have an amp whose performance can compete with price options.
Cambridge Audio P40 (1968)
Cambridge Audio’s very first product, the P40 is an integrated amplifier, and it was the first to use a toroidal transformer – a radical innovation at the time.
These days, it’s a common part inside high end amps; a sure sign that what the company tried back in 1968 worked very well.
Following the P40 came a few years later in 1970 with the P50, a very powerful amplifier with a unique active volume control.
However, one look at the lines and craftsmanship on the P40 tells you that this is an amazing debut amp.
IA&R A60 (1976)
Amplification & Recording Cambridge was founded back in 1976. Now known by the catchy moniker, Arcam (see what they did there?), the company’s success was built on its first amplifier, the A60.
Pictured above is our review from August 1981, although the product was introduced five years earlier.
Back in the early 1980s, this slimline integrated amp would set you back £190 and was considered a mid-market amplifier, comparable in power to the earlier Crimson 510/520 (remember that?). It proved a nice upgrade from budget champions like the original NAD 3020 (which we’ll get to shortly).
It was a functional unit with a decent line-level array and a portable magnetic phono stage – not surprising considering vinyl was still the dominant media of the day.
The tone controls were subtle in their action and therefore, at times, they could prove useful when any recording or partner kit did not fit well.
The A60 also had a filter switch that gradually moved away from frequencies above 7.5kHz in an attempt to reduce hiss from the tuner or the pop effect from the vinyl.
NAD 3020 (1978)
A power output of 20W per channel isn’t earth-shattering but, for £85, the 3020 can drive speakers better than any of its rivals. The 3020 amplifier put NAD on the map, that had its impact.
The story goes that when NAD’s managing director, Marty Borish, hired a quiet sound engineer named Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, the two noticed a gap in the market. Edvardsen found the icon between his teeth.
Initially based in London, the growing NAD team, led by Edvardsen, diligently experimented and refined electronic designs, looking for the eureka moment. When it finally arrived, NAD delivered perhaps the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history.
The original NAD 3020 had a balance that was smooth and full-bodied, delivering a beautiful, coherent sound that worked well with the less refined budget kit of the time.
The cult-like following generated by the 3020 was so good that NAD would have been foolish to shut it down. In 2013, almost 35 years after its initial release, we gave the latest iteration of the NAD D 3020 a coveted five star and What is Hi-Fi? The prize.
Burmester 777 (1977)
As a musician, Dieter Burmester (founder of Burmester Audiosysteme) always wanted to make his sound system produce music as naturally and pure as possible, and it was a malfunction of his preamp that led him to create the first Burmester product.
Preamps on the market could not satisfy Dieter Burmester’s high demands, so he built his own medical equipment parts – Burmester 777.
According to the company, the 777 – so named because it was released in the seventh month of 1977 – is still an important part of Burmester’s products today.
In 2007, Burmester even released a 30th anniversary update in honor of it, a preamp called the Burmester 077. Did we like it? Do not mention it. In our review, we concluded, “If you can afford it, buy it now.”
McIntosh 50W-1 (1949)
Before you write, the amp featured is the 50W2 (two pieces, making up one 50W-per-channel mono amp), McIntosh’s fourth amplifier, 1951 – think Elvis and Frank Sinatra scene.
Why don’t we show you the original 50W-1? Well, vintage hi-fi footage from 71 years ago is hard to come by, it turns out.
In 1946 Frank McIntosh, a design consultant for broadcast and TV stations, hired Gordon Gow to help him design a high-power, distortion amplifier for his clients. This amplifier will be 50W-1.
It included McIntosh’s first patented circuit, the Unity Coupled Circuit – still used in the company’s current products.
Musical Fidelity Dr. Thomas Power Amplifier (1982)
Musical Fidelity chose to keep the design of their first product simple with The Preamp. It was released in 1982 and quickly received rave reviews.
Apparently, the co-designer of the shoebox style powerhouse, Dr. Martin Vincent Thomas, didn’t like the idea of designing ‘The Power Amp’, and chose to take matters into his own hands when it came to coining the moniker for Musical Fidelity’s first power amplifier. So, Dr. Thomas was born.
With its black acrylic casework and the word (what a word!) illuminated in red on the fascia, the 100W+ Dr. Thomas power amplifier cut a beautiful figure – a good visual match for a Preamp with the same style.
It was also incredibly powerful. Sadly, this casework design was soon dropped – but what a lovely looking setup it was.
Audiolab 8000A (1983)
Audiolab’s 8000A caused a stir in the early 1980s due to its “excellent finish and style” – just take a look at our review (below).
Granted, today it looks like a gray box with lots of dials, but it offered excellent sound and features, including bass and treble controls, a stereo balance control and a separate record selector, so you can “listen to one source while touching another”. And the sound is smooth with “plenty of presence and detail”.
Audiolab was founded in 1983 by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland, it quickly gained worldwide fame the same year with the 8000A – an integrated stereo amp that was a natural ‘step up’ from the budget models of the time, and later, a classic hi-fi component.
Because of its great build and features, the 8000A was great value for money too.
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