What Year Did Solid-State Start Sounding Good?
- Thread starter ScottFan355
- Start date
my ~1967 Sherwood solid state integrated is fairly comparable in sound signature to my 1962 Sherwood tube integrated now that its recapped and actually working properly. The SS one handles overloads far worse but when used within its power level it actually sound quite good. All silicon that one, not really interested in fooling with germanium stuff.
I want to put things in a little more context. Of cause if you take the best of amps in the late 60s like from McIntosh and compare to the $200 cheap receiver of today, I would expect the Mac would sound better. Just because you have better transistors and modern knowledge does not mean the new amp is a better design. I look at enough of the cheap amps here with tiny heatsink, one pair of output transistors crap, I am sure the old Mac is going to kill them.
You have to put in perspective. I detailed in post #20 already. It is not a fair comparison of a $300 receiver in the late 60s and 70s with a cheap crap amp that is $300 today. Look at the inflation, $300 in 70 is like $1500 of today's value. You need to compare apple to apple. You take a $1500 amp of today, it likely KILL the old amp in every single aspect. Of cause I expect the $300 amp in 70 will be made with better materials, better chassis and all than the cheap $300 crap you can buy today!!! Remember you pay less than $2 for a movie ticket, $0.5 per 1/2gal of mike, $0.6 per pack of cigarette, 30cents per gallon of gas too.
Again, the nostalgic factor, The baby boomer is holding the world back, try to prevent the world from turning. Before you start jumping on me, I am 64 and I belong to the tail end of baby boomer also. I just don't listen to the old music from the 60s and 70s at all. Music composition, musician quality is of different world today compare to the 60s. I was a serious muscian back in the late 60s and 70s, I don't listen to Clapton, Hendrix and the like at all now, world has moved on, to me, they have their place in the history, but people take their knowledge and run with it, a quantum leap advanced already. Just like we take the knowledge of great Nelson Pass and other great designers and run with it.
You have to put in perspective. I detailed in post #20 already. It is not a fair comparison of a $300 receiver in the late 60s and 70s with a cheap crap amp that is $300 today. Look at the inflation, $300 in 70 is like $1500 of today's value. You need to compare apple to apple. You take a $1500 amp of today, it likely KILL the old amp in every single aspect. Of cause I expect the $300 amp in 70 will be made with better materials, better chassis and all than the cheap $300 crap you can buy today!!! Remember you pay less than $2 for a movie ticket, $0.5 per 1/2gal of mike, $0.6 per pack of cigarette, 30cents per gallon of gas too.
Again, the nostalgic factor, The baby boomer is holding the world back, try to prevent the world from turning. Before you start jumping on me, I am 64 and I belong to the tail end of baby boomer also. I just don't listen to the old music from the 60s and 70s at all. Music composition, musician quality is of different world today compare to the 60s. I was a serious muscian back in the late 60s and 70s, I don't listen to Clapton, Hendrix and the like at all now, world has moved on, to me, they have their place in the history, but people take their knowledge and run with it, a quantum leap advanced already. Just like we take the knowledge of great Nelson Pass and other great designers and run with it.
Lot of opinions presented as fact on a subjective topic.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
For me, good sounding SS began in 1967, and with the beginning of reliable silicon transistors in audio and peaked in 1969-1971 before circuit design got too complex and overdesigned.
As soon as someone bought a SS unit and liked it.
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Just look at design and technology. The evolution.........
SoCal Sam
Lunatic Member
This is a subjective thread so all opinions and rankings count. It could be that someone at the dawn of SS couldn't find anything he liked and had to wait decades to find what he likes. It could also mean that he likes cheap clock radios above all else and that counts as well.
I recall some honorable mentions, early Radford solid state, QUAD 303, HK Citation 12, Ampzilla, Electro Research A-75. Not much buzz on McIntosh back when as they didn't submit samples for subjective evaluation tho they have aged well and survived the test of time. Crown DC-300A seems to have tolerated rather than liked before Ampzilla and Electro Research. Bob Carver's Phase Linear amps brought clean reliable brute Force solid state swagger to the masses.
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ScottFan355
Super Member
Um, I agree that in many respects good music has evolved... However!!! Jimi is still a god! And timeless... And able to run creative circles around the vast majority of musicians today even from the grave!
ScottFan355
Super Member
Well we've definitely gone off-topic but I'm sure I'm far from the only one who disagrees with you... Jimi channeled an energy that very few can come close to, a shaman if you will. And that goes far beyond technique.
Oldsansui441
Super Member
Funny the only real harsh or thin sounding SS amps l have had here have been from the 80-00's (great specs on paper too). l find the early units to sound the best to my ears (higher THD and all) as a general rule, particularly (69-75) l haven't had anything earlier than this though. As l say this is a general rule as l have had other mid to late 70's unit that have sounded great also.
I think quasi and cap coupled designs can sound great.
As far as l know Sony was right at the forefront of early transistorized designs in the 60's.
unfairlane
Well-Known Member
Binkman
Lunatic Member
It has been noted on this thread that ss replacing tube sound? No way. but close. but as noted the price over inflation? 2500$ probably a low ball est.?
Sherwood 'American made' introduced the first SS receiver(s) 60's marketed through allied electronics etal before radshack. I had a history link but think it's been scrubbed, had a good listing of all their models.
Think it was 67 or 68' my dad brought home a dual 1019TT to hook up to my salvaged tube amp from a record player and rigged up speakers I salvaged and tested it with some classical records I had. So he ordered a s-8600a and a pair of acoustic research ar2x's.. said should get the order in a couple weeks. Well he got it home and hooked up and I knew tube sound from many consoles and uprights people had who needed a needle or something.
But again I'm referring to American ss mfg. we all know Sherwood went japanese for parts suppliers per demand and later on and some 70's models assembled in USA. Another important part of SS history is the Juke box consoles that sounded amazing and quite visually appealing. But getting back to AK .... there has been many many posts on SS restoration of consoles from the sixties. e.g. people bought the consoles because they sounded very similar to the juke boxes. perhaps bad analogy as the club sound was very good for high end clubs and not teen after school soda shops.
Sherwood 'American made' introduced the first SS receiver(s) 60's marketed through allied electronics etal before radshack. I had a history link but think it's been scrubbed, had a good listing of all their models.
Think it was 67 or 68' my dad brought home a dual 1019TT to hook up to my salvaged tube amp from a record player and rigged up speakers I salvaged and tested it with some classical records I had. So he ordered a s-8600a and a pair of acoustic research ar2x's.. said should get the order in a couple weeks. Well he got it home and hooked up and I knew tube sound from many consoles and uprights people had who needed a needle or something.
But again I'm referring to American ss mfg. we all know Sherwood went japanese for parts suppliers per demand and later on and some 70's models assembled in USA. Another important part of SS history is the Juke box consoles that sounded amazing and quite visually appealing. But getting back to AK .... there has been many many posts on SS restoration of consoles from the sixties. e.g. people bought the consoles because they sounded very similar to the juke boxes. perhaps bad analogy as the club sound was very good for high end clubs and not teen after school soda shops.
blhagstrom
Mad Scientist, fixer.
Well, once again, after rotating through a bunch of newer stuff, Carver, Arcam, Soundcraft, Rotel, etcetera, I hooked up a Pioneer SX-626 that showed up in a loose pile.
I checked it over, looks like an abandoned re-lamp attempt. I popped new lamps in, deoxit the controls, put it back together and she kicks all the newer junk to the curb.
Most of the newer stuff went right to Ebay.
The rest can serve as HT for now.
For me, the SS sweet spot is early to mid 70s.
There is some direct coupled stuff that is great but the early cap coupled stuff just amazes.
FWIW I ran everything on Dahlquist DQM9c.
I checked it over, looks like an abandoned re-lamp attempt. I popped new lamps in, deoxit the controls, put it back together and she kicks all the newer junk to the curb.
Most of the newer stuff went right to Ebay.
The rest can serve as HT for now.
For me, the SS sweet spot is early to mid 70s.
There is some direct coupled stuff that is great but the early cap coupled stuff just amazes.
FWIW I ran everything on Dahlquist DQM9c.
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Oldsansui441
Super Member
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