Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
I used to have a Zed made US Acoustics USA2300 in highschool, like this one here:
I was quite fond of this amp even though I didn't know who made it or who Zed was at the time. I'm toying with the idea of investing money and searching out the older USA model Us Acoustic amplifiers. Do you think these amps are worth seeking out and purchasing?
I know there are people around here that go nuts over particular old school lines such as the PPI Arts and some of the older Orion lines. What other old school amp lines do you think are worth collecting, refurbishing, and holding on to?
Also if you have a nice collection of any particular line of old school amplifiers post photos.
"If you subsidize poverty and failure, you get more of both."
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Many USA made amps before about '94 are collected. Friend of mine has a pyle amp made in USA by Zed iirc. Check out the old school thread or look on epay to see what ones are priced the highest. A few years ago the market was pretty heavy for them but it has slowed down like everything else.
Pioneer 880PRS~boston comps/alpine coax on Kappa 4 Z~back to Alpine mrd-m500 v12 on pyle 15s IB
Many USA made amps before about '94 are collected. Friend of mine has a pyle amp made in USA by Zed iirc. Check out the old school thread or look on epay to see what ones are priced the highest. A few years ago the market was pretty heavy for them but it has slowed down like everything else.
Well I really just want to collect the US Acoustics amps for personal and nostalgic reasons. But if they aren't super reliable and aren't known for their SQ, why bother?
"If you subsidize poverty and failure, you get more of both."
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Don't go down that way. I almost had most of the ppi 1996 line up at one time. Then I reliased 3/4 of it was collecting dust. I just sold most of it off except for the hard to find stuff like a dac 348, pmq 210, 1" spacer, and my overseas limited runs arts.
I have a sounds works demo a600.2 that I need to off load soon.
Don't go down that way. I almost had most of the ppi 1996 line up at one time. Then I reliased 3/4 of it was collecting dust. I just sold most of it off except for the hard to find stuff like a dac 348, pmq 210, 1" spacer, and my overseas limited runs arts.
I have a sounds works demo a600.2 that I need to off load soon.
So regret building your collection?
"If you subsidize poverty and failure, you get more of both."
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Like most all collectibles if it was expensive back then it is sought after and expensive now plus condition means everything. The very earliest of the most popular lines exp. PPI pre M series, Rockford Fosgate pre Punch series and the very earliest Linear power amps pre 85' these amps in mint condition will be (are) the holy grail of collectible amps. I don't really see amps like PPI M AM ART although sought after will ever be woth more than they were new just to many of them made.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Here are some notable companies:
- Linear Power
- Zapco ( The OG Bob Zeff units )
- ESX
- Micro Dimension
- Furi
- Blade
- Sound Stream ( The originals )
- Genesis
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
IMHO, NONE....
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Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by robert_wrath
Here are some notable companies:
- Linear Power
- Zapco ( The OG Bob Zeff units )
- ESX
- Micro Dimension
- Furi
- Blade
- Sound Stream ( The originals )
- Genesis
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
I don't know about being collectable, but the ones I like to collect are:
Alpine 3523/3525/3539 series of amps from 1988.
Alpine 3545 is collectable. Pretty much anyone knows what they are....except one of the two that I bought for a whopping $110! I think the guy sorta knew what it was but didn't appreciate it.
RF power series from the late '80s I would say are collectible. They rarely ever go for cheap.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadeByMonkey
None of them because your money would be better utilized by collecting something that actually appreciates in value.
That is a debatable point, but I don't think people are viewing this like '60s muscle cars. You collect these amps because you like the way they sound, period.
As for brands, a strong vote for the Phoenix Gold MS series amps. Great balance of power & SQ.
Not sure what the original MSRP on an MS1000 was, but I have spent about $1000 for one BNIB a few years back, and $700 for another one that was used.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
I should chastise Fricasseekid for being in Louisiana and not supporting the one remaining Louisiana amplifier manufacturer, Lunar Amplifiers!
I also have an old school Orion collection, but I would sell it tomorrow if the right buyer would come along!
EDIT: Nostalgia is so overrated when it comes to electronics!
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fricasseekid
Well I really just want to collect the US Acoustics amps for personal and nostalgic reasons. But if they aren't super reliable and aren't known for their SQ, why bother?
I don't know about them, I did have a tech tell me he hated them far as old school and the guy really knows his stuff...but just his opinion as a tech. I would say collect the stuff you like and would use, then you have it to use when needed. I keep some old amps for how they work, I don't really care who made them. Most are alpines and not valuable like a linear power for sure. I sold my LPs long ago when I found something cheaper that worked as well for my use. One of the little alpines I like, once bought another for $5 for a spare. I would never buy old amps to collect them but people do, I would buy ones I wanted for a particular reason but only because I might use them not because of the name. In general the better ones are the ones you want to use, but I was never stuck on a name. Linear power or RF, they both made some great amps for example. In fact a guy just gave me some RF and an Orion I need to look at.
In the end its all what you want. Some people like to run old amps, like X brand, doing a period install...so do it. I run what works, but would get period amps for a muscle car install that was not stealth. If I had an amp here worth a lot of cash, I'd have to have a good reason to keep it. I don't know if I have an amp that is worth much over 100, I have a few like that the rest are worth much less I'd guess. I've seen perfect ones that sold for over 300, but mine are not perfect they are for use in a car lol.
Pioneer 880PRS~boston comps/alpine coax on Kappa 4 Z~back to Alpine mrd-m500 v12 on pyle 15s IB
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Electronics deteriorate over time. OS amps are worth money if they work, not worth much if they don't. Sitting around the caps can go bad as well as other internal electronics. Hate to have a bunch of money wrapped up in working collectible amps and then find out years later that they don't work, need repairs and now are worth squat.
I would only buy what you plan to use. I have quite a few Soundstream Reference amps and recently picked up a Orion HCCA 250R. Owned PPI M series amps back in the day. I think they have a warmer, more quality sound than many amps today(at least that I can afford.)
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Skewl
Electronics deteriorate over time. OS amps are worth money if they work, not worth much if they don't. Sitting around the caps can go bad as well as other internal electronics. Hate to have a bunch of money wrapped up in working collectible amps and then find out years later that they don't work, need repairs and now are worth squat.
I would only buy what you plan to use. I have quite a few Soundstream Reference amps and recently picked up a Orion HCCA 250R. Owned PPI M series amps back in the day. I think they have a warmer, more quality sound than many amps today(at least that I can afford.)
Just my 2 cents
I have OS amps that still work after 20 years, I renew all the capacitors that have a leaking risk, so it can be used for another 20 years. The danger of broken amps come from the unnoticed leaking capacitor, the capacitor oil flooding the pcb, then make a burn hole there. If you anticipate that before it happens, then you are safe to use your amps forever.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linear Power
I have OS amps that still work after 20 years, I renew all the capacitors that have a leaking risk, so it can be used for another 20 years. The danger of broken amps come from the unnoticed leaking capacitor, the capacitor oil flooding the pcb, then make a burn hole there. If you anticipate that before it happens, then you are safe to use your amps forever.
How do you identify potential problems?
Just a visual inspection? How often?
I do not see many electronics going bad from setting.
Unless they are stored in bad conditions.
But thinking about it; In use = bad conditions.
Hot - Cold - Damp - Dust/Dirt - etc
Collect what you like
Preferably something that can be used. But beautiful things are nice also.
Re: Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Quote:
Originally Posted by underdog
How do you identify potential problems?
Just a visual inspection? How often?
I do not see many electronics going bad from setting.
Unless they are stored in bad conditions.
But thinking about it; In use = bad conditions.
Hot - Cold - Damp - Dust/Dirt - etc
Collect what you like
Preferably something that can be used. But beautiful things are nice also.
Usually big capacitors have a lot of oil in it, and will leak along with its age. When it shaped like a balloon, it will explode in a short time. I never wait until it shapes like balloon, when I got an OS amps that I know aged more than 10 years, usually I replace all of the capacitors with a better capacitor such as Sprague, Elna, Mundorf.
Small capacitors also have oil in it, but with that small amount of oil, the risk of burning the pcb is small too, I mean they will not make a significant damage when it happens.
The creator of hand made amps usually already think about the possibility of capacitor leaks. Look at how they put the capacitors on the pcb, they put the caps in a vertical position, not a horizontal position as the machine made does. They do that for anticipating capacitor leaks, so when the leaks happen, the oil will spill out on the safe direction. When the machine made amps have a capacitor leaks, the oil will spill on the pcb directly.
Last edited by Linear Power; 11-06-2011 at 01:22 AM..
Which old school amp lines do you think are worthy of collecting?
Linear Mode
