Amps with no mid control common?

[joho1701]

Was it common for amps around 1980 to be made without a mid control, just bass and treble?
I am expecting a Kenwood KA-60 (1980-82) next week which does not have a mid control:

[sda2mike]

thats cool-looking with the fingertip hole;)

[ken brydson]

Why 2 threads with the same question?

[drumminman]

Was it common for amps around 1980 to be made without a mid control, just bass and treble?
I am expecting a Kenwood KA-60 (1980-82) next week which does not have a mid control:Attachment 82514

Yeah, it was. IIRC Marantz was one of the few that included it on both integrated amps and receivers. Also had it on many of their pre amps. Both my 1070 and 3200 had mid range tone controls, as did my 1060.

[joho1701]

Why 2 threads with the same question?

That was my mistake. I thought I had first posted my question in the wrong category

[pitdogg2]

some of the yamaha pre-amps and intergrated amps had a mid range tone control in the 80's. Most better gear don't even have bass or treble anymore. I don't use them at all on my gear.

[mhardy6647]

Here's an R/S receiver from the late 1970s with both variable HF and LF turn-over frequencies and an adjustable midrange as well...



The OP's probably looking for something more along the lines of this... :-)

[pitdogg2]

wonder if that Marantz could actually hit 300wpc/400wpc? To me it seem the older stuff had a lot of wishful spec's. That RS looks like it was made by pioneer.
good stuff Mhardy

[mhardy6647]

Yes, it could meet the 1974 FTC standard (which was 300 wpc continuous at the rated TH distortion level, both channels driven, across the 20 to 20k spectrum after a 30 minute preconditioning at 1/3 of full rated power)! I doubt that very few of today's powerhouse amplifiers - at least the passively cooled models - would survive the preconditioning requirement of the standard without overheating and shutting down... but that's a topic for another thread :-)

That particular Marantz was a beast and had some Achilles' heels in terms of failure-prone components. Cost a fortune then... and now. You can probably find one or two on eBAY at any given moment, but they may or may not be in good working order.

The big prize winner in the receiver power sweepstakes back then was the Technics (Matsu****a/Panasonic brand for consumer hifi) SA-1000 at 330 wpc according to the FTC mandate. These were not as substantially built as the above-mentioned Marantz nor the other well-known big momma of the era, the Pioneer SX-1980. The other major massmarket brands also had 200-plus wpc receivers in those short-lived, halcyon days. The economy took a turn for the worse at the end of the 1970s, the college-age kids of the time (myself included) graduated and moved on to grad school, careers, and/or family-building; hifi hardware got "computerized' (digital displays, touch controls, graphic readouts)... and the 1970s power wars ended rather abruptly.

[mhardy6647]

Back (roughly) on topic...

The above-mentioned SA-1000 looks like it had defeatable bass and treble controls with multiple turnover frequencies (those two little knobs) although it is hard to tell for sure from my scan.

Here's a nice late 1970s Yamaha integrated amp with defeatable/variable turnover bass and treble controls. This amp lacks the typicall variable loudness (essentially a variable midrange attenuator) control that most Yamaha amplifiers and receivers had back in those days.

[gdb]

One that Mr. Hardy might enjoy.







Plus these links:

http://www.chrisinmotion.com/MyFavoriteReceivers.htm


http://www.chrisinmotion.com/MyFavoriteReceivers2.htm

[joho1701]

Nice!

[joho1701]

s Most better gear don't even have bass or treble anymore. I don't use them at all on my gear.

That's good to know. And I willd efinitely be keeping that in mind as I set up my system!

[gdb]

(IMO)It's better to have the controls and use defeat most of the time, then, when you have a less than ideal recording, you have the option of tweeking it a little to make it more "listenable". (instead of being an anal, purist hardhead and just throwing it away ! )

[mhardy6647]

I dunno - my real hifi is a little short on adjustments and controls - and I use it to listen to... whatever I choose to listen to. Haven't thrown anything away in terms of recorded music since I started collecting it in the early 1970s AFAIK.

Two controls on the passive preamp - stepped autoformer volume (input level) control and source selector. The pot on the front of the power amp is - literally - not hooked up, and the headphone amp in the DAC has been defeated (i.e., the headphone level control on its front panel is, at this point, just for looks).

[gdb]

Alrighty then !

[ROHfan]

That's absurd. All my amps have mind control.

[Schurkey]

Well, heck. If we're getting misty-eyed over old Japanese receivers, how about some that use a graphic equalizer instead of tone controls? Here's three from about 1978--80.

JVC JR-S201, '401, and '501. 35, 85, and 120 watts into 8-ohms. Sorry, no '301 (60-watts), although it'd look the same as the 201 but with chrome buttons instead of black, and different meter faces. The '201 and '301 are built on a slightly smaller chassis than the '401 and '501.

[sda2mike]

[QUOTE=mhardy6647;1891006]

cool toys! that cart looks like a robot:)

[cnh]

Well, heck. If we're getting misty-eyed over old Japanese receivers, how about some that use a graphic equalizer instead of tone controls? Here's three from about 1978--80.

JVC JR-S201, '401, and '501. 35, 85, and 120 watts into 8-ohms. Sorry, no '301 (60-watts), although it'd look the same as the 201 but with chrome buttons instead of black, and different meter faces. The '201 and '301 are built on a slightly smaller chassis than the '401 and '501.

I have a JR-S201 around here somewhere, awfully BIG and a LOT of space for just 35 watts x 2.

Currently I'm running a Sansui 5000A on some Boston Acoustics A100s in the basement. Pretty good Tuner in the -Sui! Lot of BASS authority for 55 watts x 2 (unit is pretty heavy for its size though--almost 10 lbs heavier than the JVC but much smaller in size).


cnh

[mhardy6647]

THe JVC components were sort of - idiosyncratic - in their aesthetics, but were actually quite good. I'll defer comment on the "SEA" ("Sound Effects Amplifier") graphic EQ feature, save to say "it was the '70s". Remember opera windows, platform shoes (for men) and leisure suits? :-)

The better JVC turntables of that era were (and still are) very, very good.

cnh, I am sure you know there was an update to the driver (IIRC) boards for the Sansui 5000A... does yours have those updated? If not, I think it's a time bomb of sorts :-O I have a 5000A from my favorite emporium; it works but I assume it hasn't been updated, so I don't use it (and, yes, I've been too lazy to open it up and check - for a decade or more).

[cnh]

I was told that the 5000A was OK when I bought it. But I guess I should open her up and have a look. I'm going to be cleaning out and lubing the controls of a Realistic STA 2200, and my HK 730 this weekend, so maybe I should look into Sansui as well and see what is actually in there?

I've always liked the old JVC stuff. And to be honest. Their older CDPs are almost indestructible. They just play and play and play, and they sound OK, too!

cnh

[mhardy6647]

The driver (IIRC) boards are clearly labeled (I think) - it should be easy (again, I think) to ID whether the boards are original or upgrades. Heck, I should check mine this weekend :-)

The info should be easy to find at AK...

[soundfreak1]

I remember having that amp for a short while. Wow cant believe i can remember that far back! LOL i think the sliders got too noisey and i dumped it for something else just cant remember what.

[Schurkey]

I remember having that amp for a short while.

That amp? WHICH amp?

[mhardy6647]

I am speculating that he was referring to one of the JVC receivers; note the mention of "sliders".

I remember having that amp for a short while. Wow cant believe i can remember that far back! LOL i think the sliders got too noisey and i dumped it for something else just cant remember what.

[ratster]

No doubt about it,that older gear is a whole lot sexier than anything built today! IMHO anyways.

[mhardy6647]

No doubt about it,that older gear is a whole lot sexier than anything built today! IMHO anyways.

I never said that...

;-)