Amplifier Advice Please - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Glyn1884 · 21st May 2018, 12:39 pm

Hello to all, I am the proud owner of an Akai 4000DS in as new condition and was well worth the wait as it was bought in Holland.

I am now looking for some advice on amplifiers, I would prefer to go vintage with this and am looking for ideas from the knowledgeable people on here, any help is really helpful to me as it's a long time since I had time to enjoy music.

GrimJosef · 21st May 2018, 1:59 pm

The Akai 4000DS is a mid-1970's unit. When you say 'vintage' are you looking for an amplifier which is roughly contemporary with this ? If so then certainly by the second half of the 1970's solid-state amplifiers had reached the stage where their performance really didn't have to be the limiting element in the system as a whole. The overall sound was much more strongly influenced by the quality of the loudspeakers. If you are working with a fixed budget (and most of us are) then the trick will be to find a pair of speakers that suit the music you listen to and the room you'll be listening in and then to choose an amplifier which can drive them effectively. Any extra on the budget will very likely buy you a bigger performance improvement if you spend it on the speakers than if you go for a more expensive amplifier. That said, the very cheapest amplifiers (as with most other things) should be avoided. They wouldn't have been great to start with and their components (particularly capacitors) may well not have been designed for a long life. It's also worth checking that any moving parts (switches, controls, even connectors) are still in good order.

You might also want to think about what features you want. These days amplifier controls tend to be very minimal indeed. But treble, bass and balance knobs can make a significant improvement to your music if your room and/or your hearing aren't perfect.

Just my two penn'orth of course

.

Cheers,

GJ

buggies · 21st May 2018, 8:17 pm

I used an Armstrong 526 Tuner/Amplifier in conjunction with my 4000DS for a decade or so. Twenty-five real watts per channel available but usually played at a few watts into 8 ohm Wharfedale Linton IIs.
http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/500/500page1.html
They turn up regularly for very low prices on Ebay.
Only problems I had was with the plug-in pcb edge connectors, switches and pots needing cleaning.

Ted Kendall · 21st May 2018, 9:18 pm

The 600 series is good, too - more power, electronic signal switching, prettier styling...

Quad and Rogers would also do the job, but cult status has pushed prices up.

jamesperrett · 22nd May 2018, 1:36 am

One feature to look for is a tape monitor switch so that you can use the Akai's 3 heads to their full potential.

Nickthedentist · 22nd May 2018, 9:28 am

Nothing wrong with most run-of-the-mill Japanese receivers from the late 70s onwards.

How about this Realistic ST-204L for very little money, to get a feel for things? Even has a tape monitor button!

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=146741

Glyn1884 · 22nd May 2018, 10:03 am

Many thanks for all the replies maybe i should explain where it is going to be used, it will be in my spare room which is approx 14ft x 14ft and the music i now tend to listen to mostly is classic and some 50s to late 60s stuff.

Budget is of course a limiting factor so maybe all you audiophiles on here could steer me in the direction of amp/ speaker combinations. I forgot to add i have just found an old amp/tuner in my cupboard its a rank audio RX150 A circa 1974 memories of listening to soul music came flooding back.

Any help is once again very very welcome
Glyn

Ted Kendall · 22nd May 2018, 1:48 pm

You could do worse than wake up the Rotel for starters - they were good value in their day, and decently made. Might need some caps changing, but fire it up (through a lamp limiter if you like) and see how you go. This and the Akai would often have been used together.

Edward Huggins · 23rd May 2018, 9:21 am

The advantage of sourcing an older amplifier is that they are usually will be pre-CD and so have very flexible tape switching facilities as many of these will have been used with both Cassette and R2R decks.

However, I would not like to compromise the potential of your fine Akai deck and would venture to suggest that modern (mid-range £) Hi Fi amp with its usual Aux/Line inputs, may be more reliable, cheaper in the long run and would sound really good.

21st May 2018, 12:39 pm	#1
Glyn1884 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 4	Amplifier Advice Please Hello to all, I am the proud owner of an Akai 4000DS in as new condition and was well worth the wait as it was bought in Holland. I am now looking for some advice on amplifiers, I would prefer to go vintage with this and am looking for ideas from the knowledgeable people on here, any help is really helpful to me as it's a long time since I had time to enjoy music.

21st May 2018, 1:59 pm	#2
GrimJosef Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 4,311	Re: Amplifier Avice Please The Akai 4000DS is a mid-1970's unit. When you say 'vintage' are you looking for an amplifier which is roughly contemporary with this ? If so then certainly by the second half of the 1970's solid-state amplifiers had reached the stage where their performance really didn't have to be the limiting element in the system as a whole. The overall sound was much more strongly influenced by the quality of the loudspeakers. If you are working with a fixed budget (and most of us are) then the trick will be to find a pair of speakers that suit the music you listen to and the room you'll be listening in and then to choose an amplifier which can drive them effectively. Any extra on the budget will very likely buy you a bigger performance improvement if you spend it on the speakers than if you go for a more expensive amplifier. That said, the very cheapest amplifiers (as with most other things) should be avoided. They wouldn't have been great to start with and their components (particularly capacitors) may well not have been designed for a long life. It's also worth checking that any moving parts (switches, controls, even connectors) are still in good order. You might also want to think about what features you want. These days amplifier controls tend to be very minimal indeed. But treble, bass and balance knobs can make a significant improvement to your music if your room and/or your hearing aren't perfect. Just my two penn'orth of course . Cheers, GJ __________________ http://www.ampregen.com

21st May 2018, 8:17 pm	#3
buggies Heptode Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: West Lothian, UK. Posts: 761	Re: Amplifier Advice Please I used an Armstrong 526 Tuner/Amplifier in conjunction with my 4000DS for a decade or so. Twenty-five real watts per channel available but usually played at a few watts into 8 ohm Wharfedale Linton IIs. http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/500/500page1.html They turn up regularly for very low prices on Ebay. Only problems I had was with the plug-in pcb edge connectors, switches and pots needing cleaning. __________________ George

21st May 2018, 9:18 pm	#4
Ted Kendall Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 3,670	Re: Amplifier Advice Please The 600 series is good, too - more power, electronic signal switching, prettier styling... Quad and Rogers would also do the job, but cult status has pushed prices up.

22nd May 2018, 1:36 am	#5
jamesperrett Octode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,873	Re: Amplifier Advice Please One feature to look for is a tape monitor switch so that you can use the Akai's 3 heads to their full potential.

22nd May 2018, 9:28 am	#6
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,837	Re: Amplifier Advice Please Nothing wrong with most run-of-the-mill Japanese receivers from the late 70s onwards. How about this Realistic ST-204L for very little money, to get a feel for things? Even has a tape monitor button! https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=146741

22nd May 2018, 10:03 am	#7
Glyn1884 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Amplifier Advice Please Many thanks for all the replies maybe i should explain where it is going to be used, it will be in my spare room which is approx 14ft x 14ft and the music i now tend to listen to mostly is classic and some 50s to late 60s stuff. Budget is of course a limiting factor so maybe all you audiophiles on here could steer me in the direction of amp/ speaker combinations. I forgot to add i have just found an old amp/tuner in my cupboard its a rank audio RX150 A circa 1974 memories of listening to soul music came flooding back. Any help is once again very very welcome Glyn

22nd May 2018, 1:48 pm	#8
Ted Kendall Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 3,670	Re: Amplifier Advice Please You could do worse than wake up the Rotel for starters - they were good value in their day, and decently made. Might need some caps changing, but fire it up (through a lamp limiter if you like) and see how you go. This and the Akai would often have been used together.

23rd May 2018, 9:21 am	#9
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,324	Re: Amplifier Advice Please The advantage of sourcing an older amplifier is that they are usually will be pre-CD and so have very flexible tape switching facilities as many of these will have been used with both Cassette and R2R decks. However, I would not like to compromise the potential of your fine Akai deck and would venture to suggest that modern (mid-range £) Hi Fi amp with its usual Aux/Line inputs, may be more reliable, cheaper in the long run and would sound really good. __________________ Edward.