|
Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment. |
|
Thread Tools |
22nd Nov 2005, 6:45 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Southport Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 3,221
|
Amplifier build quality.
I am starting this thread in total frustration! I bought an Armstrong 625 a while ago as I had wanted one in my youth and could never afford one. They were quite highly regarded in their day. It wasn't working due to an internal lead having dropped off.
When I first took it apart I was appalled by the awful build quality. It is all poorly pushed together plastic bits with very iffy-looking dull solder joints. I reconnected the loose wire and a few more that self destructed whilst the cover was off and it actually worked very well. In the few months since then I have had to re-solder components on several occasions and have just put it back together for the umteenth time. It is no wonder that the British Hi-Fi manufacturing industry was swamped by the Japanese if this is typical of what we produced at the time. The Rotel 500A that I bought instead of an Armstrong has worked faultlessly ever since and has Rolls Royce build quality compared to the Armstrong! Paul Last edited by Darren-UK; 12th Jun 2007 at 10:45 pm. Reason: ebay reference removed and post made subject-specific. |
22nd Nov 2005, 7:06 pm | #2 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: North London, UK.
Posts: 6,168
|
Re: Armstrong 625 build quality
I still have an Armstrong 625 which I used as my main amp for a few years. It worked well and I don't think I ever took the cover off except out of curiosity.
Last edited by Darren-UK; 12th Jun 2007 at 10:46 pm. Reason: Post made more specific. |
22nd Nov 2005, 8:35 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
|
Re: Armstrong 625 build quality
A lot of medium-quality British amps from this period were very poorly put together.
I mended a Sugden A48 for someone a few years ago. It was beautifully designed and weighed a ton, but the quality of the workmanship (e.g soldering) was more like what you'd expect from a schoolboy project Nick |
23rd Nov 2005, 1:19 am | #4 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 4,246
|
Re: Armstrong 625 build quality
Quote:
Paul |
|