Re: Hifi landmarks

The 92A isn't the most desireable WE theatre amp, at all. IMO none of
them are that great to listen to, but there are others that have the
rackmount chassis and metering that at least makes them look cool.
Historically they are significant though.

I've never had the pleasure of listening to a 92-A, but I've been staring at
the photos and schematic in my Audel's Radioman's Guide since I was 12, and
if there was ever an amplifier I wanted to have, this is it!

For the benefit of the original poster, this is an all transformer coupled
all triode design, from the late 1930s. You will find a lot of info on the
net about it. Last pair I saw on ebay went for over $20,000 - surely, mostly
because of rarity and collector's value.

Mcmurdo Silver and EH Scott offered amplifiers of equal quality
sonically (not in build quality) before WWII, and on a component basis
at that.

I'd love to have one of (either of) their console radios!

1.2 Some high end RCA theatre amplifiers

RCA used innovative circuits and good parts, but they are not known
for good sound, and no one copied them. They are not "high end". They
are evolutionary and sonic dead end.

I think high end was the wrong term - I meant, something powerful, and class
AB, with decent usable bandwidth. (i.e. not strictly PA)
I have a pair of old RCA's, love their sound, and use them for hours every
day... I've compared them to plenty of other tube and solid state
amplifiers, and for some reason, they just 'do it' for me. Technically,
they are not advanced, or wonderful - kind of like an RCA tube manual
inspired design ;) Regulated screens, and a choke input power supply are the
most notable features.

I guess it's a combination of great sound (they drive my Tannoy Saturns like
nothing else I've tried!), being built before the downfall of the American
electronics industry, being built by the late, great RCA, and the fact that
I can listen to them all day and never, ever get tired of their sound! I'm
not going to argue about their technical merit, but for me, they do enough
right that they'll be with me as long as I can keep them working! (or, I win
the lotto and buy the first item on my list!)


1.3 A pair of Brook 10C amplifiers

The Brook was the first "retro" design commercially available, and was
the only commercial amp to use WE 300Bs. They got away with it by
making it usable with either 2A3s or 300Bs, as 300Bs were not licensed
for sale for consumer use. This wasn't much enforced-you could buy them
from Graybar for use in surplus or privately owned PBX equipment-but
the manufacturer could not ship a unit with 300Bs installed to consumer
users.

See the Curtis Schafer triode amp in the Audio Anthology Vol 1.
Surely, you have the set??


As it turns out the Brooks had mediocre-at-best transformers and don't
sound good today. But historically I concede their place.

I corresponded with a gentleman who had a pair, and used them with RCA
LC-1a's, and was very happy with the combination. I have no personal
experience, but put them on the list for the same reason you mentioned.


4.1 Harmon Kardon Citation II

One of the few genuinely good tube commercial amps of the age besides
Mc and Marantz for home use. The Fairchild 275 were another.


It's beautiful. Interestingly, the original early 1960s review of this
amplifier in Audio Magazine (USA) compares this amplifier with western
electric gear of the 1930s.



.

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