Amp for A-6 speakers and AR TT . Suggestions

[MICHELLE]

Hello knowledgeable folks here. 

Could any body please suggest an amp which would suit the speakers  AR-6 and the AR turntable ? 

I live in the UK . I have had a few suggestions but would just like to put it out there . 
 

would any one agree that a QED A 230 might be suitable, sorry to be such a needy  newbie

 

Michelle

[ar_pro]

Michelle -

QED hasn't had much of a presence in the USA, so you might want a UK member to weigh in with their opinion.

That said, for a nice vintage system of AR turntable and AR-6 speakers, a NAD 3020 (or similar) integrated amplifier might do the trick; they were really popular in the UK, have an input for a turntable, and don't cost a fortune on the used market. Just hit eBay for prices & descriptions to get an idea. 

The NAD 3020 even has its own Wikipedia entry! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAD_3020

 

[MICHELLE]

 Thank you,

It is good of you to reply, I am feeling a little lost right now. I have looked on e bay UK and I see the amp you suggested. Just messaged the seller a few questions.

I feel I am going in the right direction with help from peeps such as your self

cheers

Michelle

[genek]

QED A 230:  30 WPC @ 8ohms, 20-20k, THD 0.1%.

Should be fine for AR-6s in a normal size living room.

As with many vintage UK amps, it has speaker connectors that will be incomprehensible to most of us in the US, so be sure it comes with a manual and speaker cables or have someone local to you who will know how to hook it up.

 

[JKent]

QED manual https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/qed/a230.shtml

I like AR Pro's suggestion of NAD. Of course there are MANY others.

Looking at vintage amps on ebay.co.uk there are some brands that are unfamiliar (to me), and I don’t know your budget but in the 50-300 GBP range I see Rotel, Mission, Technics, Pioneer, Audiosource, Marantz, JVC, Trio (Kenwood), Sony, Denon, Luxman, Tandberg, Onkyo, Yamaha, Aiwa, Sansui Toshiba…. All good brands.

I see an AR X-04 from the ‘80s. Not a model I’m familiar with but consistent with your TT. 

Personally, I’d avoid Bang & Olufsen. Good stuff but they have weird proprietary speaker connectors.

You could narrow it down to your price range and select something you think looks good to you, in your home. Make sure the seller has 100% positive feedback and read the description carefully. And as I’ve mentioned it would be best to have a reputable shop check it out before you use it.

-Kent

[MICHELLE]

Thanks Kent,

I am going to check out the AR X 04 . 

I have enough suggestions to keep me busy now.

I appreciate your input

 

Michelle

[ra.ra]

This is a great thread about building a vintage system from scratch. That NAD 3020 amplifier has become something of a cult classic, and that AR X-04 is from a series that probably, like Rodney Dangerfield, does not receive sufficient respect. These are both very good suggestions to get you started on your search, but meanwhile, could you describe (or show, with pics) the version of AR-6 speakers you have?  We like pics here on this site.   

[MICHELLE]

9Thank you for the encouragement and info.

I received the AR The turntable today.I do not yet have the speakers.I will try to upload the pics as seen on the e bay sale.

Still not sure how to upload.Despite Kent explaining. I have put feelers out locally for an amp and a technician who seems really keen has suggested a Sony  TT 88.

It is from early 1970's.

The tech told me it sounds great.

I doubt it would cost too much but I would love to hear your opinions  lovely audio folk.

Regards

Michelle

[JKent]

Sony TA-88?  My brother had one with the matching tuner back in the '70s. I was not impressed. Not worthy of your beautiful AR turntable IMHO. https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sony/ta-88.shtml   And at 13 watts it will struggle with most AR speakers. Sony sold little speakers to go with this very compact system.

Where are you storing the photos you want to post? Are you using a Windows PC or a Mac? Do you know how big the pictures are? We'll help with the posting because we love pics!

Kent

[MICHELLE]

Hi Kent,

It is a shame about that little amp being not up to the job.

I really need to undetstand the amps job and speaker wattage etc.

Ok my pics are stored in my android's gallery.

If I try to upload on to this site, I am directed to My files in my android and I dont see my pics there anywhere .

I will keep on trying.Not sure what pics you would like to see?

I have the TT now and  i meed to get it checked over by someone who knows.

Will study more audiophile related info tonight.

Regards

Michelle

[JKent]

Michelle,

I'm not the ultimate authority on this. Maybe some other members will have an opinion. I just don't think much of the Sony.

And I'm afraid someone else will have to advise on posting photos. I post from my computer and I have an iPhone so dunno about posting from an Android. Sorry.

Kent

[MICHELLE]

I will try from the pc.

Might be easier to upload from there.

No worries about not being the ultimate authority, but you of course know more than me so I am gleaning any info I can.

To be honest I was not struck by the appearance of this particular amp and If you think it will struggle with most AR speakets, then I will keep well away.

I like that you want my fantastic looking TT to be partnered with a good amp.They need to be buddies right ?

Regards 

Michelle  

[JKent]

2 hours ago, MICHELLE said:

I like that you want my fantastic looking TT to be partnered with a good amp.They need to be buddies right ?

Yes. But bear in mind my bias. I'm an old guy and this is a "classic" hi-fi forum. So most of us here are going to recommend vintage amps and receivers. Personally, I love '70s stuff with real wood. Do a google search for "best looking vintage receiver" and you'll literally millions of hits (I just did and got 29,800,000 results!}

Much vintage equipment is available at bargain prices, and the '70s were the era of very powerful Japanese amps and lots of competition.

BUT. Vintage equipment has its drawbacks. 30 or 40 or 50 year old electronics may work fine but very likely will need some professional attention. 

I don't know what the stereo equipment stores are like in the UK. Here we have big stores that sell everything from cameras to TVs to stereos. You can go in and look around. Find a brand name receiver or integrated amp WITH a phono input that's within your budget, take it home, read the manual, plug in your turntable and speakers and enjoy. New equipment will have all the parts and if it doesn't work right out of the box, just return it.

But I do love the old stuff.  Here are some I've owned. Most were very cheap $0 to $50 USD. I cleaned them up and made them pretty. SOme were a little more work and expense (KLH 27, Advent 300), and a couple were quite pricey (McIntosh, AR, Marantz). The correlation between price and quality was nil. I put a lot into the AR and it's a good receiver but but the Sherwood is nearly as good while the Sylvania and Fisher were superior and those cost practically nothing! (ebay, thrift stores and trash finds) 

 

[ra.ra]

Kent, those are all gorgeous receivers and great pics of known and unknown vintage components, even if that Sherwood has the after-market power switch (and it does look really good, BTW - - and might even be an improvement). The salient point here is that, with a smattering of knowledge, a little risk-taking, and a leap of faith, vintage electronics can often be had for a relatively small initial investment - - but yes, sometimes, these items might require some areas of repair, yet still often offering excellent value. If you're shopping at the bottom of the ocean like me, with a little patience you'll probably find the oyster shell with the precious pearl inside . 

For posting pics, try to find a method for downsizing images to approx. 100KB (or less) jpeg files. Save these to your computer, and then drag icon to your posting effort.

Late 60's and early 70's SONY made many wonderful consumer products with truly elegant and sophisticated product design aesthetics, but I agree with Kent that you could find a better (and still affordable) power source for your AR components. Pic attached shows the entire Sony 88 series.

[JKent]

1 hour ago, ra.ra said:

that Sherwood has the after-market power switch

Eagle eye! Ya got me!

The Sherwood 7100A is a really nice little receiver. Made in the USA, with an excellent tuner section but only 17wpc and not very valuable on the used market. Their Achilles heel was the on/off/volume pot. Often the on/off would break and the part is virtual unobtainium. The choices are to install an in-line switch on the cord, use a power strip or the like, or drill into the front panel. Since this isn't a collectible item, I drilled and installed the toggle. Nice to know you agree that it looks good.

1 hour ago, ra.ra said:

all gorgeous receivers and great pics of known and unknown vintage components,

OK. Here goes:

1. Marantz 4270. Free.  A friend gave me this when he got a little Bose system. I had it serviced, bought an aftermarket wood case (gotta have that!) and sold it. Gave my friend a big gift certificate to his favorite restaurant.
2. Advent 300. A nice little (also low power) amp with excellent preamp and tuner. I completely re-capped it and had it professionally aligned. Kept this one. Also have one with a silver face.
3. AR Model R. I bought this from our late CSP friend George "toastedalmond." I wanted to use it with my AR-3a's. Nice, a little difficult to work on. I replaced all capacitors and re-strung the dial. Had it professionally checked and aligned. There's a scratch/abrasion on the face. I also added a wood cabinet from the donor unit. Spent too much then sold it on ebay at a loss.
4. Kenwood KR-3090. Free. A friend found this in the trash in NYC outside a Chinese restaurant. It was coated with grease. I cleaned it up and sold it.
5. KLH Model Twenty-Seven. Had to have this for my Kloss collection! A nice unit. Just 30wpc. It was Kloss's first receiver. This is another case where I bought a parts donor, combined the best of both but it still needed a lot of work, which I left to a pro (Bristol Electronics).
6. Lafayette 4000. A thrift shop find. Did some cosmetic fixes and sold at the local electronics store.
7. McIntosh 4100. My most expensive receiver and a good one. 100wpc. Only complaint: It had an abominable "wood grain vinyl" cabinet. I ditched that and bought a nice solid walnut cabinet from AudioClassics. Then replaced every capacitor in the unit, following a thread over on AudioKarma. Then had it aligned and checked by Bristol Electronics. It could have been the amp for my AR-3a's but in the end I'm really a separates guy so I sold it at a slight loss.
8. The aforementioned Sherwood 7100A.
9. Sylvania RQ 3748. A real sleeper. TOTL model. ($600 in 1973, 39 pounds). Built right here in the USA in Batavia, NY. Quad! Bridgeable. Two phono inputs. A little-known and under-valued American beauty! Check out this site: http://www.vintagesylvania.net/?page=components&category=recv
10. Sylvania CR 2743. Not as spiffy as the previous one, but a solid 50wpc, PQ4 (?) output and dig that cool Marantz style flywheel tuning!
11. Fisher 440. 1965. Excellent receiver. 70wpc into 4 ohms. I bought this as a package deal with a Dual 1019 TT with Shure M3D, a pair of JansZen JZ-800 speakers and this. For $25! Unfortunately I was only interested in speakers at the time. Should have kept the Fisher. And the Dual.

TMI? 

[MICHELLE]

Thank you so much everyone who has replied and posted pics.One thing you can all be sure of is that I have quickly become addicted to this forum .

You are all so helpful.

Helpful as well in inciting my lust for speakers, amps , and turntables.

This is a new thing for me , totally.

I have made my purchase today of a  very nice looking vintage sansui 1000x amp/tuner.

I am expecting delivery on Thurs.

Still waiting for the AR speakers.

Then off to tech for tweaking  and assembly.

Please good people here give views on the amp I have bought.

Be honest...gulp.

Hoping I have bought well.

Thankyou all.

Michelle

[JKent]

Michelle: 1

Forces of Evil: 0

?

[ra.ra]

Am not personally familiar with this receiver, but I would anticipate that it will be a fine match. It debuted around the same time as the AR-6, and very many Sansui electronics products from that period were highly regarded. Quite possibly this receiver will require a bit of servicing: controls cleaning and maybe a full re-cap, at the least. Re: product specs, ignore that 100w rating - - - this is an old-fashioned 28 watt amplifier for 8-ohm speakers and that should be just fine for this system if the electronics are properly functioning. Excellent tuner, too! 

[Giorgio AR]

4 hours ago, ra.ra said:

Am not personally familiar with this receiver, but I would anticipate that it will be a fine match. It debuted around the same time as the AR-6, and very many Sansui electronics products from that period were highly regarded. Quite possibly this receiver will require a bit of servicing: controls cleaning and maybe a full re-cap, at the least. Re: product specs, ignore that 100w rating - - - this is an old-fashioned 28 watt amplifier for 8-ohm speakers and that should be just fine for this system if the electronics are properly functioning. Excellent tuner, too! 

Hello Michelle, among my amplifiers I have the Sansui 2000x receiver: 39 x 2 W with which worked my pair of AR2ax, and I think it was perfectly suitable for these speakers and very well sounding (even with this receiver I did not need to intervene on tone controls, left in flat position for optimal sound performance).
Now my Sansui receiver is not working, it must be recapped the FM section which alone has a buzz and background of stations!
Your receiver must be a couple of years prior to my 1972 Sansui 2000x and the watts declared by the manufacturer are true and probably higher than the declared value, you will have a beautiful match, I think a final musical match!

A good listening

Giorgio

[Aadams]

Michelle

Sansui 1000x was my very first power unit, purchased in 1971.  I remember it having a warm sound.  It will be a good match for those AR6s if it is working correctly.  Looking at the specs I see the bass control turnover is at  50hz +/- 12db which I did not know then but IMO is a good thing especially with your AR6s.  

Adams

[JKent]

14 hours ago, ra.ra said:

Quite possibly this receiver will require a bit of servicing: controls cleaning and maybe a full re-cap, at the least.

I agree it should be looked over by a qualified tech, in fact I recommended that in an earlier post, but I doubt a full re-cap would be needed. And that could run into some money. One of the things I like about my favorite repair shop is that he operates under the philosophy "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Full recaps are fine for DIYers like us but for Michelle I think just doing whatever it takes to assure it is working properly.

-Kent

[MICHELLE]

Thank you every one for holding my hand whilst making my purchases, really helpful for I  know not a soul who knows anything about vintage set up. at least not in my friends or family.

 I feel very drawn to completing this project. I have to ask myself why  I cant be content with MP3 output , or listening to CD's. I would be interested to hear any  of you here on this forum give your reasons for listening to vinyl/sounds through your dream set up ?

For me.  I really have no idea other than nostalgic memories as a teen ( many, many years ago).  In those days I would be quite jealous of my older brother who had saved hard for a half decent stereo system. He would buy a single record each week. Sometimes I would sneak into his room when he was out so I could give his vinyl a spin.  In future years I would have to be content with listening to albums on my parents radiogram. How old does that sound ?  In fact it was the late 70's, and when they were out of the way I would play any decent sounds my brother had left behind.

 Even later still once I was settled  I remember getting rid of all my  Hi Fi  separates  ( I cant remember the make ), Everything was replaced and I was in awe of the CD and players etc. I wince now when I recall giving all my vinyl albums away, it was years and years of collecting, but I was ruthless.

Well,  as i have said earlier I would really like to know how these older players and vinyl are held in such high esteem by those here. Maybe I can relate.

I am taking delivery of the amp tomorrow and i hope my speakers will  be ready for collection. Once, it has been to tech i will be able to listen and I  am really so excited.

I wonder if I will be able to hear the warm sound you all so often mention.  I have no idea what a warm sound may sound like?

Thanks again everyone for all the advice, opinions, pics and most of all your willingness to share

 

Michelle

 

[Aadams]

26 minutes ago, MICHELLE said:

I wonder if I will be able to hear the warm sound you all so often mention.  I have no idea what a warm sound may sound like?

Warm is highly subjective. All of the old Sansuis that I ever heard from the 70s had that sound.  It is a comforting sort of sound that is not necessarily correct but it is way better than cold and analytical.  Just keep the volume reasonable and maybe turn on the loudness switch, which is also centered at 50hz, and you will hear the warm sound. You will like your setup.

[ar_pro]

49 minutes ago, Aadams said:

Warm is highly subjective. All of the old Sansuis that I ever heard from the 70s had that sound.  

I really agree with this. Sansui amplifiers & receivers from that era seemed to have a more tube-like presentation than the competition from Pioneer, Kenwood, and Technics.

Marantz would probably be right behind Sansui for this sort of characteristic.

Have you selected a phono cartridge, Michelle? 

HiFi News just published a reprint of their original review of your AR turntable:

 

[MICHELLE]

Thank you Aadams,

The article you sent from the magazine  thank you, I can use this to increase my learning, I  will need to look up the terms and tech jargon in order to understand, I jumped to the conclusion though and it is very positive. I am pleased with the TT,  not up and working yet, but it looks the business I have to say. It has a real nice classic look and it is really heavy. It does need a super clean up too. There are some scratches to the dust cover , I have seen on you tube some people clean these with car headlight cleaning kits, you would have to be  a brave person to attempt ?

As for the cartridge, again I have no idea what will be required. I am happy to hear your suggestions, I do want to do the turntable justice and get the best I can afford . it is scary to see the prices of some cartridges , unbelievable. I had no idea.

Thanks again for the magazine review, I will download and i am starting a  a file to keep all the relevant info in that you are all kindly providing me with

Michelle