German amps?

[PaulMB]

Danke Topa,

The A2s are fairly expensive on German Ebay, too. Or rather, the prices are erratic, from 120 to 300 Euros. Lovely design; the seller always says that Dieter Rams designed it, I'll have to check if its true because sellers often claim that anything Braun is Dieter Rams.

I looked for Telefunken, some of which are nice-looking, the Grundigs are OK, too. I'll look at Saba and Metz, which I could probably also use to take flas photographs! (sorry, bad joke).

The Meracus seems interesting, but a little too willfully stylish. More 1990s post-modern than functional.
I think, though, that I've just made a deal to buy a Dual CV 1250 for 50 Euro. So maybe I should stop here! Of course, if I see something in a flea market......

 

[seoirse2002]

Get an old Dual with sliders for volume and tone,can be had cheap and actually sound good too! or perhaps a Sonab,built like a tank,but great also.

 

[PaulMB]

Sonab! Never heard of that one, I'll look right now.

Yes, I've seen the ones with sliders going cheap. But maybe sliders will become a "cult" thing too.

I think I'll start a thread on how many amps, old new, working, broken, pfms own.

 

[PaulMB]

Nope, only Sonabs I've found are speakers and one TT.

Any DDR brands that were any good?

 

[seoirse2002]

have a look at this one that just sold on the Bay...251238627959 Talk about retro and it went for a bargain too!! Ive got one like this and also the Omni directional speakers too.

 

[wirbeltier]

Sonab is from Sweden, iirc

 

[topa]

a little too willfully stylish. More 1990s post-modern than functional.

The seller has been questioned on the design, and replied it's a wooden cover which can be removed. Underneath is the normal amp.

 

[Klyde]

German cars fine, German amps and speakers rubbish. Some German tuners (Braun, Telefunken, Grundig) nice.

 

[andrewd]

German cars fine, German amps and speakers rubbish. Some German tuners (Braun, Telefunken, Grundig) nice.

I know its not in the scope the OPs request, but recent Octave amps are getting good reviews.... I have one in mind for a future upgrade.

 

[PaulMB]

The seller has been questioned on the design, and replied it's a wooden cover which can be removed. Underneath is the normal amp.

Thanks, it did look a bit strange, like something in an Ikea kitchen.

 

[PaulMB]

have a look at this one that just sold on the Bay...251238627959 Talk about retro and it went for a bargain too!! Ive got one like this and also the Omni directional speakers too.

Thanks, very nice, sort of Dr.Who/StarTrek/U-Boot style.

 

[Hoopsontoast]

If you could pick up a Restek Challenger for under the equiv of £300, you have bargain considering the SQ - very "Germanic" looks as well!

I really liked my Challenger, oodles of power and control, drove my maggies like a boss! Maybe slightly grainy treble but that's the only thing if I had to think of a downside.
Also, loads of inputs, 8 Line inputs in total! Also ran very cool, even at high levels with a 4ohm load.
Sold mine last month or so for £270 IIRC

 

[ecknertz]

Hi Paul,
Interesting to read, that you like the design of vintage german hifi. I am german and like the design of british vintage hifi (e.g. Radford gear) even more...
I have this one: http://www.hifi-wiki.de/index.php/Telefunken_HA_870 stored for years in the attic. I would let it go for 50 Euros plus postage.
Drop me a PM if interested.
Joerg

 

[ecknertz]

German cars fine, German amps and speakers rubbish. Some German tuners (Braun, Telefunken, Grundig) nice.

Hi,
there are some fine german speakers and amps. Some examples:

Acapella speakers are very good, (but also very expensive)
e.g.: http://www.acapella.de/de/archiv/sarastro.php - I heard these once and the really blew me away..

Omtec produced very good sounding class a amps

Outsider and Audiolabor produced high class audio equipment

Horch amps are an insiders` tip in Germany

Symphonic line and Brinkmann are well regarded in the high end world

Not to be missunderstood: I listen to Exposure amplification

Joerg

 

[PaulMB]

Thanks Joerg,
I've now got a Uher tuner, a Dual tuner, and on Thursday I should have a Dual amp, so I think I'll pass on the Telefunken. But I thought it was interesting that there was a "cult" or a fashion for American, Japanmese and British amps, but somehow the German products never became "trendy." Although I can well believe that many were very good. After all, it is not that difficult to build an amp, and German industry tends to know how to build things. Maybe it was just that people associated Saba, Grundig, Telefunken, etc with TVs and radios.

 

[ecknertz]

Hi Paul,

the "cult-factor" of most of the german Hifi gear of the 70s and 80s is indeed not very high. I tend to think, that many products were not musical enough to become cult.
What really is cult in Germany and i forgot to mention is: Klein & Hummel
These are still active today and they produce(d) studio equipment.
Have a look here:
http://www.neumann-kh-line.com/klein-hummel/globals.nsf/resources/k9.pdf/$File/k9.pdf

Today they trade under Neumann Sennheiser
Maybe you like the design ;-)

They built one of the finest tuners: the K+H FM 2002
A pic of this one:
http://www.neumann-kh-line.com/klein-hummel/globals.nsf/resources/kleinundhummel_fm2002es2006_hq.jpg/$File/kleinundhummel_fm2002es2006_hq.jpg

Cheers

Joerg

 

[Klyde]

Hi,
there are some fine german speakers and amps. Some examples:

Acapella speakers are very good, (but also very expensive)
e.g.: http://www.acapella.de/de/archiv/sarastro.php - I heard these once and the really blew me away..

Omtec produced very good sounding class a amps

Outsider and Audiolabor produced high class audio equipment

Horch amps are an insiders` tip in Germany

Symphonic line and Brinkmann are well regarded in the high end world

Not to be missunderstood: I listen to Exposure amplification

Joerg

You're right of course, I was being naughty. This is un-me. In real life I try not to judge the book by the cover. I read a lot of the German magazine 'Audio' in the nineties. Brinkmann, Burmester and others are very serious German High End makes. What Germanic hifi needs IMHO is an amplifier like Rega's Brio-r, understated, affordable and very musical.

Kind regards,

Klyde

 

[ecknertz]

You're right of course, I was being naughty. This is un-me. In real life I try not to judge the book by the cover. I read a lot of the German magazine 'Audio' in the nineties. Brinkmann, Burmester and others are very serious German High End makes. What Germanic hifi needs IMHO is an amplifier like Rega's Brio-r, understated, affordable and very musical.

Kind regards,

Klyde

Hi,

you are completely right!
I know not one german integrated amp in the 90`s, that has been comparable with british amps (MuFi, Mission, Naim, Arcam, Onix, Nytech.........) in terms of musicality.
This was the cause, why british were very popular in Germany. Today there is a new market, where the "old amps" are restored and then sold for nearly the original price as a musical alternative to the electronis offered today.

Cheers
Joerg

 

[denni55]

i use a German pre-amp here,the Bonnec Timpano.
fine piece of german audio which has been upgraded since i bought it from Sound Org in Leeds.
my Linto was in situ so i didn't go for the Fono.

 

[coltrane]

...German amps and speakers rubbish...

you must never ever have listened to an. e.g. Meracus amp or an MBL speaker, mate