Sondex S230 Amp

[kasbridge]

I have one of these, bought in the 80s, owned from new, nint condition.

Paid around £180 for it originally, made in Bristol I think.

Does anyone know anything about these? is it worth getting serviced or should I replace with a modern NAD or similar?

Thanks,
Kevin.

 

[Robert]

What does it sound like?

Don't asume that modern is better, certainly where amplifiers are concerned.
If you like the sound I'd be inclined to service it.

 

[hifi_dave]

It's ringing a bell. Did it have anything to do with Radford ? Any pics ?

 

[quickie]

 

[YNWOAN]

I remember them - I'm not sure that it didn't become the QED amp in the end.

 

[Robert]

 

[hifi_dave]

I thought there was a Radford connection but I don't think it morphed into the QED amp did it ? That was an awful cheap and nasty product.

 

[YNWOAN]

Perhaps it didn't - so very long agooooooooo.

 

[hifi_dave]

 

[flatpopely]

Does it look like a Myst TMA3? Or am I mad?

 

[YNWOAN]

A bit mad...yes - no connection there as far as I know...all those 'reasonably priced' amps looked similar back then .

 

[flatpopely]

A bit mad...yes - no connection there as far as I know...all those 'reasonably priced' amps looked similar back then .

Thought so. Thats what Ouzo and Metaxa does to you!

PM you in a mo.

 

[pure sound]

mad as a fish

 

[flatpopely]

mad as a fish

I think you'll find its 'mad as a box of frogs'.

My memory is shit

 

[Ptah]

I had one of these in 1984. Its USP at the time I remember was its passive preamp - similar in design to one of the recent Naits in that respect I guess. It was 30 rather polite watts as I remember - cleaner than the 25w Nytech receiver I had been using, but I sold it on after 6 months in favour of some valves, which worked wonders with the LS3/5as I was using then.
I suppose my view was coloured by using those speakers, though it did teach me a bit about system matching.
Quite a nice design for the time though. Better made than the Nytech stuff!

 

[hifi_dave]

Anything (almost) was better made than Nytech. Did you ever open one up to find an intermittent fault amongst the rat's nest ?

 

[Robert]

mad as a fish

Guy, do you think that was a decent amp?

I have the matching FM tuner here in black and that sounds very nice, despite feeling like it was crafted from a biscuit tin.

 

[pure sound]

I had one as a student before discovering the pleasures of valve amps. It replaced an original Nait. At the time (1983/4) it was the best <£250 amp I could find & I did try the Cyrus & Audiolab alternatives aswell.

I recently bought a Marantz Pm4 of a similar vintage and I'd say now that the Marantz probably was the best new amplifier I could've bought for that price back then. But the TMA3 was nice and made a great job of driving some Gale 401's I subsequently acquired which definitely weren't an easy load. It was beautifully made inside too. I never heard the tuner. The aesthetic minimalism of the Myst designs did appeal to me though, simple & elegant.

 

[grf]

Hi all, I have been reading this post, and I have located a SONDEX S230 on ebay,
Im thinking of bidding on it
but the seller has a Input Matching Module listed for it
He states its a MM2 Module,
Does any one know about this AMP and the MODULE please

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONDEX-S230-Amplifier-SUBLIME-AMPLIFIER-W-O-W-/320632346769?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers&hash=item4aa72d5891#ht_2496wt_1141

Its got a few days to run but it looks like a nice amp

Thanks in advance
GRF

 

[grf]

Hi all, I have been reading this post, and I have located a SONDEX S230 on ebay,
Im thinking of bidding on it
but the seller has a Input Matching Module listed for it
He states its a MM2 Module,
Does any one know about this AMP and the MODULE please

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONDEX-S230-A...2346769?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item4aa72d5891#ht_2496wt_1141

Its got a few days to run but it looks like a nice amp

Thanks in advance
GRF