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Sony TA-N77ES "Japan's greatest power amplifier of all time"

jtrade

jtrade

pfm Member
.... if Ken Rockwell says so, then it MUST be true, right :p !?

But it is stunningly beautiful to my old eyes (beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder...) :

http://kenrockwell.com/audio/sony/images/ta-n77es/D3S_8468-2000.jpg

I am feeling the urge to sell a lot of gear to buy one (my VU meter bug has not gone away...). They are very rare in Europe & I just missed one in excellent condition on Marktplaats : the highest bid was €750 before the sale closed, so my guess is that it sold for around the €900 level.

Two questions, please :

* Has anyone actually heard one ?

* Could the two attenuator controls be sensibly used in lieu of a pre-amp for a single source ?

Rockwell's review : http://kenrockwell.com/audio/sony/ta-n77es.htm

Edit : Vintage Knob : http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-TA-N77ES.html
 
Awesome looking bit of kit! I own several of the high end ES era CD players and the build quality is stunning.

There seems to a good supply of Sony ES era kit in Germany. I wish you good luck with the search and please let us know if you find one.
 
The big Technics power amp look better to me, available in black and gold...



 
And there is this one, also from Technics, and suspiciously similar...

 
lennyw said:
There's one out there:
https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=Sony+TA-N77ES
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks, Lenny - but it's over in Canada & I will have to find one within driving range of Amsterdam or London, as I would not be keen to risk shipping. They do come up from time to time and the Vintage Knob write-up suggests the European spec models are preferable :

"The 110-240V multi version N77ES has some difference to the 120V version internally related to the turn on circuitry and overload circuitry :
the US N77 could not deliver the same power as the multivoltage units due to a two stage protector that actually reduced the power by switching in a lower supply rail when an overload was detected.
Not only that, there were problems with the relay contacts in the supply rails. The multivoltage unit is by far the best."
Click to expand...
 
Saw this the other day and was gobsmaked by the look and specification, didn't really concider Mitsubishi audio gear before...:cool:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MITSUBISHI-DA-A10DC-amp-DA-P20-preamp-DA-M10-power-meters-just-for-you-/121222664037?hash=item1c396f0f65:g:LxMAAMXQaOVRlLlC

Mitsubishi-DA-M10-05.jpg


The whole Facia is an optional extra lol
 
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There are some big Luxman power amps that are highly thought of.

When Alastair Robertson-Aikman built his big system based on stacked and modified ESL-63s, he choose the M-4000.
 
Hempknight said:
Saw this the other day and was gobsmaked by the look and specification, didn't really concider Mitsubishi audio gear before...:cool:


Mitsubishi-DA-M10-05.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks suspiciously like a design rip-off from the Pioneer M-22, which I consider to be the best ever Japanese amplifier of all time.

m-22.JPG
 
3806-PS-120M.jpg
Friend had one of these years ago.
Sadly my vintage Marantz power amps have no VUs
 
James said:
That looks suspiciously like a design rip-off from the Pioneer M-22, which I consider to be the best ever Japanese amplifier of all time.

m-22.JPG
Click to expand...

Or at least the best ever Japanese amplifier without VU meters of all time ('love the design)...
 
Those amps are a work of art and make a statement when it comes to the look! But are they really any better than any competent amp than can drive its speaker load effectively?

Or isn't that the point ... ?
 
beammeup said:
Those amps are a work of art and make a statement when it comes to the look! But are they really any better than any competent amp than can drive its speaker load effectively?

Or isn't that the point ... ?
Click to expand...
The M-22 has dropped a few jaws amongst visiting friends, so I guess the answer is yes.
 
beammeup said:
Those amps are a work of art and make a statement when it comes to the look! But are they really any better than any competent amp than can drive its speaker load effectively?

Or isn't that the point ... ?
Click to expand...

As James writes, quite possibly yes (but probably not), although for me it is indeed not the point : I want technology-as-art, which I think both the TA-N77ES & M-22 achieve (yours truly preferring the VU meter option...).
 
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