So, are intergratted amps the 'new' flavor of the month? - Page 3

That's the one!
That is such a cool looking old amp.
That's just mana to an old vintage fiend like me; love it!
Which model is it? Yours is the only one I've ever seen.

BTW, you are right, there's a cool TEAC A-H500 on Ebay going cheap. I already have one and I'm still tempted to bid on it. Too bad they don't open it up and show it's beautifully organized innards.

Like sticking kOhms on there to make it effectively "invisible" compared to the speaker side, and going ahead with production (so, yes, values of resistors) v. figuring out the minimum safe value (rounded up to a common resistor size), and trying that...then, maybe even actually listening to it.

My main objective was to disagree with Sob (where'd the post go?) on the word "consider," more than anything else. That is, a resistor on the output does change the frequency response relative to the speaker output, and even does so differently with each headphone hooked up, so it is a change in principle.

That doesn't mean, "your integrated amp must sound like crap with headphones." It means that the implication that a good speaker output will mean that the HP output is also very good (since it's just a resistor, usually) is not true, and, because of that, that the HP out deserves to be evaluated on its own.

Yes. Lovely innards indeed....



I'm tempted by the TEAC myself, and I do not need another integrated amp. My old HK is an A-402 a dual mono design rated at 40 watts per channel, though on the bench a few months ago, it measured at 52. Its innards are not quite as lovely, though the dual transformers are kinda cool to look at.

Tim

Just do it!
Everyone needs new toys and the TEAC is lovely.
You won't regret it and you will have fun with it.

It's a beautiful amp, with really nice solid build quality, very well laid out with lots of inputs, great punchy yet warm, detailed and smooth SS sound, CD Direct mode, A great motorised volume control that's loads of fun to watch turn from the remote control and very cool and the illuminated input switch is just amazingly tactile. Then let's not forget that headphone stage which at least a couple of other head-fiers and I seem to think is quite something and it even has a phono stage for heaven's sakes! (Not that I've used said phono stage to comment on its goodness or nay..
All the TEAC 500 series components are pretty high quality (I own a bunch of them) but the A-H500 is the real star and it represents really good value for money at the moment IMHO, if you can find one.
Certainly it would be hard to lose money on one if you were inclined to give one a try-out and sell it on if it didn't do it for you.

I love mine!

Specs:

• 50W + 50W RMS output at 8ohm
• 80W + 80W RMS output at 4ohm
• Separate left/right channel circuits
• Toroidal power transformer
• Motor-driven volume control
• 6-Input selector: Tuner, Tape 1,
Tape 2/MD, CD, Phono, AUX
• Tone control (bass, treble)
• Rec. selector (Tape 1-2, Tape 2-1,
Off, Source)
• Balance control
• CD Direct
• Binding post speaker terminals
• Headphone jack
• WxHxD: 285 x 131 x 319mm
• Weight: 7kg

+ Full-function infra-red system
remote control
• Frequency response:
5Hz to 80kHz
• Signal to noise ratio:
Better than 95dB (Aux, CD, Tape, Tuner)
Better than 100dB (CD-Direct)
• Input sensitivity/impedance:
180mV/10kohm (Aux, CD, Tape, Tuner)

both very good points.