I have a dilemma, maybe someone can clarify why vintage receivers are made with a lot more power and built heavier?( Technics SA-1000 has one transformer 12kg and the whole thing weighs 40kg!!!)
In stead integrated amps came half the weight and power...
Many, many full moons ago, when companies were trying to get the biggest share of the market trough demonstrating their technological expertise and build quality,
such behemots as SA -1000 were possible.
Problem - such designs were usually sold at
loss - meaning they cost manufacturers more than the retail price. Or very close to that - in short, not commercially viable.
Technics has units like SA-1000 - and plastick fantastick next-to-junk that hardly weighs anything. Hopefully, the units somewhere in between are reasonable - both from performance to the consumer and financial gain to the manufacturer views. The losses with flagship TOTL models were being compensated for by quantity of lower priced models sold.
This model came to an end around year 2000 - the last product still bearing Technics badge was 1210 turntable, finally discontinued a few years ago.
In today's hyper competitive market, the likes of SA-1000 are not totally impossible - but are extremely unlikely. There were technological advances over the years - but power amplifiers still require good power supplies and cooling ribs in order to deliver their goods ( if not some, generally still lame sounding D Class ) in a chassis that can support them - and that costs money. Try to ship the SA-1000 to another continent - shipping alone would exceed what most people are prepared to pay for stereo today.
For above reasons, as well as used pricing in general, is vintage ( good vintage ) equipment, despite all the progress and "progress" of today, still very interesting
way of obtaining superiour sound at reasonable cost.
There are 100 kg + power amps on the market today, with performance to match - at a price most of us can not even start swearing about....
