Worth Buying An A & R Cambridge A60 amplifier?

[Minstrel SE]

I have an urge to buy one of these and the matching tuner. I try not to buy much "vintage" stuff now although I dispute the term vintage as it makes me feel very old :)

Talk me out of it :) It it worth having a dabble bearing in mind I will have to re-capacitor the whole thing. My soldering iron is ready

What should I pay for a tidy example as they range from say £70 to £200 for the amplifier.

I have the Arcam Alpha 1 which is a bit of fun with a very low noise floor...better than the Creek 4040 in that respect.

Is the A60 a fighting contender for the Nytech 252 or is it just time to stop buying vintage equipment and get with the times.

Best wishes
Martin

[walpurgis]

The A60 sounds 'safe' with budget gear. Which is why it used to be popular. I've had a couple and found them rather unexciting and dull. Same with the NAD 3020 and Audiolab 8000..............I'd not touch a Nytech.

If I wanted an old amp, I'd consider a Cambridge P50/60/80. Not exactly the ultimate in reliability, but surprisingly decent sounding. Rotel RA-611 is rather nice too and doesn't go wrong, which is why there are still quite a few about. Both have good phono stages.

[Minstrel SE]

Yes I think what drives this is products I feel familiar with because I grew up with the adverts and they look good to me. Its hardly a proper reason to be buying them now as times move on

I looked at what you mentioned and my feeling is they go back too far into the seventies :) but as you say they probably sound very good

I probably going to stop buying vintage gear now and go with my plans for a new passive pre and power.

[Arkless Electronics]

The A60 sounds 'safe' with budget gear. Which is why it used to be popular. I've had a couple and found them rather unexciting and dull. Same with the NAD 3020 and Audiolab 8000..............I'd not touch a Nytech.

If I wanted an old amp, I'd consider a Cambridge P50/60/80. Not exactly the ultimate in reliability, but surprisingly decent sounding. Rotel RA-611 is rather nice too and doesn't go wrong, which is why there are still quite a few about. Both have good phono stages.

Technically interesting and ahead of their time but they have indeed got a dubious reliability record...

I was thinking the other day that it could be fun to do up a Leak Stereo/Delta 70 into a "street sleeper" :eyebrows:

[narabdela]

Technically interesting and ahead of their time but they have indeed got a dubious reliability record...


My P110 gave sterling service (apart from a noisy volume pot) for over twenty years before I moved it on.

I must have been lucky.