Sony amp

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi,just a few observations regarding amps,I'v been interested in valve amps forthe last few years with just the occasional venture into transistor amps in the shape of a Pass f3 clone which I thought was very good.Yesterday I remembered that I had a Sony Ta f7 vfet amp residing in the airing cupboard.I thought I would give it a whirl,carted it downstairs connected it up,switched on and all I can say is things have not progressed much in the last 30 years.The sound was amazingly good with none of the hash that one gets with normal tranny amps,in fact it could have been a very powerfull valve amp.I also noticed that the pass amp didnt have this transistor hash which I would describe as something you cant actually hear,but know is there.Anyway will be giving the old Sony an extended listen and as for build quality its first class.
Dave.

[Alex_UK]

Nice one Dave, and I bet it has gorgeous VU meters... I've got a TA-F4A which although it is post-VFET, still demonstrates (as you have said) that not much has progressed really - or maybe the 70's was just the "golden age" of hi-fi?

[Ian Walker]

Dave..Could you give me first dibs on that if you want to make room in the airing cupboard

DJ E.

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi Alex,I think you are quite right these mega amps from the seventies seem to have far more substance to the sound than todays jobs which always seem thin sounding to me,the makers today seem to be hell bent on max detail retrieval and not so bothered about the rest of the sound,ie no bass and screechy treble.Yes it has big vu meters and tone controls as well which we all know you shouldnt have.as they make the sound worse
Dave.

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi Ian,Been and had another look in the cupboard,found two sansui tuners,a pie on here tuner and a pie on here sa 9500 as well as a yammy ca 1000,cant find any big tannoys though,but theres a big jvc amp skulking under a towel.Might be retiring the valve amp for a while.

[Alex_UK]

Yes it has big vu meters and tone controls as well which we all know you shouldnt have.as they make the sound worse

There's even some sort of "Filter" control on mine! !


(Picture nicked from the web - but to me a beautiful looking amp, and timeless design)

It especially loves vinyl (My 401 is currently connected, just needs a nice pair of Celestion Ditton 44s or similar, I feel, for the correct period system) - maybe I should drag mine downstairs again... (crap speaker spring clips though...)

[ourdogmax]

Bloody hell, Alex, that's a lovely looking amp.

[swampy]

nowt wrong with a good sand amp done right and tone controls are damn useful in some rooms and setups.

Some hi end amp makers like krell and copland have recently started doing room correction systems... re....graphic equaliser in a new form.

[DSJR]

Valves are sand amps - what do you think the glass is derived from?????

The Sony V-FET amps were a class apart from anything else they made - the standard models they did in the 70's were thin-toned rubbish as were most of the Jap competition of the times. HOWEVER, the V-FETS always costed dearly if any failed and I've read that there are some diodes that ought to be replaced on amps like the TA-5650, which was a lovely amp. I remember a £120 Sony integrated from the early nineties which worked very well with passive ATC's because of its grunt, but (apologies Alex), I don't remember many of the TA-F Sony's being that good.

[Ali Tait]

The sand bit refers to the silicon in the transistors that the signal.passes through,rather than the vacuum of the valve.