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Let's get shallow -- post what you think is the coolest looking amp/receiver ever

33K views 250 replies 88 participants last post by  Alex F. 
#1 · (Edited)
Please post pics of your favorite/coolest looking amps/receivers/components of all time. Forget performance, forget price, forget everything, just post based purely on looks. Vintage or modern, doesn't matter. You don't need to own the equipment, just post what your "shallow self" has lusted after at various times in your life.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I'll start the discussion with an example: When I was young, I was always attracted to Panasonic receivers. They weren't high end or expensive, typically sold in better department stores (back when department stores did that). I think they came with "Thruster" speakers. I knew they weren't great systems (not that that they were bad either), but I was oddly drawn to them every time I saw them on display in a store. The attraction to the Panasonic was as much tactile as it was visual -- loved the way the volume knob and (IIRC) the tone controls clicked between settings:



These days, I'd probably put the Krell KAV-300r close to the top in terms of looks. It's just very industrial, cool, and compact:

 

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#17 ·
I'll start the discussion with an example: When I was young, I was always attracted to Panasonic receivers. They weren't high end or expensive, typically sold in better department stores (back when department stores did that). I think they came with "Thruster" speakers. I knew they weren't great systems (not that that they were bad either), but I was oddly drawn to them every time I saw them on display in a store:
Along the lines of Panasonic, I love the look of the vintage Technics gear:



For that matter, the new stuff looks classy as heck too:

 
#112 ·
I have always liked the look of the Pioneer equipment of that era. Partly because of seeing them new in the stores when I was young. But the "silver" faced units with black lettering are also much easier to read, just like white paper with black ink lettering is much easier to read than black paper with white lettering (there is a reason most web sites have dark letters on a light background rather than the other way around). I hate all of the ugly black boxes these days, from an esthetic point of view, and from the standpoint of reading the controls.

My favorite is the Pioneer SX-1250:



The picture does not do it justice. The heat sinks wrap around the back, which was something Pioneer did not bother doing with the later SX-1280 and SX-1980.

I also have owned one of these units since the early 1980's (I am the second owner, as I could not afford one in 1976; I bought it when it was probably at its lowest monetary value). The layout and grouping of the controls is also more logical than most units, making it very user-friendly. It is not a mindlessly arranged row of switches and knobs. I plan on keeping mine for the rest of my life.

It also has some very nice features that are not very common these days. Like the switch on the far right, next to the volume control, that drops the volume by 20dB. That is nice for when the phone rings or someone comes to the door, so that one can reduce the volume while dealing with something else, and then after dealing with that, with a flip of the switch, restoring the volume to what one was using previously. One can still hear the music, but it is greatly reduced, which I like better than a mute switch, for a music system (as opposed to a home theater).

Also, the light from the dial is enough light to see how all of the controls are set, so there is no need for other light in the room to adjust it. Also, each control does one thing, so one does not have to go through some menu to change a setting. It really is easy to use, though one might feel overwhelmed by the number of controls at first.
 
#5 ·
These. Pretty much everything Dan D'Agostino makes has fantastic industrial design. I've never heard the stuff, I assume it's ok.


And for turntables, I've loved this look since the early 1970s. Someday I'll own one for display. Transcriptors, of course. OK turntable, but fantastic look.

 
#20 · (Edited)
These. Pretty much everything Dan D'Agostino makes has fantastic industrial design. I've never heard the stuff, I assume it's ok.

Gorgeous. A beast, too!


"With its 5.5-kilowatt power supply feeding roughly 100 output devices, the Relentless Monoblock easily delivers 1,500 watts into 8 ohms—and when connected to a 220-volt outlet, it doubles its output to 3,000 watts into 4 ohms and 6,000 watts into 2 ohms, all while maintaining the same musical composure it offers at a mere 1 watt."


Weighing in at a mere 570 lbs...
 
#8 ·
I love the look of the early-mid '00's Marantz Reference gear, especially in the champagne finish. The current Reference stuff is quite nice looking too.

 
#46 ·
Reminds me a little bit of my old Marantz Dolby Pro integrated amplifier and tuner. It was the last AVR I had that sounded amazing for music. It was pretty crappy for movies, though, not because the amp itself but because of the limitations of Dolby Pro. Dolby Digital is night and day better for movies.



 

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#73 ·
Since I first started getting into hi-fi and ordering all those brochures, etc., that you could from Stereo Review and Audio way back in the day, I've lusted after McIntosh. There's something incredibly appealing and class about those blue lights and glass faceplates. In 1973, my dream was a higher end Dual TT, with McIntosh pre-amp and amp, driving a set of Klipschorns.
 
#18 ·
My Yamaha A-S1000 integrated is as ugly as a mud fence, but has plenty of muscle. Its old school, doesn't even have an on/off button in the remote! And two tiny little amber LED lights, one showing it's powered up, and the other shows the input source. For sheer good looks I like the looks of the HK line, and especially the HK990 integrated amp. I've owned two of them in the recent past. It is a real beast, with 220 amps on hand for sudden dynamics. It has what my A-S1000 does not have, great looks. FWIW the Yamaha is here to stay. It works great and powers the LSiM705s just fine.








Looks good even when 'naked'.








I should have gotten the silver faced S1000.


 
#35 ·
Pretty much anything from Electron Luv. For example:



Don't want to own any of it but if there were a museum down the block with all of Josh's stuff I'd buy an annual membership.
Where does the portafilter go :confused: Oh never mind :eek: Hey who doesn't want a tubed espresso maker :D
 
#31 ·
Since this is let's get shallow, you cannot find this amp anywhere........I designed and built this!!!:p:D
 

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#33 ·



I bought my Outlaw Audio 2-channel receiver because I liked the way it looks.
Pretty solid performer too with analog bass management.


Most opinions on the look vary, apparently plenty of folks don't like it.
 

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