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---MIKE--- wrote:
My Apt-1 power amp is now 25 years old and still seems to be performing
properly. When I bought it, it was state of the art. How does it
compare with today's state of the art amplifiers? It is being used to
drive DBX Soundfield Ones (with the bass control at minimum - Sub
woofers take up the slack).

---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Mpfffff..... Well.....

OK, a good amplifier made in 2000, 1990, 1980, 1970, 1960... and so
forth to the dawn of time will be a good amplifier today. What modern
amplifiers do best is get more power more reliably, but not necessarily
better power. So, if it continues to satisfy you and you are happy with
its results, there is no reason whatsoever to consider a change.

However, I detect a certain amount of "longing" in your language for a
change. Very few would use the phrase "seems to be performing properly"
unless that change were very nearly inevitable. Just as people fall
'out of love' with their cars, you have fallen out of love with your
amp.

I would make this suggestion, as I have no clue as to your financial
resources, depth of interest or other colorants to the decision-making
process. But:

FIRST:

Apt amps *sometimes* get a little wonky at the bridge switch on the
back. This may be true of other controls (though few) as well. So,
clean them (with the amp unplugged of course). Clean the jacks and
speaker terminals. Tighten your connections, dust the thing, do some
care and feeding. Extend this to the rest of your equipment as well.
THEN:

1. If you have friends in the hobby, ask them if they would be willing
to swap amps with you for some period of time. Then speakers. Odds are
that unless you switch out very substantially different amplifiers
(such as a low-powered tube amp for a high-powered SS amp), you will
detect few differences if any... UNLESS there is some fault with the
amplifier.

2. What I am getting at is that you will find the speakers to be the
element that makes the most difference. Don't blame the poor innocent
amp for your discontent.

3. All and at the same time, writing as one who has no less than 9 amps
of various natures and descriptions floating about, having few more
around than just the Apt is no biggie.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA