Looking for a classic vintage power amplifier? The Dynaco ST-70 needs to be on your radar if you crave that classic EL34 tube sound.

Not all vintage buys are wins. I hate to burst that bubble with this week’s installment, but it needs to be said. Now that I’ve had a few years to try a lot of vintage equipment, restore it, and experiment with a lot of amplifiers, turntables, CD players, and loudspeakers – I’ve discovered more than a few dogs along the way. None of that diminishes the excitement I get from the equipment that has taken up permanent residence in my systems at home, but reality bites sometimes. 

Two companies that have recently struck my interest are Dynaco and Heathkit; specifically their homebuilt kits which to some degree you can still buy. DIY amps, receivers, and audio scopes were not uncommon in the 1960s and 1970s. There is certainly a cult of people in the vintage audio community who love both brands; I’ve noticed that a number of high-end audio dealers have a constant flow of Dynaco ST-70 power amplifiers available for sale at really high prices so there must be some demand for it. 

Heathkit and Dynaco sold products that featured quality components, detailed instructions and could be completed over the course of a few days with decent soldering skills and patience.

The products were available factory-assembled, but what made all of these specific pieces unique was that they were mostly assembled by hobbyists. Some of these people were quite skilled and knew what they were doing. The finished product could be excellent, or really terrible if the person made serious mistakes. 

This week, I’m going to dig a little deeper into my own personal experience with two Dynaco and two Heathkit models that I purchased. The results varied from excellent to horrific nightmare worse than the 4 consecutive Super Bowl losses by my beloved Buffalo Bills in the 1990s. 

Damn you Scotty Norwood.

This article originally appeared at ecoustics.com and an intro has been published here with permission.

Read the full article: https://www.ecoustics.com/articles/dynaco-heathkit-vintage-amps/