Andy Rapaport was one of the true geniuses at the dawn of the High End. The preamp was vacuum tube, the amp solid state pure class A and ran as hot as any amp ever made. I believe that what did the company in was the lawsuits that originated from people being burned by coming in contact with the amp. It sounded great with an even more obscure product, the Pedersen HF-1 horn loudspeakers. The new gear is really quite boring compared to this stuff....oh, to smell the smoke from a Futterman output transformerless amp again.
Retro Hi End Trivia Question
Does anyone remember the "Quatre Gain Cell" amplifier?
While thinking about various configurations for my latest "new" system, I found myself daydreaming about the "high end" room of my local dealer when I was still in school:
as I recall, a Thorens turntable with an Infinity black widow arm, the Apt Holman preamp, and Dahlquist DQ 10s and Dahlquist subwoofer driven by the mysterious "Quatre Gain Cell".
It sounded great -- the type of sound and music and fun that got me into this addiction where I am still unsuccessfully chasing the first high....
I would be interested in buying one of these amps for fun to put in a bedroom, but I never see or hear about them.
While thinking about various configurations for my latest "new" system, I found myself daydreaming about the "high end" room of my local dealer when I was still in school:
as I recall, a Thorens turntable with an Infinity black widow arm, the Apt Holman preamp, and Dahlquist DQ 10s and Dahlquist subwoofer driven by the mysterious "Quatre Gain Cell".
It sounded great -- the type of sound and music and fun that got me into this addiction where I am still unsuccessfully chasing the first high....
I would be interested in buying one of these amps for fun to put in a bedroom, but I never see or hear about them.