# Nakamichi amplifiers? opinions?



## TheHammer (Jun 12, 2005)

Any opinions on Nakamichi amplifiers?

Older were "Made in Japan"
like this:










A bit newer ones were "Made in USA" (by Zed)
like this (x 3)




























Then the latest are "Made in China" (I think)












Did I miss some?

I own some of the black and silver Zed made amps and love them.
PA-2004 4x100W RMS (I own 3 bought right from Zed back awhile ago).
I've been trying to find a decent priced PA-8001 for awhile with no luck.

Interested in peoples experience and opinions.

The Hammer


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## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

those last ones remind me a lot of the Audison Lrx amps. just similarities in the looks


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## Gary S (Dec 11, 2007)

Nak always made some good equipment. They are famous for having one of the best, perhaps benchmark cassette decks once upon a time. That's what made them. But since CD's and digital media were invented, I don't think they have had anything groundbreaking.


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## Renegadesoundwave (Apr 9, 2012)

old nakamichi stuff was to die for . now its nothing special at all.


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## trumpet (Nov 14, 2010)

The amplifiers in the last photo are the source of the board design for the PPI Phantoms, as well as other similar amplifiers. It's an excellent platform.


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## rexroadj (Oct 31, 2008)

I've been a Nak fan for a hella long time. I have owned all in your pics with the exception of the newest.... The series before them were also VERY nice! My favorite were probably the ones (zed) Big black second to last! I ran a setup with all Mcintosh and changed them out to those (2 of the big 4's and one mono) and it may very well be my favorite setup I have ever had. I ended up collecting about a dozen at one point (to sit next to my almost two dozen Mc's at the time...I had a problem
To this day....my absolute favorite sub of all time is the SP-W1200d (will NEVER sell mine!) and I've had a FEW Like every other company on the planet they have changed....For the worse? Ignorance may believe so...... The fact is that they are doing what everyone else is doing......going with the market. They need to survive and put food on the table like every other business..... Decks like the CD700 are just not the market and so in those ways they have changed.....but who hasnt? (and surviving as well

Personally they have done enough, over almost two decades of my use to earn my business now, were I in the market.


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## emrliquidlife (Jan 19, 2008)

Here is my Nak experience. Circa 1994 ish, I was running a multi channel Alpine amp on Alec Lansing separates and a 12 woofer I don't recall. I bought a 4 x40 watt and a 2 x 40 watt silver Nak from a buddy who wanted big wattage when JL audio was making big waves. I bought them out of a respect for Naks name without ever having heard them. 

I installed them on a Monday afternoon, and really did t expect much. Wattage numbers were way down from the alpine amp I was using prior. I tuned quickly and put in some Yes. Whoa, what was I hearing? I migrated to 10,000 Maniacs and had my own little Nirvana listening. I listened so long I ran down the battery. 

There are some that say you can't hear the difference in an amplifier. I wish my ears were that dull, I wouldn't be chasing that listening experience of 18 years ago.


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## TheHammer (Jun 12, 2005)

Whoops, I guess I forgot about these ones:

Made in Malaysia:










PDF Brochure

The Hammer


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## Q-Authority (Mar 31, 2008)

I think you started listing the Zed made amps one amp too early. I think the second amp you have shown was also made in Japan, but was a departure from the original black series, in that they were actually able to be bridged, and used gold plated connectors instead of silver/nickel.

The original black series are awesome amps, even if they were only made for 4ohm output. Their specs and sq were impeccable. Remember that they were started by the same guy who later started Soundstream.

I was planning on doing an almost all old school Soundstream install, but have since changed over to using a number of old school Nak pieces. Don't get me wrong, I love Soundstream, but when I pick up a Nak Pa-350 4-channel amp and compare it to the similar wattage Soundstream MC-140 (which is a great amp itself), I have to wonder how SS managed to get so much out of such a small box and maintained their specs. Not that the Nak PA-350 is huge, but it is much larger than the MC-140, and considerably more hefty as well. It just screams quality.

If only Nak had built a black amp that you could bridge and get a decent amount of power out of, I would switch out my SS D200II, which is going to be my sub-amp. But even when Nak built their second series that you could bridge, and even when they eventually added a mono amp, the output was relatively small, even for back then, only about 140 watts or so. But if you are looking for a great sq amp for your midbasses, mids, or tweeters, look no farther than one of the old black Naks.

EDIT: yep, I just checked through all my pics of the second series Nak amps, and those were all made in Japan, along with the matching xovers (EX-204 and 302). But they switched from printing 'Made in Japan' on the sides of the amps/xovers, to putting it on stickers on the bottom plates.


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## TheHammer (Jun 12, 2005)

I can't edit the first post.

You are correct..










I know that the "silver" series were "made in USA"










The Hammer


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## Q-Authority (Mar 31, 2008)

Yes, though I am not sure that I would call them the silver series, as the 'made in japan' second PA series was also silver. Their distinction being that their top surface was entirely composed of heat sink fins, with a chrome oval Nakamichi name badge off-centered, and placed on top of the heat sink fins.

The Zed silver series top surface was only partially covered with heat sink fins, and had a large rounded section across the entire length of the amps. Plus their connectors were all located on what might be called the end of the amp, while the first two series had their connectors all on what one would call the sides of the amps, if that actually makes sense to anyone.

The two are quite visually distinct form each other, and quite possibly very audibly distinct from each other, lol.

And, yes, it is so [email protected] annoying that certain posts cannot be edited on here.


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## Catman (Mar 18, 2008)

I've been a Nakamichi fanatic for close to 30 years. The black ones were their best. PA400/300/200. I have dozens of these amps and am still buying them when I can get them. I just picked up a pair of PA200 NIB. The entire Nak line of this era was phenomenal, I'm still using the amps, x-overs and SP1010 subs in my current SQ system. Everyone 'pees their pants' over Zed ....IMO Zed was the beginning of the downfall of Nak. The Zed amps were no where near the quality of the originals. 

The American car audio market no longer supports SQ based equipment. Nak has had a few amazing pieces lately but they have not sold well. The TP1200 / TA-25 / CD700II are exceptional ...but most consumers here had rather have 'bells and whistles' over SQ. 


>^..^<


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## Marky (Nov 15, 2011)

Catman said:


> I've been a Nakamichi fanatic for close to 30 years. The black ones were their best. PA400/300/200. I have dozens of these amps and am still buying them when I can get them. I just picked up a pair of PA200 NIB. The entire Nak line of this era was phenomenal, I'm still using the amps, x-overs and SP1010 subs in my current SQ system. Everyone 'pees their pants' over Zed ....IMO Zed was the beginning of the downfall of Nak. The Zed amps were no where near the quality of the originals.
> 
> The American car audio market no longer supports SQ based equipment. Nak has had a few amazing pieces lately but they have not sold well. The TP1200 / TA-25 / CD700II are exceptional ...but most consumers here had rather have 'bells and whistles' over SQ.
> 
> ...


Agreed, I too have them in my truck today. Been using the PA300 and PA350 amps since 1983 and still crankin out pure musical bliss.
Mark......


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## joshuamonger (Apr 8, 2018)

I have been trying to locate a pa-8001 or pa-4001 at all too. I have the second generation black Pa1002 and using a pa1004 on the highs. the 1002 on the bridged on the sub overheats eventually so im trying to find a mono amp. i think they sound great and never heard the original japan made ones but i bet they sound even better. Of course i have that taste for a 12" sub. Anyone have a lead on either of the two im hunting please let me know!


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## Holmz (Jul 12, 2017)

If the old 40W amps of theirs sound good, it makes one wonder how many watts are required?


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## joshuamonger (Apr 8, 2018)

i often contemplate this too. I always thought it was quality design and components that make a stereo sound so alive. One thing is for sure, Ive yet to hear a high wattage system that sounds alive with an almost a crisp tube sound to it. Maybe what really needs to happen is a have a fan mounted on the old 1002? itll play for 4-10 hours before overheating and popping a fuse. I figured maybe it overheats because it is underrated for the sub. But now I also noticed other amps overheat on super long drives too. I cant help but think that there wasnt always fans on computer processors at one time too. BUT i am no expert. i was, however, under the impression a mono class D amp uses switching and alternates power rails resulting in less overheating and a bit more efficiency. my sub is rated at 75-300 watts, 4 ohm. I put a vintage Zed made planet audio amp on the sub recently and its just disappointing, the nak amp had much deeper richer sound. Zed made both though. Theres something that came from that original nak design that sounds so good.


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