I am currently using a nice 1978 vintage Sony seperate tuner/amp combo. I like the analog tuner and vu gauges over todays ubiquitous black box/digital blue displays. Are there any a/v companies left that make analog tuners or amps with vu meters any more? Or am I left to appreciate this equipment until it stops working or have to get it repaired?
Some Samson power amps (http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/power-amplifiers/servo-series/) have LED power meters, but that's the only thing I know of...
No in mean good old fashioned analog tuners with tuning gauges, etc. I know full well today's quartz tuners are fully capable of locking onto a signal, I just like analog tuners and amps with real gauges on them...similar to how todays carmakers are using analog gauges again.
Some Samson power amps (http://www.samsontech.com/samson/products/power-amplifiers/servo-series/) have LED power meters, but that's the only thing I know of...
The Behringer A500 has IMO exemplary LED power level meters.
Most pro amps have clipping indicators and some kind of simplified power level indication.
One of my hot buttons is the lack of clipping indicators in AVRs. A very high proportion of audiophiles "upgrade" their systems with outboard power amp add-ons to their AVRs.
The crazy part is that virtually every AVR on the market and the amps that people buy to upgrade them (usually about 200 wpc) fall within a +/- 3 dB band. 3 dB is about audible, but hardly the spectacular improvement that is claimed, and the modest extra power only makes any difference at all if you turn the system up to just below clipping.
Are there any a/v companies left that make analog tuners or amps with vu meters any more?
There are always ol' blue eyes electronics from McIntosh (http://www.mcintoshlabs.com). Very much on the pricey side, but if you just like the look, they also make a free player app for iOS/Android, a rather skeuomorphic one!
No in mean good old fashioned analog tuners with tuning gauges, etc.
Magnum Dynalab tuners still have analog tuning and signal strength meters.
I don't know that I've ever seen a tuner with vu meters though.
I like watching amps with huge beautiful meters, Macintosh, Marantz, Onkyo had some nice ones, Ampzilla (lights wired to dim with the beat at higher power levels).