There are reasons why vintage hi-fi components have come back into vogue. They’re part of sound systems that require us to pay more attention to the music we’re listening to — something that’s been lost with the convenience of streaming.
There’s the obvious nostalgia, too. And mostly, thanks to their giant metal knobs, faux-wood paneling and glow-up facades, vintage hi-fi components just look damn cool. Modern components can’t compete.
Granted, technologies have advanced by leaps and bounds since the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s — the golden era of traditional hi-fi, before the rise of digital audio — and vintage components lack the same level of audio quality. They lack streaming capabilities and digital inputs, too, which are almost necessities for a modern hi-fi system.
The good news is that many traditional audio companies have caught wind of this “back to old-school hi-fi” movement, and released new-age versions of their classic components. We’ve seen this with a lot with loudspeakers — Wharfedale, JBL and Klipsch are just a few recent examples — but it’s happening with amplifiers as well.
Below, we’ve rounded up some recent examples of audio brands releasing modern amplifiers that pay homage to the classics. Each boasts updated internals and modern connectivity while still maintaining an aesthetic that looks distinctly old school.
