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From: wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: $99 mono amp
Message-ID: <8974@uwm.edu>
Date: 16 Jan 91 14:27:51 GMT
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Approved: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Originator: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu

Everybody on the planet gets these catalogs from "COMB" and mostly the
stuff they sell is overpriced junk with excessive shipping charges as a
hidden price hike, but I figured this item might actually be worthwhile:

NEC M-50 single channel power amp: $99 plus $9 shipping, item # C1229-6094

Interestingly, this amp has a front-panel "volume" control and
3-position input selector. (It might be that the inputs selected are
filtered vs. flat, instead of the filters being switched independent
of the inputs -- I can't tell from the brief description.) Original
list price was supposed to be $375.

It's not all that easy to find a reasonably-priced mono amp these days,
so this might be good for a bench test amp or a mono PA or
extension-speaker run for a basement or the like. Having the volume
control and input selector makes this a bit more flexible for such
purposes than a straight no-control power amp, but you're not paying
extra for the front end of an integrated amp when you don't need those
functions. I have no idea if the amps are good enough to use in a
higher-quality multi-amped system.

There's other NEC hi-fi & video gear in the catalog, but this is the main 
thing that caught my eye.

COMB is at 800-328-0609 for orders; customer service is 612-654-4800.

Regards, Will