Dave Lowery

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Air Force audio club

Summary:
I purchased this amp new in 1978. I was always amazed by it's power, especially for only 80 watts per channel. Never did I realize how good this thing was until after I sold it in 1981. I had went the cheap route with receivers of various makes. 18 years later I bought it back when I happen to meet the guy I sold it to. This was a freak chance meeting while walking down the street during business in a town I did not live in. It was like this amp (and it's Thalia preamp) wanted to come back to me after all those years! Both units were no longer working but in those 18 years I had become very proficient at electronics and brought both back to life. I totally rebuilt the Son and repaired the main problem which was bad differential input transistors.

I have cheap speakers but the amp makes up for it impressively.

Strengths:
Clean and powerful. Awesome soundstage.

Ingenius design by James Borgiono. Elegant in it's simplicity.

Weaknesses:
Old style 2 channel. No remote control.

Price Paid:  $450.00 from The stereo shop

Summary:
I bought this new. Worked wonderful untel 2000. I put it on a shelf. Last year I was moving and sold most of my stereo, but couldn't part with this amp. I moved and decided to get it fixed. The repair shop tried to trade me for a Phase Linear, I said no.I was told that he was very backed up and it would take some time. I said cool take your time, as I have not had it working for 6 years time was not a problen. 3 months later I got my call. It was the best 250 dollars I have ever spent! What a wonderful amp! The repair man told me that I did right by not taking the trade. He said it is the best amp he has heard.

Strengths:
30 years and they never made a better home amp.

Similar Products Used:
GAS Thalia

tyrebyter

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Previous owner

Summary:
What a wonderful beast. It outclassed almost everything else in it's day and still troops on. It is my everyday amp and has done duty in sound reinforcement and as my son's bass guitar amplilfier. It still sounds better than any receiver I've ever heard (OK. maybe the Denon is close). I wish Mr. B the best with whatever he's designing now.

Strengths:
Elegant Simplicity and sound quality.

Weaknesses:
Not still made.

Similar Products Used:
Crown, Accuphase

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Friend

Summary:
I absolutely adore my Son of Ampzilla. The quality is evident, as is the genius in its engineering. It was given to me several years ago, and with the exception of a burnt backlight (which was replaced) it has been nothing but a pleasure. Although the low end frequency range tapers a little too quickly for my taste, GAS' Son of Ampzilla has been the best amplifier i have ever experienced. Sadly, I am moving from my present residence, and am unable take with me some of my stereo equipment. If anyone is interested in buying a Son of Ampzilla amplifier (excellent working condition, some chips in the paint, but nothing too obvious) contact me at yourstroud@hotmail.com by January 18th.

Strengths:
Powerful, sturdy and stable to 2 ohms and bridgable.

Weaknesses:
I understand the use of aluminum in the heat sinks and body, but the aluminum screws tend to get stripped easiliy.

Similar Products Used:
AudioSource, Onkyo

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Mike Bettinger's GAS

Summary:
Listening to an Ampzilla or Son of on my ancient Accustats is one of very few true joys in my life. James Bongiorno, did a great job with the GAS products be like His SAE designs, tends to over engineer the product, In the early 90's I worked for a die hard audio purist (bet he still only allows vinyl in his nirvana/listening room), he custom rebuilt several thousand GAS amps using only the best components available with precise re-engineering & silver re-enforcement along all power traces, magically turned the James Bongiorno masterpieces into Audio amplifiers that are blessed by Gods with sensitive ears and hypersensitive compassion for true musical artists....... a great amp ! And if you are lucky enough to own a Mike Bettinger version, even in 2003, I don't think you will find a truer/non colored/ real power when needed, purist amplifier. Question is, what are you driving it with and what is it driving?

Strengths:
Clean, Pure, excellent design.

Weaknesses:
Over-engineered servo front end, them IC's were new toys then, he just had to put one somewhere. Poor grounding techniques throughout the GAS line-up made for sound quality and stabiliy that quickly degraded as the metals oxidized, if you have one of the Mike Bettinger re-builds, these problems are illiminated, I can't say about the

Similar Products Used:
SAE, Audio Research, Carver, Quad, Sunfire, Marrantz 500, My own builds.