Sweet Soundcraftsmen Score

[Titanium Dome]

I couldn't resist the lure of a Soundcraftsmen A100 MOSFET amplifier and P100 preamplifier still NIB. So today I drove over to Anaheim, next to Santa Ana, CA the old home of Soundcraftsmen, to take a look and make the deal.

$234 later I was on my way back home with the boxes in the back of the Sorento. I took them straight home to open them up to see what I'd bought.

No, I didn't want to open them before taking them home, and yes, I have an agreement for a full refund if they don't work.

The annotated pictorial follows.

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These are just two old Soundcraftsmen boxes, but they've been sealed and waiting for me since 1992. They came out of the back room of an old audio dealer.

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As I wrote, I paid $234 for both. The original price tags were still on the boxes. Though they were curled and ready to fall off, I got them to stick open long enough to get a couple of shots.

First the amp:

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Next the preamp:

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These were shipped on April 7, 1993. UPS was quite the bargain back then.

(April 7 is my mom's birthday.)

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Upon opening, it was like going back in time fifteen years. Everything looked good. The A100 looked like it had been packed last month.

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The P100 packaging was similarly in excellent condition inside the box.

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Both out of the box, they look like they could've been currently shipping products. They look like they will be excellent!

Only the slightly yellowing tape gives away the age, and, look, a free patch cord!

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Freed from their plastic shrouds of fifteen years, they stack up very nicely from the front.

What a clean, sweet little package they are. That brand new phono stage inside the P100 will be nice.

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A shot of the back reveals the simplicity inherent in well-designed stereo equipment from a bygone era. This will be the basis of a spellbindingly simple two-channel set up.

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Every Soundcraftsmen amp that left the S. Richey St. facility in Santa Ana got a check up and certification from a Soundcraftsmen inspector. This A100 is no exception, and, as expected in my experience, the published ratings were conservative compared to the actual.

On the box, on the unit, in the manual, and even on the test sheet, every Soundcraftsmen product was "Built With Pride In The U.S.A.."

The actual build date was on or before December 21, 1992.

[Titanium Dome]

This weekend I'll power them up and see how they fared during their nearly 16 years of hibernation. Fingers crossed, I'll mate them up with some JBLs from the same era, maybe the L5s or the XPL160s. It should be quite a treat!

[BMWCCA]

Nice grab! Very cool time capsule.

All the best from another Soundcraftsmen fan. I was actually surprised to see the MTX-labeled stuff Made in USA. My Pro PT Two isn't and it has no MTX label on it at all. All the rest are "Proudly Made in USA".

PE2217
DX4200
DX4200
DC2215
CX4100
ProTuner Four
ProControl Four
Pro PT Two

[Regis]

Ti,

I am totally envious! Gawd, what a great score and in the original boxes even! Better yet, original plastic, cords and everything else. Jealosy rages through me. But seriously. I just love their gear. The M-5002, the big LED amps. Best of all. IT WAS MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! BY AMERICANS, FOR AMERICANS. For God's sake, let's bring back U.S. Manufacturing. We can make wa-aay better goods than the Chinese!

[pmakres1]

I too am a Soundcraftsmen fan from way back...in particular their Equalizers and Analyzers. Here's my two best examples...I have three additional Soundcraftsmen equalizers in other sytems, and one spare. It's really a shame Soundcraftsmen disappeared.

Pete