In December of 1985, my dear friend, and Stereophile reviewer, the late Anthony H. Cordesman, wrote of the PS Audio 200C amplifier designed by Dr. Bob:
"The PS Audio 200C is scarcely cheap at $1649, but I will issue the following challenge: go to your dealer's and listen. Ignore the mystique and hype surrounding more expensive power amplifiers, and compare the 200C to any amplifier, tube or transistor, at any price in terms of overall performance. I have not heard a better transistor amplifier at any price, and that includes most of the big name amplifiers costing at least twice as much as the PS 200C."
Blush. He goes on to write:
"Almost total freedom from transistor hardness or zing in the upper four octaves. The 200C rivals the best tube amplifiers in the smoothness and musical liquidity of its upper octave performance, but is flatter and more extended than most. Other top-price transistor amplifiers may appear to have more highs and "life," but all the ones I've heard provide this life at the expense of low-level treble detail, and with more upper octave energy than you'll ever hear from live music."
Pretty strong praise for this early PS product. At the end of the review there is this footnote:
"Like all PS Audio products, the 200C had some early teething problems. If you have a lower serial number than mine, you should have been contacted; if you haven't been, call PS to see if any adjustment to your amp is needed.—AHC"
Ahem.
As I had mentioned in yesterday's post, I had made an error in judgment. In my haste to bring this amplifier to market I had opted to place a warning notice in big bold letters on the back of the amplifier warning not to plug or unplug anything with the amplifier on—hoping people would pay attention to it.
They did not. Nor did Tony.
Unfortunately, just at the moment his wife walked into the living room, the 200C decided to go unstable and all that pent up blue smoke lifted out of its perforated top cover urged on by a few bright yellow and red flames from the circuit board, accompanied by the pop and crackle of a few capacitors losing their collective sh*t. It wasn't a pretty scene.
At his horrified spouse's orders, Tony's entire electronic chain was summarily powered down and moved out to the screened in porch where he had to run long speaker cables to the speakers. A fire extinguisher was added to his collection too. You can imagine the phone call I received from a pretty upset Tony Cordesman.
In my defense there was never any danger…the flames were entirely inside the metal chassis. Still…
By the time the review published we had added the protection circuit I should have added in the first place and the few originals still out there were modified free of charge at the factory.
A long and glorious history was in store for this gem of an amplifier.
Sadly, on Thursday, December 29, 2022, our old and dear friend, Dr. Bob, passed away at home with his family by his side. He was a great man, a brilliant audio designer, and my friend.
I miss him still.
