Technics SU-8600

Mid-end amplifier available in two versions spread over three years and two markets.
Same guts and circuits, though : just a difference in looks and, therefore, in timeframe.

The original SU-8600 is silver, encased in nice wood panels for a woody-shiny invitation to warm musical pleasures - 1975.
The later, export-only, SU-8600 is a no-wood-all-metal-with-rack-handles which screams "I am indestructible" - 1977.

Unlike the ST-8600 tuner companion which saw partial revisions and additions, the two SU-8600 are circuit-wise identical :

An old-style trafo, two 15,000µF caps, and six separate windings for the left and right parts of the preamp, voltage amp and power amp make the power supply ; the first two stages are regulated.

A differential amp in the firsrt stage, modded SRPP in the second stage and low-noise 'sistors makes the phono (MM) stage.

Current mirror loading is in the first, differential amplification stage of the 3-stage tone control circuit.

Also in : 26-steps & two-gang ALPS volume attenuator, deported source selector and multivoltage selector (inside, for the EU versions).


The later SU-8600 (the blackserious one) was made to accompany the SU-9200 preamp and SE-9200 power amp, export-wise.
But the ST-9600 could fit as well since it was, as ST-8600, the original companion of the SU-8600 when the latter still was 1975 silver.


This waltz of 97xx, 96xx, 86xxand 92xx mixed lineups however doesn't change the fact that all this was simply made to listen to music.
Without I am indestructible pretenses.