Ashly FET-200 (c. 1982–1983)
The archive's own records on the Ashly FET-200 are thin, but period coverage gives a workable outline. Modern Recording (May 1982, p.70) ran a lab report on the amplifier while it was still a prototype. It describes a stereo professional power amp rated at 100 watts per channel into 8Ω, 160W/ch into 4Ω, and 320W into 8Ω in bridged mono. The output devices are MOSFETs. The review said that beyond the usual "better sound" argument, MOSFETs have far less tendency toward thermal runaway than other transistor types, which makes particular sense in a pro amplifier. A pair of mode switches near the input connectors selects bridge/normal and mono/stereo. In mono, the channel-one input feeds both channels, and a front-panel level control is provided.
The same review praised the peak-reading LED output meters as extremely accurate down to the -27 dB indicator. With 100W referenced as 0 dB, the lowest LED begins to flash at just 0.2W into a speaker. It also liked that unused inputs can be used to jumper other amplifiers from the same signal. The reviewer liked the FET-200 even as a not-quite-final prototype (Modern Recording, May 1982, p.72). Production units were promised more rugged circuit boards, a more detailed owner's manual, and cleanup of a few minor discrepancies.
The FET-200 appears to have built Ashly's reputation quickly. A Mix Magazine (August 1983, p.71) advertisement for the follow-up FET-500 pointed to the FET-200's quickly earned reputation for superb sound and excellent reliability. It also pitched the usual Ashly family traits: MOSFET outputs, low noise and distortion, quiet fan cooling, and balanced inputs. No detailed spec sheet or further history has surfaced in the archive.
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