Cerwin Vega A-1800 (circa 1976)
Little is documented today about the Cerwin Vega A-1800. Almost everything known comes from a single period review in High Fidelity (May 1976, p.60-61), which tested it as a power amplifier and came away impressed.
That review billed it as "Cerwin-Vega's Smaller (450 Watts!) Superamp," which suggests a larger sibling exists. The front panel was minimal and finished in black. It had an on/off switch, a gain control for each channel, a pilot light, and two LEDs per channel. One flashed at 7% of full power, the other at 100%. No tone controls, no metering.
Measured performance was striking by 1976 standards. High-frequency response extended past 100 kHz before falling by 1 dB, and the low end measured - 1 dB at 8 Hz. Damping factor came in at 177, very high, well past the point where the amplifier is the limiting factor. The A-weighted signal-to-noise ratio was an excellent 100 dB. High Fidelity described the sound as "free, easy" and called the amplifier "exciting," noting it outperformed their reference speakers in some respects.
Known specs drawn from the review:
- Configuration: two-channel power amplifier (no preamp section)
- Power: rated at 450 watts (context in the review is fragmentary — likely bridged or a 4-ohm rating)
- Frequency response: –1 dB at 8 Hz (low); extends past 100 kHz before –1 dB (high)
- Damping factor: 177
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 100 dB (A-weighted)
- Front-panel controls: on/off switch, per-channel gain controls, pilot light, two LEDs per channel (7% and 100% power indicators)
- Finish: black
Beyond that review, and a listing in the same issue's table of contents identifying the A-1800 as an "equipment report" subject, the model appears to have left little trace. No service manuals, marketing brochures, or additional period commentary have surfaced in the Archive's research.
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