Nakamichi IA-1
Little is documented about the Nakamichi IA-1 integrated amplifier. What the record shows is fragmentary, and most of it comes from one period source. Audio magazine covered the IA-1z, almost certainly a variant or successor on the same platform, in its December 1997 issue (p.66, p.72) and again in February 1998 (p.79). Those reviews describe an Audio/Video integrated amplifier with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder and a 5.1-channel design. That suggests the IA-1 was Nakamichi's effort to bridge two-channel amplification and the then-emerging home theater format.
The December 1997 review gives a few concrete performance observations. Audio (December 1997, p.66) measured distortion topping out at 0.04% at 80 watts per channel and 0.052% at 100 watts per channel. That is roughly half of Nakamichi's own specified 0.1% figure. The same review noted the mute function was factory-set for total muting but adjustable from 10 dB down to -67 dB. In listening tests (p.72), the reviewer preferred the Nakamichi's converters over those of a Sony CDP-XA7ES player on certain recordings, including Enya and Julianne Baird's voice on The English Lute Song (Dorian DOR-90109).
Beyond that, the record is thin. No power-output ratings beyond the measured figures, no impedance, frequency response, dimensions, weight, or input/output specifications have surfaced. Production years and original pricing are also undocumented. The IA-1 appears to have been a relatively short-lived entry in the lineup of a company far better known for its cassette decks, and it seems to have faded from the catalogs without leaving much of a paper trail.
Known facts, in brief:
- Integrated amplifier with A/V capabilities and built-in Dolby Digital decoder
- 5.1-channel design
- Measured THD of 0.04% at 80W/ch and 0.052% at 100W/ch (Audio, December 1997)
- Adjustable mute attenuation (10 dB to −67 dB, factory-set to full mute)
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- Nakamichi 620
- Nakamichi Amplifier1
- Nakamichi Amplifier2
- Nakamichi AVP-1 (2014)
- Nakamichi CA-5
- Eico 3150 (1967)
- Fisher CUSTOM-ELECTRA-I (K-14/K-15) (1957)
- Fisher CUSTOM-ELECTRA IV (E33/E44) (1960)
- Akai AM-2400 (1978)
- Akai AM-2600 (1977)