Nakamichi PA-70 (1982–1985)

Name: Nakamichi PA-70
Brand: Nakamichi

The Nakamichi PA-70 is a solid-state integrated amplifier built from 1982 to 1985, when Nakamichi was making a serious push into high-end separates. It sat below the highly regarded PA-7 and above the PA-30, and it shares the PA-7's design philosophy and preamp section. The PA-70 is dual-monaural, with separate power supplies for each channel to keep crosstalk down, and it has a direct-coupled output stage. Contemporary coverage appeared in Audio (May 1985, p.108). It was made in Japan.

The record is fairly consistent on most specs. Dimensions are 420 × 88 × 260 mm and it weighs 6.5 kg. Signal-to-noise is rated at 110 dB and damping factor at 200. Inputs are Phono (MM), Tuner, Aux, Tape 1, and Tape 2. Outputs are Tape 1, Tape 2, Speaker A, Speaker B, and a headphone jack. Power consumption is rated at 100W.

Where the sources diverge is on power output and distortion. Hifi-wikia lists 50 watts per channel into 8 ohms with 0.005% THD and frequency response of 5Hz–100kHz, while Audio Database gives 60 watts, 0.003% THD, and 10Hz–100kHz. An Audiokarma owner corroborates the 5Hz–100kHz figure and notes that while the amp is rated at 60 watts nominal, most subjective reviewers feel it's closer to a good 50 watts. The original price is likewise split: $350 per one source, $495 per another. A third source, Hi-Fi Vintage, writes the model as "PA-70 MKII" — whether that's a distinct revision or a page-title inconsistency remains unresolved.

Owners consistently praise the phono stage and the low-volume sound. One Audiokarma member described it as "supple, slightly sweet, detailed without edginess," with a phono section that "could pass for a decent British integrated." Another said the high-bias class AB output stage makes it "absolutely musical at low levels," but admitted it runs out of steam at loud volumes next to bigger amps. The high-bias design is also why some call it polite rather than a bruiser.

Owners have documented the failure points well: dry joints in the preamp stage that can be reflowed, noisy tape monitor switches, and a protection relay that tends to make poor contact after decades of sitting. The proprietary Nakamichi tone control ICs are no longer available, so NOS sourcing is extremely difficult. One single-source claim - that the PA-70 was rebadged as the Luxman L-560 for the Japanese domestic market - appears only on hifi-wikia and has not been corroborated anywhere else.

Used prices today run roughly $200-450 depending on condition, with one recent working example selling at $350.

Known specs:

- Power output: 50-60W per channel into 8Ω (sources conflict)

- Frequency response: 5Hz–100kHz (per hifi-wikia and Audiokarma)

- THD: 0.003–0.005% (sources conflict)

- S/N ratio: 110 dB

- Damping factor: 200

- Dimensions: 420 × 88 × 260 mm

- Weight: 6.5 kg

- Inputs: Phono (MM), Tuner, Aux, Tape 1, Tape 2

- Outputs: Tape 1, Tape 2, Speaker A, Speaker B, Headphone