Sony TA-AX22 (1982)
The Sony TA-AX22 is a slimline integrated amplifier from 1982, originally priced at ¥29,800 in Japan. It was a modest, straightforward design rated at 30W + 30W into 8Ω (20 Hz-20 kHz, both channels driven) with 0.05% harmonic distortion and a damping factor of 50. It weighed 4.8 kg and measured 430 × 80 × 280 mm. The low profile fits Sony's early-80s "separates" styling, even though this was a one-box unit.
The interesting part is the built-in "sound effect" section. It was a single-switch tone control system that Sony described as letting you shape the sound without fiddling with separate bass and treble knobs, though fine manual adjustment was also available. A small display showed the effect in action. The rear panel carried two tape loops with the ability to copy from tape 1 to tape 2, plus a phono input for turntables. One quirk: the TA-AX22 could supply power to Sony's MX-22 sound mixer, suggesting it was aimed at a slightly younger, more experimental user than the typical ES-series customer.
Documentation on this model is thin. The production window is generally given as 1982-84, though at least one source places it later. The release year of 1982 from the Japanese pricing record is the most reliable anchor. A service manual survives in a few places, including the Internet Archive and HiFi Engine. Capacitor replacement kits are sold on eBay, which tells you what tends to fail first on these units after four decades. One forum user reported his example working perfectly for a day and a half after a garage-sale purchase before dying. No diagnosis followed.
Known specs
- Output: 30W + 30W (20 Hz–20 kHz, both channels, 8Ω)
- THD: 0.05%
- S/N ratio (phono): 75 dB
- Damping factor: 50
- Power consumption: 54W
- Dimensions: 430 × 80 × 280 mm; 4.8 kg
- Original price: ¥29,800 (Japan, 1982)
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