Yamaha A-550
Little is documented about the Yamaha A-550 beyond its appearances in the 1980 hi-fi buyer's guides. That is the kind of model this archive exists for. What the record shows: the A-550 was a 40-watt integrated stereo amplifier sold at $250. HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers (November 1980, p.57) carried it in its amplifier section and pointed out one useful feature - automatic tape copying from and to either of two connected recorders. That means two-deck dubbing in both directions, which was more flexible than the one-way dubbing found on many amps at that price.
High Fidelity (September 1980, p.60) also listed the A-550 at $250, describing it as an integrated amplifier in Yamaha's then-current "large, square" styling. Audio (October 1980, p.25) included it in a wide amplifier roundup alongside the Kenwood KA-907, Carver M-400, and ReVox B750. The surviving scan of that chart is too garbled to pull out specific measured results for the Yamaha. Yamaha also offered a matching AM/FM tuner, the T-550, at $190, noted in the same HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers issue as the A-550's companion.
Known facts at a glance:
- Integrated stereo amplifier, 40 W/ch
- Automatic two-way dubbing between two tape recorders
- $250 when new (1980); matching T-550 tuner $190
Beyond those listing details, almost nothing is documented. No owner's manual scan, no lab report, and no confirmed production dates have surfaced for the archive. A manual, brochure, or rear-panel photo of an A-550 would help close the largest gap on this page.
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