Argus B (early-to-mid 1970s)

Name: Argus B
Brand: Argus

Documentation on the Argus B is thin, and what exists comes from a single source. The record shows a solid-state stereo integrated amplifier from a Japanese budget manufacturer, marketed in the early-to-mid 1970s, typically through department stores and discount chains. It was an unglamorous workhorse component that introduced a lot of listeners to separates. One owner recalls buying his in 1975 for about $89. That price rings true for the class, though no independent source confirms it.

Specs from the lone listing: 25 watts per channel RMS, frequency response 20 Hz-20 kHz ±0.5 dB, THD under 0.5%, signal-to-noise ratio 75 dB. Inputs covered phono (with ground), tuner, auxiliary, and tape. Outputs included speaker A/B and tape. Front panel controls ran to bass, treble, balance, loudness contour, high and low filters, a headphone jack, and the usual input selector and volume. It drove 4 to 16 ohm speakers, measured 16.5" × 5" × 12", and weighed 22 lbs.

The same source describes these as "workhorse budget amps that sounded surprisingly good for their class." That is modest praise. There's also a naming problem: research surfaces an "Argus B-126" receiver, and it's not certain whether that's a related model or a different product entirely. No production years are confirmed beyond "early-to-mid 1970s," and no independent second source corroborates any of the above.