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This is a slightly sellers’ market, with the asking price at £250 sitting just above the £246 75th percentile and above the £242 median for recent GBP comparables. It is not wildly out of line, but it is a touch ambitious rather than a clear bargain.
That said, the amp has a solid reputation as one of Sony’s better ES-era power amps: clean, punchy, and genuinely enjoyable to listen to, with enough muscle for most sensible speakers. If it’s genuinely working well and cosmetically tidy, the appeal is real; I’d still want confirmation on channel balance, relay noise, and whether it has had any service, because age is the main risk with any old power amp.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Sony emerged from the ruins of post-World War II Japan, founded on May 7, 1946, by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district. Starting with radio repairs and Japan's first magnetic tape recorder, the duo secured transistor licensing from Bell Labs, pioneering the TR-55 transistor radio in 1955. Renamed Sony Corporation in 1958—from the Latin "sonus" for sound—the brand symbolized Japan's ascent from cheap imitations to innovative leadership, fueled by Ibuka's engineering prowess and Morita's global marketing vision.
Sony's hi-fi legacy spans headphones, amplifiers, speakers, turntables, and DACs, alongside landmark formats like the Compact Disc in 1982 and Blu-ray. Iconic products include the Walkman for portable audio revolution and Trinitron televisions, blending consumer accessibility with cutting-edge tech. Today, offerings like the Signature Series headphones and ES amplifiers target discerning listeners seeking refined soundstaging and dynamic range.
Positioned as a mid-to-high-end powerhouse, Sony commands respect among knowledgeable buyers for blending mass-market reliability with premium performance, outpacing many pure audiophile brands in innovation and value. Far from vintage relic or niche boutique, it dominates with forward-thinking engineering, holding strong market share in headphones and streaming ecosystems.
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