Western Electric / McIntosh A116 Mono Block Valve Amplifiers (Fully Rebuilt Pair)

These are the original Western Electric / McIntosh A116 mono blocks - what would eventually evolve into the legendary McIntosh MC30. Developed in collaboration with Westrex (the theatre division of Western Electric), this is the very first iteration of McIntosh’s monoblock design.

This specific pair represents the earliest variant, pushing out 30 watts of clean Class A valve power. Over time, the A116 went through various design and transformer changes, slowly morphing into the MC30—but this is where it all started.

We sourced this from the estate of a lifelong theatre technician, where they had been sitting untouched in their workshop, likely since the 1950s. It’s believed that they were used in a theatre , where one monoblock was the main amplifier and the second served as a backup, ready to be swap in for maintenance or downtime.

When we received them, the transformers were still in excellent condition. At some point, possibly 50+ years ago, a modification was made to switch the output valves to EL34s, which were a more common valve in New Zealand at the time.

These were professionally rebuilt, with over 12 hours of meticulous restoration. Every component was either restored or replaced with care, right down to the fine tuning. They now perform better than they ever have, biased and dialed in to perfection.

For 1950s theatre amps, these are in incredible cosmetic shape. The original paint holds up beautifully, with most text still visible and legible. I have run these with both Tannoy Monitor Blacks and Silvers—and the synergy is magic. They easily outperform other classics I’ve owned, including the Pye PF91, HF25, and Leak TL12.1.

These amps meet New Zealand electrical safety standards.

You’re unlikely to find another pair in New Zealand let alone in this condition.

Open to trades such as Tannoys! Call us via our store