In the early 1960s RCA brought out a transistor that was to become truly legendary: the 2N3055. With a pair of these devices, you could put together an audio power amplifier that could deliver a healthy 40 W into 8 Ohm. The circuit described here is fully in tune with the spirit of that era. For example, there are only seven active components in each channel, which reflects the design simplicity typical of that era (and actually a timeless quality). This ‘retro’ power amplifier pumps 45 W into 8 Ohm with an input signal level of 0.5 Vrms.