Newbie needs some expert advice

Alguymcgee

Member
Hey guys, long time listener first time caller. I'm finally starting to make the leap from free hand-me-down gear to solid vintage gear. I just got a fully restored (to the nines) technics sl 1301 and I'm ready to get a receiver that will do it justice. Right now there is a jumbo jet, an hk 730 twin, and a sansui 7900z for sale. All three are in perfect working order (the sansui was even fully serviced recently). I don't care a whole lot about rarity, collectibility, or cosmetics... I mainly care about power (it would be nice to have something that goes to eleven but still sounds crisp and clear) and quality of sound/functionality. I don't need any of the bells and whistles on the jumbo jet either. I have a budget of $500. My question is, which of these three units sounds like the best fit? Or should I hold off and wait for something else to come around? Any input is greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post!

P.s. I have a pair of sansui sp710ms hooked up right now, but I plan on upgrading those too. Any inpu
 
I'd go with the Harman myself, the Sansui is much more powerful and all things considered it's a much better receiver than the Harman, but those push buttons are 30 years old and they are going to break. WTF is a "Jumbo jet"?
 
While your receiver choices are reasonable, I'm not wild about any of them. The Sansui, made just as quality was starting to decline, probably best matches your stated needs. However, I am not wild about motorized controls on nearly 40 year old equipment.

I personally like the Harman best of the three. But at 40 watts RMS per channel, it is probably not the one to meet your stated power requirements.

I would go with modern speakers from makers like Monitor Audio, Wharfendale, KEF, ELAC or the like. Be sure to check the Ohm ratings of your speakers, as a number of vintage receivers are only OK with 8 Ohm speakers.
 
The ELAC Debut B6 bookshelves are on clearance right now (Apr 2018) at $200/pr (down from $280/pr) to make room for the new B6.2 models which will retail for $300/pr. Well worth considering for limited budgets seeking new rather than used speakers.
 
WTF is a "Jumbo jet"?

:rflmao:My thoughts exactly, until I saw the link in the post after yours.

@Alguymcgee
Be patient... Post your location. There may be local AKers who can help you out. We all have spare gear sitting around. You could also become an AK subscriber ($25/year) and post a Want To Buy ad in Barter Town. The offers would pour in.

Look for an integrated amp unless you need a receiver to listen to the radio. In that case, you can always add a tuner later.
 
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