Why did the receiver war of the 70s end?

[ScottFan355]

Yeah, chicks with armpit hair, dudes wearing overalls with no shirts underneath, long hair and crappy beards was truly something to be missed.

It was called growing up and getting a job, raising a family and becoming a contributing member of society.

I shudder when I think about what music I could find if the counter-culture had never come into being. Sinatra and classical I guess... Not jazz, jazz musicians were the counter-culture before it was cool. But I guess we wouldn't have had those pesky things like black people and women expecting to be treated as equals and such...

 

[dave1701]

Monster is a term usually used for the very large and heavy receivers that were made from about 1973 to 1979-80. (I may have the start wrong...someone with more knowledge please correct me if it started before) It seems that the Japanese manufacturers (Pioneer, Technics, Sony, Yamaha, Sansui, etc) were all trying to out-do each other in the same way the American car manufacturers were. Bigger and more powerful. Ford, Mopar and GM had the cubic inch wars, and the audio companies had the WATT wars.

The winner was the one that had the biggest, heaviest and most powerful receiver. So the monster receiver was created. Monster amp, not so much a part of the "war."

So I think officially the only amps that have the monster title are the TOTL models from those aforementioned companies. I'm sure there are others like Marantz, but I don't know if they were playing the game back then and I'm not sure if American companies like Mac were making huge 80 pound receivers either... At any rate... that's what a monster is when we refer to "monster receiver"

What kind of wattage are we talking about?

 

[sqlsavior]

...Monster amp, not so much a part of the "war."

So I think officially the only amps that have the monster title are the TOTL models from those aforementioned companies...

Ampzilla <- Monster amp.

 

[MannyE]

What kind of wattage are we talking about?

For example, the king of the power hill The Technics SA-1000 had 330 watts per channel. Most had at least 100 per channel and I believe we are talking class A or A/B so they also kept you warm on cold nights and made the electric meter run really fast!

Check this site out for information on the classic receivers of the "monster wars"

http://classicreceivers.com/technics-sa-1000

 

[SteveA]

Maybe it happened that by the 80s most people who wanted one of those things had one. The big Baby Boomer bulge was passing and those who just wanted a cool stereo but weren't audiophiles were set. Those who wanted to progress in the hobby went from receivers to seperates.

That was certainly my path. From Akai receiver to Yamaha Intergrated plus Technics Tuner

 

[musichal]

The receiver war of the '70s had to end by midnight Dec 31, 1979, didn't it?

 

[Bodyblue]

Apparently the masses decided that they wanted black plastic pieces of crap - Alfred Einstein

I think it was those all-in-one systems with dual cassette and those cabinets with the ugh...glass doors

The "masses" had and still have a right for a product they can afford.

I shudder when I think about what music I could find if the counter-culture had never come into being. Sinatra and classical I guess... Not jazz, jazz musicians were the counter-culture before it was cool. But I guess we wouldn't have had those pesky things like black people and women expecting to be treated as equals and such...

ROFLMFAO You extrapolated the fact that I am a racist AND sexist from the fact that I find and found long hair and hippies to be silly? You have some serious issues to be dealt with.

 

[Drum]

Okay, AK - time to make AUDIO great again!!!!

(chanting) AK AK AK AK AK AK AK....

I'm hearing that monster receivers are coming back. That's what people are saying. Folks, it's gonna be great, so great.

 

[slow_jazz]

The Yen had a lot to do with it.

I'm not sure how many of those units over 160 watts per channel were ever sold. Couldn't have been to many to make it worth the manufacturs to make a profit on them.

 

[62caddy]

Ah, the good old days...

 

[E.Auer]

Ah, the good old days...

View attachment 918000

Great image!

Man that's a pile of ugly tho..

Eric

 

[62caddy]

Great image!

Man that's a pile of ugly tho..

Eric

Oh I don't know...In its heyday, a pile like this (or even just one) would've been many a teenager's dream - including this one.

I was thrilled when I finally scratched up $200 for an SX780.

 

[Tom Brennan]

I shudder when I think about what music I could find if the counter-culture had never come into being. Sinatra and classical I guess... Not jazz, jazz musicians were the counter-culture before it was cool. But I guess we wouldn't have had those pesky things like black people and women expecting to be treated as equals and such...

Well without the late 60s hippie counter culture Rock and Roll would've gone down a different path, probably closer to its country and Black roots. Fender amps would be cooler than Marshalls. We would've been spared that hippie version of Fabian; Crosby, Stills and Nash.

 

[bshorey]

I could be wrong, but I don't buy that separates spelled the end of the monster receiver. I see the advantage to them. I have a Toshiba sc660 system and hk7 separate system. I have receivers too.

I would think that separates were a contributing factor. At some point, trying to get more and more power, along with tuner and preamp duties, out of a single, massive box, becomes impractical. Most (all?) monster receivers were wider than 19", and heavy. If you really wanted a boatload of power and were willing to spend that kind of money, then at some point separates start to make much more sense. Look at the bigger Sansuis (22000, 33000), they were already getting to the point where they had to break them into pieces to make them manageable.

Along with that, which speakers needed more than 300 watts? Sure, there were a few, but again, at that point you may be starting to look at biamping. For that, separates become a necessity.

bs

 

[ScottFan355]

The "masses" had and still have a right for a product they can afford.



ROFLMFAO You extrapolated the fact that I am a racist AND sexist from the fact that I find and found long hair and hippies to be silly? You have some serious issues to be dealt with.

Actually I said nothing about you personally, I was referring to the culture. And I doubt I was the only one who took offense at the tone.

 

[just dave]

I could be wrong, but I don't buy that separates spelled the end of the monster receiver. I see the advantage to them. I have a Toshiba sc660 system and hk7 separate system. I have receivers too.

Gotta agree with ya, there were separates before monster receivers were around.I think it was several factors but the main ones were they were getting to expensive to make and the Japanese economy was on a downturn.They had their run just like the Dinosaurs.Economics selected these magnificent beasts for extinction not an asteroid.

 

[RandyFloyd76]

Video killed the radio star.....

 

[just dave]

What are you guys talking about when you say "Monster" amps and stuff?

Monster receivers started in 74 I think,with the Pioneer SX-1010 the first 100watt/ channel receiver.Marantz countered with the 2325 and then away we go.

 

[Alobar]

I would think that separates were a contributing factor. At some point, trying to get more and more power, along with tuner and preamp duties, out of a single, massive box, becomes impractical. Most (all?) monster receivers were wider than 19", and heavy. If you really wanted a boatload of power and were willing to spend that kind of money, then at some point separates start to make much more sense. Look at the bigger Sansuis (22000, 33000), they were already getting to the point where they had to break them into pieces to make them manageable.

Along with that, which speakers needed more than 300 watts? Sure, there were a few, but again, at that point you may be starting to look at biamping. For that, separates become a necessity.

bs

Some of us always believed separates made much more sense.

 

[just dave]

Great image!

Man that's a pile of ugly tho..

Eric

Speak for yourself.That's one of the most beautiful covers....I've ever....seen.snif