Magnavox 1500 Plus Receiver and Pioneer SX-3000 info/help needed

Aj1735

New Member
I just recently found a magnavox 1500 plus and a pioneer sx-3000 at a garage sale. I can't really find anything on the magnavox and just a little bit about the regular 1500. I haven't see the plus version anywhere.

I have found that the pioneer sx 3000 was a military version sold at bases according to what I have read.

My question is any info on the Maggie, specs, rarity, performance, value.

The pioneer I haven't found anywhere for sale and I was wondering what the production amount was compared to normal pioneers. Is it very rare? Is it more valuable or just not worth much since it's somewhat obscure.

I understand both are probably not that common or desirable, but I am going to get them both going to see how they sound. Might use one in my garage and sell the other one. I also am wondering what is the best replacement power cord for the magnavox. It looks like it was chewed on by a dog. Lol

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
You have a rare magnavox. I Have the 1500 dti. They are so far under the radar that they are not worth much-at least compared to main stream units. My magnavox (for 35 bucks! ) and its unbelievable sound started this whole obsession for me along with a free sansui 5000x. I would never sell the magnavox for any sane price, but I may sell the sansui for high market value.---you can always pick up another sansui on the bay...!!!
 
Do you have any idea what year it's from? I have looked all over and I don't see any dates. I just took the lid off and it looks pretty rough. I don't know if I should just put a new end on the power cord or try to replace the whole thing. It looks like there is about 50 years of dirt in it. Lol so are they worth very much for being so rare? I haven't found a single thing anywhere mentioning the model. Here are some dirty pics and not the sexy kind. Lol

So when they look like this, what is the best way to start cleaning it up? I am not real experienced in doing any servicing. 20170916_002924.jpg 1505540304810.jpg 1505540436601.jpg 1505540513092.jpg 1505540604784.jpg 1505540698975.jpg
 
Nice find. If it was me I would start with a vacuum and small tip attachment and a soft bristled paintbrush. Brush the dust loose a suck it up with the vacuum. You have to be very careful though so you don't break components and don't let the vacuum suck a part off the board.

you can start with compressed air but with a unit that dirty id start with a vacuum to get rid of most of it (to try to keep it out of the controls) then use compressed air.
 
Thanks waggs098. I will try that tomorrow. Hopefully it will clean up decent but who knows. I just got an old magnavox console end table type given to me at a garage sale today. Lol It has the radio with 8track on the bottom and turntable on the top. It looks like it's in great shape but I don't know know why I took it home. It even works and plays. Lol I am getting way too much stuff and might be homeless when it's all said and done. My wife is not a fan of stereo equipment or my junk. Oh well, life goes on.
 
I can't find anything on it at all. Nothing even mentions the plus series. I did see a pic of a 750 plus but no other 1500 plus pics. One thread mentioned that a guy drove 300 miles for his and loves it but it must be very hard to find. I would at least like to get specs on it.
 
The Magnavox 1500 came out around 1972. My father bought the complete system, receiver, speakers, record changer and cassette. I am guessing the 1500 plus was in the same vicinity age wise.
 
Do you have any idea what the difference was between the 1500 and the plus version? Do they have different specs at all? What are the specs. I spent hours the other night trying to get some info and didn't get much. A few people said that the 1500 version was like 40-50 watts. Others said more like 60-70. I never did see like factory specs but I could have missed them. It was the middle of the night when I was searching.
 
From what I can gather (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong) after intensive internet research is the 1500 plus was the third generation of 1500.

The first generation came in a wood case and looks like it was from the late sixties.

The second generation which seems to be the most plentiful looks like yours with a green tuning dial unless it was the dti which has an analog tuner with a red digital readout. It also has wood fake wood veneer behind the knobs and switches. There are also optional wood side panels for this model and maybe yours as well.

The third generation is the plus with the teal or blue tuning dial (like you have).

The fourth generation was called the MX 1580 and had an updated look with a blue tuning dial.

The fifth generation was the MX 1581 with a yellow tuning dial.

The sixth generation was after Philips bought out magnavox and it was named the 787 for the silver version and 7871 for the black face.

The seventh generation had slight changes to the front layout and was called the 797/7971.

The other models (300, 500, 750, 1000) were lower in the lineup with the 1500/7x7 series being the totl (top of the line) models.

There may be other models I am unaware of that fit between the lineup I layed out above but with the rarity of magnavox and the lack of documentation this is what I've been able to gather so far.
 
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Do you have any idea what the difference was between the 1500 and the plus version? Do they have different specs at all? What are the specs. I spent hours the other night trying to get some info and didn't get much. A few people said that the 1500 version was like 40-50 watts. Others said more like 60-70. I never did see like factory specs but I could have missed them. It was the middle of the night when I was searching.
I think the 1500 was rated at 35wpc and the 787 was 60wpc so I'd bet yours would fall somewhere in between.
 
Thanks brentsui. I don't know how you even found that info out. I can't find much of anything about the different models. They must not have produced very many. Hopefully the info will help others too. Do you know if there was much of a difference between the base and the plus.
 
I own a 750, 1500dti, and a 7871. I have yet to get my mits on any plus models but they do show up on the bay on occasion. Based on your pics it looks to at least be a slight cosmetic update if not spec wise as well.
 
Looks like you have the market cornered. Lol. The little bit I have read makes me wonder how it sounds. I bet it will be nice. I wanted to get started on cleaning it up today but didn't get a chance to.
 
Well I finally got a chance to clean up the magnavox some and got a new plug wired onto it. Turned it on and everything worked pretty well. Still have to do a little more deoxit cleaning but very impressed by the small amount of listening so far. I think that it's a pretty well built unit and has pretty good power. I will do some more cleaning and listening this weekend and will see how it really stacks up.
 
Well I finally got a chance to clean up the magnavox some and got a new plug wired onto it. Turned it on and everything worked pretty well. Still have to do a little more deoxit cleaning but very impressed by the small amount of listening so far. I think that it's a pretty well built unit and has pretty good power. I will do some more cleaning and listening this weekend and will see how it really stacks up.

..Hello..I'm the guy who drove 300 miles for a mint 1500 Plus..and traded a much fabled..yet feeble sounding Marantz 2270 for it straight up..I'm unable to post photos at the moment..The 1500 had standard black plastic controls (cheaper)..the 1500 Plus had chrome buttons..merely cosmetic yes..but a significant optical design difference..Made in U.S. 1971..all black with blue dial..and also, as my Holier than thou Sansui 5000x is in for a re-cap..this is one of my High Fidelity vintage back-ups..and it still sings like a bird today thru Sansui 5500x's and Pioneer 88a's..75 old school and then some wpc...endless bass tone (not as perfect as the 5kx,but close)..it must be cleaned ULTRA thoroughly and patiently..nothing aerodynamically fancy or high dollar internally..and the paper caps can always be an issue..but mine still runs out fine and honks full bodied rock with determination and defines classical music with precision..the ship for U.S. Fort Wayne Magnavox was sinking against Japan..a literal sound/design war..and Fisher and Mag couldn't compete..but this and the also magnificent 500 plus were their last ditch top notch units..probably voiced similar to their consoles..which they made millions of..nonetheless..when correctly brought up and loved,these are very rare..highly underrated units with a sound build quality no different than U.S.Fisher..get it right..it's worth it..superdave
 
1st things 1st, Aj watch out DO NOT wire speakers right off the back, you'll risk frying them. Apparently the 1500's used direct coupled quasi-complimentary amplifiers and they didn't have DC blocking capacitors between the outputs and the speakers. Check the DC voltage at the speaker terminals first, it should read no higher than .2 volts, if it does you stand a good chance of blowing your speakers. (This is all per Randy Bassham from a post in '06). Magnavox had a separate powered electrostatic headphone adapter that has blocking capacitors. (I've included a pic) Another weird caveat is they're designed to work with Maggie record players and you need a special plug in the back or else when you go to phono it just powers off with a non Maggie player. (It was designed to shut off after the record finished with the Maggie player I think.

Superdave, your review is the reason I kept a lookout for the 1500 in the first place, thank you! Aj I have both the 1500 and the 1500 plus, and they really are special receivers. I looked forever to try and find the spec differences and couldn't either. Comparing side by side the plus edged out the regular but it could've just been psychosomatic. (Also the 1500 does have chrome plated knobs as well)

From Craigslist (for $100 bucks!) I picked up a GREAT condition1500 with a reel to reel, turntable (with new mag cartridge) the headphone adapter and a pair of electrostatic headphones and 4 speakers, two S-8756 (15" woofer and horn) and two even better sounding end table cabinet (also15" woofer horn combo) cabinet speakers. I was blown away with how good it all sounded. Just a ton of clean power coming through the receiver that just makes the music sing. Sounds great with all the speakers I tried but especially with the magnavox speakers (all have rubber surrounds and are sealed and styrofoam home encased) can't say enough about those speakers too. A pair of S-8756 just popped up on the bay for $400 out in California.

I liked the system so much when a 1500 plus popped up on the Bay with a record player and a pair of small Maggie speakers from the same era I didn't blink twice at dropping $275 or so on the lot. Then I found another set of electrostat headphones and adapter(almost a hundred bucks!) so I could really set it all up. (Also I researched "warm sounding" cd players and the Belgian made magnavox CDB 650 came up, I just happened to luck into a mislabeled ebay auction on a Euphonic Technologies modified unit for a hundred bucks (Michael Goldfield in Connecticut modded these back in the day (total mods were over $1000+ price of the player)) and it is ridiculous. Sounds just unreal. I grabbed another one when it came up on television Bay as a gift for my twin brother with the original remote but paid 3x the price.

Like Superdave original post. I'm kind of done searching. Honestly I have a gone over Marantz 2330 and JBL L96's relegated to bedroom duty because this set sounds so great. Vocals are incredible, and just the overall musiciality in general. I don't have enough records and reel to reels to warrant them hooked up right now. Here's picks of my set up right now. Was able to wire the S-8756's out to my dining room (with the help of a non usable double sided fireplace) and it's a hit, sounds great. I use the loudness button with volume down and they sing.

So every pic I try to upload is too large. Soon as I figure it out I'll post pics.

-Brian
 
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