Nice little Technics SA-5170 find / Opinion on it's sound

bd1886

Super Member
To begin with.....I'm a sucker for the vintage take on sound and after googling around (while this was still on the shelf before deciding to grab it) I found little about the type of sound this vintage 25 watter had. Well was pushed for time, needed an easy grab anyways to help out with a friends upcoming end of summer bash and it's cosmetics alone had me doing the leap of faith thing. (Turned out to be good.)

Got it back home, opened her up and found no issues inside at all. Checked bias, blew out the slight dust inside, closed her up and hooked up my favorite little "big" speaks Bose 301 Seriies IVs'. (Easy to haul, deliver a fairly large sound stage and hold their own up into mid volumes.)
This little receiver still carried some of the oomphy slightly brighter sound it's bigger brethren have! The shimmery Bose take seemed to like it very well and was met with plenty of bass, mids and power for my friend's party needs indeed. (Outside projecting of Saturday's UFC fights and some tunes after.)

Anyways, just wanted to say that this small receiver diserves some strong andsolid middle of the road respect that belies the 25 watts.....and it has those classic quality seventies looks to boot. If anyone runs across one of these? A safe purchase for sure and one of those little guys "that can".
 
I just picked on of these up. The price was right (Free!) , and I can absolutely agree with you critique of "one of the little guys that can"!.
Iv'e owned other Technics equipment (SA 350) and I'v ealways bee a fan of their sound. I also have a non-functional SA 5570 which I plan on getting to one of these days...
 
I agree about this receiver.
I owned one for about 6 months.
I thought it had a very pleasing, balanced tone to it.
It was also very attractive in a subtle, conservative sort of way.
I sold it and regretted it nearly immediately.

I would really like to have a 5570.
 
My first receiver was a SA5370 at 48 watts. It was reliable, and I really liked the look.
You are correct on the bright, somewhat clinical sound. I found it fatiguing with the 3 way speakers I used at the time, which tended toward brightness as well.

Perhaps they would sound better with more mellow speakers like the 301.

Enjoy.
 
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I think Technics is an under-rated company. Their old CD players sound great (see my signature).

Bought an SA-450 in 1984 and still have it in use at my work office.

Also have an SA-5570. Nearly 40 lbs of receiver, and the case is so big it doesn't fit in any audio cabinet I have. I mostly use separates, but this is one of three vintage receivers I'm keeping.
 
As I posted in the "3 Strikes CD" thread, the two of my four CD players still working are over 20 years old Technics (of MASH conversion "fame")), and one of them was only $10 at a second hand store.
An honest 25Wpc is probably more than most of us use, most of the time.
 
I have a Panasonic/Technics(It says Technics all over the insides) SA-6500 receiver. I bought it off Ebay and it works fine. I had one from 1973 until the middle 90's when the volume slider got so bad it wasn't tolerable anymore and I sold it to a friend who uses it to this day as a power amp to run his rear channels. It's built like a tank. I recently just bought a Technics SA-500, which after cleanup, looks really good. I somehow shorted out the circuit that powers the dial lights when I was installing LED replacements and popped a fuse. Unlike the old days, you can't go to RS and get new ones, so I had to order some. I won another old timer, a Realistic STA-820 that looks good. I always liked the sound of the better Realistic stuff.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I just "found" one of these in my garage catacombs. It's going to need some clean up and TLC, but in decent condition overall. Interestingly, I'll be mating it with some little Bose 201's, similar to the OP. Should be a fun little project.
 
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