It's all in the perspective. All of you told me it's not the power but the SOUND. And now that it's in my home for me to witness for my self I understand. You were right. Thank you. I'm not having the repair problem with the 20 to 50 watt stuff from 1965 to 1978. Nothing has failed that was working when I got it, yet. For money spent and service provided it's the best bang for the buck, for me anyway. No the game is not buy vintage for $300 and put $400 into it and watch the magic smoke come out. Maybe it's pay $100 for plug and play. The cost to me for these units in the last year averaged less than $100.
Rotel RX 800 ----------------------- Get this one, pay the rate, it's that good
Sony 6065 ---------------------------Typical good Sony
Heath AR1500a --------------------Rated 50 makes 70, really
JVC JR5551 -------------------------All you'll ever need
JVC VR5660 ------------------------Make SURE the lights work
Sansui 5000a -----------------------Obviously get this one
Yamaha CR600 --------------------Sounds as sterile as it looks, limited uses
Magnavox 1500(Magnavox) -----Make sure it works right, most don't, then it's really good
Pioneer SX1000 TW ---------------First "mass" market power receiver, it's good
Grooms 503A -----------------------Get this one
Scott 352C ---------------------------Just what you would expect, super sound, both of them
Scott 357
Marantz 2226 ------------------------The usual
Sherwood 7100A -------------------The gutless wonder
Fisher 180 -----------------------------Just gutless, is it really a Fisher?
Sherwood S8900A -----------------Get this one, pay he rate, again
Lafayette LR1500TA----------------(Trio)Great tuner, rated 50 but only 35
Advent 300 ----------------------------A novelty unit
Bogen DR 250 -----------------------The big surprise, sounds great, better than most
Kenwood 140X(Trio) ----------------Get this one, pay the rate, your gonna love it if it's right
Pioneer SX780 ------------------------As expected
Sylvania CR7243(Sylvania)-------- Don't bother, never ever!!!!
KLH 71 -----------------------------------Receivers weren't they're thing
Ward Airline Gen6964a --------------(Don't know who made it, do you?) Get his one, a true mini-monster, who woulda thought
Harman Kardon 630 ------------------The cure for Klipsch, both of them, big team player there
Harmon Kardon 430
Lafayette LR-3500----------------------(Planet Research) Best of the Fay
Allied 365----------------------------------( Pioneer) get this one, another big surprise
Pioneer SX 626 --------------------------Go bigger
Pioneer SX 424 --------------------------Go much bigger
Harman Kardon SR900 ----------------Preview of the good sound to come but full of the bad stuff
Kenwood TK-60 --------------------------Same as above
Benjamin R2X40 -------------------------Smooooth, EVERYWHERE the original underdog, this is the one you sleep to
AKAI CR 81 deck ------------------------Great unit, if you want 8-track
Sansui FR-3080 turn table -------------It works
And finally the $75 80 watt Pioneer SX980 has gone to a new home to minimize $ exposure. None $10 but pennies on the dollar. What will it cost to buy a new two channel receiver that is built as good and sounds as good as the best of what I have? How long will it last? Can it be repaired? What will it cost to have repaired? What will it look like? Do you want a race car or do you just want
great sound in your home at little risk. It's all in the perspective.