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Absolute beginner!

Wow overwhelmed with the depth of knowledge you guys have on all this.

upon exploring I am now shifting towards a Pioneer Sx 550 as I’ve seen one at around 200 hard earned pounds.
I particularly prefer the whiter backdrop with the tuner presets or wavelengths (basically the numbers in a line).

But I don’t want to shy away from the Marantz dream just because they are like hens teeth at the moment to acquire here in the UK.

Also can you change the blue lights on them.
Two things to add just from what I’ve noticed. Is that most of the Japanese constructed receivers and amps very much look the same and perhaps certain Technics models seem almost identical to pioneer ones.

Vintage NAD amplifiers and receivers also seem like a very close copy/replica to the Marantz 70’s models ( please let me know if I am right)

On a final note is something @Hoytis said about the impedance importance on mixing new/current tech with vintage.

The speakers I’ve seen are 70’s uk manufactured speakers 25W which states that they are compatible with load from 4 to 8 ohm.

On a vet final note who would recommend to start with the SX550 get adjusted but always keep a look out for a good Marantz 22xx receiver??

Basically don’t want to waste my money but the Pioneer Amp to me looks very subtle but modest with a nice vintage look!
 
M8och said:
Wow overwhelmed with the depth of knowledge you guys have on all this.

upon exploring I am now shifting towards a Pioneer Sx 550 as I’ve seen one at around 200 hard earned pounds.
I particularly prefer the whiter backdrop with the tuner presets or wavelengths (basically the numbers in a line).

But I don’t want to shy away from the Marantz dream just because they are like hens teeth at the moment to acquire here in the UK.

Also can you change the blue lights on them.
Two things to add just from what I’ve noticed. Is that most of the Japanese constructed receivers and amps very much look the same and perhaps certain Technics models seem almost identical to pioneer ones.

Vintage NAD amplifiers and receivers also seem like a very close copy/replica to the Marantz 70’s models ( please let me know if I am right)

On a final note is something @Hoytis said about the impedance importance on mixing new/current tech with vintage.

The speakers I’ve seen are 70’s uk manufactured speakers 25W which states that they are compatible with load from 4 to 8 ohm.

On a vet final note who would recommend to start with the SX550 get adjusted but always keep a look out for a good Marantz 22xx receiver??

Basically don’t want to waste my money but the Pioneer Amp to me looks very subtle but modest with a nice vintage look!
Click to expand...

I am a Pioneer fan so I do have some bias. My first decent receiver was an SX-580. The SX-x80 series came just after the SX-x50 series. I think the SX-550 would be a great starting point for your journey. One think to know is that the bulbs on the Pioneer SX-x50 series are very easy to change so you can swap in LEDs and also change the color.

My opinion......go for the SX-550!

Thanks,
Joe
 
I agree with Joe. I think if you'll have a sweet vintage set up if you pair the Pioneer with those speakers - as long as everything is in working order, of course. That's always the dilemma, to buy now or wait and spend more to get what you really want. But if I were you, I'd go with Pioneer now. Great brand. Solid stuff. You'll be pleasantly surprised how wonderful it sounds. The point being, we want to listen to MUSIC, not stare at our gear (though I do that on occasion). It's all one long, amazing journey collecting the gear, and eventually you land on a system that just makes you want to listen to music all the time.

Regarding the NAD, you'd have to go back to early '70s I think to see a piece that resembles Marantz. I love NAD, but (and I'm talking out my ass here) I don't think they really started making stuff that blew anyone away until the 3020 (1978) and that doesn't have the look you want (no meters or bulbs). But again, maybe someone else has an opinion on pitting the Pioneer against a very early NAD.

Whatever your path, hope it works out.
 
I have news. Despite losing out on the Castle Acoustic speakers the SX550 purchased on EBay for £123 is mine! It comes tomorrow.

I will send some pics if I can, just need to get me some speakers and cables now!!
 
Being in the U.K. we didn't really go in for receivers in a big way, unlike the U.S. I don't know why, but there it is.
We tended to go for separate tuner and amplifier so that is what you will find on ebay here. Very few of the big old knobs and buttons receivers with the huge lit up displays.

The SX550 was a nice looking receiver with a nice warm sound, but you will best to aim for a pair of fairly efficient bookshelf speakers on decent stands as this unit will not have enough power to drive large speakers properly.
It would probably match well with a pair of spendors or LS3s.

Nice place to start though.
 
Ok, after reading everyone's posts here and you ending up with the Pioneer SX-550... well, that is a great starting point.

These are great receivers. I actually started my journey with the 650. So, enjoy and welcome to this crazy world of audio. So glad you can dust off those old records and get some miles on them.

Also, you WILL NOT find a better group of audio nuts than this place. I have found everyone here incredibly helpful and super cool doing it.

WELCOME TO AK!!
 
Powertech said:
Being in the U.K. we didn't really go in for receivers in a big way, unlike the U.S. I don't know why, but there it is.
We tended to go for separate tuner and amplifier so that is what you will find on ebay here. Very few of the big old knobs and buttons receivers with the huge lit up displays.

The SX550 was a nice looking receiver with a nice warm sound, but you will best to aim for a pair of fairly efficient bookshelf speakers on decent stands as this unit will not have enough power to drive large speakers properly.
It would probably match well with a pair of spendors or LS3s.

Nice place to start though.
Click to expand...
Actually, I have a few pair of pretty big, very efficient, speakers that can run on 20 watts.. so, not exactly accurate here... Heck, a Pair of Pioneer HPM 100's will rock the damn house out at 20 WPC.

I mean... Klipsch Cornwall's? Pound you into mince meat if you let it.

mmmmm, Cornwall's.
 
As a newcomer to the audiophile rabbit hole, one of the issues you may face with vintage loudspeakers is their age. Collapsed or broken driver surrounds and suspensions etc. Not where you want to be really. I would tend towards 80's to 90's bookshelf speakers (on good stands), as I said because they were easy to drive (good for amp changes) and many of the British units were fairly neutral sounding (a trend that started with the BBC LS3/5A).
The Morduant Short bookshelf and small floorstanders or some of the early Missions were all quite good. Some even look older than they really are by their styling. And they are fairly plentiful and cheap enough second hand so that you don't feel you are shelling out a fortune if you get it wrong.
 
If you want a new amp rather than vintage...give the REGA IO a listen...I got one recently & I think it’s a sweet oneF4FE6F1A-66FD-4D5C-AA01-0B3A5CF99E3D.jpeg
 
One of the nice this about this hobby - you can buy something vintage, use it for a while, then resell it for something close to what you paid for it. If the Marantz is your dream, wait until a well-priced one comes along, then sell your Pioneer.

Some how I always seem to skip the sell part.
 
Had hoped to get them for less than £200 but in the end £350 was my winning price. They are in excellent condition
 
M8och, nice looking first system. I'm sure you'll enjoy listening for a long time.

Your system reminds me of my first audio system, a turntable, a receiver and two speakers. But, my two speakers were designed and built myself. Didn't have enough money to get real speakers (student). My plan was to find a good pair of speakers at a reasonable price later.

Others have mentioned that you assemble a system that fits with your sonic preference and taste. IMO, the sound from a stereo system should sound accurate to what's in the recording. The system should not impart a particular 'sound' when playing any source. Of course, that will come with a price. So my next upgrade for my stereo was to a separate pre-amp, amp, and a tuner, playing through upgraded speakers, an evolution of the first speakers. I'd say the sound improved, but was not a huge improvement due to the known limitations of the speakers.

When a really good pair of speakers became available for a real bargain, I bought those, and had them for the next 19 years. Of course, the great speakers required a more powerful power amp. And so forth.

Welcome, and it's a fun hobby.
 
M8och said:
Finally got my set up after waiting for months for the right speakers. Celestion Ditton 11.

All I need now is the speaker wire/cables!
Click to expand...
The availability and cost of speaker cables and IC's is highly dependent on where you live. Were you in the USA, many including myself would suggest Blue Jeans Cable for IC's and speaker cables.

FWIW: All of my IC's and cables are from DH Labs.
 
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