Acquired Vintage receiver observations – comments welcome

[nyindallas]

Acquired Vintage receiver observations – comments welcome

So far I have secured a number of vintage receivers and I am very impressed by the wonderful sound quality for so little money. As a classical music, classical rock and old jazz lover I strive for warm, accurate, sweet reproduction that many of the consumer grade systems today just do not provide well. Here are my observations. I would welcome any comments or suggestions for new receivers to set my radar on for the future. I created a lossless test playlist in itunes and beamed it via analog inputs using an apple airtunes express. The test tracks were diverse and included Beethovens 5th piano concerto, Beethovens 6th symphony, Saint Saens 3td Symphony, Wagners Ring, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter, Depeche Mode, Enya and Dido.

Pioneer SX-838 – powerful, in your face, clear, room filling. Onkyo 2500 M2, bright, crisp, clean, Kenwood KR-5030 enjoyable, detailed some nice warmth on the strings, Harmon Kardon 330 very warm, so nice, closest to tube amp, most enjoyable, Technics 5250 and xxx both very nice and clear but not in the league of the Harman and Kenwood KR-5030, Realistic 2270 powerful room filling, Sanyo, nice for $5.00, similar to the Technics. So based on what I have experienced so far my 2 favorites are the HK330 and the Kenwood. I am interested in opinions on if the Onkyo, Pioneer, and Technics units I tested were a good representation of those brands Still have not found a Marantz or a Sansui but I own a modern Marantz and it’s great.….Thanks

fyi, the speakers for the test were B&W Bookshelves.

 

[Doctordirt]

I mean this in the most sincerest way, your speaks are telling you what it likes and dislikes, rather than them telling you which receiver you like best. So if you like a certain brand from your test and put them in another system, then you might not get the desired results. When people here talk about synergy, that is the absolute truth in audio. Takes a lot of experimentation, and that seems like something you are willing to do, so expect that 2-horse stable to change the more you experiment, till one day all your friends say "holy bombarding electrons, Batman!". Still a ways off for me.

All the best,

Rob

 

[nyindallas]

just looking for some shared expereince

The purpose of my post was to share my observations about the units I described. I was also looking for suggestions and opinions about how representative the units I tried out were. Not sure what the point of your reply was. All the units I mentioned sound great and were great values considering what I paid. I did indicate how impressed I was with the HK, Kenwood and Pioneer. have a good night.

 

[EricC]

The purpose of my post was to share my observations about the units I described. I was also looking for suggestions and opinions about how representative the units I tried out were. Not sure what the point of your reply was. All the units I mentioned sound great and were great values considering what I paid. I did indicate how impressed I was with the HK, Kenwood and Pioneer. have a good night.

I think his point is your impressions can change greatly with different sets of speakers.

Evample: To my ears my Fisher 400 sounds much better with AR3as then 5012s.

In regards to your post everything I have read shows the Pioneer 838 being a great receiver. Build quality is respected by most as well as sound. I am more fimilar with the 80 and 50 series but have read alot about the x3x line. I was a big Pioneer fan until Merrylander converted me to Yamaha.

 

[nyindallas]

Historically, when I compared receivers

Thanks for your message. Historically, when I compared receivers I tried to keep thing constant like the room, source material (music), and speakers. I agree that not all receivers put their best foot forward with the same speakers. That is why I choose the B&W DM600s3 for the test. It is very efficent and ez to please. Actually I also tested them with some Vintage KEF's, some Infinity Primus 150's and the Pioneer is paired off with some RTR's. I am interested in recommendations for nice sleeper units that will not break the bank. The Kenwood 5030 did not have much in the areas of reviews but the price was great. I really want to get a Marantz but because of the cost I want to make sure I get one I will be happy with. Thanks, fyi - I am using an old Nakamichi AV-1 as a stereo. It sounds so warm with great detail. I often wonder of they show up at garage sales. I paid 1200 for mine in 89.

 

[ponderbear]

mix as many pair of speakers as receivers in with the items you mention and your opinions may multiply exponentially. That being said, I've been playing the dating game with my gear a lot lately, and my HK and Kenwood amps come off as pleasant in nearly all circumstances, while my Leak and Realistic amps can really sound veiled with certain speakers and components.

 

[bully]

I like the Onkyo gear. I've only had bigger units, though.