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Advice on testing a classic receiver before purchase?

JohnKellysVo

JohnKellysVo

New Member
Hey gang. I'm a noobie interested in upgrading my stereo rig. I just bought a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable and want to hook it up to something nicer than my ratty JVC RX-2220 "digital receiver." I want to relive the days of my youth, when my father had a Pioneer receiver, with big volume and tuning knobs and a tuner that gave off a warm glow. I'm thinking of something like a Pioneer SX-780. What should I do when I find one on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace? I guess if I go to the seller's house I can hear it. How should I run it through its paces? Are there any specific questions I should ask?

So many sales these days are transacted in a Starbucks or a mall parking lot, but I suppose that is not ideal for a piece of stereo equipment.

Anyway, any advice on how to give a silver era receiver the once over would be much appreciated. Thanks!
 
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If the seller is open to an audition, that's the way I would go. Push all the buttons, turn all the knobs, make sure everything functions and note anything that doesn't. Ask if it has been repaired or serviced, and other general history.

I'd probably bring my phone with some music I'm familiar with, some headphones (again, familiarity) and an 3.5mm to RCA cable to do the actual listening, since the amp may sound different through their speakers in their home than it will in yours.
 
Wecome to AK from Nebraska! This is a great question. I've seen posts here where savy prospective buyers carry a bare-bones "kit" to test and give a listen -- I lost that link, maybe someone can post up. :lurk:
 
I deal with piles of unknown condition gear.
I usually check for serious issues with a dim bulb tester or Variac but that is probably not necessary when someone is selling a “works good” unit.

So, let’s go to basic function testing.

Assuming antennas, speakers and a turntable are available and connected.

Turns on, lamps working?
FM works well, locks onto a stereo broadcast and the STEREO lamp lights up?
AM works (who really cares)?
Phono works?
Good sound on both sides?
Twist all controls, switch all switches, any “static” or “scratch”, pops or unexpected lose of sound?

That’s about it.
Sound dropouts, noise in the controls can usually be corrected by a decent cleaning with Deoxit. Some really dirty units will be actually missing sound and cleaning will fix it BUT, missing sound may be repair time also.

Cleaning $
Lamps $ or $$
Repair $ or $$ or $$$$$$$$$$!!!!

Cosmetics are what they are.

Be aware that “body” parts like knobs and controls and switches are difficult to impossible to find.

The actual electronic parts inside can be repaired, upgraded.

Vintage gear is 40 ish years old or older.
Knowing a good tech or buying gear from a good tech are really helpful.
 
I can't tell how to test it before the purchase, but I can tell you where to test it before the deal is complete. In your home.
Buying from Ebay lets you thoroughly test it in the privacy of your home. If it's not as described it goes back. At no cost to the buyer.
No parking lots, abbreviated demos, operator coverups, after the fact discoveries...……….
What's not to like?
 
Thanks for the tips. The seller says "all the caps and resistors" were replaced by the previous owner. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. And he hasn't said how much he's asking for it. I think he wants me to make an offer.
 
Yeah. I though he had done the refurbishment himself, but it looks like he's saying the previous owner did. He hasn't gotten back to me about checking it out, but poking around on the internet over the last few hours suggests there are other receivers that would fit the bill for me, including the Technics SA-500, Onkyo TX-2500 MK II, and various Kenwoods. I'm partial to a Pioneer because that's what my father had. I like toggle switches and the big knobs that make it look like you're cracking a safe when you're tuning the radio or raising the volume.
 
What speakers are you using, and might you upgrade them at some point in the future? I ask because some speakers require more power than others to sound their best. Something to keep in mind when shopping for amps.
JohnKellysVo said:
I'm partial to a Pioneer because that's what my father had. I like toggle switches and the big knobs that make it look like you're cracking a safe when you're tuning the radio or raising the volume.
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I too like good looking equipment. However, of the 3 Pioneer SX receivers that I own, the least attractive is the best sounding, and the one that gets used.
 
I would like to upgrade my speakers. Currently I have a pair of Bose 201 Series IV bookshelf speakers that I've had for 20 years. Just from looking online, I see that Dali Spektor 2s are rated well, as are Elac Debut B5.2s. I'd like to spend no more than $400 on a pair of speakers. And I'm hoping to get a decent glowing, knob-studded receiver for under $300. Does that sound doable?
 
The Onkyo is a great receiver. For the time the 201s should suffice for a while. If something great shows up in the speaker section, don't pass on it, but make the receiver the top of the list for the time being. If you are not big on radio, start looking for an integrated amp. Pioneer made lots of nice ones. I have a SA-9500II and it is a great piece of equipment with gobs of power. Ask blhagstrom about a Kenwood KR-8010 that was a little rough looking but worked OK. I have one of those and it is a beast. Good luck on your search.
 
$400 will get you a much better set of used speakers than new speakers. Also, I would never (again) buy speakers without first listening to them. Did that once and sent them back. Thankfully at no cost to me due to Amazon Prime.

You will get lot's of opinions as to what is a good sounding vintage/used speaker, so I might as well start off with mine. 1) Any model ADS. Here's a little light ;) reading. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/a-d-s-line-pecking-order.44406/ They were made with quality crossover components and most with rubber surrounds. They're 35-40 year old plug and play speakers that sound great!
2) Many KEF models, although most will be above you limit, and require some power to sound their best. 3) NHT speakers (the original, made in the USA). A very good sounding speaker that can usually be gotten pretty cheap.

Check out CL and go listen to as many as you can. You'll find what sounds good to you.

Happy hunting.
 
Good advice about looking for a vintage integrated instead of a receiver. Put the money towards the integrated; you can pick up a decent tuner for $15, if needed, and depending on your location.
 
You could join Barter town here on Audiokarma. Its $25 a year I think, and you'll get access to other members selling gear. Less risky than craigslist e-bay ect..
 
gizzyman47 said:
You could join Barter town here on Audiokarma. Its $25 a year I think, and you'll get access to other members selling gear. Less risky than craigslist e-bay ect..
Click to expand...

You'll save that on your first purchase.

An added bonus, you're incredibly unlikely to get scammed buying in bt. Most folks here take the karma part VERY seriously.
 
[QUOTE="JohnKellysVo, post: 13438667, member: 46587".] And I'm hoping to get a decent glowing, knob-studded receiver for under $300. Does that sound doable?[/QUOTE]

Not sure about the prices in your area, but since you mentioned the Pioneer SX-780, I will say that you should be able to find a very decent one in the $200-$300 range. I have one, and managed to get a nice score on it for under $200. There's even one now on my local FB Marketplace for $150. So they're out there; it just may take a bit of hunting on your part.

Good luck on your search, and keep us posted.
 
I have bought some vintage units in the region, some have involved runs to the Charlotte or RDU metro areas to check something out. Most if not all on CL, Offerup, etc have done auditions at their place. Usually don't check turntable but AUX and stable tuner performance - don't check DC if they are using their own speakers but if using mine because they have nothing to test with I will. Most sellers have been good. A few times I have had to bring a kit to test them with. Less critical on cheap units being bought as a fix and repair.

You can hunt in the regional market, it is like finding a good used car at a reasonable price, will have to watch the market for a period of time pursue some promising candidates may take some time before finding and completing a deal on one.

If they don't have anything to test one with the kit I take that fits in a reusable grocery bag are my little KLH Model 403 speakers with stripped speaker wires (freebies, just had to replace the woofers due to not checking DC offset on an amp once - won't do that again), t-bar antenna, old portable CD player with 3.5 mm stereo to dual RCA patch cord, test CD, and have a reasonably good digital voltmeter that rides around in my truck and a number of tools in the bed box. The nice thing about the KLHs like that is that Parts Express had a small Goldwood woofer for less than $6 that fit right in and actually made the little 403s sound a lot better.
 
Hi, I'm in the UK and have a number of classic receivers. The one I find best is surprisingly a JVC JR-S401. It's a receiver/amp unit and it's huge and heavy. They were very cheap and overlooked until fairly recently but I think folk have started to catch on. Really excellent though and I think I have seen positive comments about these from others on this site.
JVC also did a JR-S601 but I think they are becoming very expensive.
Good luck with whatever you find.
 
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