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First Time Setup (Elac Miracord 50h II tt) - Questions & Advice

sleepycrow

sleepycrow

New Member
Hey, it’s me again. Just started to get back on the hunt for a receiver/and or amp. I’m very new to turntables and I’m just looking for something to help give quality sound.

I normally listen to rock so I do like good bass, but my system will be set up in my small room, haha.
I don’t mind if it’s vintage or new, I live in the US and have been watching FB marketplace. (Budget of ~150, unfortunately, for now). However, I’m unsure if I should be looking for anything specific, hence why I am coming here!

As of now, I have a Elac Miracord 50h II and two Boston Acoustic A40 speakers. Any help or recommendations are greatly appreciated! Thank you.
 
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IMO....best bang for your $$ is a Realistic (Rat Shack) brand receiver. STILL can be bought for a reasonable price.
 
Make sure that whatever receiver you decide to get has a built-in phono preamp. Most modern receivers/amps do not have a phono input and you will need to buy an external phono pre-amp to use with your 50H. Vintage amps have this built-in.
 
I went a a quick scan of that auction site and found a few Pioneer and Yamaha receivers there for your budget: Before you pull the trigger on one check the specs, usually findable online. I would recommend, at a minimum:

Power output 35 Watts/channel RMS into 8 ohms minimum. 100 watts/channel RMS into 8 ohms much more desirable.
Frequency bandwidth 20 to 20,000 Hz plus or minus 3 dB minimum
Harmonic Distortion less then 1% minimum, less then 0.5% much more desirable
Hum and Noise (or Signal to Noise Ratio) phono 65 dB, line 80 dB minimum, 75 dB or better phono and 95 dB or better much more desirable

Any solid state receiver that can meet these specs should perform well and give you a number of good years of listening pleasurer.

Good luck with the hunt.

Shelly_D
 
Sometimes you can get a good price at Goodwill online (for example).
Used Vintage Technics SA-404 AM/FM Stereo Receiver Silver Face
This has a day to go with 10 bidders so it will probably go for much more. You take a chance that it does not work and will require some component replacement, but this one looks to be in good physical condition. I think something of this era will go nicely with your Miracord 50H turntable. Keep an eye on this site for any bargains, just remember most vintage will need some work and you need to look at the cost of shipping and potential damage when shipped.

Screenshot 2026-05-11 145220.jpg
 
shelly_d said:
I went a a quick scan of that auction site and found a few Pioneer and Yamaha receivers there for your budget: Before you pull the trigger on one check the specs, usually findable online. I would recommend, at a minimum:

Power output 35 Watts/channel RMS into 8 ohms minimum. 100 watts/channel RMS into 8 ohms much more desirable.
Frequency bandwidth 20 to 20,000 Hz plus or minus 3 dB minimum
Harmonic Distortion less then 1% minimum, less then 0.5% much more desirable
Hum and Noise (or Signal to Noise Ratio) phono 65 dB, line 80 dB minimum, 75 dB or better phono and 95 dB or better much more desirable

Any solid state receiver that can meet these specs should perform well and give you a number of good years of listening pleasurer.

Good luck with the hunt.

Shelly_D
Click to expand...
Hi,
Would a Yamaha R-300 Receiver going for $95 be okay with what I already have? Seller shows that everything works on it.
Thanks in advance!
 
Looks good to me, and it has a Phono input for your Miracord turntable. Make sure the dial lamps work and the Phono input works.
It also looks like it has a variable Loudness control so you can pump up the Bass at lower volume levels to get the sound that you like.
Screenshot 2026-05-28 083325.jpg
Screenshot 2026-05-28 083500.jpg

Here are the specs for your speakers. It looks like the R-300 (30W) is within the recommended speaker power range.
The speakers aren't the most efficient with 88.5eB/W/m, but should be OK.
Screenshot 2026-05-28 083813.jpg

Screenshot 2026-05-28 082542.jpg
Screenshot 2026-05-28 082604.jpg
Screenshot 2026-05-28 082625.jpg
 
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sleepycrow said:
Hi,
Would a Yamaha R-300 Receiver going for $95 be okay with what I already have? Seller shows that everything works on it.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
That Yamaha was built in the 1980's when IC's (integrated circuits) were used. The following link shows it has 10 IC's, which if they go bad, almost impossible to replace.


I personally would look for something closer to the era of your ELAC Miracord turntable, a receiver or integrated amplifier built between 1970 and 1975 when most used silicon transistors and no IC's.
 
Look at the Kenwood and Pioneer (and some marantz) integrated amplifiers from the 70s - even pioneer fluroscan later models are nice. Later models from late 70s-early 80s have issues with parts and are built poorly in mainstream hifi. Think marantz 1060 1030 pioneer sa7100 etc
 
Iansaudio said:
Look at the Kenwood and Pioneer (and some marantz) integrated amplifiers from the 70s - even pioneer fluroscan later models are nice. Later models from late 70s-early 80s have issues with parts and are built poorly in mainstream hifi. Think marantz 1060 1030 pioneer sa7100 etc
Click to expand...
Someone on FB Marketplace is selling a Pioneer SX-424 for $250… Decent price? Too much? They have photos if you want me to attach those, too. Description claims used in 2024 and fully functioning but hasn’t been used since.
 
I think it might be worth spending the 25 bucks to become a subscriber so that you could post a want ad in the Bartertown section. I suspect that there are AKers near you who might have exactly the sort of thing you want. And, one hopes, with more realistic pricing than that 424.
 
yup, $250 for the Pioneer SX-424 is too much.

Keep your eye out for Allied receivers from that era, they were made by Pioneer...


1970 Allied Radio Catalog

Flip-through every page of this 1970 Allied Radio Catalog containing vintage radios, phonographs, amplifiers, amateur / short wave radios, knight kits & electronic parts.
www.alliedcatalogs.com

1971 Allied / RadioShack Catalog

Flip-through every page of this 1971 Allied / RadioShack Catalog containing vintage radios, phonographs, amplifiers, amateur / short wave radios, knight kits & electronic parts.
www.alliedcatalogs.com
 
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