• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Looking for receiver suggestions, 50wpc, under $300, 70's styling

Came close to buying a Pioneer SX-727 on ebay for $170. Watching this and a Realistic STA-90 and an Onkyo TX-4500 MKII for $199 each.

I'm finding Marantz and Sansui seem to be out of my price range.
 
DonP1 said:
How are the 5B's? Are they a good speaker? How much would be too much to pay for a pair? Like "I wouldn't pay more than $xxx dollars for a pair"?
Click to expand...

I can't give price-related advice for 5Bs. I am a thrift store audio guy. I paid $20 for mine, but one is missing pieces of trim on the front and they were filthy and pathetic looking.
An Ebay search with the 'Completed Sales' box checked will tell you what the market for them is like.

Optimus 5Bs (functionally same as Nova 8Bs) get a lot of love on this forum from the Shack-inclined members.
They are presently my best speaker, but I have never owned any real high-dollar speakers.
Besides that you have your ears, your tastes, your amps, and your budget and I have mine.
 
DonP1 said:
Came close to buying a Pioneer SX-727 on ebay for $170. Watching this and a Realistic STA-90 and an Onkyo TX-4500 MKII for $199 each.

I'm finding Marantz and Sansui seem to be out of my price range.
Click to expand...
Of those three, at those prices and in equal condition, that Onkyo would be my pick.
I have a TX-3000 (from a few years later than the TX4500-II) and I think that it is awesome.
Those are all nice receivers, though.
 
Cool, because the SX-727 was bought out from under me LOL! It was $150, I offered $125, they countered $130, and I was petrified. Someone else must have hit the $150 BIN. It was in good shape, shipping was $40.

The Onkyo is free shipping, which comes to $20 more than the Pioneer.
 
I've gotta come clean.

Yesterday after looking and not finding, I found an add on CL at 8:30pm all the way in Columbus (120 miles away). I showed my 19 year old son and he said let's go get it (impulse shopping). The seller said someone else was going to take a look at 2pm, and we didn't want to let it get away. We didn't get there 10:30pm, and back home by 12:30am.

What was listed:

Fisher 504 Quad receiver
Sansui FR-D45 turntable
Pioneer SG-60 EQ
Kenwood KL-700Z speaker (1)
JVC SK-15 speakers (2)

It was too late at night to try out anything, so I handed over the $225 for this "as-is" deal and made my way back home.

The speakers all work good. My son does the eval and for reference he loves his Sansui SL-2000's. He said the new speakers sound good, but the Sansui's has a little more high end which he prefers.

The TT did not include a cartridge. It powers up, spins a little, then stops. I'm not sure if this is because of the lack of cartridge or if the electronics are hosed.

Haven't tested the EQ yet.

Which leaves the receiver. Left front works fine. Right front went from not at all, to sometimes fine sometimes not after a descent cleaning (waiting on an order of Deoxit fader lube, but I did use F5 fader cleaner which has lube). I used Deoxit on the three rotary switch contacts, F5 on the joystick pots.

The power caps need to go, along with any other caps. When it does play it sounds solid, but I do have sort of an unreliable mess on my hands. The front right side sometimes goes from playing correctly, to playing in a "low power mode"? almost like a protection circuit is being tripped. If I turn the receiver off then on again, it sometimes resets itself.

So now I need to evaluate my position, and determine if I'm going into a deeper hole with the 504, or cut my ?losses? I need to re-eval the amp after cleaning and lubing.

There is another 504 right here in Cincy with the same exact problem. It is in great shape, been serviced ($275) and is for sale $120 as-is.

Or do I get a Pioneer SX-737, Onkyo TX-4500 MKII or Hitachi and call it a day?

I'm still going to try again to not open my wallet and wait for the Vintage Swap meet at Parts Express July 13. until then, I'll muck around with the Fisher I guess.

edit: After hooking it back up, I'm getting some success (left and right main channels, laft rear, maybe right rear. I'm pretty sure the issues are with the speaker selector switch. More cleaning and lube needed, but things are looking good.
 
Last edited:
The Onkyo is the gem in everything discussed. Hope the 504 comes to life but not many here are putting together systems staring a quad receiver. Sure some do and I'd say a bunch of them are using them in 2 channel mode.
 
I had an Onkyo TX-4500, not the MKII. It was nice, but I sold it when someone offered me money that I could use to fund something else. Only thing negative I had to say about it is the thing is absolutely enormous. They are wider than most of the period units, and shelving can be difficult because of it.
 
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Below is now in route to my home. I hope it was a good decision. If not, he says I have 30 days to return it at his cost (huh???) I'll believe that when I see it happen LOL!

{Note: Ebay link deleted by MOD per site rules}

If the link doesn't work it's an Onkyo TX-4500 MKII for $#########.

The Fisher 504 still needs more cleaning, but I can get 3 of 4 channels to work most of the time (the right front is trouble). I think when I crank it I blow the protection circuits, but at regular listening levels it sounds great. I like the 504, it's like a hot rod car engine. A 504 Hemi LOL!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Pretty brave considering not one word is mentioned about it other than antenna never hooked up.
Hopefully it was only listened to by a little old lady on Sundays.
 
Sherwood receivers normally fly under most people's radar. I would try seeking one of those models if you can find one in good shape.
 
I have to agree on the Onkyo TX-4500. It has a very nice sound to it, nice looks, solid build and yes, it's very big considering the the watts. It's roughly the same size as a Pioneer SX-1010 though a fair bit lighter.
 
goodolpg said:
Pretty brave considering not one word is mentioned about it other than antenna never hooked up.
Hopefully it was only listened to by a little old lady on Sundays.
Click to expand...
I also didn't like the fact there was no mention of the condition, so I talked with the seller. He said it was tested and had no issues.
 
PabloX said:
I have to agree on the Onkyo TX-4500. It has a very nice sound to it, nice looks, solid build and yes, it's very big considering the the watts. It's roughly the same size as a Pioneer SX-1010 though a fair bit lighter.
Click to expand...
I must like big, because I got the 504 and it's a monster. Honestly, I have no issues with the large size. I've gone through a lot of threads about the 4500 and saw pictures of it compared to the size of other receivers. No worries. I hope it means there is more room to work on it inside.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Have you spent the 25 bucks for a one year subscription and red banner allowing you to ask for one of these receivers from AKers? Barter Town ask would be filled with a few receivers like you mention and piles of other gear folks find that they want to unload when they look for that receiver. Heck close to your budget power/price is a Tandberg TR-2045 that has push button presets on the tuner, not many do that. And it looks great with the rosewood veneer, not plastic wrap. There are too many to list and quiet got a list started but there are bunches more. All the major brands, every year or so had a new model with more of something from 1970 to 1982. Maybe about 100 to consider. good luck.
Click to expand...
You'll be happy to know I've spent the $25. I really doubt I'll find anything in BT, but I did find this website useful enough to support.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom