marantz vs pioneer, sansui

[eyewanders]

For the money and best sound, I would go with Marantz or Harman/Kardon. IMHO, both of these were considered to be a class above Pioneer and Sansui. No matter how you slice it, it all comes down to what sounds good to you. In that case, all of them are contenders.

YMMV!

Truth spoken right here. You need to give them a listen, friend... and then choose the one you like the best. Knowudimsayin?

 

[SchweinHaus]

Personally, I'd go with the 661, but you really can't go wrong with a Marantz either. It's really going to depend on what speakers and sources you're running. Don't forget to look at integrated amps as well. You might find that they're a cheaper way to get what you're looking for without the built-in radio.

 

[just dave]

Anyone is good but I'm leanin towards the Marantz.

 

[legalalien]

Marantz=warmth...

 

[shelby1420]

Earlier Sansui's are tough to beat for that tube sound, they will require freshening up tho.

 

[RedbowTies88]

Of the brands you listed I own,

Marantz 2215 non-b
Sansui 7070
Pioneer sx-750
Pioneer sx-580.

Of the 4 the 2215 wins hands down. Its got a great sound.

Not quite as good as the 2215 but a close second out of those 4 receivers is the sx-750.

Now if you're going beyond the brands you listed I have a Harmon/Kardon 330b that gives the 2215 a good run for it's money. It's not quite as good in my opinion but very close. better even then the sx-750.

Where are you located? maybe there's an AK'er near that can let you listen to a few different amp to help you form an opinion.

 

[river25]

661 easy.

Easy to work on and the hum is easily fixable by going over the driver board & tone boards, and checking for bad joints. It's got a lush warm sound and performs well.

The Pioneer model I am not familiar with, but I have a friend who has old Pioneers and they all suiond great.

Same for the Marantz,,, I cannot comment on how it sounds. Visually, however, I personally find Marantz to among be the least attractive models of all the vintage receivers. It's that horizontal tuning wheel. It's ruined the looks of all their units. I no doubt think others find the opposite.

 

[guest122]

Cap coupled Marantz 2230 will have a more tube like sound than the 2215.

For a Pioneer unit look for something one generation older, like SX 1500 for a warmer sound.

The four digit Sansuis 1000/2000 etc always sounded better to me than the three digit units like 661.

Don't overlook the Sherwood 7100 or Harman Kardon 330 series either.

I agree about the sherwood I picked up a s-7200 a few weeks ago and it is a very warm sounding piece. I prefer its sound over my marantz 2240.

 

[GoldSounds]

I find that "tube-y" and "warm" are somewhat similar, but don't mean exactly the same thing. For example, I would say that my Marantz model 27 is warm, but I don't think that anyone would mistake it for a tube receiver, since there are other qualities that is has that are different from what is typical of tube equipment, particularly it's reproduction of treble. Some of the early solid-state Sherwoods have been called both "warm" "tube-like", and based on my own experience with my S-7300, I would agree with that. With the right speakers, I think it could be mistaken for a tubes.

For warmer sound, I would recommend early 70's Sansui, particularly if the #000 series(5000, 4000, 2000, etc), or early Sherwoods (S-7200, S-7100, etc). It's also worth noting that the Sherwoods tend to go for much less than competing Marantz, Sansui and Pioneer models.

That said, I don't think the Marantz would be a poor choice.