New to site and vintage - need help deciding

[MarkA]

Sansui 2000x or HK 670

Hello all,

I'm new to the site and have been lurking for days, have decided to finally step into the vintage realm. I know there is a lot to learn and I look forward to doing so here.

Now to my dilemma, I have the opportunity to buy a Sansui 2000x for $165 or found a HK 670 for $145 + shipping. The Sansui I know works and the HK comes from a reputable person that states all is operational. Any advice or suggetions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[x2turbo]

My advice is to take your time. If you live in an area of any size you'll be amazed at how much vintage gear shows up on CL. Before you audition any gear do some research pertaining to its characteristics and most importantly the issues that are involved with a piece of electronics that is 30+ years old. Some gear was built better than others, but all of it will need some TLC after all that time. Some more than others.

When you audition it make sure all the source inputs work. If need be, bring a CD player with you and a pair of interconnects if the seller can't provide. This will allow you to test all the inputs except the phonostage. If that's important, bring one if you have one.

It's difficult to determine value of something on CL without subscribing to an electronics bluebook, but the dollars and sense forum here can provide some relief. Checking prices on ebay is ok, but they are usually elevated compared to CL prices. Use the advance search function and select completed listings so that you can see the actual prices stuff sold for and not just the asking prices.

Also have an idea of what speakers you'd eventually like to have based on your room size and size the receiver or separates appropriately. It doesn't make sense to get a monster receiver if you are driving a small pair of bookshelfs.

Just take your time. For me it was getting gear that I wanted when I was a teenager but couldn't afford to start with. Then after being a member here for a while and reading a lot of threads about gear I never heard of you'll begin to develop a favorites list. Filling that favorites list is all part of the chase.

The first thing you did right was to come here. There's more info than anyone can digest, but if you are like me you'll be hooked.

Good luck

 

[MarkA]

Thanks for the advice, I will keep all that in mind. I should've started this a long time as much as I love music. I never knew the quality of vintage equipment. I think I'm going to start with some Dahlquist DQM-3 or maybe AR 18s with a sub of some sort to pick up the low end. I keep reading good things about both receivers and have listened to the Sansui; just want to make a good decision with my first receiver. Thanks again and your advice is appreciated.