Poll: Best looking receiver family.

[SoCal Sam]

The three Marantz looks from that era in order of production:

1. Silver with blue dial and smooth sided knobs.
2. Silver with blue dial, aluminum strip, knobs with ridges.
3. Silver with silver dial, knobs with ridges.

Numbers 1 and 3 are my favorites. The aluminum strip models don't cut it for me.

 

[Marek]

All the above...

And also...

What about the yamaha x000/x00 series?

I always liked the cr1000.

Here's 2 pics comparing the 1000 with the 3020.

I don't think this question has been stated in this format in a while, so here is my poll:

Which family (or "line-up") of receivers is the best looking?

Sound like a simple question, right? It is purely about aesthetics, and exterior ones at that: Pretend you are sitting in your listening chair, receivers turned on, looking straight at them - which receiver line looks the nicest? No speakers or sources are necessary - receiver exterior looks only! It is therefore a strictly subjective post - there is no accounting for anyone's taste, which should leave flamewars at a minimum. It is not about voting for the stuff you own - it is supposed to be your choice regardless of if you own it or not. If you don't know what a lineup looks like, don't sell it short - I encourage you to look it up on eBay or Google Images (etc.) and educate yourself on something you are unfamiliar with!

The poll is therefore not about sonics, build quality, reliability, availability of parts or schematics or anything else technical we normally concern ourselves with here at AK - it is merely about looks. It is a public poll - people will be able to see what you vote for. If the lineup came with optional factory wood cases (e.g. Marantz 22xx), imagine the unit WITH the optional case. If the line only came with a steel case or vinyl veneer from factory, that's what you have to consider.

Now to my constraints: I have selected 10 receiver families, rather than one single unit, to get to an idea of the aesthetic quality of the full lineup. I am limited to 10 alternatives at an AK poll, so I have attempted at choosing 10 mainstream, large volume line-ups: Rotel, Carver, Concept, Onkyo, Tandberg owners, etc. - too bad! The other constraint is that in order to qualify as a line, it must include a TOTL unit of 100 wpc or more ("monster"). I do not pretend to have chosen the categories, or even organized them, perfectly - it is simply my subjective stab at it. If you feel a particular lineup is missing or should not be there, you have two choices: Vote for something else or "vote with your feet".

Any more constraints? This thread is posted in "Vintage Solid State" - there are two clues right there!

Remember that this is not about what you own, but what looks the best out there on my list? To get this off to a good start and to be a good example, I will cast vote for for a lineup in which I have never owned anything: My favorite lineup is the Pioneer x50 series, closely followed by the Pioneer x80 - simply the most stunning components out there, by a long margin, IMHO: A SX-1250 is on my shortlist!

Enjoy,
Rgds

<rant> PS! A somewhat polemic statement: Having their own sub forum, I am thinking that certain brands (Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui) will not get the exposure at this poll they deserve: I really wish, for threads like this one, and much else, that vintage SS was all one forum, instead of becoming fragmented into more and more pieces.</rant>

 

[Brian]

I'll not be able to vote as there is no "Other" category and since no Technics, Rotel, McIntosh, Scott, Marantz 18/19, Sony, Sherwood, Philips or other mainstream companies and nothing there comes close to being the best looking for me, I'll pass.

 

[MattFLA]

I for one can't stand the way the Mac Receivers look.....CRUDE!

-- Chris

I for one can't stand the way Mac receivers sound !

I voted for the Maranzt 22xx....I love the way my 2250b/2325 look.


MattFLA

 

[CUlater]

I voted for Marantz, but am amazed that the Technics have drawn a goose egg so far. I personally think they have very nice looking front panels - sure, the cases are cheesy, but from the front I like the stacked volume and tuning knob layout and black volume control surround...just not as much as the thumbwheel and blue of Marantz, tho...

 

[Twenty20Man]

Should be a blue face Pioneer category as well, I went with the totally classy, elegant Yamaha CR-XX20.

 

[e2e4c7c5]

Wait a second, this poll is rigged. :nono: Most of the receiver lines posted here had a run of two or three years max. But the way you have Marantz receivers listed they cover almost a decade and had at least two if not three distinct looks to them. They should have been broken out between the black dial faces and silver at a minimum. :yes:

Good Point!!! :yes:

 

[onepixel]

After seeing a Sansui G22000 next to a Marantz 2325, 2385, Pioneer SX-1980, Rotel, Setton and seeing a Marantz 2500 and CR-3020. There is no comparison. And I collected Marantz. The Rotel and Setton come close.

I voted Sansui Gs.

 

[Brian]

MattFLA, as we are opposites (I love McIntosh receivers but other than the 18 and 19 wouldn't give serious system shelf space to most Marantz receivers) we are exampples of why there is such wonderful diversity in collectors' opinions and why it is so difficult to get a meaninglul answer to the questions such as: How good is X brand?, or Which should I get A or B? and other similar questions.

 

[Arkay]

Tough, tough poll! Just like the Marantz, the Kenwood KRs come in two versions: one with black dial, one with silver, and some really look nice, others so-so. I like BOTH the Marantz and the G-Series looks. Faces aside, I think the woodgrain on the G-series edges out the Marantz woodgrain, EXCEPT that the G-series is usually FAKE woodgrain, and the Marantz is real.

The clean silver lines of the Pioneers is nice in a more modern way, but just marginally less visually interesting.

I like the look of Macs even more than any listed, truth be told... and I especially love the Luxman 1050, with its timeless face and gorgeous woodgrain case; it just visually reeks of "cigar-smoking millionaire executive" to me, but those aren't options.

Tough, tough, tough... but in the end I decided on ...the Marantz. I never get tired of lookin at mine. The black-dial ones are the closest thing to the Macs on that list, too, if you think about it. No, wait a minute, I think I like the G-series better.., those big knobs, shiny, classy...the appearance of "depth" in the dial...yeah, the Sansui's. No, the Marantz do have the edge, with that blue light and all those little buttons lined up... No, those Sansui's, after all. Hhmm, no, I'll stick with the Marantz. No, the Sansui...Marantz...Sansui.... :yes: :yes: Aaaaarrgghhhhh!!!!! <sparks and smoke escape, as I keel over....>

Thank God this is only a poll, and in real life I can have and enjoy more than just one receiver. This was like "Sophie's Choice'!!!!!

 

[hemiram]

I know it's a dead thread, but I voted for the Sansui G series and probably the only one I like better is the Realistic STA-2080 with a nice blue LED light mod.

 

[RVT1K]

I see they are in the small minority but I bought a brand new Technics SA800 when I was in HS and thought it was THE coolest.

 

[curtisw99]

The answer is:

Sony STR-70XX

 

[hopeless]

I still have a soft spot for green faced 30 series h/k.

 

[PF Sound]

There's something about the G-x000 series that just does it for me.

 

[Sansuiman]

Wow, this thread got resurrected from a long ways back. It wasn't an easy decision for me. I voted for Sansui G series, but I do really like the looks of several of the categories, notably the Pioneer x50 line, Yamaha and Technics. Other posters from way back mentioned Rotel, Luxman and Setton, and while those aren't represented in the poll, they are some aesthetically excellent gear also. If I had the space and money to collect nice specimens of all the above just on looks alone, I would. But that isn't practical, so I've limited myself primarily to Sansui, with some Akai and Luxman, and a couple of Pioneer in my holdings.

 

[Bill S]

Pioneer X3X series. Marantz. Sony 70xx.

 

[Descartridge]

The silver-faced, rosewood clad LUXMAN receiver line, hands down, is the most stunning,

 

[Bone Yard]

Njord, you forgot AIWA, I'm going with the My Pace tiny 22 Series. It had about 20+ case/rack/box options including one that looked like a toilet roll holder. 19 years ago seems like yesterday, not as many how do I fix xxx threads in those days.

 

[tourmax]

my choice is not in the poll: Sansui 8080/8080DB 9090/9090DB. Slight edge to the 9090’s because of the real wood case vice the covered luan on the 8080’s.

Close second would be the 890DB/990DB.