Sony STR-6045 or Pioneer SX-3800?

[AdamITR]

Sony STR-6045 or Pioneer SX-3800?

Just looking for opinions on what is the better or more collectable receiver? Both in good condition, would be powering a pair of Rectilinear XII speakers.

 

[grateful]

The 3800 is a far better receiver. The 6045 is an entry level Sony and is 10 years older

 

[peterfranks]

I owned the 3700 and it was a nice unit. 3800 was TOTL for this series.

3800 should be a much better unit .....

 

[Ghonk]

3900 was TOTL.

 

[peterfranks]

3900 was TOTL.

oops. you are correct. thx.

 

[Brian]

I will take the STR6045. It was the entry level audio specialty salon unit that includes the 6055 and 6065. The sound and build quality is right up there with the others. The 3x00 was their mass merchandise line and no where the quality in design and build quality as well as looks and sound. They are nice in their own right but not up to the same level.

I had both in house for a few years until about 2014 when I decided to thin the crop. The 3800 was one of the very first to go while the 6045 has with each thinning made the cut and currently is doing duty as the dedicated receiver in my headphone system.

 

[Karmices]

I will take the STR6045. It was the entry level audio specialty salon unit that includes the 6055 and 6065. The sound and build quality is right up there with the others. The 3x00 was their mass merchandise line and no where the quality in design and build quality as well as looks and sound. They are nice knowing their own right but not up to the same level.

+1. ^^All of this^^

 

[Daunia 70]

All in all,I'd go with the Sony. Very high build quality from the early 70's and sounds real nice with it. The Pioneer had a MRRP of $500 upon it's release in 1980... with inflation taken into account,it would've been around the same price as the $250,1972 Sony STR-6045.

 

[captouch]

I have a STR-6055 - I'm sure the 6045 sounds similar. One of the best sounding vintage receivers I own.

 

[grateful]

The 6045 is a quasi complimentary capacitor coupled unit. The 3800 is a very advanced DC amplifier. There is no comparison in engineering technology, distortion levels, power output, and power bandwidth. Still many prefer the sound of cap coupled units. I owned a 6045 when I was a teen in one of my first systems which included a pair of EPI 100s and an AR turntable. I have also owned the 3800 years later, I know what I would keep.

 

[boke]

The 6045 is a quasi complimentary capacitor coupled unit. The 3800 is a very advanced DC amplifier. There is no comparison in engineering technology, distortion levels, power output, and power bandwidth. Still many prefer the sound of cap coupled units. I owned a 6045 when I was a teen in one of my first systems which included a pair of EPI 100s and an AR turntable. I have also owned the 3800 years later, I know what I would keep.

Actually I believe the main amplifier cct is direct-coupled to the speaker terminals (via the speaker selector rotary switch). I think even the signal path in all of the main amp cct is direct-coupled. The pre-amp and tone amp are capacitor-coupled, though. Still I have a mint-condition model (save for the lettering "STR-6045" on the glass - is it glass or plastic ? - panel) which sounds wonderfully clear with an amazingly wide soundstage. Especially on headphones, you can really hear each instrument separately unlike listening to the same song with an iPod (even at FLAC formats ) where the instruments sort of bleed into one another (but still sound good enough).