Chiamac
New Member
My dad bought one of these back in the late 70's, 1977 I think, new from a store in Fargo North Dakota. I still have the original receipt somewhere, along with the brochure or user manual. This was the family stereo growing up, along with some medium sized pioneer speakers that eventually fell apart and were turned into a cat bed, and a Technics record player that has now long stopped working and being useful (some random belt drive one).
Sometime before going to college in 2000 I bought some Jamo X870 speakers, and along with the SX-636 listened to some music more than likely a little louder than I should have in the dorms. This also worked well for a few parties in smaller rooms.
After college around 2006 or so I added some B&W DM 601 S3 bookshelf speakers, and have run them as A on top of the Jamo as B with only the sub and mid connected. Although it doesn't usually make as much noise, for a while in the old apartment it was getting daily use, especially in the days I tried to be a dj and spun some records. Finally after 10 years in the apartment I moved into a house and it sat around for 4 or 5 years before the pandemic forced me to work from home.
I did have a night in December 2020 where I played some music a little too loud. Thankfully nothing fell off the walls, and the plaster ceiling over the dining room didn't come down (or it's been sheetrocked over, I haven't checked). I was able to turn it about half up, which was plenty loud sitting 3 feet away (small room), before it was getting distorted. I forgot years ago how loud it got only powering the Jamo's, but I'm pretty sure half to just about half was about it.
At some point in the late 90's in high school I thought it was a good idea to try to replace some lights that were burnt out. In general it was, I didn't wreck anything, but didn't do a great job by any means. In the summer of 2020 I put it a LED conversion kit and couldn't be happier now, it's more than likely the first time in 25 years that all the lights have worked.
I don't really have any complaints. It's been a workhorse, still sounds great, and I've never really wanted to replace it, or had a reason to replace it. To be honest, I haven't even cleaned out any of the switches, since usually a little flickering or use of them cleans up anything.
I'll have to defer to others as far as how it sounds. To me it's normal, and especially with the B&W's as my mids/highs I've never really wanted more. I'm sure it's not the end all be all of 1970's audio quality, and my ears still have above normal hearing even though I'm basically 40 years old now, but I've always been happy with the way it sounds, never really wanted to change it, and don't have plans to change it. For what it's worth, as far as quality, that I'm worried more about blue vs red Ortofon carts for my budding record collecting hobby, than I am about what this receiver and those B&W speakers can do.
I will say that it is not high powered, and the RMS won't impress anyone today. However, it was getting my Jamo's to the point where my ears were being stressed in my small listening room back in December. It did well enough growing up where we didn't play anything nearly that loud, and if I did get into a larger space I'd buy larger amps and speakers anyway. Everyone seemed happy when it was used for small room parties, although again we weren't getting it loud enough to ring any ears, although it wasn't quiet. So it really serves well as a nice, standard, regular home receiver. I should mention that the Jamo have a SPL of 90 or 91, and consist IIRC of a 10 inch sub, a few 5 inch mids, and a tweeter horn, so driving all that isn't a walk in the park, let alone along with the B&W on top in place of the tweeter.
Growing up with this I can't say that I'd really suggest someone run out and buy one. I don't know what different options there are at whatever price point it is at, and I'm not going to make a hobby out of collecting old equipment and learning the brands and stuff. I will say that I wouldn't suggest passing one up if it's in good shape and working. I can't comment on repairing one, but it seems like that's more than possible (I haven't had to dig into it the same way I am my QX project).
I think the best way to put it is the word "delight", in that this is a smaller receiver that isn't as expensive as more sought after models, and to me it's that word, delightful, in the way it sounds, looks, and has worked all these years.
Just putting this out there to add my voice, as someone who has used this now for basically 30+ years, since my earliest memories.
Sometime before going to college in 2000 I bought some Jamo X870 speakers, and along with the SX-636 listened to some music more than likely a little louder than I should have in the dorms. This also worked well for a few parties in smaller rooms.
After college around 2006 or so I added some B&W DM 601 S3 bookshelf speakers, and have run them as A on top of the Jamo as B with only the sub and mid connected. Although it doesn't usually make as much noise, for a while in the old apartment it was getting daily use, especially in the days I tried to be a dj and spun some records. Finally after 10 years in the apartment I moved into a house and it sat around for 4 or 5 years before the pandemic forced me to work from home.
I did have a night in December 2020 where I played some music a little too loud. Thankfully nothing fell off the walls, and the plaster ceiling over the dining room didn't come down (or it's been sheetrocked over, I haven't checked). I was able to turn it about half up, which was plenty loud sitting 3 feet away (small room), before it was getting distorted. I forgot years ago how loud it got only powering the Jamo's, but I'm pretty sure half to just about half was about it.
At some point in the late 90's in high school I thought it was a good idea to try to replace some lights that were burnt out. In general it was, I didn't wreck anything, but didn't do a great job by any means. In the summer of 2020 I put it a LED conversion kit and couldn't be happier now, it's more than likely the first time in 25 years that all the lights have worked.
I don't really have any complaints. It's been a workhorse, still sounds great, and I've never really wanted to replace it, or had a reason to replace it. To be honest, I haven't even cleaned out any of the switches, since usually a little flickering or use of them cleans up anything.
I'll have to defer to others as far as how it sounds. To me it's normal, and especially with the B&W's as my mids/highs I've never really wanted more. I'm sure it's not the end all be all of 1970's audio quality, and my ears still have above normal hearing even though I'm basically 40 years old now, but I've always been happy with the way it sounds, never really wanted to change it, and don't have plans to change it. For what it's worth, as far as quality, that I'm worried more about blue vs red Ortofon carts for my budding record collecting hobby, than I am about what this receiver and those B&W speakers can do.
I will say that it is not high powered, and the RMS won't impress anyone today. However, it was getting my Jamo's to the point where my ears were being stressed in my small listening room back in December. It did well enough growing up where we didn't play anything nearly that loud, and if I did get into a larger space I'd buy larger amps and speakers anyway. Everyone seemed happy when it was used for small room parties, although again we weren't getting it loud enough to ring any ears, although it wasn't quiet. So it really serves well as a nice, standard, regular home receiver. I should mention that the Jamo have a SPL of 90 or 91, and consist IIRC of a 10 inch sub, a few 5 inch mids, and a tweeter horn, so driving all that isn't a walk in the park, let alone along with the B&W on top in place of the tweeter.
Growing up with this I can't say that I'd really suggest someone run out and buy one. I don't know what different options there are at whatever price point it is at, and I'm not going to make a hobby out of collecting old equipment and learning the brands and stuff. I will say that I wouldn't suggest passing one up if it's in good shape and working. I can't comment on repairing one, but it seems like that's more than possible (I haven't had to dig into it the same way I am my QX project).
I think the best way to put it is the word "delight", in that this is a smaller receiver that isn't as expensive as more sought after models, and to me it's that word, delightful, in the way it sounds, looks, and has worked all these years.
Just putting this out there to add my voice, as someone who has used this now for basically 30+ years, since my earliest memories.
