Thoughts on your favorite mid level vintage receivers?

[triode17]

I have an old Pioneer SX-3700 that someone gave me. It didn't work, as someone had "tried to fix it" by cutting some of the wires inside. So I simply connected the like colored wires back together and it works. I am a tube amp guy but this one sounds pretty damn good. Bench tested at 45 w/ch, 8 ohms. i listen to it once in a while to get a perspective.

 

[WillVT]

Just a thought, if you won't be listening to the radio on this system, you could broaden your search to include integrated amplifiers. There are some great performing and great looking integrateds out there.

 

[Muel_pete]

Just a thought, if you won't be listening to the radio on this system, you could broaden your search to include integrated amplifiers. There are some great performing and great looking integrateds out there.

Good idea, I hadn't thought about that. I don't listen to radio much, mostly for sports broadcasts. I mostly like the look of a lit up dial. But I am sure I could get more machine for my money if I went with an integrated amplifier. Any thoughts on your favorite?

 

[WillVT]

Good idea, I hadn't thought about that. I don't listen to radio much, mostly for sports broadcasts. I mostly like the look of a lit up dial. But I am sure I could get more machine for my money if I went with an integrated amplifier. Any thoughts on your favorite?

I've only had a few integrated amp. My favorite it a Sansui AU-7500. I love the minimalist industrial looks.
I wouldn't worry too much about watts. As others have said, and I can attest to, something like the the HK 330c is a great sounding receiver, even at 20wpc, and can easily fill a room.

 

[twiiii]

We sold a bunch of different receivers back in the 70's and 80's. I like Mac model 19's, Marantz Model 18's. Pioneer made better units in the 80's as did Sansui, than in the 70's. Marantz and Mac were pretty consistent. . But I guess my first choice would be Marantz models. But which ever you choose they will need to be totally restored. And unless you are a big FM fan I would just get a simple integrated unit instead. If you do that then you want a Mcintosh MA 6200 to start with.

 

[Bodyblue]

I got away from receivers the last year or so and started buy integrated. But two days ago I bought 75 wpc Fisher receiver and fell in love with them all over again. I own a Sony TA F3A, Pioneer SA 7700, Marantz 1060, Fisher CA 800 and a Kenwood KA 3500 and they all sound great. But the few receivers I have left all sound just as good.

 

[quiet]

I got away from receivers the last year or so and started buy integrated. But two days ago I bought 75 wpc Fisher receiver and fell in love with them all over again. I own a Sony TA F3A, Pioneer SA 7700, Marantz 1060, Fisher CA 800 and a Kenwood KA 3500 and they all sound great. But the few receivers I have left all sound just as good.

I saw your Fisher. That's a lot of power for a midline receiver. I had come to the conclusion that old receivers would sound as good as anything else because of the limitations of my old speakers. But your indicating something a bit different.
That's encouraging. I think.

 

[Bodyblue]

I saw your Fisher. That's a lot of power for a midline receiver. I had come to the conclusion that old receivers would sound as good as anything else because of the limitations of my old speakers. But your indicating something a bit different.
That's encouraging. I think.

Well the 2007 was an upper model in the Fisher line but still a middle of the road unit. I hooked it up up to my Dynaco A25s and it sounded just as good as the re capped Pioneer SA 7700 integrated. It also drove some modern Polk 110s great as well.

Clean power is clean power from a unit in good condition. There is an assumption that all integrated apps sound better than receivers that I have not found to be true. Some do and some dont. There is still something cool and smart about having one unit do it all.

While it waits for the lamps I ordered for it, the Fisher will be my computer amp.

 

[audiojones]

Good idea, I hadn't thought about that. I don't listen to radio much, mostly for sports broadcasts. I mostly like the look of a lit up dial. But I am sure I could get more machine for my money if I went with an integrated amplifier. Any thoughts on your favorite?

If you're thinking of an integrated amp I would seriously consider the Onkyo line from the 80's and 90's (even more recent models too). They are very well engineered amps with discrete outputs, lots of great features and loads of power. They also sell for much less than they should. These guys really did their homework and paid attention to important details when they built these amps, IMO they truly are an excellent value for the $.

The A-8017 for example: nicely built (aluminum faceplate), 80wpc, tons of features with every input / output you could ever need, very good phono stage and can usually be had for chump change. The A-8019 steps it up to 100wpc (same basic layout) and again can be had for very reasonable money. I have both of these amps and they have plenty of power to drive my large vintage acoustic suspension speakers without breaking a sweat and they sound fantastic.

 

[danrclem]

I don't know if a Sansui 8080db would be considered a midline receiver but they sound very good and even though I haven't heard them I'm fairly certain that a couple of it's smaller siblings would too. I bought a non-working 9090db from a guy who had a 7070db that he was using. I didn't listen to it but did ask him how it compared to the 9090db and he didn't give me an answer. I took it that it sounded just as good but I could be wrong about my assumption.

 

[Bodyblue]

I don't know if a Sansui 8080db would be considered a midline receiver but they sound very good and even though I haven't heard them I'm fairly certain that a couple of it's smaller siblings would too. I bought a non-working 9090db from a guy who had a 7070db that he was using. I didn't listen to it but did ask him how it compared to the 9090db and he didn't give me an answer. I took it that it sounded just as good but I could be wrong about my assumption.

I have owned quite a few vintage receivers from almost all of the big and not so big names of the 70s. What I have found is that virtually all of them sounded great. The ones with more power could push better speakers more easily and would maybe make them sound better. The only ones that I thought sounded "bad": are the ones that had something wrong with them. None of them sound bad unless you are pushing them past their designed limits. If you take a Marantz 2220 and run Mach Ones and try and fill a disco it wont sound that great. But the same unit driving Imperial 5s in a regular living room will sound excellent. It just depends on the room, speakers and volume needed.

 

[kray]

Sony STR-7065 and 7065A. These were TOTL but somehow under-appreciated by the market.

This! Not sure how these are not worth more today. I’ve had mine for about 6 months now and couldn’t be happier. Also have it’s little brother the 7045. Not as pretty as the 7065 (close) but performs great too.

Hard to believe in 1973 it was $475 equivalent to around $2500 today

 

[darin g]

Just picked up a sansui 1000a and a marantz 1120 console stereo with the Walnut case. Both are nice and power up so it's time to hook up some speakers.....sometimes you just stumble on to gear when you LEAST expect it...yes

 

[Bodyblue]

This! Not sure how these are not worth more today. I’ve had mine for about 6 months now and couldn’t be happier. Also have it’s little brother the 7045. Not as pretty as the 7065 (close) but performs great too.

Hard to believe in 1973 it was $475 equivalent to around $2500 today

I have a Sony STR 5800SD and it is a really nice unit. They are still pretty cheap, probably because Sony was not yet the huge name in the 70s that it was later on.

Mine has a beautiful set of solid walnut panels custom made by another AK member and it is really handsome. The vinyl wrapped crap that came on it was not attractive at all.

 

[Bodyblue]

Just picked up a sansui 1000a and a marantz 1120 console stereo with the Walnut case. Both are nice and power up so it's time to hook up some speakers.....sometimes you just stumble on to gear when you LEAST expect it...yes

The Marantz wooden cases for the integrated amps are worth almost as much as the amp in good condition. I was lucky, I found my 1060 and 250 with the case in great condition.

 

[darin g]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure about the value yet. My case is very nice too. Sadly it's missing the balance knob.

 

[darin g]

How do those early 70s marantz integrated sound?

 

[Christian B]

Any of the HK _30 dual powered receivers are winners. I gave my original HK 730 to my oldest daughter and son-in-law, and it still sees almost daily use after more than 40 years in the family. Gave the other daughter and son-in-law my Marantz 2230, another nice receiver.

The one I kept for myself is a Sansui Stereo 8. Incredible build quality, and still works great after more than 45 years of service. This one is a keeper.

 

[Bodyblue]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure about the value yet. My case is very nice too. Sadly it's missing the balance knob.

The knobs are not too hard to find as the 1060 was in production for many years. The 1060 has a superb rep for excellent sound and exceptional build quality. One nice feature is the pre in/outs thatlet it function as a pre amp with another power amp lime I am doing. Very few 30 watt per channel integrated amps of the time had that feature. I have Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer and Fisher integrateds and none of them have them. A truly excellent amp.

 

[hairy carbin]

I just dug out my KR-8010 that has been sitting in the garage for a while and hooked it up to some Pioneer CS-901 I found at a thrift. Both receiver and speakers are in really good shape, I’ve never heard the CS-901’s and they sounded great! I need to hear the with some of my other receivers,Scott 370R,Marantz 2235B, Marantz 4270 ,Yamaha CR-2040and maybe the Fisher 400, might be fun to run iPhone thru the old Scott LK-42 amp for reference. I think my not ready for prime time SX-1980 would kill them once it’s gone thru. The 370R is hooked up to some thrift L26’s which are nice. The CR-2040 came with Magnaplanar sp2’s the KR-8010 came with RSL 3300’s, I need to mix things up a bit. I really need some Tannoy 15” tho, a freind has them and they are great! I miss my Fortes too