Top Three Vintage Receivers of All Time
- Thread starter vintagestereo
- Start date
My Luxman R-3055 is the only vintage receiver I have, and I love it, except for the balance control, the backlighting and that one power meter LED that doesn't always work.
it has never been repaired as it has never needed it.
it has never been repaired as it has never needed it.
charminator777
Active Member
well i have 2 g 8000 sansuis and a kenwood kr 9600 will be join my audio family soon
ah-i used to have a marantz 2240 b and it was so lovely but it got accidently sold while it was in storage in a stereo store -that is how i ended up with my first g 8000 around 1980 or so --got it for a song and a dance literally -well kinda -been luggin it around ever since and it is truely an amazing machine and just beautiful to sit and look at-hey 0i am gettin old here so =-CHEAP THRILLS sometimes i even get up and turn it on
!--another thing is i sometimes even use some old GIGANTIC MAGNAVOX HEADFONES when you have those babies on all you hear is what is comin out of your tune box and the sound is really great --
charmaine
ah-i used to have a marantz 2240 b and it was so lovely but it got accidently sold while it was in storage in a stereo store -that is how i ended up with my first g 8000 around 1980 or so --got it for a song and a dance literally -well kinda -been luggin it around ever since and it is truely an amazing machine and just beautiful to sit and look at-hey 0i am gettin old here so =-CHEAP THRILLS sometimes i even get up and turn it on
!--another thing is i sometimes even use some old GIGANTIC MAGNAVOX HEADFONES when you have those babies on all you hear is what is comin out of your tune box and the sound is really great --
charmaine
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QuadBob
Quadraholic
"of all time"....................
Naming three top vintage receivers isn't difficult.......but making them "of all Time" certainly is! :scratch2:
But, no doubt for me as to which would be my numero uno!
My Sansui QRX-999..........
Why?
Solid 60wpc amp section X 4 CHANNELS that easily out drives most current 120wpc units with its 40,000uf stock (60,000 after restoration) main caps along with Sansui's famous and heavy duty torodial transformer!
Based on the same chassis as its stereo brother the 9090db...but with a whole lot more under the hood!
Sansui's Vario-matrix Type A decoder is what Dolby tried to match with Dolby Prologic II.......and they came close, but no cigar.......Vario-matrix does a better job decoding music AND any Dolby Surround programming! :yes:
The built-in CD-4 demodulator is based upon JVC's last and best CD-4 demodulator chip and Sansui in the QRX-9001/999/8001 built the only quad receiver to incorporate it. JVC only used it in their ultra-rare stand alone demodulator (last one sold on Ebay for $1,500.00) so the Sansui looks like a bargain in comparison!
It can handle music from stereo to ANY of the quad formats (QS, SQ, CD-4) to the current Dolby Surround AND multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD!
So, its not just a vintage receiver.....its a vintage Home Theater receiver as well.........and that makes it;
"of all time"!
Naming three top vintage receivers isn't difficult.......but making them "of all Time" certainly is! :scratch2:
But, no doubt for me as to which would be my numero uno!
My Sansui QRX-999..........
Why?
Solid 60wpc amp section X 4 CHANNELS that easily out drives most current 120wpc units with its 40,000uf stock (60,000 after restoration) main caps along with Sansui's famous and heavy duty torodial transformer!
Based on the same chassis as its stereo brother the 9090db...but with a whole lot more under the hood!
Sansui's Vario-matrix Type A decoder is what Dolby tried to match with Dolby Prologic II.......and they came close, but no cigar.......Vario-matrix does a better job decoding music AND any Dolby Surround programming! :yes:
The built-in CD-4 demodulator is based upon JVC's last and best CD-4 demodulator chip and Sansui in the QRX-9001/999/8001 built the only quad receiver to incorporate it. JVC only used it in their ultra-rare stand alone demodulator (last one sold on Ebay for $1,500.00) so the Sansui looks like a bargain in comparison!
It can handle music from stereo to ANY of the quad formats (QS, SQ, CD-4) to the current Dolby Surround AND multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD!
So, its not just a vintage receiver.....its a vintage Home Theater receiver as well.........and that makes it;
"of all time"!
QuadBob
Quadraholic
#2 and #3
I'd give runnerup status to:
2) Sansui QRX-7001.......
The "budget" solution for vintage Home Theater.......doesn't have the bells and whistles of the QRX-9001/999/8001. But, it shares the same decoder pcbs, is plentiful and more than up to the task! :thmbsp:
3) Sansui G-9000
For when you just can't figure out where to put the rear speakers! :lmao:
I'd give runnerup status to:
2) Sansui QRX-7001.......
The "budget" solution for vintage Home Theater.......doesn't have the bells and whistles of the QRX-9001/999/8001. But, it shares the same decoder pcbs, is plentiful and more than up to the task! :thmbsp:
3) Sansui G-9000
For when you just can't figure out where to put the rear speakers! :lmao:
:yes:
mentalmonkey
Active Member
Of the receivers I've owned (and these 3 I still do), My favorites are:
1. Pioneer SX-950 Very nicely built and great sound.
2. HK 430 Very underappreciated "little" receiver, sounds great with my Klipsch Fortes, a bit smoother and warmer then the SX-950
3. Sansui 9090DB The purtiest receiver IMO I've had. Love the blue lights and the overall look. Not so great with my Klipsch, but I love her anyways.
1. Pioneer SX-950 Very nicely built and great sound.
2. HK 430 Very underappreciated "little" receiver, sounds great with my Klipsch Fortes, a bit smoother and warmer then the SX-950
3. Sansui 9090DB The purtiest receiver IMO I've had. Love the blue lights and the overall look. Not so great with my Klipsch, but I love her anyways.
Almost the same here...gyusher said:
KR-9600, just because...huge and beautiful, and it was a serious bargan in the day, selling for a couple hundred less than the Pioneer's, Yamaha's and Sansui's.
SX-1010, a groundbreaker
SX-1250, IMHO, the best sounding Jap receiver made, and also the best looking, with a tuner as good as the 9600. A class act.
waylyn5945
Active Member
My three:
1) SX-950 - well built, not real heavy, can drive almost anything.
2) hk-430 - warm, rich sound. More power than rating indicates.
3) Yammy R-1000 - great phono section. Very clean and pleasing to listen to.
1) SX-950 - well built, not real heavy, can drive almost anything.
2) hk-430 - warm, rich sound. More power than rating indicates.
3) Yammy R-1000 - great phono section. Very clean and pleasing to listen to.
M Jarve
Audio Geek and NGE Freak
My top three (so far)...
#3: Marantz 2385 - A gentle powerhouse that keeps its cool. Decent tuner (by my standards), and fair tone controls. Not nearly enough inputs, even for a system of its vintage, and relatively noisy, making it only appropriate for louder listening. Sounds better than my 2600 did, unless you are driving 50dB 1w/1m speakers, or are trying to run sound for a stadium.
#2: Pioneer SX-3900 - Some people see this as the last of Pioneer's great "Silver Iron" receivers. Others see it as the beginning of the end for good quality consumer hi-fi gear. This was the only real vintage TOTL Pioneer I ever owned (unless you count the VSX-9300 I had). An almost fair 120-wpc, dual power supplies (large one for power amp, smaller one for pre-amp), and only a so-so tuner. But it was relatively quiet, making it a pleasure to listen to at lower levels (or with more efficient speakers). However, it hinted at the mid and high-range harshness that was to plague much of what came after.
#1: h/k 430 - From the monstrous 300WPC Marantz 2600 to a delicate h/k 820, the twin-powered 430 is my favorite, and the most impressive sounding of my collection. There is a special magic about this receiver that is hard to describe but becomes blatantly evident when heard. It is a certain something that I and many others have had the privilege to enjoy. The only caveats are the lack of inputs (could have one more AUX input), and lack of pre-out/main in jacks. Some may not appreciate its imaging abilities, but I for one prefer its "deeper than wide" positioning. I can only say that h/k played its cards well in not playing the power game. Truly one of the more underrated, under-appreciated receivers of our time.
#3: Marantz 2385 - A gentle powerhouse that keeps its cool. Decent tuner (by my standards), and fair tone controls. Not nearly enough inputs, even for a system of its vintage, and relatively noisy, making it only appropriate for louder listening. Sounds better than my 2600 did, unless you are driving 50dB 1w/1m speakers, or are trying to run sound for a stadium.
#2: Pioneer SX-3900 - Some people see this as the last of Pioneer's great "Silver Iron" receivers. Others see it as the beginning of the end for good quality consumer hi-fi gear. This was the only real vintage TOTL Pioneer I ever owned (unless you count the VSX-9300 I had). An almost fair 120-wpc, dual power supplies (large one for power amp, smaller one for pre-amp), and only a so-so tuner. But it was relatively quiet, making it a pleasure to listen to at lower levels (or with more efficient speakers). However, it hinted at the mid and high-range harshness that was to plague much of what came after.
#1: h/k 430 - From the monstrous 300WPC Marantz 2600 to a delicate h/k 820, the twin-powered 430 is my favorite, and the most impressive sounding of my collection. There is a special magic about this receiver that is hard to describe but becomes blatantly evident when heard. It is a certain something that I and many others have had the privilege to enjoy. The only caveats are the lack of inputs (could have one more AUX input), and lack of pre-out/main in jacks. Some may not appreciate its imaging abilities, but I for one prefer its "deeper than wide" positioning. I can only say that h/k played its cards well in not playing the power game. Truly one of the more underrated, under-appreciated receivers of our time.
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Manitoulin
A proud member of AK
As might be expected from me...
1. h/k 730. At today's prices, one of the best bangs for the buck to be found. Virtually all the features the average person could use, including main out/pre-in jacks. The tuner is great (better than the 430, sorry Mike). Has a very warm sound that is hard to beat.
2. h/k Citation Receiver. Very underrated probably due to its rarity. More than enough power for most people, unless you have really inefficient speakers and want it loud. Certainly powerful enough for my needs. To me, like the 730, the Citation Receiver's design still looks good today; simple and clean. I like the way they combined functions with the controls; i.e. low cut is a switch mated to the bass control; not a lot of extraneous, rarely used push buttons to clutter the face. Has all the functions you could ever need. Twin powered (need I say more?). Has a fatter sound than the 730, but still clean and open. For me the Citation Receiver is like a Ferrari, looks good even standing still. People who see it for the first time would never guess it is nearing 30 yrs of age. If I had to chose only one receiver to keep, it would be the Citation Receiver.
3. h/k 930 still a great performer, but looks a little long in the tooth compared to the 730, but is still a classic.
Regards,
Joe
1. h/k 730. At today's prices, one of the best bangs for the buck to be found. Virtually all the features the average person could use, including main out/pre-in jacks. The tuner is great (better than the 430, sorry Mike). Has a very warm sound that is hard to beat.
2. h/k Citation Receiver. Very underrated probably due to its rarity. More than enough power for most people, unless you have really inefficient speakers and want it loud. Certainly powerful enough for my needs. To me, like the 730, the Citation Receiver's design still looks good today; simple and clean. I like the way they combined functions with the controls; i.e. low cut is a switch mated to the bass control; not a lot of extraneous, rarely used push buttons to clutter the face. Has all the functions you could ever need. Twin powered (need I say more?). Has a fatter sound than the 730, but still clean and open. For me the Citation Receiver is like a Ferrari, looks good even standing still. People who see it for the first time would never guess it is nearing 30 yrs of age. If I had to chose only one receiver to keep, it would be the Citation Receiver.
3. h/k 930 still a great performer, but looks a little long in the tooth compared to the 730, but is still a classic.
Regards,
Joe
CarverPower
SDA SRS 2
Here is my contribution:
Sherwood S-9910 :thmbsp:
Pioneer SX-1980 (one day I'll find her) :yes:
Technics SA-1000 :scratch2: (someday too) :yes:
I know its a little extravagant but some day I'l have both the Technics and the Pioneer
Sherwood S-9910 :thmbsp:
Pioneer SX-1980
(one day I'll find her) :yes: Technics SA-1000 :scratch2: (someday too) :yes:
I know its a little extravagant but some day I'l have both the Technics and the Pioneer
M Jarve
Audio Geek and NGE Freak
Manitoulin said:
Indeed, the tripple gang crystal-filtered tuner of the 730 (as well as the 930) is far superior to the double-ganged unit in the 430 (also shared witht he 330c). The 430 and 730 are so nearly akin sound wise that I have a hard time telling them apart some times. But where the 430 wins out, in my opinion, is low-level resolution. Details simply exist on the 430, where they have to be presented on the 730. It is difficult to put into words. But side-by-side they are almost a draw, in my view.
EchoWars said:
EW -- After reading all these posts, I'm now inclined to agree with you.
I'm partial to the SX-1980, and have also started using a Sansui G-9000Db that I think will be a keeper. I don't have a third choice, unless I can count my second SX-1980... :scratch2: I wish I'd kept the third one of these I had.
Have these things been tended to?
Bad solder joints. I've ended up going through ALL the boards on several of these, resoldering ALL the solder joints.
Controls cleaned adequately. These can be a bit of work to do on this model.
Electrolytic capacitors. Have had to replace pretty much all of these, except never had to do the huge ones yet.
Power supply modification. On some units of this model if the power is turned back on right after turning it off it would kill a few parts in the power supply. There's a mod for this. One friend of mine found out about this when his kid would go to mute the amp in order to answer the phone (It's not loud enough if you can still hear the phone ring!), flip the power switch by mistake (oops, wrong side), then immediately flip the power back on, killing the amp.
Have these things been tended to?
Bad solder joints. I've ended up going through ALL the boards on several of these, resoldering ALL the solder joints.
Controls cleaned adequately. These can be a bit of work to do on this model.
Electrolytic capacitors. Have had to replace pretty much all of these, except never had to do the huge ones yet.
Power supply modification. On some units of this model if the power is turned back on right after turning it off it would kill a few parts in the power supply. There's a mod for this. One friend of mine found out about this when his kid would go to mute the amp in order to answer the phone (It's not loud enough if you can still hear the phone ring!), flip the power switch by mistake (oops, wrong side), then immediately flip the power back on, killing the amp.
When I was a teenager the girl next door had a pair of those. One night she was singing along with an album (loudly & off-key, of course, since she couldn't hear herself) with her windows open. About 1 AM it drove my dad bonkers enough that he aimed a garden hose into her window fan. :hdphones:
VintageNut
Super Member
and I should have bought that G-9000 when you offered it on AK at a good price...but Ebay treated you well on that one...