Triumph65, love your avatar--
I think you'll find that almost all of the receivers we've mentioned will sound good. If someone has a Sansui, they're going to tell you to buy a Sansui. If someone has a Pioneer they're going to rant about Pioneer. I've listened to a lot of different brands and can tell you my experience (this is only my limited experience, so others may have very different opinions and there is no "right" opinion, LOL):
1. Pioneer: tends to sound neutral and clinical. Not a ton of bass in my experience, e.g. the SX-980.
2. Yamaha: also tends to be neutral and clinical, with some notable exceptions: e.g., the CR-800 has plenty of bass and is willing to rock out.
3. Sansui: these seem to always sound powerful and authoritative, with excellent bass.
4. Sherwood: same as Sansui, more or less, but a lot less money. Big, rich sound.
5. JVC: the older stuff sings its heart out but, as with any of these vintage receivers, you're going to have to do some work on them at some point.
6. Marantz: lovely sound but no better than the three above in my experience and Jesus, you will pay through the nose. I love my 2230 but have been unable to keep it working despite a near-complete recap, new power switch, and a lot of other stuff I can't remember right now.
7. Scott: every one I've had sounds great, although the late 70's models onward started getting junky in build quality.
8. Kenwood: some of these used STK packs instead of TO-3 outputs, and can be difficult to track down if they blow.
Specific models:
Harman Kardon 330A, 330C
I have both and they sound great. Can be had cheap because they seem to be everywhere and it's one of the best loved units on AK.
Sansui 800
Powerful sound and an excellent tuner, but I found it difficult to desolder due to the fact that every single lead is folded back on the board and soldered to last eternity. Also has a problematic volume pot.
Sansui 217
Not a receiver but a very capable and easy to work on integrated amp. It's black so it will match modern FM tuners, CD players, etc. Gets no press so can be had for a decent price.
Sherwood S-7100A
Plenty of these around. Everyone at AK knows how I feel about this wonderful little receiver and it's big sound. Easy to work on, comes stock with lovely wooden case, cap-coupled so no DC offset woes. Does have a potential weak link which is the OFF/ON/VOLUME all in one switch. I have four Sherwoods and have had no problems with any of the "bad" switches, so don't let this deter you. To be on the safe side, I usually turn these guys on with a power strip or, if they're in rotation, leave them on 24/7.
Sherwood S-7200
Lots of these. Some say they sound ever better than the 7100A and even the S-8900. Not cap-coupled, so DC offset can be a worry and is not easily remedied from what smarter people have told me.
JVC 5010
Simple, simple, simple like the S-7100A but kind of scarce. Has a built-in graphic equalizer and Grandpa's radio vibe going on, so people run away from these thinking they'll sound like crap. Well, that S.E.A. equalizer is simply incredible--it's like having five tone controls instead of two--and none of them has every sounded scratchy or noisy--and this little machine sings its heart out.
JVC VR-5521
Another simple, "ugly" receiver (the looks WILL grow on you, especially after you listen to the sound) that just sounds gorgeous. Not cap-coupled so DC offset will be tricky to work with. The particular spring-loaded speaker terminals JVC spec'd for this and several other models do not hold speaker wire especially well.
JVC VR-5551
Quite a beast--rather large--support three sets of speakers (not all at once but you can listen to different pairs as long as nothing is lower than 8Ω impedance). Has the crappy speaker terminals as mentioned above but is cap-coupled and has cool plug-in PRE and MAIN AMP boards--so easy to work on! Doesn't sound quite as magical as it's little brothers but has more reserve power at something like 50 watts. Supports three sets of speakers, two tape decks, two AUX. FM doesn't work on mine.
JVC 5540
Looks like the VR-5551 but has screw terminals, which hold a connection very well due to amount of torque that can be applied to the screws. FM works very well, even with headphones on. Cap-coupled. Huge sound and my current favorite but has a intermittent noise I cannot track down just yet. Plug-in PRE and MAIN AMP boards.
Yamaha CR-800
Built like a Swiss watch. Controls feel so precise and wonderful. Very good FM section that will most likely need work to perform at it's original potential. Suffers from overheating/scorching of boards, but mine was still working when I got it, so maybe not the end of the world. Stuff is packed in there but this receiver was designed to be worked on and Yamaha put some very cool tricks into the chassis design to support the lowly techs who would eventually work on this fantastic machine.
Marantz 2230
The classic mid-watt receiver, especially in it's optional wood case (which is sometimes stripped off and sold separately for even more money). Certainly a lovely hi-fi and sounds great, but you will pay more for one. Build quality is good but not the level of the Yamaha (Marantz fiddlers are aluminum shells over a plastic knob, for example).
Fisher 202 Futura
Sweet little receiver that was very well made by Hitachi. Like the Sansui's, Sherwoods, and JVCs I've mentioned it puts out a LOT of sound at low to moderate listening levels and bass digs deep. Boards are rugged and well marked; working on this was a treat. Solid aluminum knobs. FM appears to be all discrete components but it's weak on mine.
