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Where were YOU during the great receiver wars of the 70's?

Born in 55. Dad was into audio (Eico, Fisher, Garrard, Altec). I got hooked at about 14. Worked in HS to suppport my 2 addictions: stereo and girlfriends- in that order. Also played in school bands through HS, so I had a good exposure to music.

Went into Army after HS and started buying some decent audio gear. I was never into radio, so I bought a Yamaha CA-800 integrated amp to use with a BSR t-table and Braun L710 speakers. By the time I left the Army I had separates: GAS Thoebe, Son of Ampzilla, Denon DP-100 t-table w/Infinity Black Widow tonearm and DCM Time Windows.

At 50, I'm still an audio junkie having spent a few years reviewing for SoundStage! and had a part-time, in-home shop. Thankfully, my wife of 25 yrs tolerates my hobby.

We just adopted 5 yr-old twin boys. Hopefully, at least one of them will get into audio since I'll be too friggin old to do much with them when they're teenagers.
 
In highschool jamming to my sound design AM/FM with 8-Track and Phonograph! POS, but what did I know at the time. <:)
 
It's a shame really but during the late 70's I was still happy with my system bought a few years before when in the Navy. Then, with college and married life starting I had little time or money for the finer things in life. Like alot of us here I've been making up for lost time. :thmbsp:

cubdog
 
Elementary school/Jr high - istening to Yes, Elton John and Sonny and Cher on tubes - dad's old Fischer integrated and tuner. In '78 he switched over to a slick looking Yamaha receiver and Polk Audio Monitor 10s. I don't miss the Yamaha, but I sure wish I had the tubes...
 
1975 moved to Okinawa, Japan from Hill AFB in Utah. My dad and us were stationed at Kadena AFB between 75-77. I didn't know there was a receiver war going on. But I do know that the base exchange had the best selection of stereos I'd ever seen!

When I moved from Utah had to sell my dirt which helped finance my Sansui 8080DB and SP-5000X speakers for around $600. I remember seeing all those shiny new Marantz with all those cool scopes. Wish I could've afforded one of those!
 
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1979
29 years old :D
2nd year of a great new job :yes:
Single :smoke:
Just bought a new house :bigok:
1970 Corvette-454-EVERY OPTION sitting in the garage :zoom:

Borrowed the Ford Falcon Ranchero from work, drove to Sacramento, and bought my Sansui AU719, TU717, SC1330, SE7, and Canon speakers w/Sullivan rack. :music:

1979s gone :sigh:
29 gone :boring:
Job gone :wave:
Got married :bash:
House gone :sadwave:
Corvette gone :tears:

Sansui is still doin' its thing :yippy:
 
I was at the tail end of the receiver wars stationed at Camp Carroll Korea in 1979-80. Lots of great gear at the PX made us save our pennies as we drooled. Ended up with a Sansui G-8700DB receiver, an Akai Tape Deck and some large Sansui speakers (don't remember the model number). Spent many an evening drinking Olympia Beer (we didn't have a lot to choose from) and cranking out the tunes in the barracks. Everyone had a big system at the time and it was a fun time for sure....
 
'72 - 75 was in Germany (Kitzingen) which was an all paid trip by Uncle Sam (US Army). Seen some great stereo gear in the other guy's rooms. I personally was into the local Blonde Lebanese and other similar products being offered. Along with flying to other countries. Best friend was a pilot, only had to pitch in for gas and landing fees.

But man, some of the gear I saw still makes my mouth water :drool:.

Ended up only bringing back a set of Bose 901's. And this is when my audio addiction started.
 
Wow , this brings back memories. :music: From 1975-77 I was in the army in Bamberg, Germany. Also worked a part time job at the Military Audio/Camera store on base.
Anyone remeber those?
My system then was a HK power amp, Phase Linear preamp, Dual and Nakamichi casette decks and Bose and AR speakers. All made better with the local beer. :banana:
 
Drooling over the big Pioneers, but I bought an SX-980. Got a Sansui 5000 after that, blew that up (220V tends to do that), and I haven't had a receiver for about 20 years.

Now I've got a Concept 16.5, so I guess I'm in the thick of it.

The Concept sounds remarkably like discrete components - very un-receiver-like. I like it.
 
Hmmmm. Was about 14, or 15. All I cared about was skateboarding. Half-pipes, full-pipes, sidewalks, swimming pools. Never broke a bone thankfully :banana: Didn't know what hif-fi was.
 
Graduated HS in '77 also! Got a summer job saving enough money to purchase my beloved Kenwood KR-9600 in early 1978. Ordered it from Dixie Hi-Fi (now Circuit City) in Richmond, VA. Had to be delivered via freight as it was too heavy for UPS. The neighbors were impressed when the big tractor trailer pulled up in front of the house! Boy did I have the hots for it then and still love it now! :)
 
Saving your sorry butts from the raging hoards of NV who were trying to take over the world (or, at least their own country). 1970 in the non-war war-zone. Since it wasn't a war, why did we get harzardous duty war-zone pay? Oh, well. We won. Or did we lose? Difficult to say. Sucks that so many people died for no reason. Now we are all friends. Why didn't we just start out that way. So much easier and so many less dead. Can you think of a modern parallel? I can. I digress.

Was mostly in the shipyard in Newport News, VA refueling the Enterprise CVAN-65 and then building the California DLGN-36 1971-5 (USN 1967-75). Then back to school (engineering) at the Univ of Penn. All-in-all, not a bad life. Saw a great deal and became an adult (at least I think I did - don't ask the wife :D ). And I now own the two Sony receivers I wanted to own back then. :banana:

1969 - Bought a Sony STR-6200F and sold in the same week when transferred to a ship instead of my next school (no place to store it :tears: ) Now I have one forever. :thmbsp:
1976 - HK 630 receiver (a friend at IBM-Fishkill still uses).
1978 - Yamaha CR-820 receiver (a friend in CT still uses).
1986 - Separates to this date (with the occasional receiver). STR-V7 is the only monster receiver I've owned.
 
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Paticipating in the receiver wars of the 1970s in a small way...arrived at college proudly with my beloved Yamaha CR-620 (whoa, man!...) only to be thwarted by my across the hall dorm neighbor with his Yamaha CR-2020 (the spoiled rich kid who beat-the-crap-outta-his-2020). It was an interesting time of working hard and not much socializing, except music got me through the hard-times and it still does. Like B-2, I now own the Yamahas that I always wanted to, but couldn't afford at the time, but the CR-620 and CA-810 that I could, I always appreciated.

Still have the original CA-810 and it still sings as wonderfully as ever...a testament to this now vintage equipment!
 
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I was about 12 years old living in the Motor City, drooling over Hi-Fi mags, Marantz and Pioneer receivers, and perusing the Free Press circulars, while I listened to pathetic portable radios and cassette decks. Mom & Dad just didn't understand. At least Gramps had something that passed for hi-fi, and it whetted my appetite until I was able to afford my own.
 
I was 20 in 1973 and had started my first real job with a surveyor. He open for business the same day I started. Minimum wage in Canada was about $2.50/hr back then, so I didn't have a lot of cash. For some reason I was into integrated amps back then. My first amp was a Sansui Au-6500 which I still have. At 32 w/ch I thought I was doing ok .
 
All I really remember were loud (LOUD) salesmen, cranking the latest stereo receiver to 'impress' the customers.

Once I remember a guy cranking a 35W receiver so you can barely hear the guy next to you (if he was shouting). The sales guy was saying "THIS IS ONE WATT AND YOU HAVE 35 OF THEM! YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING MORE, DO YOU?"

I remember another guy chasing a customer out the door saying something like "Who cares what your wife would think?!? BE A MAN! Who wears the pants in the family? BUY THE RECEIVER!"

Eh, those big suckers would have never fitted my rack so I never bought one.
 
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