best bang/ buck - old sansui vs panasonic XR


I have limited funds to get a new receiver. I am thinking of getting either a refurbished old Sansui high power 8080 or 9090 but I'm concerned that I will have to sink bucks into it to get it refurbished. As an alternative I was thinking of getting a panasonic XR series digital HTR like the 57. If hooked up in bi amp mode it appears to possibly provide high power like the old sansui's. My budget is $300. Would one of the old high power sansui's sound a lot better or would I be better off with a more modern digital amp like the panasonic XR series. Thanks for in advance for any input.
59vovo

Showing 1 response by chaskelljr2001

"59vovo":

If you could find a Sansui 8080 or 9090 in excellent shape and at a good price, I would probably favor a vintage Sansui, Marantz or Pioneer over a new Panasonic XR Receiver, as those receivers from yesteryear are better built and probably sound better than a brand new Panasonic XR does today.

A higher-end Technics model from that era would probably be a good bet as well.

But again..... the trick would be to try to find one that is still in good shape and that you can get at a good price. Any old receiver that you have to put any money in to get it back into decent shape???? If the repair/refurb bill is more than two-thirds of the price of a comparable new receiver (unless it is an older high-end model), it would make better sense to just get a newer receiver.

Good Luck with hunting down your vintage receiver.

--Charles--