I had a used Marantz receiver and paired it with some old klipsch speakers and a linn turntable and got good sound. The Marantz is nice sounding and holds value. Plus they have a cool tuner and cool blue lights.
best vintage stereo receiver
Hi, looking to step back in time for a vintage stereo receiver for my home office.
I have owned McIntosh, Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha & Kenwood units in the past.
I need a moderate sized unit that has good turner performance and smooth sound. What would you people recommend? I have been told that Sony and Techniques are out due to cheaper parts used and Marantz units are getting pricey. I will need switchable FM muting and an Aux input for CD use. Thanks
I have owned McIntosh, Marantz, Pioneer, Yamaha & Kenwood units in the past.
I need a moderate sized unit that has good turner performance and smooth sound. What would you people recommend? I have been told that Sony and Techniques are out due to cheaper parts used and Marantz units are getting pricey. I will need switchable FM muting and an Aux input for CD use. Thanks
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The Tandberg receivers were the best I've ever heard and had *very* good tuners. Look for the TR-2080, TR-2060, or TR-2045. The naming scheme indicates # channels and watts/ch. Most had very sweet rosewood cabinets, too. I used to sell those and B&O, Yamaha, Denon, and H/K receivers. FWIW, the Denon DRA-600 and DRA-650 were very nice receivers, too. Also, the H/K units had outstanding amplifier section, lots of balls. |
I agree with the Harman Kardon recommendation, and would add Luxman to the list. The Marantz 2015 is a cute little bugger and has some juice with efficient speakers. I was pleasantly surprised when I listened to it. I would consider Sansui also- I have a 5050 receiver which is good looking, sounds good and can be had cheaply. |
I use an HK 430 in my office with some Boston Acoustics A 60's. FM reception good with a simple dipole. The combo sounds pretty good. Most listening is low level. HK, $100 serviced; A60's $60 new foam both included shipping. Agree the Marantz is cool looking, lust after one myself! Cooler looking than the HK! |
Jihley: Like you, I got my first entry into the interest of audio when my (now late) Uncle had this cool audio system about 35 years ago. The Stereo Receiver he had (if I could recall correctly) was a Pioneer SX-434. And at the time, for it to be such a small receiver, it did have balls and so forth. It rocked their house with aplomb. About 22 years ago, I personally had an NAD 7225 Stereo Receiver (had a better tuner section and better sound than my late Uncle's more vintage Pioneer SX434). It was first used alone to drive my KEF Reference 102 Speaker System (I don't know if my Uncle's Pioneer would've/could've drove my KEF's or not... but the power ratings were not that much apart from each other (15 Watts Per Channel from my Uncle's Pioneer SX434 vs. 25 Watts Per Channel (with low impedence drive capability and high current from my NAD 7225)), and later was used as a Tuner Preamp to drive a B&K ST-140 Power Amplifier. Also from what I recall, my NAD 7225 did have a decent tuner section as well. It was definitely a decent receiver for it time. If I were to consider getting a Vintage Stereo Receiver today, I would consider a Vintage Marantz (classy looks, attractive blue tuner dial, excellent tuner section, and more importantly, excellent sound and build quality (which probably explains why they hold their value so well)), or a Vintage H/K (I like their 80's Models a lot.... decent tuner section (maybe not as good as the Marantz tuners, but decent) and a great amplifier section). If I am to downsize and go back to a Stereo Receiver, either one of these would not be a bad choice, and I could happily live with either one (a Vintage Marantz or a Vintage H/K), but I would also add NAD and maybe Luxman to the mix. Good Luck and Happy Shopping. There should be some decent bargains out there. --Charles-- |
@ Jihley (again): As for my choice in a Vintage H/K Receiver, it would be a 590i (very attractive, nice tuner section, robust amplifier section, and just a quality receiver all the way around). If I wanted to, I may find one in top condition for around $200.00 or so. Something else you could consider as well. Good Luck.... --Charles-- |
Once owned a Tandberg 2045. Very nice till the transformer failed. I also have had quite good experiences with some mid 70's Pioneer and Marantz receivers. FWIW, 35 years ago or so, manufacturers really did put out good receivers. I always thought a nice receiver in the 40-60 wpc range was the sweet spot. Then they got crazy with ever lower measured thd. To my ear, I thought receivers rated at say .3% thd had a better chance at sounding good than a receiver rated at .007% thd. |
Pioneer SX1980. True, it is not moderate size, its a beast, but a beautiful one; and many of the receivers mentioned by others are not much smaller. And yes, prices for this unit in good condition are a bit crazy. But its great fun. I have one in my office paired with Rega Saturn CDP, Linn Katan monitors and Velodyne SPL. Gents of a certain age can't help but stop and give it a wistful look (glass walled offices here) then knock on the door for a listen and talk music of our youth. You want smooth and warm? All the great vintage pieces mentioned above should give you that, and the SX1980 will too (and with surprisingly good detail), but it will also absolutely rock the house, effortlessly, when the spirit moves you. Good luck. |
I had a H/K 330C and a Mitsubishi DA-R8 back in the day and liked them both very much. If I went back to a classic receiver, I think I'd consider one of the larger H/K's like the 430/730/930 or later HK receivers from the early to mid 80's. Curious to hear opinions on the Carver, Nakamichi, Mitsubishi receivers and also the Revox B285 rec'r? Anyone know of a site devoted to classic receivers? |
Just picked up a Luxman R-117 yesterday and I am totally sold on this baby. I have owned the R-115 before and was fond of it also but this R-117 is something else. Punch and detail are my best two words to describe it. The power reserves appear unlimited. I am driving a pair of Kipsch Heresys with rebuilt crossovers and aftermarket tweeters(CT125)and they have never sounded better in my room. Bill |
Hi Guys, I'd like to revive this thread regards the Marantz 2015. I've taken a unit out of storage (I had honestly forgotten about the old gal) and it is nearly perfect. Frankly, it looks as the day it left the factory. After adjusting, cleaning, etc... it sounds lovely but is being asked too much with the various speakers I have on hand. Would anyone like to offer an opinion for budget speakers that might suit this receiver? Ideally, we're looking for bookshelf units that are small enough to sit on well anchored wall shelves (I will make these shelves in my shop to fit). My reasonable limit keeping room aesthetics in mind is an 18" projection out from the wall and roughly the same with the width...a fairly good amount of real estate to work with. Also, thinking a ported speaker model to help with the low end would be favorable but I'm all ears. No opinion with brands...I've listened to a lot of brands that wouldn't make a HiFi cut and been pleased. Thank you, |
I gifted two receivers to my now ex-gf, a Marantz 2250B which we used in the master bedroom, and a Pioneer SX-1080 which we used in the den. Back in the day my first receiver was a Sansui 7070 - I couldn’t afford the 9090DB. Frankly speaking, they were/are all good. Not as refined as newer, current gear, but able to reproduce decent sound. Besides that, they just look cool. To my humble ears, IMHO, I give the nod to the Pioneer. While the Marantz is super cool with the horizontal dial and blue lights, compared to the Pioneer I found its sound somewhat restrained even though it has the bass/treble/midrange dials. I just found the Pioneer to sound more...spacious? One other cool thing about these brands is that they are still able to be repaired. I have a guy... |
Luxman 1120 A. A beast with plenty of stable current, lots of inputs and a great tuner. This will run alongside the Accuphase receivers. Only thing to give pause is the idiot push-pin speaker wire connectors. I had mine internally bridged (preamp out/power in). The tech bypassed the LED power meters and a hardwired LAT International power cord replaced the captured cord. This all made it even better. |
I’m sure the OP has moved on, but I couldn’t read this without adding: https://classicreceivers.com/advent-300 |
