Man between two eras

I have vintage 70's Marantz(2252B), 80's/90's Denon(PMA-1080R), 90's Onkyo Integra(A-9711). All are very musical with the Marantz being on the warm side and the Denon and Onkyo Integra on the neutral/warm side. If all conditions are equal, I like the my 70's Marantz 2252B receiver the best with it's very fluid warm punchy sound that can be enjoyed for hours on end without fatigue. I have also used it as a preamp with different amps(Marantz MA-500 monoblocks, Acurus A150, B&K EX4420)with each only enhancing that sweet vintage Marantz sound and adding plenty of headroom.

On the other hand, some of the 80's and early 90's Denon and Onkyo Integra integrated amps are incredible bargains with good build quality and plenty of power to satisfy at low to high volumes.

Some of the following model numbers are Japanese market only and may have a corresponding US model number:

http://audio-database.com/DENON-COLUMBIA/amp/index.html

http://audio-database.com/ONKYO/amp/index2.html
http://audio-database.com/ONKYO/amp/index3.html

Bill

Receivers and small integrateds used to be my crack. I consumed them by the dozens during the 80s. I settled on favorites such as the Luxmans, Tandbergs and Yamahas.

My fave remains the Luxman 1120A receiver. Owned one for years and had a tech bypass the preamp out/power in circuit, bypass the LED power meters and hardwired an LAT International power cord. All of this made it quite formidable. Only drawback is the push spring (small) speaker connectors.

Over 120wpc, slight warmth in the bass, stellar tuner and quite good phono preamp. These should be found for around $400 used and $500 with replaced caps and tech tune-up. Good luck.

I am using a Marantz 2275 driving a pair of Large Advent speakers and the sound is wonderful. I use an indoor antenna and I get a classical station that is 90 miles away with no noise or station flutter. Highly recommended.
violin

See if you can find a clean Dynaco Stereo 70 and PAS 3X. Not a receiver or integrated, but much better sound, better resale value and all within your budget.

Go new, and look into the accessories4less site as they run many closeout items at good prices and they are an authorized dealer for many lines. I've been happy with the purchases I have made their.

Running a Marantz Model 1250, cooking a set of PSB Avantes which are equally vintage, using a Sherwood which is a re-badged Philips CDM2 swing drive as a source in my Gamma system, couldn't be happier with it's sweet relaxed sound. Try to go with either Marantz or Yamaha, both are best bets, Sansui and Pioneer are nice but in my experience those 2 brands can be hit and miss, Marantz & Yamaha have a proven consistency record over the decades. Good luck and enjoy your music in good health.

Peace,
Preston

Added info on equipment I am looking at:

Used

Rega Brio or mira
Musical Fidelity A300
Bryston Not sure
Arcam FMJ 22 ?

Vintage
Yamaha CR 2040
Pioneer SX 980 and above
Marantz not sure
Sansui AU 717, 919

From your list it looks like you already did your homework. Now all you have to do is start buying and try them out.

Musicrover,

I own a Bryston B60 and highly recommend it. Prices on them vary widely due to age and options. Bryston stuff lasts forever, and they can fix anything they've ever built for a very good price. They can also upgrade/update a lot of their stuff. My B60 is a late '99 model, and Bryston Canada updated it to the current SST model for $120. Bryston USA couldn't do this for some reason or another. I have an internal phono stage in mine and it sounds fantastic. They can retro fit one for either $350 or $500 (not sure as mine had it when I bought it).

Another great integrated that sells for a great price here is the Naim Nait 5i. Naim USA is also a great group to deal with, and they can fix just about anything. I'd have bought a Nait 5i if I didn't come across my B60 for the right price from the right person. Nait 5is don't have internal phono stages, so you'd need an external one. There are a ton of external phono stages out there for great prices. Off the top of my head, the Simaudio LP3 sells for $350 new at Music Direct, and the Dynavector P-75 usually sells for under $500 if my memory serves me right. Both are excellent for the money.

I've heard pretty much all the current integrateds you mention, and it's obvious which one I like.

My father has a Marantz 2220B that I've been trying to swipe from him for years. It sounds quite a bit different from my B60. Its a lot warmer, smoother and lush sounding than the B60. I could easily live with it in a second system, but it would never replace my B60.

Just some food for thought.

I don't think you can go wrong with a vintage Luxman. The R-117 reciever is almost legendary. It is definitely on the warm "liquid' side and plays at high volumes with ease (160 wpc with huge dynamic power). It has a CD diect switch and a very good tuner section. You should be able to get one in good condition for less than $500. The R-115 is also very good, just less power.

Steve

Last year I purchased a mint condition Marantx 2270 receiver on eBay. It looks and sounds fantastic. I don't think you can wrong with a 70's Marantz. I also used to own a Harman Kardon HK-730 receiver from that era that sounded great as well. Good luck.

A few years ago there was a guy who refurbished vintage Marantz receivers and sold them on eBay. I think is seller name was SSTK or something like that. I'm pretty sure he offers some sort of warranty. If I'm not mistaking, he had a few of his receivers used as show pieces by Marantz.

His prices were a little higher than others, but not too much. Hopefully you get what you pay for with his work. I haven't bought one from him, but a friend on another forum did and he was very happy with it. He said that people who didn't know about them thought it was a brand new receiver.

I have no connection to the seller. Just throwing an idea out there if you're serious about buying a vintage Marantz.