Why does this circa '75 receiver sound so good?


I am in the process of rebuilding my system and have been listening to a Kenwood KR3200 receiver while I save up the funds for new ARC gear. The more I listen, the less I want to buy expensive gear. This old receiver sounds VERY good with my new Nautilus 805's. I can't figure it out--why? I have also powered the speakers with an Audio Refinement Complete, but the receiver is much more enjoyable--the Complete just didn't sound as good-period. Too much like electronics and not so much like music. I did power the speakers for one night with an ARC D300/LS3 combo and loved it. Don't know what made me think I need something "better", but I already sold the amp, so there is no turing back. Anybody have personal experience with an Adcom GFA5802/GFP750 setup? That has been another consideration lately.
adrhld

Showing 1 response by drubin

If there's one hard lesson I should have learned from my decades as an audiophile, it is this: if you find something you like, KEEP IT. Don't assume that you can improve on the Kenwood with an Adcom or whatever. Just keep the Kenwood for as long as you continue to feel it sounds good.

The other lesson from your experience: could it be, just possibly, that the high end is BS?

All of us who have tweaked out our systems with power conditioners and expensive cables and resonance control devices--what if you stripped your system back down to what it was. How much worse would it be? (I should shut up and try this experiment on myself.)