Did the Old Receivers Sound Good?

Vintage gear has a certain easy laidback sound that I can enjoy, but head to head with an upper end Levinson or even Parasound system quickly reminds one what hifi sounds like.
 

Obviously, you only listened to one vintage receiver or integrated. Gave up the Levinson, CJ, Threshold, Mc, Carver, to go back to my Sherwood and A14 integrated. The sound is more articulate, detailed, and intimate with my older gear.

To get right to the OP’s point about "specs": The attempt to assign a number to audio performance is often a futile attempt to arrive at something meaningful. Those numbers usually fell into various measurements of distortion and it seemed inconsistent that more expensive, more exotic gear would publish inferior specs compared to the receivers. We later learned that the popular standards of measurements were less meaningful than other "below the radar" specs, or performance parameters that were not published at all. To take some anxiety away from potential customers hyperventilating over "specs", I used to tell them that there were only 2 numbers that mattered: The price. Can they afford it? And, the physical measurements. Will it fit in the room, cabinet, etc? I understand this is a oversimplification, but did put them at ease to open up a meaningful conversation related to what mattered most to them.

Related to the question: "Did the old receivers sound good?", my answer is an emphatic "YES!!!" If we’re refering to the delivering a musically satisfying emotioinal experience, I think I can site hundreds of examples -- from a customer index cards we collected from the 70s to validate this claim.

If receivers from the 70’s were a good example of "good", then the integrated amps from the 70’s were "better" and separates were "best".

But, time marches on. About 10 years later, Nakamichi teamed up with Nelson Pass and incorporated Statis technology in their receivers. With zero negative feedback and other innovations, these eclipsed earlier designs IMHO. I still have a TA2 and TA4 in my collection of "excellent" examples of stereo receiver performance of the 1980s.

A study of the performance of the "big boy" receivers of the 70’s will find a couple performamce constraints that can be remedied. One easy & cheap. The other a little a little more complicated. When the preamp jumper is replaced with an "audio quality" short interconnect/jumper they really open up and become more detailed. Time: 15 seconds. Cost: about $40. The second constrant is the power cord. Even the best receivers (and most separate power amplifiers) of the day had a power cord attached that would not be suitable for a 2-slice toaster, muchless a piece of serious audio gear. Replacing these with modern "audiophile" power cords and upgraded "protective" device" pays major sonic dividents. We routinely do these "mods" in our shop, and I am often stunned at the sonic transformations. Yes, you get the expected improvements in detail, focus and dynamic contrast. But, the bigger surprise (to us anyway) are the changes in tonality, chord structure, warmth, balance, etc. More relaxed, fuller, and musically engaging. The power cord upgrade can be a minimally invasive removal of the factory installed cord and install the better cord in the same manner as OEM (maybe with a slight enlargment in input opening). Or, if the user is okay with sometinig a little more aggressive, cut an opening in the chassis and install a male EIC socket, replacing the internal high voltage wire with better cabling. This allows the customer to not only select their own power cord, but upgrade the cord in the future. Does this make an old receiver sound better than the latest technology? No. But, if they love their old receiver and want it to sound better it is a worthwhile investment.

I miss the buying experience in the 70's.  Was in the Navy at the time and lived in Souther California.  Every Sunday in the LA Times Sunday paper there was a section called the Calendar section and it had all the ads from Pacific Stereo, University Stereo and the likes.  There were real stores where you could go and listen to real gear!  I got some pretty good gear on stuff they wanted cleared once they knew I was a struggling sailor! LOL.   I also had a NAD 3020 guy talked me into it and I was glad he did. SQ vertical climb and so few watts.  Looked like the future back then.  There was a wall of reel-to-reels at Pacific Stereo.  I had a philips.  I stuck with NAD all these years up to this time.  Sure miss hanging at the stores.

The Japanese electronics from the late 60’s -early 70s was inferior

How about the V-Fets from Sony and Yamaha, they do not look so inferior sonicwise even by todays standards.

You will have to be of a certain age to appreciate this. 99% of my listening is done through either Quicksilver or prima Luna tube amps with a Nottingham turntable and gallo or sonus Faber speakers. That said every once in awhile I will throw on a foghat or kiss album on a secondary system I keep around. Marantz 2220 receiver pioneer pl7 turntable and original Advent loudspeakers. Does the system sound anywhere as good as my main system? No. Is it fun? Absolutely. Takes me right back to sitting in a buddy's bedroom listening to Ted Nugent in the late 70s. I think of it like driving an old car. Any late model Toyota Camry will out accelerate handle and brake better than any of the sports cars I've owned but there is something so satisfying and pure driving an early 70s MGB. Nothing wrong with nostalgia.