Nivico?? (Receiver, model 5003) *

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Metalcreature, Dec 22, 2006.

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  1. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Im working on getting a Nivico 5003 receiver for my downstairs, its in really good condition. But does anyone know what its rated per channel? Are these receivers any good? I know it was around in 1968, so its kind of a classic.
     
  2. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
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    If you didn't already know, Nivico is now known as JVC.

    Lots of rocker switches and sliders... IMO it looks a bit on the cheapie side (maybe because of the rockers and sliders)...

    From what I have found, it was around 45WPC.

    -Aaron
     
  3. Hmm, JVC (the Victor Company of Japan) has been around for a while--started in 1927 as the Japanese subsidiary of RCA-Victor. I guess Nivico was a brand name they abandoned?

    Because they are (or were) one of the Victor companies, they have the rights to use the Nipper/"His Masters Voice" logo in Japan. Other companies which have common lineage and rights to use Nipper include RCA (owned by Thomspon), RCA/Victor (owned by Sony Music), EMI (they use the logo on a few of their imprints), and the HMV records chain (HMV actually means "His Master's Voice.") Pretty cool!

    Anyway, this must be one of the first FET receivers around.
     

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  4. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Fet Receivers? Out of curiosity, what does fet mean? 45 Watts per channel is probably about right, although i don't know for certain.
     
  5. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I knew it was a JVC brand, but this receiver is so old, i was just curious of what she was capable of.
     
  6. Glen B

    Glen B New Member

    Location:
    USA
    FET= field effect transistor.
     
  7. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Ok, thanks.
     
  8. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    My experience with those early solid state receivers is that they had noisy controls and switches, because they used silver contacts, which need constant cleaning. Also, the switches were usually of the "non-shorting" type, which meant that you would hear loud clicks when you used them.
     
  9. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thanks for that info Lord. But how does this receiver sound in general? Does it still have that warm sound? Does it have a tube sound? I know its a solid state, but an early one.
     
  10. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Lots of hiss, as I recall. It's been a long time.
     
  11. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    You mean treble? Like unwanted treble?
     
  12. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    No, actual hiss, like an old cassette. That was a characteristic of the first generation of solid-state equipment.
     
  13. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Oh ok, i see what your saying. Well, i hope this one works out pretty well. I think it may have a switch on it for that unwanted hiss. I think its called a high filter switch.
     
  14. I used to have a Sanyo Solid State 4000, among the first generation of solid state receivers, and it sounded very smooth and warm. IIRC, it had huge transformers and, to a certain degree, used dual-mono topology in its circuit layout.
     
  15. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thats what i figured. The early solid state's can't be all that bad. Im going to take a chance with this one. Thank you for responding to my question.
     
  16. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    But this receiver does have a stereo mode right? I mean, mono is good for listening to vinyl, but when you have a cd player, it doesn't sound quite as good.
     
  17. Ski Bum

    Ski Bum Happy Audiophile

    Location:
    Vail, CO
    I purchased a new JVC integrated amp (50 wpc IIRC) around 1972 from the original Crazy Eddie (the actual guy then doing business as "Sights and Sounds" on Kings Highway in Brooklyn). Nivico must have been earlier. The JVC amp had a built in 5 channel equalizer, with knobs rather than sliders. The amp sounded ok but I doubt it would be particularly warm or quiet by current standards.
     
  18. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Im just hoping this receiver lives up to my expectations. I wanted to go with something a little different or older for that matter, so if i don't like the sound at least i didnt spend a lot of money on it.
     
  19. boead

    boead New Member

    MOSFET = Metal Oxidized Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

    Or more commonly known by us regular folks, who might wear a tennis shoe or an occasional python boot know this exquisite little thing as Solid State.
     
  20. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Ah, so thats what MOS-FET means. Im still learning of course. :o)
     
  21. boead

    boead New Member

    Yeah, I think lots of early SS was warm’ish but just lacked shear detail/resolution and transparency. My '74 Sansui AU-9900 is massive, uses MOSFETS and is very tube-like and musical / easy to listen too. I have an early 80’s Kyocera that is also MOSFET and it is leaps and bounds better then the Sansui. Still has a nice warm/rich sound but with much more detail and resolution. Classe has that same sound. Actually when I bought the Kyocera I listened to the Classe, McIntosh, Forte, Aragon and others – dollar for dollar the Kyocera out performed most. All had a non-typical SS sound. Most SS just had that hard, neutral sound that’s boring and not particularly musical but were certainly able to make giant amounts of watts for whatever that’s worth.

    I had a low watt JVC Class-A receiver from the late 70’s that was just absolutely horrible when I look back on it. Bright, hard, edgy, smeared and all the other things that gave SS its bad name back then.
     
  22. My mistake . . . I had a Sansui Solid State 4000, not a *Sanyo* Solid State 4000. The AU-9900 is great sounding I have had a few occasions to listen to it. It does have some massive trannies . . .
     
  23. crooner

    crooner Tube Marantzed

    The Nivico is a regular bipolar silicon transistor output stage unit. The FETs are only used in the FM front end. They perform better than bipolars in this application since crossmodulation and images are greatly reduced. Before FETs, quality receivers used Nuvistors (tiny metal enclosed tubes) as front end devices even when they boasted "Solid-State" on their front panels.
     
  24. Metalcreature

    Metalcreature Forum Resident Thread Starter

    This is excellent news. So basically, its almost a tube unit then huh?
     
  25. crooner

    crooner Tube Marantzed

    Well.. Its a first generation silicon transistor unit. If it had nuvistors in the front end it would be an hybrid...

    By this time (late 60s, early 70s) they had reduced IM distortion levels to 1% or less. Should sound pretty good.
     
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