Your Favorite Low-Power 70's Receiver

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by leahy, Apr 28, 2019.

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  1. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    I agree the Marantz are nothing special IMO.
     
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  2. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    The Sony STR-V4 is fully discrete design- no op-amps. Most receivers built 1976 and earlier are fully discrete without poor sounding early op-amps. So, avoid op-amp equipped receivers!
     
    M.R.Collins likes this.
  3. M.R.Collins

    M.R.Collins Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    My mom and dad had a STR-V4 growing up and it was fantastic, sounding better than it had any right to. I have one I got from ebay and I just had recapped and serviced, waiting to get it setup. Hoping it sounds as good as I remember!
     
  4. nnicola

    nnicola Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Bloomfield, NJ
    Just picked up this thread.

    I've been searching for the perfect low powered 1970's receiver too and think I found it, the Advent 300.
    Only 15 watts/channel but an amazing preamp that makes anything you hook it up to sound better. The preamp was designed by Tomlinson Holman and it's been said that it compares favorably to modern preamps that cost far, far more.
     
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  5. sushimaster

    sushimaster Forum Resident

    I have a Marantz 2215B and a Harmon Kardon 430.
    I think they look cool and sound better than my Pioneer SX850.
     
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  6. Brucedgoose

    Brucedgoose Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hawaii
    I’ve owned two or three 430s. Years ago, the critic for Fanfare magazine called the 430:”the King of Receivers.” Designed by the noted Matti Otala. Good choice!
     
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  7. waaguirr

    waaguirr Forum Resident

    Location:
    Baton Rouge, LA
    Old thread but putting in my vote for the Sansui 2000x.

    I would like an Advent 300 to add to my collection. There are beautiful restored examples out there, but I just haven’t found one at the right time.
     
  8. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    Since we brought this thread back from the dead I purchased a vintage Sansui 771 receiver since my last post which works flawlessly and sounds great. 32 watts/ch and easily drives my vintage Dynaco A35 speakers and makes a great sounding combo.

    Also has a decent tuner section for anyone who still listens to terrestrial radio.

    It is also designed with discrete components so there are no major unobtainium IC chips and is easy to work on. I plan on recapping and replacing small-signal transistors, which can get noisy with age, when I have time but so far it works perfectly so no rush.

    I paid $200 and change for the receiver and it was in NRMint condition. People are asking a premium for the 60W/Ch Sansui 881 but you can get a functioning 771 for less than $300.

    For an under the radar good value I highly recommend late 70's early 80's JVC receivers. The styling is a little funky but they are built like tanks, sound great and the built-in equalizer tone controls actually work well.

    I owned the JR-S 501 which was a 120W/ch monster and foolishly gave t0 my friend for his finished cellar and he tossed it during a cleanup.

    You can get a lot of Watts/ch for your money compared to the big-name companies like Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer etc.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2020
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  9. RhodesSupremacy

    RhodesSupremacy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Away, India
  10. onemug

    onemug Forum Resident

    My faves are the Marantz 18 and 19... but staying within the 400 budget suggested in the OP, I own and think the Pioneer SX737 has an excellent sound and is very easy on the eyes.
     
  11. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Does 40 wpc count? My blood brother Yamaha CR-640 born 1980. Died 1991. She served me well. Looked at grabbing a vintage used one but they're mostly in pretty bad shape.
    [​IMG]
     
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  12. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC

    Those 70s Marantz units are excellent...they really sound good. here in NYC, many years ago there was a record store called Musical Maze. The store system was a Marantz receiver, EPI speakers, and Garrard TT. That system was cranked every day and it sounded fantastic. I still remember the Allman Bros playing on that system.
     
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  13. bluemooze

    bluemooze Senior Member

    Location:
    Frenchtown NJ USA
    Marantz 2238B
     
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  14. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    Absolutely. The 300 was a great little unit, best phono preamp in a cheap receiver, excellent tuner, decent amp. I used to use one as a preamp into a G.A.S. Grandson.

    And yeah, I loved the Onkyo 4500MKII and 2500. They were classics.
     
  15. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I had an SX-680, and yeah, I thought it was pretty sweet.

    For the OP: I am not a fan of receivers these days at all though. Only the best integrated amps from that era could do any justice to my systems now, but if you have to have a tuner, that wasn't the worst that you could do. Kenwood also had some nice models. Nobody made tube receivers in the '70s AFAIK.
    -Bill
     
  16. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I forgot about that one. Yes, also a nice unit when new. That era was so long ago, but I built a Hafler tuner / preamp which looked sort of like the Advent in that it had no tuner glass dial and string, but a metal knob with the frequencies scribed around it, like a ham radio receiver.

    The trouble with anything of that age, is it's age...
    -Bill
     
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  17. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    Forget all of that interweb non-sense. Buy one and have it fully restored by a pro. They sound different because they had different lives and they aged differently. They are at or near the end of their life now. I mean some brands and models sound better than others due to their design and build, but the same model sounding different from sample to sample is just proof of my observations that they all age differently, and that they all are deteriorating. They all met spec at the factory, they do not today. It's a new day.
    -Bill
     
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  18. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    You should certainly have a tech somewhere nearby. If not, buy the amp from a tech that you trust, or have any receiver that you buy restored at one that you choose.
    -Bill
     
  19. jek57

    jek57 Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate New York
    My first receiver was a Marantz 2230 i was in my early 20s and had to lay it away great looking receiver had klh 17 speakers sure it wasn't if it was the best receiver out there at the time but brings back a lot of good memories
     
  20. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    [​IMG]

    JVC-JR-S201 S.E.A. RECEIVER from '77. Used to own one and loved it. It's big and heavy but has only 35wpc.
     
  21. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    I've got a Sansui 881 out for repair. Still getting vintage receivers.:D
     
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  22. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    Luxman R series: 1030, 1040, 1050
     
  23. Billion$Baby

    Billion$Baby Forum Resident

    Location:
    IM AT WKRP
    Think a lot of people on this thread haven't actually tried many of these 70's receivers. Ive owned well over 100. Still have about 40 left that are just collecting dust. My favorite ones aren't even mentioned in this thread....the SANYO JCX line. Will make mince meat out of your Pioneer/Marantz and even the Lower End Sansui's. You would have to get a Monster Sansui G9000 series to even approach them. Sony VTR-4...Garbage. Even the TOTL VTR-7 was nothing special but it looked cool. ONKYO TX line is great. SANSUI Eight Deluxe is my fave Sansui not in the G9000 Series. SHERWOOD S-9910 is right up there at the top. NIKKO NR 1415 is another classic.

    LUXMAN....Incredible detail BUT doesn't play ROCK well. Too laid back. TANDBERG....bottom of the barrel with Sony. Had like 4 or 5 of them.

    You can probably find a SANYO JCX 2900K (TOTL) for around $500. You will NEVER need to find another receiver ever. If that's too much dough get a JCX 2600K for probably $200. You'll thank me later.






    [​IMG]
     
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  24. ether-bored

    ether-bored click OK to continue

    ...does a 9090 fall into the best of the era in your opinion?
     
  25. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I just got one of these in the other day. I haven't gotten to it yet, but it will get some love. A really good friend of mine had one back in our high school / college days.
    -Bill
     
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