Is it just me, or did the mid to late 70's pretty much achieve the best sound an audiophile could hope to achieve? I recognize it may not be more than two channels but I only have two ears. I know there are a merriad of arguements to the contrary... good for you... enjoy the music as much as I do... there's room for everyone.
I had a pioneer receiver, marantz turntable, akai reel to reel, JVC cassette player with Dolby B and Klipsch speakers, what the hell was I thinking when I sold those components????? I miss the knob turning FM receiver, digital is terrible because you can't adjust to those in between stations, we used to simply adjust the FM antenna in those days, how I miss them.
I think from 71 - 76 were the quadraphonic years and I asked a friend of mine why people wanted those huge reel to reel tape machines back then and he said because the best quality quadraphonic recordings were made on reel to reel tape. They never really were able to produce 4 channels of true hi-fi sound from any other medium.
@@georgesmith4639 I'd never thought of that. I was giving serious thought to adding a reel to reel deck to my collection... spendy given that most require a complete overhaul... I doubt I'll get into chasing down old quad recordings but they do look cool when they're working properly... I'm certainly giving the reel to reel a "real" rethink. Cheers from Canada
Yes, the 70s were the best for receivers. My first was a 1968 Lafayette amp, Garrard record player and Acoustic Research speakers. That lasted up into the eighties. Then I got a full pileup Fisher system. Amp, tuner, cassette player & turntable. Then I got another Fisher system that is way better than my first Fisher. I got for $15 at a yard sale. It is still running like new. It’ll blast me out of the house if I want. Now I’m looking for a Pioneer SX-450....By the way, I’ll play mono over stereo mostly, some stereo is annoying.....
@@classic287 I appreciate you mentioning your preference for mono over stereo. I've read a bit about it but must confess that I've not made the effort to compare. Soooo... you've opened the rabbit hole... :)
Just found this channel and subbed. Great points. I'm a sucker for vintage. I have a 1970's round Turntable with radio and 8 track I got for free. Btw magnavox. Heavy yes but I cannot believe how well it sounds. Got good base as well. Just got 1980's speakers to attach to it downstairs and wow ... 10 dollars for speakers and 10 for the wire.
Hi, Very helpful, I've been after a mid 70s Receiver for a wile, Analogue, knobs, and meters, heaven 😊. But not taken the plunge. This will help, and your other videos have too. Thanks Grant.
Thanks for the tips, I've been buying gear for at least 50 years. Here's a couple more, exercise the input selector and change the bass and treble looking for dirty switches and pots.
I love the idea of you talking about all the HiFi equipment from the 70/80 because I always tell young people who want to start out with HiFi to go for some of the units you are always talking about because we know that what you can make up from out there is really worth their £££s.. so when they have a budget system from 2nd hand they can never go wrong..
Got a Marantz 2226b out of the dumpster . So i got it home and found out the pots are so dirty i used half a can of cleaner and it still didn't come clean. at this point i figured i got nothing to lose so i got carburetor cleaner and it worked . don't do this if you don't know what your doing. carburetor cleaner will melt plastic . So i got a beautiful piece of audio out of a dumpster.so yes im proud of my self.😎
Great work my friend I have found turntables in skips also it’s amazing how many things people throw away that are actually working apart from a fuse . Some people give up really easily happy hunting
Great channel and content. I was looking to buy a Trio KA 3700 recommended by a friend who gets a great sound. I'll watch the other videos you have made as I am intrigued by the £45 amp you mentioned in this video 👍
Recently acquired an old Sony STR 7035 for FREE off marketplace. Just needed some contact cleaner. The VU meter is stuck but so what. It’s amazing! I’m truly smitten.
In my study with my second system on in the next room. Philips FR 140 receiver amplifier bought as a student in the 1980s when cash was tight listening to Classic FM radio via a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BR1 bookshelf speakers and I have to say the sound is fantastic for relatively a humble amp and analogue radio signal. The recently upgraded output signal from Classic FM helps but the soundstage and overall sound reproduction are good enough to keep drawing me to the open doorway to listen.
20 years ago or so you could still get nice tube amps from the early 60 at an affordable price. My family had a Fisher integrated 25wpc than sounded as good or better than a conrad Johnson. Not all speakers like a tube amp but many sound best with one IMO. You can also find old speakers that sound better than most modern gear eg KEFs. Hard to go wrong with KEF or B&W.
The Sansui 441 has 11 watts RMS per channel; The Sansui AU 317 has 50 watts per channel: The Marantz 2238 has 38 watts per channel. I use to own a Sansui 9090 DB a few years ago, but I sold it because I liked the sound of my Pioneer SX 1250 much better. That's just my preference. But, depending on what one is looking for, a lower out put stereo with high efficiency speakers would sound fine in smaller rooms.
Just found your channel and really enjoy the content. Do you maybe know something about the Yamaha CR620 and what is your oppineon on the unit? I allready ordered one and hope it will work.
in all the receivers i have owned since the 60's (and there were many) never did use a tuner for AM/FM - best vintage I ever heard was my Maranta 8b - and my Rodgers LS35a.
Just found this channel due to looking for my first vintage gear. I appreciate these tips. Wish anything that I'm finding was a reasonable cost. Ebay, Marketplace, Craigslist is $$$ and I get the feeling that many sellers think their untested uncleaned gear is worth a mint. Going to take some hunting around on my part.
Lotta bulk furniture/household buyers (often from deceased people) have good chances of finding gems. Sometimes they do want you to buy like 10 at the time though...
Hi Kelvin, just came across your reviews and I enjoy them. I wonder if you can help I have a Sansui 661 and I am getting terrible feedback/noise when it is in the phono mode. I have changed turntables and it's still there. It is even noisy when the t/t is turned off. Have you any ideas?
Excellent tips, thanks going to look at some receivers next week. Do you have any input on Yamaha cr-820? I had a pioneer sx-680 as a teen, I recall loving the Marantz, Pioneer and Yamaha stuff back in the 70's Marantz has become very expensive . in Canada a 50 Watt Marantz runs about $950, the equivalent pioneer $650 and the Yamaha $350-400 .
Some great advice thanks. Never thought of bringing headphones and a cellphone to listen. It sounds like you enjoy the Sansui brand as I do. I’ve been looking for about a year to purchase a Sansui amplifier and I haven’t pulled the trigger yet but plan to soon. Fortunately I live in Japan and can see most models in person. My favorites are the 60s to mid 70s, in fact my local second hand store might be considered a museum to anyone interested in Sansui, Luxman or Accuphase outside of Japan where I usually make the rounds at least once a week. There are technicians onsite who will go over most units and will give them a good tuneup and sell with a warranty. I love the 9500 but the AU 888 is also beautiful in person and I just recently stumbled upon an A 70 and a 1000A. Still trying to decide what the best system and investment would be for my space and wallet. By the way, do you have a favorite Sansui. Thanks again for the info just became a subscriber.!
Pioneer pl12d turntable shure cartridge Pioneer SX737 receiver and fairly big KEF speakers (can't remember the name ) ...sennheiser hd414 headphones ( the yellow ones) best sound ever
Thank you for those good tips. I've seen a Marantz PM-45 for 80 euros, advertised as in really good condition. May I ask what is your opinion of this model?
Yamaha amp off Ebay circa 1989. pioneer tuner about 75'. Monitor audio £ 200 spekers ( a British company ). Thats as good as it gets FM is crystal clear
Great video, sir. Regarding the power in Watts aspect, this gimmick is one of the first ones people should be aware of. I had this Yamaha receiver that boasted 70 Watts per channel - neat, right? But I then got hold of a Denon that had 45 Watts per channel and it absolutely demolished the Yamaha both in terms of power and in quality. It remains my favourite amplifier and I even bought a second identical one (Denon RCD-100), after I got rid of the Yamaha home cinema receivers. Also, those European jacks for loudspeakers are a real pain in the arse. For my Bang Olufsens, I cut the wires and attacked standard connectors to the European speakers, with 10 cm of wires between them. This way, I can change the speakers without also changing the cables from the amplifier. Cheers!
V. Pintilie, FYI. The watts hyperbole was a real problem in 1970's until the IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) ruled that amplifier output "headroom" was to be rated in decibels. Good quality amps had mucho reserve power. Some, even as much as 3dB's (twice the rated output). Don't even get me started on the lies involving speaker manufactures. Fuhgeddaboudit!
@@martyjewell5683 that is an interesting reply , I just received a early 70s marantz receiver that is supposed to only be 35 watts per channel . It seems to be far superior to a newer "higher" powered receiver . Now it makes a little more sense now
@@papimiami1938, check out the spec. sheet for your Marantz, bet it provides more power into 4 ohms than 8 ohms (I had a 2252B and 1090 for a while). Always the sign of a good amplifier. I loved the 1970's Marantz "industrial", no nonsense look.
I tend to wash out old contacts first with standard, cheap, generic contact cleaner. Work the knob or button. Clean around with a paper towel to capture excess, if accessible. Let it dry. THEN, after a short period I apply Deoxit F5 on potentiometers (with carbon swipe contacts; e.g. VOLUME) and Deoxit D5 for selector switches (metal on metal contacts; e.g. FUNCTION). Generic contact cleaner to first remove/flush the dirt and oxidation. DEOXIT products being used primarily to protect/lubricate. Of course, DEOXIT can do both...but why waste it ($$$).
Sansui was the only mass market mfg who used full bandwidth ratings 15 to 40 kHz output for wattage calculations most everyone else stuck with 20 to 20khz. Meaning the Sansui would have greater wattage output then rated if they set the testing parameters to 20 to 20khz.
I had a Marantz STR1000 i replaced the blown amplifier ic's in it it was a powerful little receiver but I quickly sold it for $100 I was into Dolby digital receivers when I sold it but it was beautiful and clean looking...do you think it was a good or decent SQ receiver or just average?
I recommend you do some research on the online discussion if it's either not very unreliable or if common problems are easily solved because a vintage amp will likely break or not play well at some point. Out of the 6 vintage devices i have 5 needed work and 2 broke to the point of not working at all. Testing them before you buy it is obviously a good idea but it can work fine one day and be completely dead the other. The only thing that always works perfectly is a my sl1200mk2. If you can't do these repairs yourself it can cost you more than what you bought it for.
Ok, so nostalgia - I owned a SX-750 or 950, cant exactly remember. If I bought one of those from a reputable dealer on eBay and paid fair market for a restored unit... Is the SX-X50 line of receivers good or is the SX-X80 better to go with? I would rather a SX-x50 line. Do either have more problems than the other if they are restored?
I've recently been given a Hitachi HT-550 Turntable wood effect from an elderly neighbour they don't have speakers or an amplifier that so I'm trying to do some research into what I need to get do you have an recommendations? I'm new to record player but would live to get something around the same age but end of the day just want something that will do the job and sound good.
old amps must replace all capacitors, at least that, also some resistors must be replaced to, relays must replace too!!!than they can sound good, i would still get NAD 316BEE , BRAND NEW, CAN NOT GO WRONG WITH THAT ONE SOUND FANTASTIC WITH MANY SPEAKERS!! MAGNEPANS MMG,THEY SOUND EXCELLENT WITH NAD 316BEE INT AMP!!
One more basic rule. Always, always before turning it on , put amplifier volume DOWN to prevent damaging your ears or speakers. I put on mimimun always before turning it on.
What I don't like about the 331 is that it uses STK hibrid IC ampifier, I would prefer AU-717 that I recently repaired driving a JBL L-112 it sounds incredible
That is true, the times of cheap vintage stereo equipment is over! However, prices are still rising, so maybe it´s worth investing. I bought my perfectly preserved marantz 2238B in 2003 for 180 EUR which was way too expensive at that time. Now you can´t get this receiver under 450 EUR... Let´s see if this trend continues.
Thats true here in canada as well. If i wanted to buy my vintage setup on the used market today then im looking at spending around 2000$. Its crazy the prices some people are asking for vintage hifi.
The market is buyers and people who really don't want to sell...very addictive hobby,easy to become a collector if one find a piece that's fully functional and cosmetically good. They'll sell but really don't want to, so we have to pay to get it.
My Pioneer SX3700 with 45 watts per channel does sound strong for 45 watts. I'm guessing in today's terms it would probably be advertised as 100 watts per channel.
My SANSUI G8700 DB is 165 wpc and anything less than 200w speakers won't work for me. It came from a pawn shop with 2 400w speakers and the thing pushes them. All the best on the recap.
@@harrymuhammad9835 , Rules for matching Amp and Speakers: If your speaker has rated watts of 100 , your amp should be higher by at least 50% 75% in terms of RMS watts.
An amplifier's production of "Current" is more important to me than Watts. 20-watts into an 8-ohm load is plenty as long as this same amp remains stable and measures 40-watts into a 4-ohm load. If it can continue to be stable while putting 80-watts into a 2-ohm load, it is what I am looking for.
yes same problem with the se80s but not too bad .very interesting trip to your local store some amazing stuff there had me drooling .i have a pair of rb 850 rotel power amps .they are working fine . so far im biamping them with a pair of linn speakers index speakers the index mark 2 .1991 think they came out thinking of upgrading them .many thanks kelvin for your amazing input to vintage gear .always look forward to your videos 😊😊😊
I’ve got a Sansui G7500. It used to sound great but been in the loft a while and now The radio doesn’t work and the left channel is a bit weak so it needs some money spent. Maybe recapped? Is it worth spending money on?
That was very helpful thank you, I did not catch your name in the video but maybe you can give me some advice. I want to buy a vintage receiver as in I want to add a record player and iphone to a unit that amplifies and has a radio built in . i will buy speakers as well could you recommend maybe 3 brands and models . it not essetianl but i love the lookof the double meter with the moving arms , i have a max budget of 250 euros but from watching your great video that may be too much any help appreciated
I would recommend what you see there which is on the left are Sansui I think that’s a 551 441 or 331 I just sound lovely The Marantz go for more money like 300 the Sansuis is hundred 120 I prefer the sound suicidal and myself
This is great! Do you know much about the Pioneer SA 5300 amplifiers? I have a Technics SL B210 turntable which I’m looking for a nice silver integrated amp to connect to.
I bought the above a year back, but then recently did the bass and treble test. Turning both all the way down and up etc I can’t actually notice a difference, unless it depends on the song? The mono test I can definitely tell the difference.
A general question to the community: how good do vintage high end amps actually sound vs modern ones? I have always had old stuff since I couldn´t afford modern equipment, but I somehow can´t imagine modern stuff sounds really a lot better. Maybe a bit better, but probably just different. What do you say?
It’s mostly in the details, like lower noisefloor, higher dynamics, higher channel separation... But in terms of sound reproduction itself, they’re both just as accurate, as long as you don’t have vacuum tubes in there. So basically the music sounds the same but more black backgrounds, better stereo dimension and modern ones also are less susceptible to groundloops and noise from the environment. And more features of course, like DSP and protection to prevent overloading. In the end: a good amp was a good amp and will always be a good amp.
@@bertone83 Thanks. Speaker matching with an amplifier is something people discuss a lot when reviewing an amplifier. With modern amps its often like: what a great match with these speakers I have! But that's because modern amps have almost no issue with driving difficult speakers like electrostatic or magnetostatic speakers (like Magnepan) and keep the output stable across the full audio spectrum. With old amp designs, speaker matching can be an issue when you have hard to drive speakers. But in my opinion, that type of mismatch is more an implementation mistake than an amp issue; just like a mismatch in output power or impedance. So you might call that a benefit of modern amps; that really depends on your own perspective on the matter.
@@QoraxAudio Thank very much you again, it pretty much confirms my feeling referring the stuff in my collection. PS: Yours were probably the most qualified comments I have ever read about this topic.
@@bertone83 Thanks, I hope it's useful to you. I've been experimenting with audio equipment for quite some time, but have settled with what I have now.
I’m having troubles connecting a Sherwood 5.1 system.How do you connect it to a tv via an Xbox one,I did everything with both hdmi and a toshlink cable and neither worked.I bought it second hand and have no remote or manual.and the centre and surround speakers are not working even though I connected ,how do u get them going,they have good connections and cable and they work,just no sound.Thanks
Yes, most 70's & very early 80's Hitachi equipment was very well made & much underrated. For the most, Hitachi only used parts that they'd manufactured themselves. They also provided parts to many high end brands. Hitachi can be a bargain that most are unaware of.
@@johnbateman4255 You've got very good Hitachi equipment all around! That said... I truly believe that Hitachi is the singular most underrated brand of the 70's & early 80's. It seems such a shame for a brand that dedicated itself to producing high end equipment at such reasonable pricing has gone so unrecognized... Just sayin'......
@@grantwilson4696 Yes I cant agree with you more. Its in one sense that its not more appreciated by the hifi world however to us collectors, listener's and enthusiasts who play with hifi setups. Its great news as we can listen to music for very little money.
Not sure I understand your comment about the watts being more in the older amplifiers. They measure them the same as far as I know. Could it be they were more conservative on power ratings back then?
They changed the way they did the measurement It used to be a 20hz -20 khz measurement now it's done at 1khz This doesn't really reflect grunt or low frequency output which is a reflection of a meaty power supply like vintage units had
@@dednside5229 Not sure I agree with this. Most reviews I see through Sterophile, the test and measurements exceed the specified power ratings with the exception of most tube amps. If you are talking about speaker efficiency then I definitely agree since most speakers fall far short of their sensitivity claims.
The equipment that uses chips instead of transistors usually sounds inferior. Sometimes it is hard to tell without opening up the cover, but the stuff from around the 80s and before will probably have transistors and amps and receivers from the 90s and newer will sound (to my ears) terrible.
Testing from auxiliary output is not a complete amplifier output testing. My amplifier sounds perfect from earphones, but the actual output is dead on my left speaker, please advice.
That’s unusual I’m going to say check the goddamn connections again swap the speakers wires over just pay attention to all their connection Usually one channel is dead on the headphones and the speakers usually means a fuse somewhere inside K Keep fiddling around chances are it will work
Well my experience of techniques of that period what would I say it’s okay sounding I think earlier Sansui would be superior the Marantz is probably superior the pioneer sound is probably inferior.. Lots and lots of stuff from the 80s and 90s would be inferior it went wrong in that period so it kind of depends if you have a lot of money to spend to get an improvement
@@stereoreviewx which vintage or modern receiver would you recommend? (Budget: under 500$) Im planing to you with Klipsch r51m. Id like to have detailed sound. No need too much power. Clearity is my priority. Thank you for helping!
Anıl Yazar Okay well I’m mostly a vintage guy now the speakers sound quite unique horns sound different to ordinary tweeters. And frankly they can be wearing or let’s say obvious I recommend something that’s quite cheap to get you don’t need lots of power either. See if you can get a Sansui AU 101 which is just an amplifier by the way or Sansui 331 or 441 receiver or even 551. My 331 actually sounds the best better than 44 and 551 only a little bit. I am not up on modern amplifiers in great detail but some of them can be so disappointing and they won’t tell you this in the reviews they always make out things sound good so much of it is corrupt. Good luck happy listening
@@newmanfertig886 I respect that answer. My only other question is: my Marantz has a strange smell during use which I don't enjoy. I heard it is common for these old units. Do you find this to be true? Is there anything I can do to reduce it? thanks
Interesting. I have an old toolbox made of metal that gives off a really disgusting smell. Even empty and freshly painted. So I know it's possible. Never had that smell from any of my Marantz units... Have 5.
Any harmonic distortion is attention grabber for the brain usually in soft clipping range , anything above that is what they call metal , heavy metal listeners only need loud amps , an easy buy
I had a receiver from that range maybe 603 more powerful than the 403 I sold it it’s got a ton of features I liked the look of it and it had pre-power amp separation but sound wise it just didn’t cut it not sophisticated not delivering all the details on the positive side it has a big sound I’m going to call it a fat sound which has some attractiveness about it but I sold mine so I guess that says what I think about it.
@@stereoreviewx Thanks, I took your advice when I go to check it myself on speakers and headphones, and while it all looks good at the start, the mono switch didn't make make any difference. I guess really bad separation or something broken. I am in hunt for sansui 661 now. Maybe some thoughts about that or some other xx1 model from sansui?
Ivan Čanaćević €100 sounds fine to me make sure you check it out take headphones if you can you need a big fat plug though you might need an adapter it won’t fit iPhone socket
Yes Rotella not bad you don’t want them too old Now for retro 70s stuff I’m just going to say sansui in front of pioneer or Marantz or a whole host of other names like Rotello trio Kenwood Panasonic technics.. K
@@stereoreviewx Excellent, I've just taken a little gamble on a Sansui R-410L. After watching some of your videos I thought I'll see if I can grab a bargain. Bit of a gamble but you've got to start somewhere. I know its a bit later than series you've been reviewing but I'm still excited to see what it sounds like. Next purchase is speakers. Cheers
Main form of entertainment for me in the late 70’s. LP’s. No cell phones, no internet, no MTV..those were the days
6lr6ak6 oh yes I’ve moved on... Apple Music, Pandora, SiriusXM...etc
Man those were the days, flip the vinyl on, record it to reel to reel and leave the good FM stations on all night!
@@twagn Yep, on. But not 'up". 😊
@@twagn , yeeekkk!!
Man I have to say I just discovered this channel and I love it. This is very much my speed
Is it just me, or did the mid to late 70's pretty much achieve the best sound an audiophile could hope to achieve? I recognize it may not be more than two channels but I only have two ears. I know there are a merriad of arguements to the contrary... good for you... enjoy the music as much as I do... there's room for everyone.
I had a pioneer receiver, marantz turntable, akai reel to reel, JVC cassette player with Dolby B and Klipsch speakers, what the hell was I thinking when I sold those components????? I miss the knob turning FM receiver, digital is terrible because you can't adjust to those in between stations, we used to simply adjust the FM antenna in those days, how I miss them.
I think from 71 - 76 were the quadraphonic years and I asked a friend of mine why people wanted those huge reel to reel tape machines back then and he said because the best quality quadraphonic recordings were made on reel to reel tape. They never really were able to produce 4 channels of true hi-fi sound from any other medium.
@@georgesmith4639 I'd never thought of that. I was giving serious thought to adding a reel to reel deck to my collection... spendy given that most require a complete overhaul... I doubt I'll get into chasing down old quad recordings but they do look cool when they're working properly... I'm certainly giving the reel to reel a "real" rethink. Cheers from Canada
Yes, the 70s were the best for receivers. My first was a 1968 Lafayette amp, Garrard record player
and Acoustic Research speakers. That lasted up into the eighties. Then I got a full pileup Fisher system. Amp, tuner, cassette player & turntable. Then I got another Fisher system that is way better than my first Fisher. I got for $15 at a yard sale. It is still running like new. It’ll blast me out of the house
if I want. Now I’m looking for a Pioneer SX-450....By the way, I’ll play mono over stereo mostly, some stereo is annoying.....
@@classic287 I appreciate you mentioning your preference for mono over stereo. I've read a bit about it but must confess that I've not made the effort to compare. Soooo... you've opened the rabbit hole... :)
I’m going back to the beginning and watching every uploads 1 at a time as you never ever know what you might of missed .. THANK YOU 🙏 KELVIN
I enjoy your down-to-earth comments on real-world problems in High Fidelity! Thanks!
Best Hi Fi channel on TH-cam. Great advice. Thanks
I love your reviews. You are the Martin Lewis of the audio world man. Awesome.
Just found this channel and subbed. Great points. I'm a sucker for vintage. I have a 1970's round Turntable with radio and 8 track I got for free. Btw magnavox. Heavy yes but I cannot believe how well it sounds. Got good base as well. Just got 1980's speakers to attach to it downstairs and wow ... 10 dollars for speakers and 10 for the wire.
Hi, Very helpful, I've been after a mid 70s Receiver for a wile, Analogue, knobs, and meters, heaven 😊. But not taken the plunge. This will help, and your other videos have too. Thanks Grant.
Thanks for the tips, I've been buying gear for at least 50 years. Here's a couple more, exercise the input selector and change the bass and treble looking for dirty switches and pots.
I love the idea of you talking about all the HiFi equipment from the 70/80 because I always tell young people who want to start out with HiFi to go for some of the units you are always talking about because we know that what you can make up from out there is really worth their £££s.. so when they have a budget system from 2nd hand they can never go wrong..
Great tips on buying vintage gear 👌 I still have all my stuff from the 70s in storage
Got a Marantz 2226b out of the dumpster . So i got it home and found out the pots are so dirty i used half a can of cleaner and it still didn't come clean. at this point i figured i got nothing to lose so i got carburetor cleaner and it worked . don't do this if you don't know what your doing. carburetor cleaner will melt plastic . So i got a beautiful piece of audio out of a dumpster.so yes im proud of my self.😎
Great work my friend I have found turntables in skips also it’s amazing how many things people throw away that are actually working apart from a fuse . Some people give up really easily happy hunting
How many watts per
I think they only had 38 watts per. iv been told that they are quality watts....im ok with that...
@@justmike2944 ,I have a Technic SA 300,35 watts per and the thing really kicks. That's the smallest of the 3 I have.
Harry Muhammad I think the 26. At the end means 26 watts and so it goes for that range .
It’s a beefy 26 watts though
Great channel and content.
I was looking to buy a Trio KA 3700 recommended by a friend who gets a great sound. I'll watch the other videos you have made as I am intrigued by the £45 amp you mentioned in this video 👍
I have a Sanyo DCX 4000L it was from my parents and still works perfect.
Props for using Grados! I use mine all the time.
Recently acquired an old Sony STR 7035 for FREE off marketplace. Just needed some contact cleaner. The VU meter is stuck but so what. It’s amazing! I’m truly smitten.
Excellent video!! Thanks for the info!
Great video, thank you, hello from San Francisco
Another wonderful advise !! Thank you !!
thank you for a VERY informative video! ive actually thrown away old receivers because of the scratchy sound!!!
great tips love the sansui
In my study with my second system on in the next room. Philips FR 140 receiver amplifier bought as a student in the 1980s when cash was tight listening to Classic FM radio via a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BR1 bookshelf speakers and I have to say the sound is fantastic for relatively a humble amp and analogue radio signal. The recently upgraded output signal from Classic FM helps but the soundstage and overall sound reproduction are good enough to keep drawing me to the open doorway to listen.
I never heard much Phillips
Just found your channel and enjoying 👍🏻
I still have my Exposure X to this day & don't need anything else .. Perfect amp
Another great video!
20 years ago or so you could still get nice tube amps from the early 60 at an affordable price. My family had a Fisher integrated 25wpc than sounded as good or better than a conrad Johnson. Not all speakers like a tube amp but many sound best with one IMO. You can also find old speakers that sound better than most modern gear eg KEFs. Hard to go wrong with KEF or B&W.
Great tips 💡
Sweet gear always benefits from a nice sounding room and that room my friend sounds gash.
Good, down to earth, solid info. Thanks!
The Sansui 441 has 11 watts RMS per channel; The Sansui AU 317 has 50 watts per channel: The Marantz 2238 has 38 watts per channel. I use to own a Sansui 9090 DB a few years ago, but I sold it because I liked the sound of my Pioneer SX 1250 much better. That's just my preference. But, depending on what one is looking for, a lower out put stereo with high efficiency speakers would sound fine in smaller rooms.
Just found your channel and really enjoy the content. Do you maybe know something about the Yamaha CR620 and what is your oppineon on the unit?
I allready ordered one and hope it will work.
in all the receivers i have owned since the 60's (and there were many) never did use a tuner for AM/FM - best vintage I ever heard was my Maranta 8b - and my Rodgers LS35a.
how did you listen to radio without a tuner?
@@trippmoore what is radio?
Just found this channel due to looking for my first vintage gear. I appreciate these tips. Wish anything that I'm finding was a reasonable cost. Ebay, Marketplace, Craigslist is $$$ and I get the feeling that many sellers think their untested uncleaned gear is worth a mint. Going to take some hunting around on my part.
Lotta bulk furniture/household buyers (often from deceased people) have good chances of finding gems. Sometimes they do want you to buy like 10 at the time though...
Hi Kelvin, just came across your reviews and I enjoy them. I wonder if you can help I have a Sansui 661 and I am getting terrible feedback/noise when it is in the phono mode. I have changed turntables and it's still there. It is even noisy when the t/t is turned off. Have you any ideas?
To check both channels, use David Bowie's Space Oddity (Major Tom). The left and right are very different throughout the track.
Excellent tips, thanks going to look at some receivers next week. Do you have any input on Yamaha cr-820? I had a pioneer sx-680 as a teen, I recall loving the Marantz, Pioneer and Yamaha stuff back in the 70's Marantz has become very expensive . in Canada a 50 Watt Marantz runs about $950, the equivalent pioneer $650 and the Yamaha $350-400 .
Love me some vintage! Pioneer SX 750 and 1250. I like modern speakers with it though
The right speakers are key.
I have a sansui 331 purchased in 1975 still plays like the day I bought it.
I have the whole range 331 up to 881 and I would say the 331 does sound the best it’s marginal and obviously doesn’t have the power
Some great advice thanks. Never thought of bringing headphones and a cellphone to listen. It sounds like you enjoy the Sansui brand as I do. I’ve been looking for about a year to purchase a Sansui amplifier and I haven’t pulled the trigger yet but plan to soon. Fortunately I live in Japan and can see most models in person. My favorites are the 60s to mid 70s, in fact my local second hand store might be considered a museum to anyone interested in Sansui, Luxman or Accuphase outside of Japan where I usually make the rounds at least once a week. There are technicians onsite who will go over most units and will give them a good tuneup and sell with a warranty. I love the 9500 but the AU 888 is also beautiful in person and I just recently stumbled upon an A 70 and a 1000A. Still trying to decide what the best system and investment would be for my space and wallet. By the way, do you have a favorite Sansui. Thanks again for the info just became a subscriber.!
Strangely but truly my favourite Sansui is a 331 receiver but it has to go with the LS35A It’s just a lovely combo
Pioneer pl12d turntable shure cartridge Pioneer SX737 receiver and fairly big KEF speakers (can't remember the name ) ...sennheiser hd414 headphones ( the yellow ones) best sound ever
Thank you for those good tips. I've seen a Marantz PM-45 for 80 euros, advertised as in really good condition. May I ask what is your opinion of this model?
Yamaha amp off Ebay circa 1989. pioneer tuner about 75'. Monitor audio £ 200 spekers ( a British company ). Thats as good as it gets FM is crystal clear
Great video, sir. Regarding the power in Watts aspect, this gimmick is one of the first ones people should be aware of. I had this Yamaha receiver that boasted 70 Watts per channel - neat, right? But I then got hold of a Denon that had 45 Watts per channel and it absolutely demolished the Yamaha both in terms of power and in quality. It remains my favourite amplifier and I even bought a second identical one (Denon RCD-100), after I got rid of the Yamaha home cinema receivers.
Also, those European jacks for loudspeakers are a real pain in the arse. For my Bang Olufsens, I cut the wires and attacked standard connectors to the European speakers, with 10 cm of wires between them. This way, I can change the speakers without also changing the cables from the amplifier.
Cheers!
V. Pintilie, FYI. The watts hyperbole was a real problem in 1970's until the IHF (Institute of High Fidelity) ruled that amplifier output "headroom" was to be rated in decibels. Good quality amps had mucho reserve power. Some, even as much as 3dB's (twice the rated output). Don't even get me started on the lies involving speaker manufactures. Fuhgeddaboudit!
@@martyjewell5683 that is an interesting reply , I just received a early 70s marantz receiver that is supposed to only be 35 watts per channel . It seems to be far superior to a newer "higher" powered receiver . Now it makes a little more sense now
@@papimiami1938, check out the spec. sheet for your Marantz, bet it provides more power into 4 ohms than 8 ohms (I had a 2252B and 1090 for a while). Always the sign of a good amplifier. I loved the 1970's Marantz "industrial", no nonsense look.
I tend to wash out old contacts first with standard, cheap, generic contact cleaner. Work the knob or button. Clean around with a paper towel to capture excess, if accessible. Let it dry. THEN, after a short period I apply Deoxit F5 on potentiometers (with carbon swipe contacts; e.g. VOLUME) and Deoxit D5 for selector switches (metal on metal contacts; e.g. FUNCTION). Generic contact cleaner to first remove/flush the dirt and oxidation. DEOXIT products being used primarily to protect/lubricate. Of course, DEOXIT can do both...but why waste it ($$$).
Sansui was the only mass market mfg who used full bandwidth ratings 15 to 40 kHz output for wattage calculations most everyone else stuck with 20 to 20khz. Meaning the Sansui would have greater wattage output then rated if they set the testing parameters to 20 to 20khz.
Thanks for that info. I have a SANSUI G8700 DB and the power is amazing.
I had a Marantz STR1000 i replaced the blown amplifier ic's in it it was a powerful little receiver but I quickly sold it for $100 I was into Dolby digital receivers when I sold it but it was beautiful and clean looking...do you think it was a good or decent SQ receiver or just average?
Helpful tips. Thanks. I am considering this setup. Any thoughts? SONY STR-4800-SD, PIONEER PL-A450, BOZAK B-801.
I recommend you do some research on the online discussion if it's either not very unreliable or if common problems are easily solved because a vintage amp will likely break or not play well at some point. Out of the 6 vintage devices i have 5 needed work and 2 broke to the point of not working at all. Testing them before you buy it is obviously a good idea but it can work fine one day and be completely dead the other. The only thing that always works perfectly is a my sl1200mk2. If you can't do these repairs yourself it can cost you more than what you bought it for.
Use the tuner version of deoxit, the normal version is too agressieve and destroys the copper contacts.
Ok, so nostalgia - I owned a SX-750 or 950, cant exactly remember. If I bought one of those from a reputable dealer on eBay and paid fair market for a restored unit... Is the SX-X50 line of receivers good or is the SX-X80 better to go with? I would rather a SX-x50 line. Do either have more problems than the other if they are restored?
Was the Sansui receiver turned on? Anyway, I luv my Sansui 221
I've recently been given a Hitachi HT-550 Turntable wood effect from an elderly neighbour they don't have speakers or an amplifier that so I'm trying to do some research into what I need to get do you have an recommendations? I'm new to record player but would live to get something around the same age but end of the day just want something that will do the job and sound good.
I have a marantz sr940 and loud speakers (Technical Pro BOM 12s) that run supposedly at 800 watts what amp do you guys reccomend
Have that Marantz 2238 from new. Still a beast with my Pioneer CS99a's.
Thanks
old amps must replace all capacitors, at least that, also some resistors must be replaced to, relays must replace too!!!than they can sound good, i would still get NAD 316BEE , BRAND NEW, CAN NOT GO WRONG WITH THAT ONE SOUND FANTASTIC WITH MANY SPEAKERS!! MAGNEPANS MMG,THEY SOUND EXCELLENT WITH NAD 316BEE INT AMP!!
One more basic rule. Always, always before turning it on , put amplifier volume DOWN to prevent damaging your ears or speakers. I put on mimimun always before turning it on.
Yes agreed
You can blow your speakers if you forget.
What I don't like about the 331 is that it uses STK hibrid IC ampifier, I would prefer AU-717 that I recently repaired driving a JBL L-112 it sounds incredible
i think i would prefer it to big price difference though
You can’t find them that cheap here in the US. Everyone thinks what they have is gold! Any time you remove the covers,unplug it from the wall!
That is true, the times of cheap vintage stereo equipment is over! However, prices are still rising, so maybe it´s worth investing. I bought my perfectly preserved marantz 2238B in 2003 for 180 EUR which was way too expensive at that time. Now you can´t get this receiver under 450 EUR... Let´s see if this trend continues.
Thats true here in canada as well. If i wanted to buy my vintage setup on the used market today then im looking at spending around 2000$. Its crazy the prices some people are asking for vintage hifi.
The market is buyers and people who really don't want to sell...very addictive hobby,easy to become a collector if one find a piece that's fully functional and cosmetically good. They'll sell but really don't want to, so we have to pay to get it.
I also use Grado SR-60 headphone, I see you use SR80 nothing sounds better below 100 dollars, a bit unconfortable though
My Pioneer SX3700 with 45 watts per channel does sound strong for 45 watts. I'm guessing in today's terms it would probably be advertised as 100 watts per channel.
Such a good video!!
My pioneer receiver is 125 watts, this summer i will be recapping it.
Model?
@@harrymuhammad9835
Pioneer SX 1080 120 watts per channel.
My SANSUI G8700 DB is 165 wpc and anything less than 200w speakers won't work for me. It came from a pawn shop with 2 400w speakers and the thing pushes them. All the best on the recap.
@@harrymuhammad9835
Thank you so much, My goal was always 100 wpc, I bought this receiver without any research and was pleasantly surprised.
@@harrymuhammad9835 , Rules for matching Amp and Speakers:
If your speaker has rated watts of 100 , your amp should be higher by at least 50% 75% in terms of RMS watts.
HELP ! What is a Sansui 2020 ? Not the first vacuume tube edition , but a simple looking unit somewhat like the 2000 mod . I can find nothing for it .
An amplifier's production of "Current" is more important to me than Watts. 20-watts into an 8-ohm load is plenty as long as this same amp remains stable and measures 40-watts into a 4-ohm load. If it can continue to be stable while putting 80-watts into a 2-ohm load, it is what I am looking for.
love the grados Kelvin what model are they. i have the grado se 80s had them 10 years still sound great .another great video .kelvin 😊😊😊
Grado sr 125. Very nice and open probably maybe not tight in the base that’s the only criticism that comes to mind
yes same problem with the se80s but not too bad .very interesting trip to your local store some amazing stuff there had me drooling .i have a pair of rb 850 rotel power amps .they are working fine . so far im biamping them with a pair of linn speakers index speakers the index mark 2 .1991 think they came out thinking of upgrading them .many thanks kelvin for your amazing input to vintage gear .always look forward to your videos 😊😊😊
I’ve got a Sansui G7500. It used to sound great but been in the loft a while and now The radio doesn’t work and the left channel is a bit weak so it needs some money spent. Maybe recapped? Is it worth spending money on?
Well it’s certainly a collectable item and it’s going to sound pretty good I would say
That was very helpful thank you, I did not catch your name in the video but maybe you can give me some advice.
I want to buy a vintage receiver as in I want to add a record player and iphone to a unit that amplifies and has a radio built in . i will buy speakers as well
could you recommend maybe 3 brands and models . it not essetianl but i love the lookof the double meter with the moving arms , i have a max budget of 250 euros but from watching your great video that may be too much any help appreciated
ok went mad bought a sansui 331 just now on ebay after your recommendation , need to check your advice on speakers now
Okay well that sounds Soo is just a great thing almost my all-time favourite actually.
I hate those, I really, really hate those DIN plugs.
Those *always* have reliability issues.
I just remove those and solder RCA in.
What are the models that you have there on your receivers. I'm not looking for something powerful and expensive but good quality sound.
I would recommend what you see there which is on the left are Sansui I think that’s a 551 441 or 331 I just sound lovely
The Marantz go for more money like 300 the Sansuis is hundred 120
I prefer the sound suicidal and myself
This is great! Do you know much about the Pioneer SA 5300 amplifiers?
I have a Technics SL B210 turntable which I’m looking for a nice silver integrated amp to connect to.
I think the amps are better than the receivers actually
Pioneer I mean
@@stereoreviewx I just bought a Teac BX 500 integrated amp, fingers crossed!
I bought the above a year back, but then recently did the bass and treble test. Turning both all the way down and up etc I can’t actually notice a difference, unless it depends on the song?
The mono test I can definitely tell the difference.
Are the Pioneer receivers still easy to find from the 1970s?
The ones with the blue lights?
Yes you mean the SX range I see a good few on eBay
🙏
I think I have the same Grado SR-80e headphones as yours.
I have them too. I don’t like them
what amp is on the bottom left... almost his favorit?
Jim kerr bought a stereo
Hello! What do you think about Superscope r-1262? Any comparations with real Marantz on that level? Basicly, is it a good reciever? Thanks!
To be honest I’m not sure that super scope name was some kind of transitional name I mean if I was to guess I don’t think it’s going to be bad
A general question to the community: how good do vintage high end amps actually sound vs modern ones? I have always had old stuff since I couldn´t afford modern equipment, but I somehow can´t imagine modern stuff sounds really a lot better. Maybe a bit better, but probably just different. What do you say?
It’s mostly in the details, like lower noisefloor, higher dynamics, higher channel separation...
But in terms of sound reproduction itself, they’re both just as accurate, as long as you don’t have vacuum tubes in there.
So basically the music sounds the same but more black backgrounds, better stereo dimension and modern ones also are less susceptible to groundloops and noise from the environment. And more features of course, like DSP and protection to prevent overloading.
In the end: a good amp was a good amp and will always be a good amp.
@@QoraxAudio thanks for your interesting statement
@@bertone83 Thanks.
Speaker matching with an amplifier is something people discuss a lot when reviewing an amplifier.
With modern amps its often like: what a great match with these speakers I have!
But that's because modern amps have almost no issue with driving difficult speakers like electrostatic or magnetostatic speakers (like Magnepan) and keep the output stable across the full audio spectrum.
With old amp designs, speaker matching can be an issue when you have hard to drive speakers.
But in my opinion, that type of mismatch is more an implementation mistake than an amp issue; just like a mismatch in output power or impedance.
So you might call that a benefit of modern amps; that really depends on your own perspective on the matter.
@@QoraxAudio Thank very much you again, it pretty much confirms my feeling referring the stuff in my collection. PS: Yours were probably the most qualified comments I have ever read about this topic.
@@bertone83 Thanks, I hope it's useful to you.
I've been experimenting with audio equipment for quite some time, but have settled with what I have now.
Will you call ADCOM GFA 555MK2 from 1990-1995 a vintage?
I’m having troubles connecting a Sherwood 5.1 system.How do you connect it to a tv via an Xbox one,I did everything with both hdmi and a toshlink cable and neither worked.I bought it second hand and have no remote or manual.and the centre and surround speakers are not working even though I connected ,how do u get them going,they have good connections and cable and they work,just no sound.Thanks
Use a mini dac.Find one on Amazon.
Some Hitachi amps are really good.
Yes, most 70's & very early 80's Hitachi equipment was very well made & much underrated. For the most, Hitachi only used parts that they'd manufactured themselves. They also provided parts to many high end brands. Hitachi can be a bargain that most are unaware of.
@@grantwilson4696 Yes the ones that I have are the Ha 7700 and the 610 amps from Hitachi are really good.
@@johnbateman4255 You've got very good Hitachi equipment all around! That said... I truly believe that Hitachi is the singular most underrated brand of the 70's & early 80's. It seems such a shame for a brand that dedicated itself to producing high end equipment at such reasonable pricing has gone so unrecognized... Just sayin'......
@@grantwilson4696 Yes I cant agree with you more. Its in one sense that its not more appreciated by the hifi world however to us collectors, listener's and enthusiasts who play with hifi setups. Its great news as we can listen to music for very little money.
All of their Class H amps are among the best amps your going to find hands down.
Got a Mitsubishi DA R8 for $15 the other day. Any experience with that particular receiver?
Excellent find as good as any Luxman or McIntosh receiver back in the day you paid more for a Mitsubishi than most any other Japanese gear.
Not sure I understand your comment about the watts being more in the older amplifiers. They measure them the same as far as I know. Could it be they were more conservative on power ratings back then?
No, they lie about the newer ones!!!!!!!
They changed the way they did the measurement
It used to be a 20hz -20 khz
measurement now it's done at 1khz
This doesn't really reflect grunt or low frequency output which is a reflection of a meaty power supply like vintage units had
@@dednside5229 Not sure I agree with this. Most reviews I see through Sterophile, the test and measurements exceed the specified power ratings with the exception of most tube amps. If you are talking about speaker efficiency then I definitely agree since most speakers fall far short of their sensitivity claims.
Using AU101 and loving it but looking for something louder, can anyone recommend something for a relatively big room? Thanks!
You could try a bigger Sansui from the same period these are quite collectable things meaning expensive
The equipment that uses chips instead of transistors usually sounds inferior. Sometimes it is hard to tell without opening up the cover, but the stuff from around the 80s and before will probably have transistors and amps and receivers from the 90s and newer will sound (to my ears) terrible.
I agree these chips are musical joy removers .
Doesn't listening through headphones go through different amplifier circuitry than listening through speakers?
Well it always seems to have the same quality as the amplifier
If the right channel is down it will be down on the headphones and the amp
Testing from auxiliary output is not a complete amplifier output testing. My amplifier sounds perfect from earphones, but the actual output is dead on my left speaker, please advice.
That’s unusual I’m going to say check the goddamn connections again swap the speakers wires over just pay attention to all their connection
Usually one channel is dead on the headphones and the speakers usually means a fuse somewhere inside K
Keep fiddling around chances are it will work
hey! i have technics sa 300. Doest worth to keep it?
Well my experience of techniques of that period what would I say it’s okay sounding I think earlier Sansui would be superior the Marantz is probably superior the pioneer sound is probably inferior..
Lots and lots of stuff from the 80s and 90s would be inferior it went wrong in that period so it kind of depends if you have a lot of money to spend to get an improvement
@@stereoreviewx which vintage or modern receiver would you recommend? (Budget: under 500$) Im planing to you with Klipsch r51m. Id like to have detailed sound. No need too much power. Clearity is my priority. Thank you for helping!
Anıl Yazar Okay well I’m mostly a vintage guy now the speakers sound quite unique horns sound different to ordinary tweeters.
And frankly they can be wearing or let’s say obvious I recommend something that’s quite cheap to get you don’t need lots of power either.
See if you can get a Sansui AU 101 which is just an amplifier by the way or Sansui 331 or 441 receiver or even 551.
My 331 actually sounds the best better than 44 and 551 only a little bit.
I am not up on modern amplifiers in great detail but some of them can be so disappointing and they won’t tell you this in the reviews they always make out things sound good so much of it is corrupt.
Good luck happy listening
Which vintage solid state unit do you like the best?
There are three. Marantz, Marantz, Marantz.
@@newmanfertig886 I respect that answer. My only other question is: my Marantz has a strange smell during use which I don't enjoy. I heard it is common for these old units. Do you find this to be true? Is there anything I can do to reduce it? thanks
Interesting. I have an old toolbox made of metal that gives off a really disgusting smell. Even empty and freshly painted. So I know it's possible. Never had that smell from any of my Marantz units... Have 5.
Mine is the Sansui 331 I never land up playing my Marantz receiver for very long it’s just a little bit tiring .
In this order Class H Souncraftsmen, Class A/B SAE, Class A Akai, Class D Sansui.
What's your opinion of the Bose 901 speakers ?
70s is vintage so what is my 1961 Fisher amp?
Pure gold any Fisher from the 50's and 60's is worth it's weight in gold you lucky dog.
My daily driver is a Sony from 69. Sounds amazing.
heavy metal is basically distortion.
Any harmonic distortion is attention grabber for the brain usually in soft clipping range , anything above that is what they call metal , heavy metal listeners only need loud amps , an easy buy
Hi I wanna buy rotel rx 403 or rotel rx 102mkii. is rotel rx 403 well worth 80 euros?
I had a receiver from that range maybe 603 more powerful than the 403 I sold it it’s got a ton of features I liked the look of it and it had pre-power amp separation but sound wise it just didn’t cut it not sophisticated not delivering all the details on the positive side it has a big sound I’m going to call it a fat sound which has some attractiveness about it but I sold mine so I guess that says what I think about it.
@@stereoreviewx Thanks, I took your advice when I go to check it myself on speakers and headphones, and while it all looks good at the start, the mono switch didn't make make any difference. I guess really bad separation or something broken.
I am in hunt for sansui 661 now. Maybe some thoughts about that or some other xx1 model from sansui?
There is one 661 near me for 100 euros. Not sure if it's overprice but will go to check...
Ivan Čanaćević €100 sounds fine to me make sure you check it out take headphones if you can you need a big fat plug though you might need an adapter it won’t fit iPhone socket
I've always been warned NOT to use such sprays on potmeters... they are too agressive!
Pioneer SX-950...
I only loose the left side with my phone in aux, not with CD through aux,not with tuner. Is it the phone? Thanks anyone.
It certainly sounds like the amp doesn’t it or the aux input I mean I wouldn’t worry about it as long as you can plug-in what you want
@@stereoreviewx,thanks, I enjoy the channel
Can anyone advise me on a old amplifier. Are Rotel any good?
Yes Rotella not bad you don’t want them too old Now for retro 70s stuff I’m just going to say sansui in front of pioneer or Marantz or a whole host of other names like Rotello trio Kenwood Panasonic technics..
K
@@stereoreviewx Excellent, I've just taken a little gamble on a Sansui R-410L. After watching some of your videos I thought I'll see if I can grab a bargain. Bit of a gamble but you've got to start somewhere. I know its a bit later than series you've been reviewing but I'm still excited to see what it sounds like. Next purchase is speakers. Cheers
Just what is a quid?
It’s a pound which is Roughly a us dollar or euro
Sir can i buy this from you
Any system in India
Truly I’ve never sent things abroad and I do find it worrying you could try and get one of these nearer home the Sansui is my favourite for sure btw
K
No more "jack" on the smartphones today...because they can