Great video. The Nikko NR 815 is a sleeper I found at a Mexican flea market in Detroit for 75 bucks. I took it home and used it in the garage and during bbq's where it stayed for another 20 years. I cleaned it a month ago, and now it has earned a place in my living room and is still jamming.
Fisher 800-C! I love mine. It's paired with a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers and is a delight to listen to. The warm, dynamic sound is literally music to these old ears.
I very much agree the Hitachi receiver is a fantastic unit. I owned the next model up, the 904 Dynaharmony, I think it was 120 watts per chanel, but I don't remember exactly, and it was very powerful and LOWD. I regret parting with it. I needed a stereo with surround. One of my life mistakes.😢.
I have a pair of JC Penny MCS 8232 Rated @ 10-100 watts rms. Sensitivity (1 watt at 1 meter) 92db. Crossovers at 700hz-8000hz. Frequecy range 30-20,000 hz. They have dome mids and sound incredible!
I have a Toshiba SA-735 that is a lot like the one you have shown. Excellent build quality in my opinion. A bit on the large size for what is in it. But it sounds great. Had a bad power switch so I installed a toggle. Sherwoods are a good buy too. i have both the s-7100 and S-7100A and recently acquired a S-7125 that needs similar work to the Toshiba unfortunately. Also have an Akai AA-1030, a HH Scott Stereomaster 344-C, Allied 369 that is really a pioneer, and some Fishers that are pretty cool too. Too many to mention really, lol.
Funny u mentioned a toggle on your Sa 735 cause I do too. lol It came that way from Ebay purchase. Also own Toahiba Sa 750. Now that one rocks hard ( paired up with sansui Se-7 equalizer).
You will like this story. I was driving in my neighborhood in Philly about 12 years ago. Came across a pair of ADS (8) Braun speakers on the side of the road. Didn't know how long they had been sitting there for. (Trash day) and I scooped them up because the cabinets were in great shape as well as the dust covers. I figured of the speakers were bad I would make a Frankenstein set out of them. Well, fast forward to a month ago- I never tried them out, I kept them in the box after I moved and when my center speaker blew in my theater, I decided to switch out my B&O's to the theater and pulled the ADS out of the bacement. -WOW! Sound amazing. (Not as good as my ol B&O's but the sound stage is larger by far. Free- Who would have thought??? They pair nicely with my JBL L80T
The JVC turntable is pretty decent for what it is. It was their entry level DD model built to look like the JL-B51/55/T77 and incorporating an arm with their TH (Tracing Hold) technology. For the technology in it, the JVC Jl-B31 had a list (without cartridge) of $355 but a much lower street price of about $199 (even with a budget AT11/e cart) when it was introduced in the fall of 1975. By 1981 leftover stock was going for $100 As for more on the arm, JVC described the tone arm as using the "TH method to improve tracing capability by lowering the center of gravity of the moving part. This tone arm has a non-resonance design with anti-vibration material in the bearing and pipe, and is equipped with an anti-skating mechanism with a 0.5g click, a lifter point for accurate lifter operation, a rubber ring-wound shell locking nut, and a counterweight." While the upper end arms used machined aluminum components even for non-critial parts, some of those parts on JL-B31 were made of plastic to save cost.
I forgot to mention my garage setup. Fisher CA 880..Fisher EQ 276 driving JBL LX 44's and a vintage Cerwin Vega 12" powered sub. This setup bangs hard for heavy metal music when hanging out outside.
Enjoyable and informative episode, thank you. It's always interesting to learn about the lesser talked about brands. Just a thought - how about an episode on store brands? Airline, MCS, Sears (often Fisher?), Realistic, Lafayette, etc. Store brands are often overlooked and priced low.
Great vid, would like to see more on less mainstream or lesser known brands and components. I really like the Hitachi receiver, I like the lighting of the meters, a nice look. Didn't Hitachi make some of Radio Shacks components?
I think when you knock certain brands ill use Kenwood vs Sansui, Its not that Kenwood didnt make a good unit its that they didnt "Consistently" put out a good unit. Some brands IE Marantz/Sansui every model at a certain time was good regardless of its watts.. Not so much with Kenwood / Technics etc.. I totally get it, I also dig that Hitachi.. The Fisher 202 im working on is made by Hitachi and socket'ed driver boards seems to be a key to their design and I wish more brands did this.. Dream to service! Another cool brand ive come across is PhaseTech, I thought it was whitevan and its far from whitevan. Great vid!
Class G is a hybrid between class A (at low/mid volume) and A/B at high volume. Recently bought the Arcam sa20 class G. Very nice for low/mid listeners.
Enjoyed this installment. I still own a JVC table, and it has served me well over the years. I also still own the JVC JRS-501 that I bought new from Franklin Music, just as I was leaving. Yes, it too, has served me well. Another lesser known vendor was Setton. We sold them, and it was created by I think, the major Pioneer importer. Some of the Pioneer engineers did some of the design work. When I see one pop up on eBay, they are asking what "they" think they are worth. Rare, and think "Marantz Tax".
Some of the products in the Sears Professional line were surprisingly good. The hard part is determining which ones before you shell out any money for them.
Sears also sold the "Silvertone 1448/9" line of electric guitar's back in the day which weren't only bought & played by young budding kid guitarist's as a cheap toy instrument. Some of those Silvertone guitar's are still very sought after by guitar collectors to add to their collection today. Those old Sears catalogs had a few gem products available to buy back then for sure. Just saying... +Peace, Funk & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
@edwardbagu1252 I've had an Akai AA1150 for a couple of years. Wow, amazing performer. [ looking for an AA 1175 for a while, dual mono really powerful but hard to find in UK.] You can't go wrong with Akai early 70s receivers.
Akai is probably the most underrated brand. I had an Akai AA-1020 and it sounded very good. In my experience Akai and Harman/Kardon built the best sounding receivers. I have had, Marantz, Sansui, Sanyo, Pioneer, JVC, Sony and probably some I have forgotten. The build quality may be higher on some others, but what you get for the money is hard to beat.
There are a couple here in UK, Stereo Review X and Michael Yates/Budget Audio Review. Both review vintage audio equipment. I do recommend Rotel, they made some good receivers in the 70s and I have had two and they both worked great without a service. Well built.
Realistic STA 2080 paired up with my Realistic Nova 10's is one of the best sounding combo's I own out of 9 total I have displayed and working. My Pioneer SX-727 with Rectilinear speakers is top sounding also
Although not Foster / Realistic's most powerful, the STA-2080 might be one of the nicest looking receivers Radio Shack ever sold, with the green dial scale and meter illumination, similar to Sony's STR-V series.
THe 2080 is real nice. I have one on the shelf currently in rotation. I love the Realistic stuff. The 2200 series is also nice. Maybe a bit more modern looking but the 2250 and 2280 kill it.
I'm so excited that you mentioned Grafyx speakers! I have the SP-10 which is actually my favorite speakers. They sound pretty fantastic. I also have the SP-6 and had the SP-8 which I'd still have if I hadn't made a cross country move. It is very difficult to find info on these speakers. The SP-6 sounds decent for its size but the magic is in the 8s and 10s with the Phillips tweeters.
Have a Carver AVR100, an absolute banger of a receiver. I didn't even consider the fact that it had more than plenty of wattage to push my Klipsch speakers. I was actually afraid of plugging it into the wall and turning it on. I mean, for a unit made back in '87, it made me pause for awhile, about 2 years, tbh. I still want to take care of some cap upgrades, however, just to be sure. It's a keeper.
I still have and use a 25+ Audiolab 8000S amplifier and a pair of Tannoy Profile 636 speakers. I love them and will never part with them. I still also use a Sony minidisc player from time to time. That's an amazing bit of kit. Very underrated. It cost £350 back in 1999 and I love it.
I've always went for the more popular vintage brand throughout the years of collecting. But I think I've found my most favorite receiver that not many people even look at because of the brand. The SANYO JCX-2400KR Receiver & SANYO TP-1030 Turntable are my reference pieces. My speakers are DIY with JBL 8340 cinema crossover and drivers. It's a killer set up! Great videos!
I'm listening to this through a Sansui 661 receiver I bough for a dollar at a tag sale about 15 years ago. It still works great. I think I got a good deal.
The Montgomery wards Model 450. Dual power, Sound stages like crazy. It has a Smooth heavy flywheel with a big clicking volume knob with its tone control knobs being buttery smooth. A thick face plate and pre amp/amp inputs in the back to boot.
@@dwyntsch yours was the top of the line right above the 450. I have the ad that shows both models with receiver specifications. I think the 650 might have been built by optonica/sharp. It looks very similar to optinica gear of the time. The 450 is HK built and designed through and through
I just picked up a “sleeper” concept 3.5. 35wpc found at a steal for $80 on the bay. Found a blown fuse waiting on a replacement to test. Still on the hunt for a counterweight for my sleeper $65 concept 2QD that came with an empire EDR.9 cartridge in mint condition.
Concept. Some the absolute best sounding 1970s era audio receivers I've ever heard. The smallest , the 2.0 was their 20 wpc receiver. I still own it and it sounds wonderful. I've owned the 4.5 and it was equally great. The 12.5 was their flagship 125 wpc monster and packs a massive punch and I would put it up against any of the big Sansui, Pioneer, Marantz, etc. of comparable power. If you find one in good working condition, don't wait.
I enjoy seeing what you come up with on journeys like this one. My first receiver was a Rotel Rx-403 if I remember correctly. I bought it and a pair of AR 18 speakers in about 1978. My brother in-law has the Rotel and uses it to this day. I don’t remember where or when I parted with the AR 18s, probably in the later 80’s when I bought a pair of Boston A-400s. I sold audio in the 80’s and 90’s, and Onkyo, Sony, Denon all offered a wide range of products that went from budget to pretty serious stuff that was really excellent sounding and reliable. Why isn’t there more interest in them? And a couple other brands that were more expensive and harder to find, but offered prime performance are Kyocera and Nakamichi. Both companies offerings were a cut above the rest. Especially Nakamichi tape decks, they rained supreme. If you can find one of their products from the 80’s or early 90’s , you would probably be very happy.
I’ve owned the JVC JL-A40 turn table and JR-S300 Mark II receiver since 1977. Still sounds and works great after all these years. What’s your opinion on these two pieces from JVC?
My teenage speakers from the 1970's was the "BIC Venturi Formula 4." I wonder how they would sound now? I remember them as being a little week on the highs.
I used to sell the Grafyx line of speakers, the sp6, sp8, sp10. We would put the sp6 like you have on the top shelf in the listening room and would have customers stand back about 12 feet and guess which one's were playing. Rarely would they ever choose the sp6. They would always go for something bigger because of the decent bass response they had. I had two pairs of the sp10's on my Kenwood 8100 amp. The amp I still have , unfortunately the sp10's I sold long ago. One of many poor choices in my life.
I have the 200 Watt Per Channel Monster, Hitachi SR-2004 which is the much bigger brother to your Hitachi. Same basic look just more bells and whistles and far more power. The only knock I have with your Hitachi example is those tiny\small main filter caps. I think bigger filter caps give you a more robust wall shaking bass response when needed. For a 1970's era 50 watts per channel receiver the main filter caps seem anemic. Back in the day the Hiatchi's built with that look were considered a poor man's Pioneer S-XX80 receiver. Except for the oval push buttons your Hitachi is generously infused with Pioneer SX-XX80 flavor.
The debate still rages on... is the SR-2004 200 W/CH, or 400 W/CH (when switched to the +/- 98 VDC supply rails in Class G mode). I would believe the latter, considering the AC power consumption is 1100 VA / 850 Watts. A Pioneer SX-1980 doesn't even come close at only 650 Watts AC consumption. The 330 WRMS/CH Technics SA-1000 does beat the SR-2004 with 1350 VA power consumption. For one-piece receivers, it is the king.
Realistic STA 225, rated 50 watts per channel, considered one of Foster Electrics best, circa 1975 -76. Have it paired with a set of original Pioneer CS77A Speakers, incredible match.
Grafyx speakers were true "sleepers" from their time. Although the SP-6 featured in the video was an entry level speaker, the SP-8s and especially SP-10s were incredible value for the money. I sold many pairs of all models in the shop where I worked and even owned some SP-10s (wood veneer version) myself. As you noted as a boutique Illinois speaker company, fewer were sold as new and therefore are relatively rare in the marketplace.
Juet some food for thought on the JVC platter. I noticed both 45 and 33 rpm had pitch control. I had a Duel 505 with pitch control and I liked it because I didn't have to depend on an electronic controller. I'm sorry but I am old. Thank you for another interactive video. George from St. Pete
Actually in the 70´s and early 80´s Toshiba made receivers and amplifiers models licensed from Pioneer, but Toshiba made them even when those licenses expired and sometimes just copied their design, and Toshiba ended up in trouble because of it, i don´t remember the full story...
I have always wondered about the old Panasonic thruster series that stuff looked so cool, and I often wondered if it was decent at all. The other one that has fascinated me and I cannot think of the model number, but sound design the junkie stereo people had to receiver back in the early 80s that was really impressive looking Used to see it in discount stores and I’ve often wondered about those.
I had a pair of Hitachi separates (40w integrated amp & tuner) that I bought in 1976. It was good, inexpensive gear and ran solid for 20 years. The only complaint I had was that if I pushed the amp, the lights would strobe a bit - that was kind of annoying.
Looks like someone got a new camera. JVC made some of the best direct drive turntables from the 70s and 80s. I believe it was actually JVC making motors for Denon. Capt Mark 09 on youtube has some excellent videos on these.
Sleeper: Pioneer SA-8100. Surprised the heck out of me. Why? my only previous Pioneer was a SX-880 which was so thin sounding, much like two skeletons screwing on a tin roof.
Some vintage American brands like Voice of music (VOM deluxe 120 and 200) and Electro Voice (EV-1244 and EV1179) are great units but there isn't much out on them. The EV-1244 and EV-1179 small receiver units that pack a really huge punch for there size.
WATT Meters! YES! Not VU's! A Hitachi dealer I worked with back then liked showing other brands with their covers off and show Hitachi devices in them as Hitachi made transistors and chips used by the others. He'd tell shoppers why not just buy from the company that makes the devices the rest use?
Has Kevin ever covered or done a tier list or recomendations for 60s tube gear? There is a stock rusty Fisher KX-200 integrated thats local to me that I am considering for a restoration project but the $400 asking price feels like a painful gamble.
I had 2 brand new Toshiba SA 420's back in the 70's... they were great sounding but both units had issues with amp scr's and function switch going bad. Easy fix for a pro.
Mid 70's AKAI AA1050 Receiver is in my view anyways, and having owned most all others..... THE most over-looked and underrated receiver out there ? I can't believe AKAI doesn't have more followers, it was really well built stuff.
My work system is a Technics SA-600, love it. A Project "The Beatles, Sgt Peppers" turntable. And I have em paired with a set of speakers i got for free, i can find no info at all about them. The label on the back says "Environmental Transducer Research, Model 18, Electro-voice inc Buchanan mich. Big box, 12 inch woofer, two mids and tweeter. Acoustic suspension, Definitely late 60's early 70's ??? Fun Fact: The speaker are, and were found in Nome Alaska.
How about an SAE review. Love your reviews work keep up the great work. Technics SA 202 you can get these little receivers pretty cheap and I think they sound great for the price. I have owned 3 the one I have now is so minty just like it came out of the box. Oh yes and I do have the box.
Kevin: Just started watching your vid's. Yeah us guys in the Military in 70's were able to pick up some great stuff at the Mainz Kastle Audio center just south of Wiesbaden. I Wonder if you have ever run across Nakamichi gear
I'm pretty sure that jvc is a rebadged denon sl-7d. I have a miida t3115 which is a rebadged denon and looks identical to the jvc you showed including the tone arm
Years ago i purchased a small (11" w x 6" tall x 7-1/4" dp.) solid state stereo receiver Monacor model #SMX-77A. I listen though a pair of Realistic Minimus 7s (wood finish). Can't find much info on this brand other than made in Japan.
Most Sherwoods are real sleepers. But an even bigger sleeper is the SEARS LX series. Little bit of cheat here though because Sears had Sherwood build them for them. My current system is Quad Electrostats with subs and Decca tweeters driven by Mark Levensinson ML-2s. I have been in the audio business or active in audio for nearly 50 years now. Check out the Sherwood or Sears if you want high quality sound for almost nothing
You said it looks like Realistic. I once had my Realistic receiver serviced in the 80's. The tech said it was made by Hitachi, only better. It never let me down since the service.
I went by what the tech had said on my STA2700. Either way I always loved the receiver. I never stopped playing it. I even bought a 2nd one 10 years ago. I use them both, plus an SX 626 Pioneer receiver. All three are used with my 10 turntables.@@jakepetri5624
Most of the Toshiba Equipment is made very well I have had a couple of their higher power receivers and they are great units they also made some way under the radar good turntables. Really the same with Hitachi. As for the other lines like JVC, Fisher Sherwood ect.. your right if you look at all they put out its not so great but obviously all those brands did put out some models that were pretty good.
I'll probably get some flack from the audio snobs. But I'll add CRAIG to the list of brands who had something good that was over looked. Supposedly they tried to get into the premium stereo market with their 5000 Series units but their history of producing cheaply made stuff got the better of them. They were serious enough to the point of commissioning a Japanese manufacturer to make the stereos for them. Supposedly my 5503 retailed for $650 new back in 1977, at least that's what some of the scares info I found about it tells me. Weather or not it's true is another story. My 5503 is built well, sounds good, and feels like lifting a boat anchor sometimes. But it does need a major servicing and there's not really any repair shops in my area that actually fix anything so I haven't been using it for a bit. It does function but not 100% so instead of ruining it more it's more of a show piece than anything. Instead I use a Pioneer Surround receiver from 1997 to power my Pioneer CS-53's until I can get the CRAIG serviced.
Regarding the Grafyx speakers, those tweeters look like the same Mitsubishi used by KLH in the same time period. I have them in my CB-10s and CT-44s. They're probably easier to find than the woofers. BTW, do the woofers have any mfr codes on them?
Hey Kevin. Enjoyed your video on sleepers. I picked up a Lafayette LR-9090 for $100 from a moving company who said owner left it behind. Great shape and everything works. What are your thoughts on this big receiver? (I have an SX1010 and plan on comparing them using 2 sets of OLA’s speakers I have). -Dave Cinnaminson, NJ
So which are the good Kenwood receivers? I have a KR 7200 (which I guess is from the early 70s). I like how it looks and, with my very novice eyes, it seems to be a little robust on the inside. People it's not working well and I am curious whether it's worth having someone fix it since I'm not experienced enough to do it myself. The power drops off at her heats up and it has a little noise.
Class g? Hmmmm. I have heard that some stuff from Hitachi and Toshiba were decent and underrated units. I have a old Scott 325 r receiver that was gifted me. 1978 retailed for 240.00 it’s got a decent auxiliary amp section. The FM tuner is not the greatest. Certainly not a old Pioneer or Kenwood. I’ve had my speakers hooked up to it and they actually sounded fairly good with it.
Good day Mr. Skylabs! 🙂 I own a Pioneer Stereo Receiver Model SX-650, and would like your opinion on it's value please...? I haven't used it since back in the days, however, it is in Very Good condition. Thank you for your YT channel.
Sleepers? Pioneer SA-8500? ... maybe the Japanese version was SA-8900. Anyway, NOT the Mk II versions. Pioneer SA-8800? Ever seen Sansui SP-G88's speakers? In the USA they may have had an 'L' prefix. I have the former. They are very, very good, but actually I could use a smaller speaker for my small room. However, I'm scared to get rid of them!! My Japanese home is too small to keep speakers in rotation. And ... the Tannoy Mercury 'M' series. (I have the M-1 bookshelf speakers.) Just some suggestions.
Not Knocking this upload, but I think anyone considering purchasing an old amp must consider. A: germanium transistors in the output stage were noisy, lacked dynamics and distorted easily at live levels. B: most capacitors would need replacing. C: resistors would have changed value due to age D: pots and switches worn E: some soldered joints perhaps dry F: don't do it.
I still have my onkyo TX-5000 in perfect condition as well as my Luxman Cx 100 preamp and i believe MX 100 power amp ...Are these pieces worth anything?
I've got a cheaper pair of speakers for my bedroom. They're JBL tlx4, and they're pretty decent. For the price I paid. They were asking 50$ for them. They have the distinctive jbl sound.
Bring this back on a continuum. There are so many sleepers out there so be got
Great video. The Nikko NR 815 is a sleeper I found at a Mexican flea market in Detroit for 75 bucks. I took it home and used it in the garage and during bbq's where it stayed for another 20 years. I cleaned it a month ago, and now it has earned a place in my living room and is still jamming.
Toshiba receivers are very nice 👍 and sound great Toshiba made a lot of the power amplifier transistor used in my different brands audio equipment
Would love to see more unique items, like Optonica.
I have been a big fan of Hitachi’s Class G since buying a SR-904 almost 10 years ago.
Got my SR-804 in 1979 and still use it as my main amp. It's boss.
Fisher 800-C! I love mine. It's paired with a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers and is a delight to listen to. The warm, dynamic sound is literally music to these old ears.
I had a Fisher RS-1056 a long time ago. Wish I never got rid of it. Im always looking for one though. ;)
The fisher 440-T is a nice small 60's unit that punches above its weight. It gives the later fisher RS 2007 a good run.
Japan has been making good stuff for a long, long time. I remember the old Sony Trinitron color TV's. they were the world standard
I very much agree the Hitachi receiver is a fantastic unit. I owned the next model up, the 904 Dynaharmony, I think it was 120 watts per chanel, but I don't remember exactly, and it was very powerful and LOWD. I regret parting with it. I needed a stereo with surround. One of my life mistakes.😢.
Really good show and very interesting. More of these!
I have a pair of JC Penny MCS 8232 Rated @ 10-100 watts rms. Sensitivity (1 watt at 1 meter) 92db. Crossovers at 700hz-8000hz. Frequecy range 30-20,000 hz.
They have dome mids and sound incredible!
I have a Toshiba SA-735 that is a lot like the one you have shown. Excellent build quality in my opinion. A bit on the large size for what is in it. But it sounds great. Had a bad power switch so I installed a toggle. Sherwoods are a good buy too. i have both the s-7100 and S-7100A and recently acquired a S-7125 that needs similar work to the Toshiba unfortunately. Also have an Akai AA-1030, a HH Scott Stereomaster 344-C, Allied 369 that is really a pioneer, and some Fishers that are pretty cool too. Too many to mention really, lol.
Funny u mentioned a toggle on your Sa 735 cause I do too. lol It came that way from Ebay purchase. Also own Toahiba Sa 750. Now that one rocks hard ( paired up with sansui Se-7 equalizer).
You will like this story. I was driving in my neighborhood in Philly about 12 years ago. Came across a pair of ADS (8) Braun speakers on the side of the road. Didn't know how long they had been sitting there for. (Trash day) and I scooped them up because the cabinets were in great shape as well as the dust covers. I figured of the speakers were bad I would make a Frankenstein set out of them. Well, fast forward to a month ago- I never tried them out, I kept them in the box after I moved and when my center speaker blew in my theater, I decided to switch out my B&O's to the theater and pulled the ADS out of the bacement. -WOW! Sound amazing. (Not as good as my ol B&O's but the sound stage is larger by far. Free- Who would have thought??? They pair nicely with my JBL L80T
The JVC turntable is pretty decent for what it is. It was their entry level DD model built to look like the JL-B51/55/T77 and incorporating an arm with their TH (Tracing Hold) technology. For the technology in it, the JVC Jl-B31 had a list (without cartridge) of $355 but a much lower street price of about $199 (even with a budget AT11/e cart) when it was introduced in the fall of 1975. By 1981 leftover stock was going for $100
As for more on the arm, JVC described the tone arm as using the "TH method to improve tracing capability by lowering the center of gravity of the moving part. This tone arm has a non-resonance design with anti-vibration material in the bearing and pipe, and is equipped with an anti-skating mechanism with a 0.5g click, a lifter point for accurate lifter operation, a rubber ring-wound shell locking nut, and a counterweight." While the upper end arms used machined aluminum components even for non-critial parts, some of those parts on JL-B31 were made of plastic to save cost.
I forgot to mention my garage setup. Fisher CA 880..Fisher EQ 276 driving JBL LX 44's and a vintage Cerwin Vega 12" powered sub. This setup bangs hard for heavy metal music when hanging out outside.
Great reading these comments and seeing some brand names from the 70s & 80s that I've forgotten like BIC & Superscope, Sherwood... wow.
Great video, my daughter is starting college in Iowa next fall, really hoping to get to the store.
You can do it!
Enjoyable and informative episode, thank you. It's always interesting to learn about the lesser talked about brands. Just a thought - how about an episode on store brands? Airline, MCS, Sears (often Fisher?), Realistic, Lafayette, etc. Store brands are often overlooked and priced low.
Great vid, would like to see more on less mainstream or lesser known brands and components. I really like the Hitachi receiver, I like the lighting of the meters, a nice look. Didn't Hitachi make some of Radio Shacks components?
I think when you knock certain brands ill use Kenwood vs Sansui, Its not that Kenwood didnt make a good unit
its that they didnt "Consistently" put out a good unit. Some brands IE Marantz/Sansui every model at a certain
time was good regardless of its watts.. Not so much with Kenwood / Technics etc.. I totally get it, I also dig
that Hitachi.. The Fisher 202 im working on is made by Hitachi and socket'ed driver boards seems to be a key
to their design and I wish more brands did this.. Dream to service! Another cool brand ive come across is PhaseTech,
I thought it was whitevan and its far from whitevan. Great vid!
Really enjoy these videos about lesser-known gear that is worth picking up. This would make a good reoccurring series imo.
Those 4ft devices from the 90's! Oh that's a classic memories. And the music!
Class G is a hybrid between class A (at low/mid volume) and A/B at high volume. Recently bought the Arcam sa20 class G. Very nice for low/mid listeners.
Enjoyed this installment. I still own a JVC table, and it has served me well over the years. I also still own the JVC JRS-501 that I bought new from Franklin Music, just as I was leaving. Yes, it too, has served me well. Another lesser known vendor was Setton. We sold them, and it was created by I think, the major Pioneer importer. Some of the Pioneer engineers did some of the design work. When I see one pop up on eBay, they are asking what "they" think they are worth. Rare, and think "Marantz Tax".
Some of the products in the Sears Professional line were surprisingly good. The hard part is determining which ones before you shell out any money for them.
I have been trying to buy the separates for a long time. They are either to far away or way over priced.
Sears also sold the "Silvertone 1448/9" line of electric guitar's back in the day which weren't only bought & played by young budding kid guitarist's as a cheap toy instrument. Some of those Silvertone guitar's are still very sought after by guitar collectors to add to their collection today. Those old Sears catalogs had a few gem products available to buy back then for sure. Just saying... +Peace, Funk & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
I got a Akai aa-1050 stereo receiver. Power supply caps went bad. After replacement it sound great.
Great units, got an Akai AA-1175, it's amazing, then an AA 1150 showed up bought it, had it fixed and oh boy it is lovely...
@edwardbagu1252
I've had an Akai AA1150 for a couple of years. Wow, amazing performer. [ looking for an AA 1175 for a while, dual mono really powerful but hard to find in UK.]
You can't go wrong with Akai early 70s receivers.
Akai is probably the most underrated brand. I had an Akai AA-1020 and it sounded very good. In my experience Akai and Harman/Kardon built the best sounding receivers. I have had, Marantz, Sansui, Sanyo, Pioneer, JVC, Sony and probably some I have forgotten. The build quality may be higher on some others, but what you get for the money is hard to beat.
@@petejames5562if you get one, just make sure when cleaning the faceplate you do not use anything strong cleaner. I wiped some lettering off mine..
There are a couple here in UK, Stereo Review X and Michael Yates/Budget Audio Review. Both review vintage audio equipment.
I do recommend Rotel, they made some good receivers in the 70s and I have had two and they both worked great without a service. Well built.
Realistic STA 2080 paired up with my Realistic Nova 10's is one of the best sounding combo's I own out of 9 total I have displayed and working. My Pioneer SX-727 with Rectilinear speakers is top sounding also
Although not Foster / Realistic's most powerful, the STA-2080 might be one of the nicest looking receivers Radio Shack ever sold, with the green dial scale and meter illumination, similar to Sony's STR-V series.
THe 2080 is real nice. I have one on the shelf currently in rotation. I love the Realistic stuff. The 2200 series is also nice. Maybe a bit more modern looking but the 2250 and 2280 kill it.
I'm so excited that you mentioned Grafyx speakers! I have the SP-10 which is actually my favorite speakers. They sound pretty fantastic. I also have the SP-6 and had the SP-8 which I'd still have if I hadn't made a cross country move. It is very difficult to find info on these speakers. The SP-6 sounds decent for its size but the magic is in the 8s and 10s with the Phillips tweeters.
Have a Carver AVR100, an absolute banger of a receiver. I didn't even consider the fact that it had more than plenty of wattage to push my Klipsch speakers. I was actually afraid of plugging it into the wall and turning it on. I mean, for a unit made back in '87, it made me pause for awhile, about 2 years, tbh. I still want to take care of some cap upgrades, however, just to be sure. It's a keeper.
I still have and use a 25+ Audiolab 8000S amplifier and a pair of Tannoy Profile 636 speakers. I love them and will never part with them. I still also use a Sony minidisc player from time to time. That's an amazing bit of kit. Very underrated. It cost £350 back in 1999 and I love it.
So cool to see my old Toshiba - wish I never sold it - great unit.
I have a Yamaha CA 810 intg from 1977 and for price point hard to beat with new age amps
Sleeper alert!!! Tandberg tl 1500. 2 way speaker from Tandberg. 25 watts. Truly outstanding. Running off a marantz 2215 bl .
I've always went for the more popular vintage brand throughout the years of collecting. But I think I've found my most favorite receiver that not many people even look at because of the brand. The SANYO JCX-2400KR Receiver & SANYO TP-1030 Turntable are my reference pieces. My speakers are DIY with JBL 8340 cinema crossover and drivers. It's a killer set up! Great videos!
Thanks Blitz. Sanyo had some winners to for sure.
@@skylabsaudio wow! Thanks for replying! Hope to see some SANYO stuff in another sleeper video. Thanks again!
I'm listening to this through a Sansui 661 receiver I bough for a dollar at a tag sale about 15 years ago. It still works great. I think I got a good deal.
The Montgomery wards Model 450. Dual power, Sound stages like crazy. It has a Smooth heavy flywheel with a big clicking volume knob with its tone control knobs being buttery smooth. A thick face plate and pre amp/amp inputs in the back to boot.
I have s
A Wards model 650 2 TT input bass treble and midrange controls 65 watts per channel. Souns incredible,
!!!
@@dwyntsch yours was the top of the line right above the 450. I have the ad that shows both models with receiver specifications. I think the 650 might have been built by optonica/sharp. It looks very similar to optinica gear of the time.
The 450 is HK built and designed through and through
I just picked up a “sleeper” concept 3.5. 35wpc found at a steal for $80 on the bay. Found a blown fuse waiting on a replacement to test. Still on the hunt for a counterweight for my sleeper $65 concept 2QD that came with an empire EDR.9 cartridge in mint condition.
Nakamichi preamps, amps and receivers are an excellent buy, if you can find one. Especially the Stasis models
I had an mcs from jc penny's. Mid 70s. Still have it today.
Concept. Some the absolute best sounding 1970s era audio receivers I've ever heard. The smallest , the 2.0 was their 20 wpc receiver. I still own it and it sounds wonderful. I've owned the 4.5 and it was equally great. The 12.5 was their flagship 125 wpc monster and packs a massive punch and I would put it up against any of the big Sansui, Pioneer, Marantz, etc. of comparable power. If you find one in good working condition, don't wait.
I enjoy seeing what you come up with on journeys like this one. My first receiver was a Rotel Rx-403 if I remember correctly. I bought it and a pair of AR 18 speakers in about 1978. My brother in-law has the Rotel and uses it to this day. I don’t remember where or when I parted with the AR 18s, probably in the later 80’s when I bought a pair of Boston A-400s.
I sold audio in the 80’s and 90’s, and Onkyo, Sony, Denon all offered a wide range of products that went from budget to pretty serious stuff that was really excellent sounding and reliable. Why isn’t there more interest in them? And a couple other brands that were more expensive and harder to find, but offered prime performance are Kyocera and Nakamichi. Both companies offerings were a cut above the rest. Especially Nakamichi tape decks, they rained supreme. If you can find one of their products from the 80’s or early 90’s , you would probably be very happy.
The specs on the Pioneer SX 680 is 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms with a THD of .1%.
OCD stereo collectors seem common. The Toshiba - Pioneer connection through the 80's was quite obvious but I'm surprised about the 70's!
I’ve owned the JVC JL-A40 turn table and JR-S300 Mark II receiver since 1977. Still sounds and works great after all these years.
What’s your opinion on these two pieces from JVC?
I've heard "Frankensteins" which have sounded better than all original.
Infinity 305 s, phillips turntable, kenwood 60 watter, sony cassette. 1978 really miss that system
Didn't Panasonic make some hifi gear back in the day?
My teenage speakers from the 1970's was the "BIC Venturi Formula 4." I wonder how they would sound now? I remember them as being a little week on the highs.
I had some BIC Venturis back in the early 90's. I think they were the v630's. Another set i'm always on the look out for.
I used to sell the Grafyx line of speakers, the sp6, sp8, sp10. We would put the sp6 like you have on the top shelf in the listening room and would have customers stand back about 12 feet and guess which one's were playing. Rarely would they ever choose the sp6. They would always go for something bigger because of the decent bass response they had. I had two pairs of the sp10's on my Kenwood 8100 amp. The amp I still have , unfortunately the sp10's I sold long ago. One of many poor choices in my life.
I think those Graphyx speakers were rocking Edgar Winter in their past.
Hilarious “Graffix” reference!! FYI, still selling products.
I have the 200 Watt Per Channel Monster, Hitachi SR-2004 which is the much bigger brother to your Hitachi. Same basic look just more bells and whistles and far more power. The only knock I have with your Hitachi example is those tiny\small main filter caps. I think bigger filter caps give you a more robust wall shaking bass response when needed. For a 1970's era 50 watts per channel receiver the main filter caps seem anemic. Back in the day the Hiatchi's built with that look were considered a poor man's Pioneer S-XX80 receiver. Except for the oval push buttons your Hitachi is generously infused with Pioneer SX-XX80 flavor.
The debate still rages on... is the SR-2004 200 W/CH, or 400 W/CH (when switched to the +/- 98 VDC supply rails in Class G mode). I would believe the latter, considering the AC power consumption is 1100 VA / 850 Watts. A Pioneer SX-1980 doesn't even come close at only 650 Watts AC consumption. The 330 WRMS/CH Technics SA-1000 does beat the SR-2004 with 1350 VA power consumption. For one-piece receivers, it is the king.
Realistic STA 225, rated 50 watts per channel, considered one of Foster Electrics best, circa 1975 -76. Have it paired with a set of original Pioneer CS77A Speakers, incredible match.
Grafyx speakers were true "sleepers" from their time. Although the SP-6 featured in the video was an entry level speaker, the SP-8s and especially SP-10s were incredible value for the money. I sold many pairs of all models in the shop where I worked and even owned some SP-10s (wood veneer version) myself. As you noted as a boutique Illinois speaker company, fewer were sold as new and therefore are relatively rare in the marketplace.
Toshiba and Hitachi made excellent gear
Juet some food for thought on the JVC platter. I noticed both 45 and 33 rpm had pitch control. I had a Duel 505 with pitch control and I liked it because I didn't have to depend on an electronic controller. I'm sorry but I am old. Thank you for another interactive video. George from St. Pete
Never be sorry that you are "old". Hopefully we all get there some day!
Actually in the 70´s and early 80´s Toshiba made receivers and amplifiers models licensed from Pioneer, but Toshiba made them even when those licenses expired and sometimes just copied their design, and Toshiba ended up in trouble because of it, i don´t remember the full story...
I have always wondered about the old Panasonic thruster series that stuff looked so cool, and I often wondered if it was decent at all. The other one that has fascinated me and I cannot think of the model number, but sound design the junkie stereo people had to receiver back in the early 80s that was really impressive looking Used to see it in discount stores and I’ve often wondered about those.
I had a pair of Hitachi separates (40w integrated amp & tuner) that I bought in 1976. It was good, inexpensive gear and ran solid for 20 years. The only complaint I had was that if I pushed the amp, the lights would strobe a bit - that was kind of annoying.
Looks like someone got a new camera.
JVC made some of the best direct drive turntables from the 70s and 80s. I believe it was actually JVC making motors for Denon. Capt Mark 09 on youtube has some excellent videos on these.
Trying a new lens =) Good eye
Love the bong reference!🤣
Sleeper: Pioneer SA-8100. Surprised the heck out of me. Why? my only previous Pioneer was a SX-880 which was so thin sounding, much like two skeletons screwing on a tin roof.
Truly enjoy your videos. I learn a great deal from your knowledge. If it’s ’stereo related’ I’m interested. Great channel….
I appreciate that!
Some vintage American brands like Voice of music (VOM deluxe 120 and 200) and Electro Voice (EV-1244 and EV1179) are great units but there isn't much out on them. The EV-1244 and EV-1179 small receiver units that pack a really huge punch for there size.
WATT Meters! YES! Not VU's!
A Hitachi dealer I worked with back then liked showing other brands with their covers off and show Hitachi devices in them as Hitachi made transistors and chips used by the others. He'd tell shoppers why not just buy from the company that makes the devices the rest use?
JVC JRS-600 Very nice!
I had a Sanyo 2050 as a teenager. Rocked that reciever all through high school. 👍
I have two 2050s, a JCX-2400 and a JCX-2900. I like my Sanyo receivers.
Ooof on those corner brass, lol, but TT is very nice
Has Kevin ever covered or done a tier list or recomendations for 60s tube gear?
There is a stock rusty Fisher KX-200 integrated thats local to me that I am considering for a restoration project but the $400 asking price feels like a painful gamble.
I had 2 brand new Toshiba SA 420's back in the 70's... they were great sounding but both units had issues with amp scr's and function switch going bad. Easy fix for a pro.
Mid 70's AKAI AA1050 Receiver is in my view anyways, and having owned most all others..... THE most over-looked and underrated receiver out there ? I can't believe AKAI doesn't have more followers, it was really well built stuff.
I know he doesn't really care for Kenwood, but I purchased a KA-8006 amp new in 1976. Its still my daily driver great features a workhorse. Thanks
KA 8006 is a great amp for sure!
My work system is a Technics SA-600, love it. A Project "The Beatles, Sgt Peppers" turntable. And I have em paired with a set of speakers i got for free, i can find no info at all about them. The label on the back says "Environmental Transducer Research, Model 18, Electro-voice inc Buchanan mich.
Big box, 12 inch woofer, two mids and tweeter. Acoustic suspension, Definitely late 60's early 70's ???
Fun Fact: The speaker are, and were found in Nome Alaska.
How about an SAE review. Love your reviews work keep up the great work. Technics SA 202 you can get these little receivers pretty cheap and I think they sound great for the price. I have owned 3 the one I have now is so minty just like it came out of the box. Oh yes and I do have the box.
The SR-804 has enough power supply beef for the amp to put out another 50 watts when needed.
I have an Advent 300 totally rebuilt
Definitely gonna be a fun one
Kevin: Just started watching your vid's. Yeah us guys in the Military in 70's were able to pick up some great stuff at the Mainz Kastle Audio center just south of Wiesbaden. I Wonder if you have ever run across Nakamichi gear
Maybe 1 in 8 years. Sorry
I'm pretty sure that jvc is a rebadged denon sl-7d. I have a miida t3115 which is a rebadged denon and looks identical to the jvc you showed including the tone arm
Years ago i purchased a small (11" w x 6" tall x 7-1/4" dp.) solid state stereo receiver Monacor model #SMX-77A. I listen
though a pair of Realistic Minimus 7s (wood finish). Can't find much info on this brand other than made in Japan.
Most Sherwoods are real sleepers. But an even bigger sleeper is the SEARS LX series. Little bit of cheat here though because Sears had Sherwood build them for them. My current system is Quad Electrostats with subs and Decca tweeters driven by Mark Levensinson ML-2s. I have been in the audio business or active in audio for nearly 50 years now. Check out the Sherwood or Sears if you want high quality sound for almost nothing
You said it looks like Realistic. I once had my Realistic receiver serviced in the 80's. The tech said it was made by Hitachi, only better. It never let me down since the service.
Realistic was made by foster in its receivers
I went by what the tech had said on my STA2700. Either way I always loved the receiver. I never stopped playing it. I even bought a 2nd one 10 years ago. I use them both, plus an SX 626 Pioneer receiver. All three are used with my 10 turntables.@@jakepetri5624
What’s funny is I worked at Radio Shack for 3 years in college and never did find out who really made the gear. They kept it kinda secret.
Most of the Toshiba Equipment is made very well I have had a couple of their higher power receivers and they are great units they also made some way under the radar good turntables. Really the same with Hitachi. As for the other lines like JVC, Fisher Sherwood ect.. your right if you look at all they put out its not so great but obviously all those brands did put out some models that were pretty good.
Totally agree
I really hate to ask but where can I go to get some recommendations for HK avr ?
I'll probably get some flack from the audio snobs. But I'll add CRAIG to the list of brands who had something good that was over looked. Supposedly they tried to get into the premium stereo market with their 5000 Series units but their history of producing cheaply made stuff got the better of them. They were serious enough to the point of commissioning a Japanese manufacturer to make the stereos for them. Supposedly my 5503 retailed for $650 new back in 1977, at least that's what some of the scares info I found about it tells me.
Weather or not it's true is another story. My 5503 is built well, sounds good, and feels like lifting a boat anchor sometimes. But it does need a major servicing and there's not really any repair shops in my area that actually fix anything so I haven't been using it for a bit. It does function but not 100% so instead of ruining it more it's more of a show piece than anything. Instead I use a Pioneer Surround receiver from 1997 to power my Pioneer CS-53's until I can get the CRAIG serviced.
Regarding the Grafyx speakers, those tweeters look like the same Mitsubishi used by KLH in the same time period. I have them in my CB-10s and CT-44s. They're probably easier to find than the woofers. BTW, do the woofers have any mfr codes on them?
Do yall do cleaning & repairs on vintage equipment, ARKANSAS STYLE LOVES Y'ALL
Hey Kevin. Enjoyed your video on sleepers. I picked up a Lafayette LR-9090 for $100 from a moving company who said owner left it behind. Great shape and everything works. What are your thoughts on this big receiver? (I have an SX1010 and plan on comparing them using 2 sets of OLA’s speakers I have). -Dave Cinnaminson, NJ
Anyone ever run into Little 1 speakers? Had some 40 years ago, loved them.
So which are the good Kenwood receivers? I have a KR 7200 (which I guess is from the early 70s). I like how it looks and, with my very novice eyes, it seems to be a little robust on the inside.
People it's not working well and I am curious whether it's worth having someone fix it since I'm not experienced enough to do it myself. The power drops off at her heats up and it has a little noise.
Class g? Hmmmm. I have heard that some stuff from Hitachi and Toshiba were decent and underrated units. I have a old Scott 325 r receiver that was gifted me. 1978 retailed for 240.00 it’s got a decent auxiliary amp section. The FM tuner is not the greatest. Certainly not a old Pioneer or Kenwood. I’ve had my speakers hooked up to it and they actually sounded fairly good with it.
What do u think of my Pioneer SX-6000
Decent quad unit
Good day Mr. Skylabs! 🙂
I own a Pioneer Stereo Receiver Model SX-650, and would like your opinion on it's value please...? I haven't used it since back in the days, however, it is in Very Good condition. Thank you for your YT channel.
Look up sold listing on eBay. That would be the most accurate.
Sleepers? Pioneer SA-8500? ... maybe the Japanese version was SA-8900. Anyway, NOT the Mk II versions. Pioneer SA-8800? Ever seen Sansui SP-G88's speakers? In the USA they may have had an 'L' prefix. I have the former. They are very, very good, but actually I could use a smaller speaker for my small room. However, I'm scared to get rid of them!! My Japanese home is too small to keep speakers in rotation. And ... the Tannoy Mercury 'M' series. (I have the M-1 bookshelf speakers.) Just some suggestions.
first time I saw this,great!
Not Knocking this upload, but I think anyone considering purchasing an old amp must consider. A: germanium transistors in the output stage were noisy, lacked dynamics and distorted easily at live levels. B: most capacitors would need replacing. C: resistors would have changed value due to age D: pots and switches worn E: some soldered joints perhaps dry F: don't do it.
😊
Is it true that Realistic Stereo receivers were made from leftover parts from Pioneer ?
I still have my onkyo TX-5000 in perfect condition as well as my Luxman Cx 100 preamp and i believe MX 100 power amp ...Are these pieces worth anything?
I've got a cheaper pair of speakers for my bedroom. They're JBL tlx4, and they're pretty decent. For the price I paid. They were asking 50$ for them. They have the distinctive jbl sound.
When I was a teen, Heathkit was a big deal, get any of them in the shop?
Some- they can be a crapshoot as most were built by hobbyist.