well I'm an old man, so this is all serious eye candy for me lol I love seeing all this analog equipment from the good old days! Rock on & thanks for this..
Man, this month has been a rough one for me, got the flu, cracked my ribs coughing, then my dog died. I nearly had a country song when I nearly screwed up my pickup truck lol. But these videos are a great way to distract me, and can't wait to recover financially and physically to walk out of your store after buying my new amp from you. You rock! With ❤ from Eden Prairie, MN
Sorry to hear about your dog, that hurts. In order to go full country song though you'd also need to have the wife or girlfriend leave while you were sick and you'd now have to be 15 beers into a 24. But still, get better dude.
I'm in Hastings and ready to go down and get an amp from Kevin also. Sorry about your fur buddy, lost one of mine also. My best baby for 11 years. Maybe we can car pool 🥃🍻
Well put. I've had the pleasure of sharing with my closest friends children who are now young adults all about music and stereo equipment. We have jam sessions in my music/game room. They are infatuated with my vintage equipment. No remote, silver face, not made in china, etc. They never knew about the music I/we've been listening to for years. The take that I give them about vintage equipment is the following; Equipment in those days were designed to be attractive to the home. Clean lines, sleek designs, wooden casing. Speakers made from real wood with cloth fronts and all well built. I get a smile when they have no idea who Marantz is or the old Klipsch speakers I have. It's a continuing education that I absolutely enjoy sharing. Great review Skylabs audio!
I have the Marantz 2250B as well as a 2325. Even though I have moved on to separates in my listening room, I can't bring myself to sell either one. I rotate them in my basement workout room and once in a while turn up the volume and listen as they easily push a set of JBL Century 100s to high db levels of classic rock music. Now in my mid 70s I expect In a few short years I'll have to downsize to smaller living quarters. When that happens, more than likely I'll be selling the separates but saving these receivers. The look, the feel and the sound of these units are outstanding and I expect they will bring fond memories of my younger years.
I bought my 'vintage' receiver back in 1978, a Yamaha CR2020. A few years ago, after being stored for maybe 15+ in it's original box, I had it recapped/rebuilt and it sounds and looks as good as new. I also had the lighting upgraded to LED's. At age 70 now, I figure this will last me the rest of my life. Great video Kevin!
@@JohnDoe-np3zk - The cost of the rebuild kit (2 filter caps, 8 ceramic caps, 50+ electrolytic capacitors and 2 fuses) plus a cleaning and alignment of controls and switches, reassembly plus warm LED light upgrade was $900 USD. I requested a total rebuild as I wanted it to last for many, many years to come.
The Harman Kardon 430 twin powered have a magical sound. One of the best vintage receiver . all the line twin powered of this era by Harman Kardon are good.
i’ve got a 5000x which has been in my dads family since ‘81, a 430 that i bought from a friend for $75, and a 4500 mkii which was given to me. its been a while since ive paid attention to vintage gear and seeing where these and the flagships are selling for now is so insane to me. i remember when sx-1250’s were $7-900 and $1k was scoffed at. while i wish id spent more of my early teens (around 2010) scoping out gear, its nice to know ive got some well-regarded pieces to make up for all the lesser ones i brought home back in the day.
I subscribed weeks ago because Kevin’s just spot on with his analysis and comments. He tells it like it is. Honesty is something not always found in today’s commercial world and in media of any kind. Thanks.
I have the 430 Twin I bought and cleaned up and had recapped. I changed the radio station indicator light to red. Amazing receiver that looks fantastic!
This past year on eBay I got a 661 with some cosmetic issues and missing a button for just $200, plus a button also on eBay for $20, cleaned it up, and I've been very happy with it!
Great video, as always. More fun to add to the search lists! I love to see this Sony series getting some love. Rosie O'Kelly has a few videos on their channel praising the 18w 7025. I have one driving Baby Advents in a bedroom setup and I adore it. I A/B'd with my Marantz 2230, and (blasphemy!) I prefer it. I expected that I would need to crank the volume given the low wattage, but it's 9:00 is darn loud! It performs eerily similarly in terms of power to the 2230, which in turn matches the performance of a 70w modern amp. I used to be skeptical of the "underrated" power claims until I got these gems, which all spent time in the main system driving towers in a large room. It's undeniable in person.
So far in my short time since August collecting, *Yamaha CR 700* 40wpc $78.50 on ebay shipping Included. Great Looks Green Lit Dial Pre amp in & out better than my Marantz. Eye Candy the Same. Got all 6 Stacked in a Custom rack. Very Happy with them all so far going thru a pair of Genesis Passive speakers.Looks as Impressive as my Mac gear setting next to them.
Ive been watching for a few months now and finally pulled the trigger on my first Big Boy receiver! Spent all of yesterday driving into the STICKS of Oregon to Pick up a SX980 for $440! She needs a good clean and a few toggles. But man is she an upgrade over my 90s Kenwood. My Heresy's have never sounded more full! cant wait to get the restoration done!
For most people I think there are alot of receivers that are slept on. I don't go through alot of combinations but recently I picked up a Pioneer sx-3000 from the early 70s and I hooked it up to a pair of cerwin vega vs-120s and was kinda impressed. So if you are mindful of the efficiency of the speakers you can get a little bit more than you expected, out of a lower powered amplifier/ receiver.
Great topic! I would suggest venturing out to look at other brands of the same vintage era and are great units. Fisher, Akai, Sherwood, Lafayette, Realistic, HH Scott, etc. all had great units, but are not commanding huge dollars. You can even get their bigger wattage units in many cases without breaking the bank. Pair them with period correct speakers from Advent, Dynaco, Frazier, etc. and you have a classic vintage system that sounds great.
I bought a 2250 B at a Goodwill back in the day for 20 bucks. It was like new. I replaced some of the lights because I’m not an expert in going any further. I’ve never let go of it. It still sounds and operates way beyond anything else I’ve ever owned. I’m a guitar nerd as well and I have lots of amplifiers and speakers and you name it. I found a pair of KLH4 way speakers for 35 bucks at a white elephant here in my area, the sound is beyond great well worth the 55 bucks lol
I got a 80 watt per channel and got speakers that could handle almost 200 watts and because I never had to crank the sound to be loud and clear 20 years later they were still pristine. Best investment I ever made.
Beautiful pieces and some great info. Thanks for another awesome and fun one, Kevin. You and your Sunday vids are becoming a regular staple for me..Keep it up!
The Sony receivers made in the early, mid-70's are sleepers for sure. I have a STR 7025 and it is just excellent. I purchase it for only $25 at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Another sweet spot you failed to mention is some of the Realistic line of receivers. Because a lot of people overlook them because their crap, they tend go for great prices. I suggest the Realistic STA 90. 50 watts per channel, two tape inputs, aux input and a great tuner section.
I will second the choice of the Sony STR-7055. I have two of them. They are as you described them. At 74 I have owned a lot of stereo equipment along the way. Some of what I have owned includes Concept 16.5, Pioneer 1050, Sansui 9090 & 9090DB, Marantz 2385, Phase linear 400 and various others. 2 of the receivers I end up with are the Sony STR-7055.
All good recommendations! For those on a budget, you can also move down further, to the 25WPC units. Also consider later units, stuff from the 1980s without the silver face plate that get less respect (and lower prices). I see the black face stuff at thrift stores frequently. I just avoid the video/Audio Units and look for phono inputs. They make solid workshop/garage units. It's possible to enter this hobby with decent equipment at a low cost. You can upgrade later as budget permits.
I watch your videos every Sunday morning while I drink my coffee ☕ and find your content to be amazing. As a vintage Marantz quad owner I'd like to see you discuss some of the great quad gear that soldiers on to the present day.
I purchased a KR 6600 Kenwood receiver in 1977. I purchased it brand new. It was a fantastic unit. I had it hooked up to JBL L36 speakers with a Sony reel to reel TC377 and a techniques SL 1300 turntable. I really miss that system so much.
A Pioneer flagship that can be had for the same money as a Marantz 2250 is the Piomeer SX-1010. At 100wpc, it's the receiver that started the watt wars - what a golden age.
One that often gets overlooked is the Sanyo JCX series of receivers from the 70's. I have a JCX 2300K, and I absolutely love the sound of it. They usually trade hands for half (or less) than an equivalently spec'd Pioneer, Sony, HK, Marantz, etc. If you encounter one, give it a shot.
Kev, you're leaving out the Technics SA series. The sweet spot around 50Wpc is covered by the SA 500. I've had the one my dad bought in 1978 playing for decades.
Own and operate a Sansui G4500, Technics SA-5270, and (based on your recommendation) Hitachi SR-804. They are all gems in the sweet spot, without spending crazy dollars. Kevin, great topic. Your video / audio guy does a great job with your vids and we appreciate that too.
One you missed that was one of the best units of the time is the Kenwood KR-4070. Built like a tank. Wide bandwidth, increasable phono stage. And going for
I bought my girlfriend a Sony 7065 & a pair of Bose 901’s for her family room. For her living room I bought her a Pioneer SX 7500 with matching tuner & a pair of large Advent’s. She has now caught the audio bug. This is such a fun hobby.
As a person thats owned and sold most of the monster Receivers that are selling for silly money now I have two things to say. 1 . If you are just dieing for a silver faced Receiver then buy one with a Preamp out and if you ever need more power buy an amplifier separate to achieve your power needs. 2. If sound quality is your prime motivation then go for separate components or even if you absolutely want vintage on a budget get an integrated Amplifier. There are a couple of vintage Receivers that I miss the look and sound of like the Sansui 9090 and the Pioneer SX-1250 but the reason I got rid of mine is I had separate components from SAE , Soundcraftsmen and Adcom etc to directly compare and I decided nostalgia is great but the sperate components were just better . Oh and by the way there are Receivers available made in the early 2000s that are pre HDMI multichannel power house's that actually have huge amounts of power from Yamaha ,Denon Onkyo etc that way outperform some of my favorite monsters of the 70s that can be had dirt cheap because they aren't interesting to look at and dont have HDMI connectivity.
I wanted some more juice, so on my tech’s recommendation I picked up an Adcom gfa 5500 to pair with my AU-7700 pre section, and love it! And for that pretty dial face everyone loves, I picked up a totl TU-9500 with beautiful green lights for about $100 untested, that just needed to be cleaned up. Throw in a cd player, wiim pro, and a set of KLH 6’s, and I’m just over $1000 for the entire setup.
When I sold my Fisher 500C, I took photos in a completely dark room, so the beautiful Display was shining like a Beacon in the night. And the Tubes were putting out their seductive glow. With those photos, it sold instantly...
Love the Kenwood, which was the first HiFi receiver I bought when I was a teenager...... And love the Sansui MK..... And Kevin, don't take the blame for prices going up.. it's not your fault..
I own an Onkyo 4500 MII and would like to add that it has an excellent tuner section. A simple wire dipole antenna lets me receive a classic rock station 57 miles away loud and clear. It is a pretty rough job to replace the original indicator bulbs with led bulbs, but the dial light bulbs are an easy fix. Overall it is a great value with great sound and built like a tank.
Should do an episode where you take your best guess making a CHART of sterile or CLINICAL vs WARM with the the different ERAs from the main manufacturers. I have a Marantz and im kind of looking for the most clinical piece i can find to swap it out with every now ams then.
I have had mine since 1973. I have replaced lamps and it recently had a good going through when it lost the fm tuner! Paired with Pioneer A50,s from the same era. 55 watts max. We used to have duals between my friends marantz kenwood pioneer back in the day. Always held its own!
In my small, remote town, there is a lack of many (any, really) repair technicians for vintage gear, so when my Marantz 2230 began to "protest", I picked up an "emergency' receiver, which turned out to be a Pioneer SX-626. I've been smiling ever since. A mid-level unit at either 20 watts or 27 watts depending on who you ask, I couldn't want more than what you get with this beauty. A 1972 model, it's built solid, has two tape loops, two phono inputs, main in/pre outs, a seriously high-performance tuner, and a fabulous sound.... and they're available anytime. I think between eBay and Reverb, there were at least a dozen of these for sale when I bought this one for about $300. I liked it so much, I bought another one as a "backup".
If you were really lucky, you got a full set of speaker plugs. They are proprietary and easily lost. I purchased a Pioneer SX 727 new almost 50 years ago and am still using it. I had it cleaned, relamped and recaped a few years ago and it still sounds great. I believe it was rated at 45 watts per channel. Which is plenty.
@@machintelligence - Yep..... that's practically the same receiver. Yours has more power and a volume attenuator button, but other than that they're the same. My first unit did come with one pair of factory speaker adapters. It was advertised as having all boards recapped, rebuilt power supply, serviced output amp section, LED conversion. Time will tell, and the second one I bought will be sent out for a "complete" servicing. I'm just 100% disinterested in any "modern" receiver, so I'll keep buying these!
Just want to say thank you, I found my sweet spot with an Akai AA-1150 and baby Advent ll speakers, both of which I learned of from watching your videos. Only wish I was closer and could have gotten them from Skylabs! Thanks!
Hey Kevin…we listened to the Ventures today on our SX 1250…PL560 turntable…which is mint…and through Snell Type A Loudspeakers…your record weight worked very well…played 3 albums…Paul.
More great content. Week after week, you guys do such a great job. I love neutral. You can do so much with it, or not. Marantz nails the 70's tone, and it's fm receiver is ridiculously good. All the best to you!
Nice list for sure. To this list, I would consider throwing in the Kenwood KR-4070 (40wpc) and early Vector Research VR 5000 (45wpc) & VR 7000 (65wpc) receivers, which punch in way above their weight. Solid Japan build quality and look & sound are excellent. VR receivers still fly under the radar, as many stereo store chains offered them as almost an 'in-house' brand, and more affordable. Great reviews out there on them, too. And won't have the cost premium of more popular mid-sized receiver brands or models mentioned already.
Kevin is on the money with 60wpc +/- receivers, anything more is for bragging rights only-- unless you have a huge room and some power hungry electrostatics. Love the Onkyo receivers from that era and have a TX 4500 and a TX6500 mk II. While Kevin raves about the color change on the TX *500 mkII series , it is even better with the MK1's as the dial is backlit and you can change from warm white to cool blue (Marantz) to green (Sansui or Harman Kardon) or royal blue ( Pioneer SX 1010) and they just look fantastic. Completely underrated brand and I'm OK with that as I can usually find a good deal on one- I just added back and A-5 integrated from my HS/College days, paid about the same price as it was back in 1979.
Interesting that because Kenwood at the time had far wider bandwidth amps than most others like Pioneer and Sansui you would refer to it as exaggerated in those further extremes of bandwidth just because Kenwood did not roll them off. e.g. it was rated to 50Khz rather most others 20Khz.
100K will be reached very soon. Thank you for another great video. I don't know if this holds true with other manufacturers but 1970's Marantz published power ratings may have been conservative... it seems that you could easily add 20 watts per channel to whatever was claimed. I do know that my little 2238B performs like a more powerful receiver, and I love it.
I don't know what it's selling for these days - can't remember the Model Number, 1000? - but it's the Marantz Receiver with the fkg OSCILLOSCOPE on the upper left of the front panel. It's definitely one of their Flagships, so it's probably NOT cheap, and there are fewer of them out there. But an Oscilloscope on the Display! How fkg COOL is that? AND... It's a BEAST. Lots of Watts. Now I've got to go look it up. Just thinking about it gets my juices flowing...
Just got a Sansui 2000 like I had when I was in high school. 32 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo) will piss off the neighbors if you go much above 10 o'clock on the volume. Fantastic receiver.
I have one of the Onkyo 4500 mk2 it's a beast and still sounds good! I bought it with a pair of Infinity Quantum 3s for 150 bucks. Restored the speakers for about 200, and they sound great !
I have the original Onkyo TX -4500 from 1975 (pre mkII). They are supposed to be the same inside, just slightly cosmetically different. I did the blue lights...but I was torn - now I'm okay with it. I also have a TX - 2500 mk II and the gold lights in there are "golden" - she's real pretty, so I have the best of both worlds. Got the 45 for 319.00 and the 25 for 30 bucks and fixed it up myself. It's good to have a spare, cuz they can be months away from home when they go in the shop.
One of my favorite Receivers is the Sansui 1000A. I don't HAVE one yet. Hopefully... But it is the highest powered Tube Receiver EVER made. However, most people on this channel would likely steer away from this Tube Receiver, and maybe rightly so. It has extremely complex circuitry under the hood. So above the initial cost, it's expensive to do Cap upgrades and service. And it will require Tube replacements over time, which can add up. But it is one of the BEST Receivers ever.
Advertised with no power usually indicates 1 or many lights out and/or dysfunctional VU's. Yes, Pioneer is a bit brighter in sound than Kenwood, appreciate you bringing this up. Any color light looks good in a Onkyo MKII.
If you ever get a 1969 Sony STR-6120 FM Receiver, it was the receiver that John Lennon and Yoko Ono used in their Greenwich Village apartment, located at 105 Bank Street. I put a 1971 photograph of their bedroom under high magnification to make this determination. They're both sitting in bed, under a shelf holding the receiver. If I could post a picture here, I would. A very sexy receiver.
What are the Marantz 2250B's selling for, you didn't mention it. And what was the manufacture period for the B, and what would be the difference between the 2250B and the plain 2250?. I had a Marantz receiver back in the late 70's, a 2245. How do they compare with the 2250, with only 5 watts less per channel?
I had a laugh at this one: Did you know that the SX 850 originally shipped with a hex wrench so you could tighten the tuning knob in case it came loose? I was happy with my 50 WPC Pioneer SX-750 in '76 and I still am. :) I still think of the SX-750 as a great deal in spite of the vinyl woodgrain. The vintage SX 850s are really nice, they cost about $150-$200 more than 750s, but they have a bit more power (65W) and bulk (About an inch more in height and a bit over 42 lbs instead of 30 lbs. - mostly the consequence of the larger power supply and case, I assume) The 850s also have some bells and that I think most folks wouldn't use, but here they are: "turnover" switches that select one of two frequencies each for where the bass and tone controls start to act, a 'low cut' filter that cuts frequencies below 30Hz (which the manual states is provided as a cure if you have turntable rumble..., an "adaptor" input/output for equalizer or Dolby adaptor, an output for an FM Quadraplex decoder (!), a second PHONO, and a pre-out if you want to bypass the internal amp and use an external amp instead. It also has a few more switch position lights. It has a SECOND UNSWITCHED AC outlet, which IS something that is nice for any receiver. When mentioning Pioneer "50W"-class receivers, the SX 780 usually comes up. It often sells for a premium over the SX 750 even though it's spec'd at 45WPC into 8 ohms, and, oddly, also 45WPC max into 4 ohms! Maybe it's because it has the dual-VU meters that folks like to see bouncing around. The SX 780 also supports the Adaptor I/O connection that a 750 lacks..
My Marantz 2245 gives me all the power I need, with warm rich crystal clear sound out of my JBL L-166 Horizons. It’s had a massive upgrade (filter caps, outputs, relays, the works), and will drive most any speaker. It’s a receiver that dares you to keep pumping up the volume, because it’s not going to compress or distort the sound a bit. Harman Kardon’s 430c is also a great entry level, or forever receiver.
Thanks Kevin for another enjoyable Sunday morning video. There are a bunch of receivers from the 70’s that will please the vast majority of music lovers. We all hear things a little differently. I hope music lovers don’t think louder is always better. Protect your hearing folks! Kevin, how about an episode on how loud is loud enough so you don’t damage your hearing?
Another "Fun One". For whatever reason, Frankin Music was not a Kenwood dealer. Kenwood was sold by CMC, up on Buford Hwy. Yamaha was sold at the "high end" store in Buckhead. We sold Pioneer and Sony. Later JVC, where my 501 came from, and then later, Setton. Now that you have made mention of it, I may need to track down a Kenwood. I truly do agree with your "picks", and agree that fifty watts probably IS a really good sweet spot. I always liked the looks of the Kenwood gear. Tell your Dad HI, and a visit i still on the list.... Rip
Great video and great gear. I was traditionally more of an integrated amp guy but I wouldn't say "no" to any of those receivers especially now when I'm just getting back into the hobby. I currently have a receiver that isn't supposed to exist and I bought it at Goodwill. It's a Sansui 690 black face stereo receiver and finding information about this particular one is surprisingly hard.
All solid picks here. Thanks Skylabs, any give away plans for your 100K celebration? Maybe the Marantz 2250B? No, how about some if your mighty fine merch?
I have driven my main system with my 20 wpc Marantz 2220b and my 33 wpc Sansui 5050. Either had plenty of power to drive my 12 inch Velodyne sub and Klipsch towers. Right now I'm using my 50 wpc newer Yamaha. I would love a monster receiver but I can't afford one. I will watch them here on Kevin's channel. LOL In the 80s Stereo Review tested a Harman Kardon 45 wpc receiver and were able to get a 270 watt undistorted peak waveform at 1khz!
I've been looking for an Onkyo MKII for a couple months now. My dad had a 2500, so it's a nostalgia thing for me. The blue LED's look cool, but I'll go with the original incandescent. That's just to reproduce the the glow that I remember as a kid.
I’ve got a 1973 Harman Kardon 630 twin and a 1983 Harman kardon hk 680i twin and I prefer the sound of the 630 although both sound absolutely phenomenal!
I just picked up an Onkyo 4500 mk2 with perfect lettering. It needs some help though... If I can't find anyone local I'm giving you guys a call, that blue lighting has always done it for me!
well I'm an old man, so this is all serious eye candy for me lol I love seeing all this analog equipment from the good old days! Rock on & thanks for this..
HEY!, I resemble that remark!
Man, this month has been a rough one for me, got the flu, cracked my ribs coughing, then my dog died. I nearly had a country song when I nearly screwed up my pickup truck lol. But these videos are a great way to distract me, and can't wait to recover financially and physically to walk out of your store after buying my new amp from you. You rock! With ❤ from Eden Prairie, MN
Sorry to hear about your dog, that hurts. In order to go full country song though you'd also need to have the wife or girlfriend leave while you were sick and you'd now have to be 15 beers into a 24. But still, get better dude.
I'm in Hastings and ready to go down and get an amp from Kevin also. Sorry about your fur buddy, lost one of mine also. My best baby for 11 years.
Maybe we can car pool 🥃🍻
@@JeffN-A I'm gong to stop by on my way from Arizona to Winona
Sorry about your dog. It's unbelievable how hard that is :(
Well put. I've had the pleasure of sharing with my closest friends children who are now young adults all about music and stereo equipment. We have jam sessions in my music/game room. They are infatuated with my vintage equipment. No remote, silver face, not made in china, etc. They never knew about the music I/we've been listening to for years. The take that I give them about vintage equipment is the following; Equipment in those days were designed to be attractive to the home. Clean lines, sleek designs, wooden casing. Speakers made from real wood with cloth fronts and all well built. I get a smile when they have no idea who Marantz is or the old Klipsch speakers I have. It's a continuing education that I absolutely enjoy sharing. Great review Skylabs audio!
I have the Marantz 2250B as well as a 2325. Even though I have moved on to separates in my listening room, I can't bring myself to sell either one. I rotate them in my basement workout room and once in a while turn up the volume and listen as they easily push a set of JBL Century 100s to high db levels of classic rock music. Now in my mid 70s I expect In a few short years I'll have to downsize to smaller living quarters. When that happens, more than likely I'll be selling the separates but saving these receivers. The look, the feel and the sound of these units are outstanding and I expect they will bring fond memories of my younger years.
I bought my 'vintage' receiver back in 1978, a Yamaha CR2020. A few years ago, after being stored for maybe 15+ in it's original box, I had it recapped/rebuilt and it sounds and looks as good as new. I also had the lighting upgraded to LED's. At age 70 now, I figure this will last me the rest of my life. Great video Kevin!
Curious what it cost to redo I think local guy here maybe 150 bucks
@@JohnDoe-np3zk - The cost of the rebuild kit (2 filter caps, 8 ceramic caps, 50+ electrolytic capacitors and 2 fuses) plus a cleaning and alignment of controls and switches, reassembly plus warm LED light upgrade was $900 USD. I requested a total rebuild as I wanted it to last for many, many years to come.
@@PSB-900nice thanks
I love my 2020,best sounding receiver I've ever had. I have to find a good repair shop soon,it needs some work now
@@raycimbalnik5159 - I don't know where you live but I had the work done at Just Audio, Middle River, MD.
The Harman Kardon 430 twin powered have a magical sound. One of the best vintage receiver . all the line twin powered of this era by Harman Kardon are good.
I want one of those
I have one on my bench waiting for a recap.
@@James-dt7ky The 430 is fun to work on, the 930 not so much.
@ I recently did a HK560. That one challenged my skills. Awkward to get at the pre-amp section and controls.
I do agree with you, have a 430 Twin myself as well
Every time the end music plays i think to myself that can't be the end of the video keep up the great work
i’ve got a 5000x which has been in my dads family since ‘81, a 430 that i bought from a friend for $75, and a 4500 mkii which was given to me. its been a while since ive paid attention to vintage gear and seeing where these and the flagships are selling for now is so insane to me. i remember when sx-1250’s were $7-900 and $1k was scoffed at. while i wish id spent more of my early teens (around 2010) scoping out gear, its nice to know ive got some well-regarded pieces to make up for all the lesser ones i brought home back in the day.
Pioneer SX450 has been rocking my world on my tool box since 1996. it's literally never been turned off the entire time.
I subscribed weeks ago because Kevin’s just spot on with his analysis and comments. He tells it like it is. Honesty is something not always found in today’s commercial world and in media of any kind.
Thanks.
I can listen to the Sansui 2000X-5000X all day long.
I have the 430 Twin I bought and cleaned up and had recapped. I changed the radio station indicator light to red. Amazing receiver that looks fantastic!
Mine's on the bench waiting for a recap.
The Sansui 661/771/881 are another under the radar receiver. Great sound, plenty of power, super easy to work on.
771 and 881 were epic
Nothing Sansui is under the radar anymore.
This past year on eBay I got a 661 with some cosmetic issues and missing a button for just $200, plus a button also on eBay for $20, cleaned it up, and I've been very happy with it!
Own a mint 661. It’s fun
My brother had the Deluxe 8! That was beautiful receiver!
Great video, as always. More fun to add to the search lists! I love to see this Sony series getting some love. Rosie O'Kelly has a few videos on their channel praising the 18w 7025. I have one driving Baby Advents in a bedroom setup and I adore it. I A/B'd with my Marantz 2230, and (blasphemy!) I prefer it. I expected that I would need to crank the volume given the low wattage, but it's 9:00 is darn loud! It performs eerily similarly in terms of power to the 2230, which in turn matches the performance of a 70w modern amp. I used to be skeptical of the "underrated" power claims until I got these gems, which all spent time in the main system driving towers in a large room. It's undeniable in person.
So far in my short time since August collecting, *Yamaha CR 700* 40wpc $78.50 on ebay shipping Included. Great Looks Green Lit Dial Pre amp in & out better than my Marantz. Eye Candy the Same.
Got all 6 Stacked in a Custom rack. Very Happy with them all so far going thru a pair of Genesis Passive speakers.Looks as Impressive as my Mac gear setting next to them.
I got myself a SX-850 last year and I am very happy with it. It has a lot of power and sounds and looks great.
Superb amp
That makes two of us, it's my daily driver now and just sounds fantastic.
Ive been watching for a few months now and finally pulled the trigger on my first Big Boy receiver! Spent all of yesterday driving into the STICKS of Oregon to Pick up a SX980 for $440! She needs a good clean and a few toggles. But man is she an upgrade over my 90s Kenwood. My Heresy's have never sounded more full! cant wait to get the restoration done!
I bought an HK-730 a couple of months ago and WOW! it sounds awesome through my Klipsch Forte one's.
For most people I think there are alot of receivers that are slept on. I don't go through alot of combinations but recently I picked up a Pioneer sx-3000 from the early 70s and I hooked it up to a pair of cerwin vega vs-120s and was kinda impressed. So if you are mindful of the efficiency of the speakers you can get a little bit more than you expected, out of a lower powered amplifier/ receiver.
Great topic! I would suggest venturing out to look at other brands of the same vintage era and are great units. Fisher, Akai, Sherwood, Lafayette, Realistic, HH Scott, etc. all had great units, but are not commanding huge dollars. You can even get their bigger wattage units in many cases without breaking the bank. Pair them with period correct speakers from Advent, Dynaco, Frazier, etc. and you have a classic vintage system that sounds great.
Akai is an excellent pick, I would not leave it if I found one for cheap...
Most of the time, the best deals are the brands that are overlooked.They only look good, but sound good.
I've got a Sansui 5000A that I rebuilt and it's the receiver that made me go 'Wow this is it'
Yes, my Marantz 2250B made Kevin's list. It is a great receiver. Love it, Kevin! 😊
I have a 2250b also. I will never sell it. It sounds like it has way more power and it rivals newer amps easily.
@@crimsonghost6454 It has. Measures 70 watts and above.
I bought a 2250 B at a Goodwill back in the day for 20 bucks. It was like new. I replaced some of the lights because I’m not an expert in going any further. I’ve never let go of it. It still sounds and operates way beyond anything else I’ve ever owned. I’m a guitar nerd as well and I have lots of amplifiers and speakers and you name it. I found a pair of KLH4 way speakers for 35 bucks at a white elephant here in my area, the sound is beyond great well worth the 55 bucks lol
I got a 80 watt per channel and got speakers that could handle almost 200 watts and because I never had to crank the sound to be loud and clear 20 years later they were still pristine. Best investment I ever made.
Beautiful pieces and some great info. Thanks for another awesome and fun one, Kevin.
You and your Sunday vids are becoming a regular staple for me..Keep it up!
My Kenwood KR-2120 10 watter is a heck of a stereo for 80$. Cleaned the pots and changed the bulbs. It sounds like a dream.
The Sony receivers made in the early, mid-70's are sleepers for sure. I have a STR 7025 and it is just excellent. I purchase it for only $25 at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.
Another sweet spot you failed to mention is some of the Realistic line of receivers. Because a lot of people overlook them because their crap, they tend go for great prices. I suggest the Realistic STA 90. 50 watts per channel, two tape inputs, aux input and a great tuner section.
I will second the choice of the Sony STR-7055. I have two of them. They are as you described them. At 74 I have owned a lot of stereo equipment along the way. Some of what I have owned includes Concept 16.5, Pioneer 1050, Sansui 9090 & 9090DB, Marantz 2385, Phase linear 400 and various others. 2 of the receivers I end up with are the Sony STR-7055.
Great list, but I'd add the Sansui Eight in there. It'd be a bit more expensive than most but they're excellent.
All good recommendations! For those on a budget, you can also move down further, to the 25WPC units. Also consider later units, stuff from the 1980s without the silver face plate that get less respect (and lower prices). I see the black face stuff at thrift stores frequently. I just avoid the video/Audio Units and look for phono inputs. They make solid workshop/garage units. It's possible to enter this hobby with decent equipment at a low cost. You can upgrade later as budget permits.
I watch your videos every Sunday morning while I drink my coffee ☕ and find your content to be amazing. As a vintage Marantz quad owner I'd like to see you discuss some of the great quad gear that soldiers on to the present day.
Congratulations on the excellent video!
It's everything we connoisseurs and collectors love! Lots of vintages and excellent information!
Hugs Marcelo
I purchased a KR 6600 Kenwood receiver in 1977. I purchased it brand new. It was a fantastic unit. I had it hooked up to JBL L36 speakers with a Sony reel to reel TC377 and a techniques SL 1300 turntable. I really miss that system so much.
A Pioneer flagship that can be had for the same money as a Marantz 2250 is the Piomeer SX-1010. At 100wpc, it's the receiver that started the watt wars - what a golden age.
One that often gets overlooked is the Sanyo JCX series of receivers from the 70's.
I have a JCX 2300K, and I absolutely love the sound of it. They usually trade hands for half (or less) than an equivalently spec'd Pioneer, Sony, HK, Marantz, etc.
If you encounter one, give it a shot.
Kev, you're leaving out the Technics SA series. The sweet spot around 50Wpc is covered by the SA 500. I've had the one my dad bought in 1978 playing for decades.
Sansui 4000 sound gives me joy. Cap coupled Sansui receivers are very smooth and sweet.
I'm buying one next week $150
Own and operate a Sansui G4500, Technics SA-5270, and (based on your recommendation) Hitachi SR-804. They are all gems in the sweet spot, without spending crazy dollars. Kevin, great topic. Your video / audio guy does a great job with your vids and we appreciate that too.
One you missed that was one of the best units of the time is the Kenwood KR-4070. Built like a tank. Wide bandwidth, increasable phono stage. And going for
Another good video. Just keeps my vintage audio addiction alive.
I’ve got a Realistic STA-850 that is right in the sweet spot. 50 watts per channel, and sounds fantastic.
Another great informative enjoyable video ❗️
I can vouge for the Marantz 2250B receiver as it is a class act. Thanks Kevin!
One of the personal favorites in my collection is the Harman Kardon Three Thirty Nocturne.Just love the sound and look of this baby.
I bought my girlfriend a Sony 7065 & a pair of Bose 901’s for her family room. For her living room I bought her a Pioneer SX 7500 with matching tuner & a pair of large Advent’s. She has now caught the audio bug. This is such a fun hobby.
All Marantz models are “symmetrically” beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. 😊
Best of luck on 100k, your show is one of, if not my fav audio show! Great stuff!
As a person thats owned and sold most of the monster Receivers that are selling for silly money now I have two things to say.
1 . If you are just dieing for a silver faced Receiver then buy one with a Preamp out and if you ever need more power buy an amplifier separate to achieve your power needs.
2. If sound quality is your prime motivation then go for separate components or even if you absolutely want vintage on a budget get an integrated Amplifier.
There are a couple of vintage Receivers that I miss the look and sound of like the Sansui 9090 and the Pioneer SX-1250 but the reason I got rid of mine is I had separate components from SAE , Soundcraftsmen and Adcom etc to directly compare and I decided nostalgia is great but the sperate components were just better .
Oh and by the way there are Receivers available made in the early 2000s that are pre HDMI multichannel power house's that actually have huge amounts of power from Yamaha ,Denon Onkyo etc that way outperform some of my favorite monsters of the 70s that can be had dirt cheap because they aren't interesting to look at and dont have HDMI connectivity.
I wanted some more juice, so on my tech’s recommendation I picked up an Adcom gfa 5500 to pair with my AU-7700 pre section, and love it!
And for that pretty dial face everyone loves, I picked up a totl TU-9500 with beautiful green lights for about $100 untested, that just needed to be cleaned up. Throw in a cd player, wiim pro, and a set of KLH 6’s, and I’m just over $1000 for the entire setup.
When I sold my Fisher 500C, I took photos in a completely dark room, so the beautiful Display was shining like a Beacon in the night. And the Tubes were putting out their seductive glow. With those photos, it sold instantly...
I recently upgraded my Marantz 2215B to a HK430 Twin for the equivalence of $250 and I just love it.
Love the Kenwood, which was the first HiFi receiver I bought when I was a teenager...... And love the Sansui MK.....
And Kevin, don't take the blame for prices going up.. it's not your fault..
I own an Onkyo 4500 MII and would like to add that it has an excellent tuner section. A simple wire dipole antenna lets me receive a classic rock station 57 miles away loud and clear. It is a pretty rough job to replace the original indicator bulbs with led bulbs, but the dial light bulbs are an easy fix. Overall it is a great value with great sound and built like a tank.
You know I loves me some HK Twins. Thx my friend.
Harmon Kardon anything was one of the best of it's time!
My first receiver was a Hamon Kardon when I was 12 years old.
@@chuckgillyim getting a hk tu911 tuner coming my way
Really enjoy your videos. Fresno, CA
I know you said 70s but in 1980 realistic put out the sta-2080. I think you would be impressed. It also looks amazing.
The Sony 7055 is a wicked receiver!!!
Should do an episode where you take your best guess making a CHART of sterile or CLINICAL vs WARM with the the different ERAs from the main manufacturers. I have a Marantz and im kind of looking for the most clinical piece i can find to swap it out with every now ams then.
I like it! Thanks
I like these comparison videos that you do. You realize the alternate possibilities. I don’t have enough space for the ones I want. Thanks.
Really enjoy your videos Kevin. Some of the best audio content out there. I often find myself watching your channel all weekend. 👍
Cheers from MN.
I have had mine since 1973. I have replaced lamps and it recently had a good going through when it lost the fm tuner! Paired with Pioneer A50,s from the same era. 55 watts max. We used to have duals between my friends marantz kenwood pioneer back in the day. Always held its own!
In my small, remote town, there is a lack of many (any, really) repair technicians for vintage gear, so when my Marantz 2230 began to "protest", I picked up an "emergency' receiver, which turned out to be a Pioneer SX-626. I've been smiling ever since. A mid-level unit at either 20 watts or 27 watts depending on who you ask, I couldn't want more than what you get with this beauty. A 1972 model, it's built solid, has two tape loops, two phono inputs, main in/pre outs, a seriously high-performance tuner, and a fabulous sound.... and they're available anytime. I think between eBay and Reverb, there were at least a dozen of these for sale when I bought this one for about $300. I liked it so much, I bought another one as a "backup".
If you were really lucky, you got a full set of speaker plugs. They are proprietary and easily lost.
I purchased a Pioneer SX 727 new almost 50 years ago and am still using it. I had it cleaned, relamped and recaped a few years ago and it still sounds great.
I believe it was rated at 45 watts per channel. Which is plenty.
@@machintelligence - Yep..... that's practically the same receiver. Yours has more power and a volume attenuator button, but other than that they're the same. My first unit did come with one pair of factory speaker adapters. It was advertised as having all boards recapped, rebuilt power supply, serviced output amp section, LED conversion. Time will tell, and the second one I bought will be sent out for a "complete" servicing. I'm just 100% disinterested in any "modern" receiver, so I'll keep buying these!
Nice video and very informative !
So right about the lights on, on a receiver
Just want to say thank you, I found my sweet spot with an Akai AA-1150 and baby Advent ll speakers, both of which I learned of from watching your videos. Only wish I was closer and could have gotten them from Skylabs! Thanks!
Great information Kevin. Thanks for the videos!
Great topic on the video Thankyou for doing this
Hey Kevin…we listened to the Ventures today on our SX 1250…PL560 turntable…which is mint…and through Snell Type A Loudspeakers…your record weight worked very well…played 3 albums…Paul.
More great content. Week after week, you guys do such a great job. I love neutral. You can do so much with it, or not. Marantz nails the 70's tone, and it's fm receiver is ridiculously good. All the best to you!
Nice list for sure. To this list, I would consider throwing in the Kenwood KR-4070 (40wpc) and early Vector Research VR 5000 (45wpc) & VR 7000 (65wpc) receivers, which punch in way above their weight. Solid Japan build quality and look & sound are excellent. VR receivers still fly under the radar, as many stereo store chains offered them as almost an 'in-house' brand, and more affordable. Great reviews out there on them, too. And won't have the cost premium of more popular mid-sized receiver brands or models mentioned already.
Kevin is on the money with 60wpc +/- receivers, anything more is for bragging rights only-- unless you have a huge room and some power hungry electrostatics. Love the Onkyo receivers from that era and have a TX 4500 and a TX6500 mk II. While Kevin raves about the color change on the TX *500 mkII series , it is even better with the MK1's as the dial is backlit and you can change from warm white to cool blue (Marantz) to green (Sansui or Harman Kardon) or royal blue ( Pioneer SX 1010) and they just look fantastic. Completely underrated brand and I'm OK with that as I can usually find a good deal on one- I just added back and A-5 integrated from my HS/College days, paid about the same price as it was back in 1979.
I also have a 6600! In the wood case it looks awesome! Positively overlooked.
Interesting that because Kenwood at the time had far wider bandwidth amps than most others like Pioneer and Sansui you would refer to it as exaggerated in those further extremes of bandwidth just because Kenwood did not roll them off. e.g. it was rated to 50Khz rather most others 20Khz.
100K will be reached very soon.
Thank you for another great video. I don't know if this holds true with other manufacturers but 1970's Marantz published power ratings may have been conservative... it seems that you could easily add 20 watts per channel to whatever was claimed. I do know that my little 2238B performs like a more powerful receiver, and I love it.
I don't know what it's selling for these days - can't remember the Model Number, 1000? - but it's the Marantz Receiver with the fkg OSCILLOSCOPE on the upper left of the front panel. It's definitely one of their Flagships, so it's probably NOT cheap, and there are fewer of them out there. But an Oscilloscope on the Display! How fkg COOL is that? AND... It's a BEAST. Lots of Watts. Now I've got to go look it up. Just thinking about it gets my juices flowing...
Just got a Sansui 2000 like I had when I was in high school. 32 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo) will piss off the neighbors if you go much above 10 o'clock on the volume. Fantastic receiver.
I have one of the Onkyo 4500 mk2 it's a beast and still sounds good! I bought it with a pair of Infinity Quantum 3s for 150 bucks. Restored the speakers for about 200, and they sound great !
I have the original Onkyo TX -4500 from 1975 (pre mkII). They are supposed to be the same inside, just slightly cosmetically different. I did the blue lights...but I was torn - now I'm okay with it. I also have a TX - 2500 mk II and the gold lights in there are "golden" - she's real pretty, so I have the best of both worlds. Got the 45 for 319.00 and the 25 for 30 bucks and fixed it up myself. It's good to have a spare, cuz they can be months away from home when they go in the shop.
Great vid.
Sansui rocks!
One of my favorite Receivers is the Sansui 1000A. I don't HAVE one yet. Hopefully... But it is the highest powered Tube Receiver EVER made. However, most people on this channel would likely steer away from this Tube Receiver, and maybe rightly so. It has extremely complex circuitry under the hood. So above the initial cost, it's expensive to do Cap upgrades and service. And it will require Tube replacements over time, which can add up. But it is one of the BEST Receivers ever.
Advertised with no power usually indicates 1 or many lights out and/or dysfunctional VU's. Yes, Pioneer is a bit brighter in sound than Kenwood, appreciate you bringing this up. Any color light looks good in a Onkyo MKII.
If you ever get a 1969 Sony STR-6120 FM Receiver, it was the receiver that John Lennon and Yoko Ono used in their Greenwich Village apartment, located at 105 Bank Street. I put a 1971 photograph of their bedroom under high magnification to make this determination. They're both sitting in bed, under a shelf holding the receiver. If I could post a picture here, I would. A very sexy receiver.
What are the Marantz 2250B's selling for, you didn't mention it. And what was the manufacture period for the B, and what would be the difference between the 2250B and the plain 2250?. I had a Marantz receiver back in the late 70's, a 2245. How do they compare with the 2250, with only 5 watts less per channel?
I remember you saying Kenwood was built to a price point and you could see the extra space inside their cabinets.
I had a laugh at this one: Did you know that the SX 850 originally shipped with a hex wrench so you could tighten the tuning knob in case it came loose?
I was happy with my 50 WPC Pioneer SX-750 in '76 and I still am. :) I still think of the SX-750 as a great deal in spite of the vinyl woodgrain. The vintage SX 850s are really nice, they cost about $150-$200 more than 750s, but they have a bit more power (65W) and bulk (About an inch more in height and a bit over 42 lbs instead of 30 lbs. - mostly the consequence of the larger power supply and case, I assume)
The 850s also have some bells and that I think most folks wouldn't use, but here they are: "turnover" switches that select one of two frequencies each for where the bass and tone controls start to act, a 'low cut' filter that cuts frequencies below 30Hz (which the manual states is provided as a cure if you have turntable rumble..., an "adaptor" input/output for equalizer or Dolby adaptor, an output for an FM Quadraplex decoder (!), a second PHONO, and a pre-out if you want to bypass the internal amp and use an external amp instead. It also has a few more switch position lights. It has a SECOND UNSWITCHED AC outlet, which IS something that is nice for any receiver.
When mentioning Pioneer "50W"-class receivers, the SX 780 usually comes up. It often sells for a premium over the SX 750 even though it's spec'd at 45WPC into 8 ohms, and, oddly, also 45WPC max into 4 ohms! Maybe it's because it has the dual-VU meters that folks like to see bouncing around. The SX 780 also supports the Adaptor I/O connection that a 750 lacks..
My Marantz 2245 gives me all the power I need, with warm rich crystal clear sound out of my JBL L-166 Horizons. It’s had a massive upgrade (filter caps, outputs, relays, the works), and will drive most any speaker. It’s a receiver that dares you to keep pumping up the volume, because it’s not going to compress or distort the sound a bit. Harman Kardon’s 430c is also a great entry level, or forever receiver.
Thanks Kevin for another enjoyable Sunday morning video. There are a bunch of receivers from the 70’s that will please the vast majority of music lovers. We all hear things a little differently. I hope music lovers don’t think louder is always better. Protect your hearing folks!
Kevin, how about an episode on how loud is loud enough so you don’t damage your hearing?
Another great video and sort of an instigator to log into eBay and start looking.
I wish I had gotten a 2250B years ago when I got my 2220B, which I love.
Another "Fun One". For whatever reason, Frankin Music was not a Kenwood dealer. Kenwood was sold by CMC, up on Buford Hwy. Yamaha was sold at the "high end" store in Buckhead. We sold Pioneer and Sony. Later JVC, where my 501 came from, and then later, Setton. Now that you have made mention of it, I may need to track down a Kenwood. I truly do agree with your "picks", and agree that fifty watts probably IS a really good sweet spot. I always liked the looks of the Kenwood gear. Tell your Dad HI, and a visit i still on the list.... Rip
Somebody got a framed Jellyfish on their wall. Well done!
Great video and great gear. I was traditionally more of an integrated amp guy but I wouldn't say "no" to any of those receivers especially now when I'm just getting back into the hobby. I currently have a receiver that isn't supposed to exist and I bought it at Goodwill. It's a Sansui 690 black face stereo receiver and finding information about this particular one is surprisingly hard.
If it's black faced it might be a European model.
Great review by the way.
All solid picks here. Thanks Skylabs, any give away plans for your 100K celebration? Maybe the Marantz 2250B? No, how about some if your mighty fine merch?
I have driven my main system with my 20 wpc Marantz 2220b and my 33 wpc Sansui 5050. Either had plenty of power to drive my 12 inch Velodyne sub and Klipsch towers. Right now I'm using my 50 wpc newer Yamaha. I would love a monster receiver but I can't afford one. I will watch them here on Kevin's channel. LOL In the 80s Stereo Review tested a Harman Kardon 45 wpc receiver and were able to get a 270 watt undistorted peak waveform at 1khz!
Another great video, and it was fun!
I've been looking for an Onkyo MKII for a couple months now. My dad had a 2500, so it's a nostalgia thing for me. The blue LED's look cool, but I'll go with the original incandescent. That's just to reproduce the the glow that I remember as a kid.
Sansui shut the lights off to make them last.
I’ve got a 1973 Harman Kardon 630 twin and a 1983 Harman kardon hk 680i twin and I prefer the sound of the 630 although both sound absolutely phenomenal!
I just picked up an Onkyo 4500 mk2 with perfect lettering. It needs some help though... If I can't find anyone local I'm giving you guys a call, that blue lighting has always done it for me!
I have a 5000x and a 630. My pick...my 330B. There is definitely a sweet spot. That receiver nails it.