I have been a service tech in the office machine world as well as in audio for over 4 decades. I own some vintage as well as more modern audio equipment and even old tube amps can, if restored to original spec, perform as good as a lot of the high end audio made today. When I run a square wave through something like a Scott 299C or Dynaco MKIII that is running correctly, it shows that what is going in is what comes out with virtually no distortion of the wave form. In fact, I have tested some very expensive modern amplifiers and noticed aberrations in the lead edge of the square wave form when doing tests that are not there in amps like my old Scott 222C. Yes, there are some high end amps that may be a little better in some areas, especially in frequencies below 100hz. But, for mids and highs, stuff like the Scott 222C, Marantz 2270, Nikko Alpha 220 and the like perform amazingly well if not better in comparison to most amps in the same power range made since 2000. I have a Jadis Defy 7 which is a rather nice amp and even as good as that amp is it really does not sound better then my Scott 222C or the solid state units like the 2270 or the Alpha 220. But, all my vintage gear has been refurbished with new capacitors, several resistors replaced that were out of spec as well as even some transistors replaced that were out of spec enough to cause sonic issues.
I remember the day I bought my first "serious" music device at that time, a second hand Onkyo TX-7800 receiver. Listening FM radio stations at night, was a pure joy. I also have in use a Technics SH-GE70 Equalizer, despite the fact that today in the digital world, almost everybody's deny the idea of using one :) Thanks for sharing another great video!
My opinion is mostly ANYTHING made after 1980 by any big name maker is vastly different from most late 1960 to late 1970s gear. In build quality, sound quality, appearance, etc,etc.
I have been through tens of thousands of dollars in modern gear, all of that changed when I was trying to get a pleasant sound out of a pair of Zu speakers... Around $5000 later trying to get to "that" sound, I stumbled upon a YT video of a gentleman proclaiming the sound of vintage Sansui stereo receivers with his Zu speakers. So, I got on FB Market Place and found a working, and quite nice looking, 1969 Sansui 2000 stereo tuner receiver for $200... I brought it home, hooked it up to my Zu DW's and was totally blown away! I then found a Sansui 4000 model in the same Sansui family, a one owner 1970 model. I had to break it down and clean it up... Blown away again! I have not owned one piece of modern gear that can even touch either of these little Sansui receivers. I sold everything other than a PS Audio Gaincell DAC/Preamp that I use as a digital hub to connect to the Sansui 4000. The Bass out of these units, the airy tube like midrange, the incredible detailed top end with no harshness or fatiguing digital sound. Pair that sound with the Zu's, and we have audio nirvana!
I love vintage but one thing to know is that vintage gear have 40 years old capacitors and they do not sound as new so if you love your receiver or preamp is good to change all capacitors as possible, I recomend Nichicon FG series gold more important in the signal path and Nichicon LS on the power supply, also spray pots and switches with Deoxit D5 and you'll have a vintage sounding better than new cause of better capacitors, 1980 capacitors were not as good as todays caps 💪
I've found Elna Silmic II's to be far superior to just about any electrolytic cap out there. Try em, you'll like em. I recapped my Marantz Model Eighteen with them and it sounds amazing. You do need to let them burn in for a while, I did mine for a week and they're excellent.
When I see old amplifier receiver or tuner Table? Cassette deck in goodwill or garage sale, I get the excited like a small kid when he sees his first story. Beauty Off old technology can a compare with a day black boxes Off new technology. I'm totally agree with you.👍👍👍
Bought two Hitachi SR903's last year, both in excellent working condition (the first was purchased mint); each for under $150. I also researched and bought all the high-quality parts ($180: MOUSER & DigiKey) necessary to do a full revision to each unit, when I have the time. Spent another $50 (total) to upgrade the feet to machined ALU and glossy vinyl wrap (Burled Walnut) for the wood cases, which are in EXC condition but had that factory matt black finish (which I found bland). Basic maintenance was done in the meantime (DC offsets, cleaned the pots, etc.) They both look and sound fantastic. The Service Manual is well documented and the PCB boards are also well-marked. Excellent investments and a hobbyist dream when it comes to the planned revision work. As for modern features...I went with FiiO BTA30Pro's for each ($125). The FiiO adds BT 5.2 with plenty of CODEC support (LDAC, AptX HD, AptX LL, AptX, AAC, SBC) and has 3 modes (Transmit TX, Receive RX, and DAC). With either phone or PC has source, I can feed these beasts with up to 24bit/96Khz via BT (LDAC) or 32bit/384Khz via DAC. One unit occupies the family room and the other, my office. They are not "monsters", but they are built like tanks and have more than enough power for my needs.
Have to agree! I have a Pioneer SX-3900. The analog brother of the 7000. 120 watts x 2 @ 8 ohms. 45 lbs of beastly power. Toroidal transformer and the beautfiul blue fluoroscan display. That's not the only piece. I have quite a few vintage receivers in the collection. Sansui, Technics, JVC, Marantz, Harman Kardon, Yamaha, etc. Vintage speakers! Absolutely. Advents, KLH 6s, B.A. A200s and A100s. ADS, Polk Monitors, etc. TTs? Realistic Labs, Dual, Technics! Gotta love the value and the SOUND! Audio heaven. The other reason? I couldn't afford any of this stuff when I was a young one, lol. Now, I have the dream system I pined for in college! Some things are worth waiting for! Service! Yeah, you need a good tech or you can spend the time to learn yourself if you're retired and have the time! Boomers? Yeah, we're all NUTS, stark raving mad. But oh the MUSIC!
I really loved the look and feel of the 70s vintage receivers I have owned BUT when I got a modern receiver with a good, built in, DAC and wifi connectivity, I never looked back.
Certain vintage brands with excellent build, superb sounding, do exist that fly under the radar since they're not Big Name brands. SoundCraftsmen, Rotel, Sherwood, and certain early Sansui models. Buy for $100-200. Spend $350-400 for true refurbish, (recap and alignment, with deoxit cleaning)...and you have a magnificent sounding device that will perform another 30-40 yrs. Plenty of these old units will still sound amazing with nothing more than deoxit cleaning. IMHO. Great video channel here!! Thx
What you are saying about vintage gear is basically true, especially for old vintage audio enthusiasts but there are some very good new gear alternatives as well, which are not very expensive. It takes time to research what is around and available and what they cost, which many vintage fans don't bother considering, as they are convinced that older is better. There are good reasons why well used vintage gear will need to be extensively and expensively refurbished if it going to last another 30 - 50 years and still sound good, while new gear should be fine for a few decades if looked after. I have used old vintage gear for most of my life but the system I have now was all purchased as new items piece by piece over a few years and is the best system I have ever owned. I like my old gear to compare and contrast with my new gear and for nostalgic reasons but for high quality sound, the old gear can't compete for accurate tonal balance across the full frequency range and precise detailed imaging for a very real and natural overall soundscape. More importantly my new system was not vey expensive, as my amp, turntable, cd player and speakers were all heavily discounted sale items at the various times and places I bought them. No-one should be paying top dollar for anything, if they have the information and the patience to search around and get what they want.
Easier to go with vintage imo, especially anyone not knowing what is good to buy. I realize it is a journey when it comes to getting what you want. Vintage has its issues like fixing it if need be but it has a lot of reviews and you got a good idea if it is good or not. Vintage looks great. It sounds like you did your research, had the time to strike at sale items that just so happened to be the items you wanted. You are most fortunate 😉
Receivers and Integrated Amps most which I own is 1976-1981, however wanted reliability for the Living room so in 2021 bought a Yamaha AS1200 Silver, class A/B, analog VU meters and weighs over 50 lbs. and will play/record Tape.
I have been buying audio since 1975. So the answer is yes. I have a 1983 Harman Kardon integrated amp, a 1974 Marantz receiver and a 1974 Sansui receiver that are all original and they sound great. I also have a 1936 Silvertone radio that belonged to my grand parents that is all original that sounds pretty good. Three watts of class A power. LOL
Have JVC amp, akai turntable, sharp cassette deck all from 82' still in good working order with no service. Recently bought a pioneer amp from 85' sounds amazing.
Analog is golden. In Electronics it is all about Design and quality components. at the time most equipment was designed to stand high temperatures and constant use. Nowadays electronics are reduced to match small spaces without respecting high temperature tolerances of components. Result short of life products. Degradation of components. starting with low quality capacitors. once these die. the circuits break up and IC die as well representing most of the 50% of the product
I have two Pioneer receivers, the Sx-3700 @ 45 watts and the Sx-3800 @ 60 watts and still looking to complete the set with a 3900 @ 120 watts, but the prices as you say just keep climbing. Everyone thinks they can get what the market is demanding to price, you have to do your homework and ask questions, then know a decent yet not a scalping tech to rely on if you have a issue. I love my Pioneer at 45 watts of power & how it can push my JBL towers, the 60 even better when I rotate him in like a pitcher every few months. They look great in the room and always draw attention, my kids find it hard to believe something that old sounds so good.
I use Just Audio in Baltimore for repair of my vintage audio gear. Yes they're expensive BUT they do a good job fixing most but not all vintage stereo gear. You re right, buying vintage audio is expensive well beyond just the initial investment in the gear. I brought a Pioneer SX1980 for $3,500 and a Pioneer SX-1250 for $1,700 dollars. To properly refurbish the SX-1980 cost an additional $4,500. $1,500 in parts plus $3,000 labor. It cost $4,000 total to properly refurbish my Pioneer SX-1250. I have 8 monster receivers that cost me $30,000 to acquire and repair. Also I have 4 reel to reels,10 cassette tape decks and 12 speakers and assorted other components. Now I know $40K sounds like a LOT to pay for my vintage audio receiver collection but when working I earned over $129K annually. I collected this stuff over 10 years starting in 2010 when Vintage Hi Fi was still reasonably priced. Also I got some amazingly good deals like finding a very good condition Pioneer SX-1980 for $3,500. My collection is all monster receivers except one. My Vintage 70's era War Of The Watts Receiver collection is as follows. 1. Pioneer SX-1980 270 WPC 2. Pioneer SX-1280 185 WPC 3. Pioneer SX-1250 160 WPC 4. Pioneer SX-1050 120 WPC 5. Hitachi SR-2004 200 WPC 6. Sansui G-9700 200 WPC 7. Onkyo TX-8500 MKII 165 WPC 8, Marantz 2330B 130 WPC And my one non monster receiver. Pioneer SX-950 at 65 watts per channel. All my receivers have been updated electronically and have new filter caps and recaps of most known problematic caps. All my monster Pioneers and Marantz have completely new power boards in addition to new filter and other caps. Just for the record I consider a "MONSTER" any 70's era silver face, war of the watts, analog or analog digital receiver that delivers 100 RMS Clean Watts Per Channel. Once you get to the mid 1980's the rot had set in and audio gear became more like what we have today.
Find a service tech before buying or even better yet find a service tech local selling vintage equipment. I have been collecting vintage equipment for a few years.
I have a Kenwood receiver from the early 90s that I really like and it has plenty of power to drive the speakers. Before that I had a Pioneer receiver from the late 70s I no longer have it but I still have a tape deck from that time.
I am an avid collector of vintage receivers. I agree with the Boomer Consumer on all levels of his discussion. Especially with tape decks (reel and Cassette). I have at last count, twenty vintage receivers and treasure each one. I must admit that I collect with the intent to someday sell. There are a couple though that I will never part with. One being my Pioneer SX-828 which in my humble opinion the best sounding that I have found so far. As stated in the video it's important to "buy-right" and not overspend. Another tip is to stick with the lower powered receivers as they are typically much easier to service and obtain parts. It's really surprising how good a small wattage receiver will sound with an efficient pair of speakers! Thanks for the video!
If you had asked this question 20 years ago: mostly yes. But today it is more complicated. It is device specific and class specific on top of that because since retro hifi became a fashion over a decade ago prices have risen sharply and partly into the stratosphere.
I picked up a Pioneer SX-1250 for $5 and a used Antec computer tower. $400 later and I have a fully functional classic receiver. Only problem is the aux port is borked. A bit irritated with that. Still worth it to get that sorted. Not sure which way to go w speakers (Bozak? HPM-100? L-100? Something more modern?). I dunno. Fun part is figuring it out.
@@TheBoomerConsumer I am relatively new to this and haven't had a chance to listen to the HPM-100. All I know is that's the classic speaker sold to pair with the Pioneer amps/receivers of the era. As I understand things Cerwin Vegas were the party/rock & roll speakers of the 1980s. At this point I mostly use the 1250 with my turntable. I generally only use the turntable to spin classical/opera and Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP - anything where the music is supposed to flow without interruption. Seems to me that CDs are bad at that. Great for a collection of songs (Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy, anyone?). Awful for anything with movements.
You got an SX-1250 for $5 and a used computer? And the refurb was only $400? That has got to be the best investment I've ever heard of! Congratulations, man! You really scored with that deal. I myself bought an SX-1250 ten or twelve years ago for $400 and then put at least that much into getting it refurbished, and I wouldn't part with it for love or money. I listen to it every day, and as far as I'm concerned that model Pioneer is the best receiver on the planet. Well done! 🙂👍
Some good info in this video, some not so good. Some missing info. No mention of the hugely wonderful sound quality of silverfaced gear. I don't care so much about watts ratings, they drastically changed the watt ratings around 1980 for all receivers. And, there are some really good quality Realistic models, and alotta crappy Realistic models. Also, the proper packaging for shipping by ebay sellers is something to consider. If the seller doesn't have much history of selling equipment.. then be ready for a battle to get your money back when a 45lbs vintage receiver shows up damaged from inept packaging.
I bought a Emotiva TA1 use it as preamp and Emotiva A2 amp 160 watts at 8ohms over 200 watts at 4ohms with a three year warranty if it breaks after 5 years just buy new I don’t like static when I turn knobs on old stuff I tried old stuff to much maintenance for me got my money back on a 2270 that they lied to me about.
ive still got allmy gear from the 80's and keep thinking of upgrading ,then when i chuck a record on I ask myself why do i need to upgrade if it still works? it certainly isnt Audiophile gear ..jvc jl a20 turntable Keff calidonian floor speakers ( I have changed the tweeters and condensers on the board) these are being used with my sony lbt d705 full system and a technics pg420a cd player. not great stuff but it plays ok still. although I do keep looking at new decks and amps lol....
You might be mixing nostalgia with practicality. 1 - who needs 120 watts rms? Totally unnecessary - 30-60 watts would be more than enough. 2. Lasting 40-50 years sounds impressive - but as a boomer I won’t live must past 20-25 years if I’m lucky and will I be listening to music as intently when I’m in my 70’s and 80’s? Can you say I Need hearing aids ?? 3. There are varying manufacturers of new equipment that is built - to varying specs. Smaller efficient and often more powerful - everything new is to new specs - take out of the box and you are ready to go. But in any event - no decent receiver of any age is going to sound better than another - it’s the speakers that matter the most - and having built in Bluetooth or direct Ethernet : cat5 connections for high speed streaming is nicer because it’s integrated - If you want to buy vintage components for the sake of “art” and nostalgia - of feeling youthful Again - that’s ok. But is it technically better - no. To each his own - And btw - I bought 2 receivers recently - 1 Sansui 7070 plenty of watts and certainly ( easier to work on than the 8080 or 9090db) and a Sansui QRX 7000 quad series because of its incredible good looks - and only to listen to it in stereo no quadraphonic. And I’m adding a Wiim Pro on each for streaming purposes anyway. Each for 2 different homes I have. I’m Not going down the rabbit hole of buying a turntable / a cassette deck or reel to reel. That’s not only a financially inefficient way to go / it’s inconvenient to listen to the songs I want when I want it. I embrace new technology - My music is what is important to me - with my old ears - it is not pure like it was when I grew up in the 70’s. buying vintage in my opinion is a great way to re-capture fond memories and show off a sense of style - That I will agree to buy vintage does.
I have been a service tech in the office machine world as well as
in audio for over 4 decades. I own some vintage as well as more modern
audio equipment and even old tube amps can, if restored to original
spec, perform as good as a lot of the high end audio made today.
When I run a square wave through something like a Scott
299C or Dynaco MKIII that is running correctly, it shows that
what is going in is what comes out with virtually no distortion
of the wave form. In fact, I have tested some very expensive modern
amplifiers and noticed aberrations in the lead edge of the square wave form
when doing tests that are not there in amps like my old Scott 222C.
Yes, there are some high end amps that may be a little better in some areas,
especially in frequencies below 100hz. But, for mids and highs, stuff
like the Scott 222C, Marantz 2270, Nikko Alpha 220 and the like perform
amazingly well if not better in comparison to most amps in
the same power range made since
2000. I have a Jadis Defy 7 which is a rather nice amp and even as
good as that amp is it really does not sound better then my Scott 222C or
the solid state units like the 2270 or the Alpha 220. But, all my vintage gear
has been refurbished with new capacitors, several resistors replaced that
were out of spec as well as even some transistors replaced that were
out of spec enough to cause sonic issues.
I remember the day I bought my first "serious" music device at that time, a second hand Onkyo TX-7800 receiver. Listening FM radio stations at night, was a pure joy. I also have in use a Technics SH-GE70 Equalizer, despite the fact that today in the digital world, almost everybody's deny the idea of using one :) Thanks for sharing another great video!
Thank you!
FM radio back then was crystal clear with good dynamic range.
My opinion is mostly ANYTHING made after 1980 by any big name maker is vastly different from most late 1960 to late 1970s gear. In build quality, sound quality, appearance, etc,etc.
I have been through tens of thousands of dollars in modern gear, all of that changed when I was trying to get a pleasant sound out of a pair of Zu speakers... Around $5000 later trying to get to "that" sound, I stumbled upon a YT video of a gentleman proclaiming the sound of vintage Sansui stereo receivers with his Zu speakers. So, I got on FB Market Place and found a working, and quite nice looking, 1969 Sansui 2000 stereo tuner receiver for $200...
I brought it home, hooked it up to my Zu DW's and was totally blown away!
I then found a Sansui 4000 model in the same Sansui family, a one owner 1970 model. I had to break it down and clean it up... Blown away again!
I have not owned one piece of modern gear that can even touch either of these little Sansui receivers. I sold everything other than a PS Audio Gaincell DAC/Preamp that I use as a digital hub to connect to the Sansui 4000. The Bass out of these units, the airy tube like midrange, the incredible detailed top end with no harshness or fatiguing digital sound. Pair that sound with the Zu's, and we have audio nirvana!
I love vintage but one thing to know is that vintage gear have 40 years old capacitors and they do not sound as new so if you love your receiver or preamp is good to change all capacitors as possible, I recomend Nichicon FG series gold more important in the signal path and Nichicon LS on the power supply, also spray pots and switches with Deoxit D5 and you'll have a vintage sounding better than new cause of better capacitors, 1980 capacitors were not as good as todays caps 💪
I've found Elna Silmic II's to be far superior to just about any electrolytic cap out there. Try em, you'll like em. I recapped my Marantz Model Eighteen with them and it sounds amazing. You do need to let them burn in for a while, I did mine for a week and they're excellent.
@@AmishSpecialForces I am going to buy them bro I feel you are on the spot, maybe this Elna Silmic 2 is better than the Rubicon Black Gate
When I see old amplifier receiver or tuner Table? Cassette deck in goodwill or garage sale,
I get the excited like a small kid when he sees his first story.
Beauty Off old technology can a compare with a day black boxes Off new technology.
I'm totally agree with you.👍👍👍
Bought two Hitachi SR903's last year, both in excellent working condition (the first was purchased mint); each for under $150. I also researched and bought all the high-quality parts ($180: MOUSER & DigiKey) necessary to do a full revision to each unit, when I have the time. Spent another $50 (total) to upgrade the feet to machined ALU and glossy vinyl wrap (Burled Walnut) for the wood cases, which are in EXC condition but had that factory matt black finish (which I found bland). Basic maintenance was done in the meantime (DC offsets, cleaned the pots, etc.)
They both look and sound fantastic. The Service Manual is well documented and the PCB boards are also well-marked. Excellent investments and a hobbyist dream when it comes to the planned revision work.
As for modern features...I went with FiiO BTA30Pro's for each ($125). The FiiO adds BT 5.2 with plenty of CODEC support (LDAC, AptX HD, AptX LL, AptX, AAC, SBC) and has 3 modes (Transmit TX, Receive RX, and DAC). With either phone or PC has source, I can feed these beasts with up to 24bit/96Khz via BT (LDAC) or 32bit/384Khz via DAC.
One unit occupies the family room and the other, my office. They are not "monsters", but they are built like tanks and have more than enough power for my needs.
Have to agree! I have a Pioneer SX-3900. The analog brother of the 7000. 120 watts x 2 @ 8 ohms. 45 lbs of beastly power. Toroidal transformer and the beautfiul blue fluoroscan display. That's not the only piece. I have quite a few vintage receivers in the collection. Sansui, Technics, JVC, Marantz, Harman Kardon, Yamaha, etc. Vintage speakers! Absolutely. Advents, KLH 6s, B.A. A200s and A100s. ADS, Polk Monitors, etc. TTs? Realistic Labs, Dual, Technics! Gotta love the value and the SOUND! Audio heaven.
The other reason? I couldn't afford any of this stuff when I was a young one, lol. Now, I have the dream system I pined for in college! Some things are worth waiting for!
Service! Yeah, you need a good tech or you can spend the time to learn yourself if you're retired and have the time!
Boomers? Yeah, we're all NUTS, stark raving mad. But oh the MUSIC!
This has to be one my most favorite comments ever! Thanks
I really loved the look and feel of the 70s vintage receivers I have owned BUT when I got a modern receiver with a good, built in, DAC and wifi connectivity, I never looked back.
What is the receiver you have? I have been looking at the new NAD C3050
@@TheBoomerConsumer mine is a few years old. Marantz SR5013
Def worth it. I drink burbon and read Murakami Haruki and listen to LP Records. Class.
Certain vintage brands with excellent build, superb sounding, do exist that fly under the radar since they're not Big Name brands.
SoundCraftsmen, Rotel, Sherwood, and certain early Sansui models. Buy for $100-200. Spend $350-400 for true refurbish, (recap and alignment, with deoxit cleaning)...and you have a magnificent sounding device that will perform another 30-40 yrs.
Plenty of these old units will still sound amazing with nothing more than deoxit cleaning. IMHO.
Great video channel here!!
Thx
What you are saying about vintage gear is basically true, especially for old vintage audio enthusiasts but there are some very good new gear alternatives as well, which are not very expensive. It takes time to research what is around and available and what they cost, which many vintage fans don't bother considering, as they are convinced that older is better. There are good reasons why well used vintage gear will need to be extensively and expensively refurbished if it going to last another 30 - 50 years and still sound good, while new gear should be fine for a few decades if looked after. I have used old vintage gear for most of my life but the system I have now was all purchased as new items piece by piece over a few years and is the best system I have ever owned. I like my old gear to compare and contrast with my new gear and for nostalgic reasons but for high quality sound, the old gear can't compete for accurate tonal balance across the full frequency range and precise detailed imaging for a very real and natural overall soundscape. More importantly my new system was not vey expensive, as my amp, turntable, cd player and speakers were all heavily discounted sale items at the various times and places I bought them. No-one should be paying top dollar for anything, if they have the information and the patience to search around and get what they want.
Easier to go with vintage imo, especially anyone not knowing what is good to buy. I realize it is a journey when it comes to getting what you want. Vintage has its issues like fixing it if need be but it has a lot of reviews and you got a good idea if it is good or not. Vintage looks great. It sounds like you did your research, had the time to strike at sale items that just so happened to be the items you wanted. You are most fortunate 😉
Receivers and Integrated Amps most which I own is 1976-1981, however wanted reliability for the Living room so in 2021 bought a Yamaha AS1200 Silver, class A/B, analog VU meters and weighs over 50 lbs. and will play/record Tape.
Excellent choice
I have been buying audio since 1975. So the answer is yes. I have a 1983 Harman Kardon integrated amp, a 1974 Marantz receiver and a 1974 Sansui receiver that are all original and they sound great. I also have a 1936 Silvertone radio that belonged to my grand parents that is all original that sounds pretty good. Three watts of class A power. LOL
Very cool!
Have JVC amp, akai turntable, sharp cassette deck all from 82' still in good working order with no service. Recently bought a pioneer amp from 85' sounds amazing.
Analog is golden. In Electronics it is all about Design and quality components. at the time most equipment was designed to stand high temperatures and constant use. Nowadays electronics are reduced to match small spaces without respecting high temperature tolerances of components. Result short of life products. Degradation of components. starting with low quality capacitors. once these die. the circuits break up and IC die as well representing most of the 50% of the product
The other problem, is the lack of being able to service new gear
thanks to surface mounting of components on gimpy circuit boards.
I have two Pioneer receivers, the Sx-3700 @ 45 watts and the Sx-3800 @ 60 watts and still looking to complete the set with a 3900 @ 120 watts, but the prices as you say just keep climbing. Everyone thinks they can get what the market is demanding to price, you have to do your homework and ask questions, then know a decent yet not a scalping tech to rely on if you have a issue. I love my Pioneer at 45 watts of power & how it can push my JBL towers, the 60 even better when I rotate him in like a pitcher every few months. They look great in the room and always draw attention, my kids find it hard to believe something that old sounds so good.
I use Just Audio in Baltimore for repair of my vintage audio gear. Yes they're expensive BUT they do a good job fixing most but not all vintage stereo gear. You re right, buying vintage audio is expensive well beyond just the initial investment in the gear. I brought a Pioneer SX1980 for $3,500 and a Pioneer SX-1250 for $1,700 dollars. To properly refurbish the SX-1980 cost an additional $4,500. $1,500 in parts plus $3,000 labor. It cost $4,000 total to properly refurbish my Pioneer SX-1250. I have 8 monster receivers that cost me $30,000 to acquire and repair. Also I have 4 reel to reels,10 cassette tape decks and 12 speakers and assorted other components.
Now I know $40K sounds like a LOT to pay for my vintage audio receiver collection but when working I earned over $129K annually. I collected this stuff over 10 years starting in 2010 when Vintage Hi Fi was still reasonably priced. Also I got some amazingly good deals like finding a very good condition Pioneer SX-1980 for $3,500. My collection is all monster receivers except one. My Vintage 70's era War Of The Watts Receiver collection is as follows.
1. Pioneer SX-1980 270 WPC
2. Pioneer SX-1280 185 WPC
3. Pioneer SX-1250 160 WPC
4. Pioneer SX-1050 120 WPC
5. Hitachi SR-2004 200 WPC
6. Sansui G-9700 200 WPC
7. Onkyo TX-8500 MKII 165 WPC
8, Marantz 2330B 130 WPC
And my one non monster receiver. Pioneer SX-950 at 65 watts per channel. All my receivers have been updated electronically and have new filter caps and recaps of most known problematic caps. All my monster Pioneers and Marantz have completely new power boards in addition to new filter and other caps. Just for the record I consider a "MONSTER" any 70's era silver face, war of the watts, analog or analog digital receiver that delivers 100 RMS Clean Watts Per Channel. Once you get to the mid 1980's the rot had set in and audio gear became more like what we have today.
Find a service tech before buying or even better yet find a service tech local selling vintage equipment. I have been collecting vintage equipment for a few years.
I have a Kenwood receiver from the early 90s that I really like and it has plenty of power to drive the speakers. Before that I had a Pioneer receiver from the late 70s I no longer have it but I still have a tape deck from that time.
I am selling all my vintage gear, but I am keeping my 3 Yamahas, the rest must go. All this gear is pre 1980 stuff. I am in Oregon, [not portland]
I am an avid collector of vintage receivers. I agree with the Boomer Consumer on all levels of his discussion. Especially with tape decks (reel and Cassette). I have at last count, twenty vintage receivers and treasure each one. I must admit that I collect with the intent to someday sell. There are a couple though that I will never part with. One being my Pioneer SX-828 which in my humble opinion the best sounding that I have found so far. As stated in the video it's important to "buy-right" and not overspend. Another tip is to stick with the lower powered receivers as they are typically much easier to service and obtain parts. It's really surprising how good a small wattage receiver will sound with an efficient pair of speakers! Thanks for the video!
If you had asked this question 20 years ago: mostly yes. But today it is more complicated.
It is device specific and class specific on top of that because since retro hifi became a fashion
over a decade ago prices have risen sharply and partly into the stratosphere.
Thank you Thank you thank you. You covered all of my sentiments about vintage receivers. I have a Sansui G 8700 db,Pioneer SX 950 and Technics sa-300.
You are welcome!
Kenwood KR-7050 refurbished by a reputable tech…sounds awesome! Paired with Klipsch RP-8000F speakers…combined vintage and modern gear.
@Ej CHRISTIAN the 8050 is a beast.
I picked up a Pioneer SX-1250 for $5 and a used Antec computer tower. $400 later and I have a fully functional classic receiver. Only problem is the aux port is borked. A bit irritated with that. Still worth it to get that sorted.
Not sure which way to go w speakers (Bozak? HPM-100? L-100? Something more modern?). I dunno. Fun part is figuring it out.
That deserves a classic rock and roll speaker like the HPM 100’s or maybe some Cerwin Vegas?
@@TheBoomerConsumer I am relatively new to this and haven't had a chance to listen to the HPM-100. All I know is that's the classic speaker sold to pair with the Pioneer amps/receivers of the era.
As I understand things Cerwin Vegas were the party/rock & roll speakers of the 1980s.
At this point I mostly use the 1250 with my turntable. I generally only use the turntable to spin classical/opera and Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP - anything where the music is supposed to flow without interruption. Seems to me that CDs are bad at that. Great for a collection of songs (Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy, anyone?). Awful for anything with movements.
$5!!! Wow, what a deal! That was a incredible find, congratulations!
You got an SX-1250 for $5 and a used computer? And the refurb was only $400? That has got to be the best investment I've ever heard of! Congratulations, man! You really scored with that deal. I myself bought an SX-1250 ten or twelve years ago for $400 and then put at least that much into getting it refurbished, and I wouldn't part with it for love or money. I listen to it every day, and as far as I'm concerned that model Pioneer is the best receiver on the planet. Well done! 🙂👍
Some good info in this video, some not so good. Some missing info.
No mention of the hugely wonderful sound quality of silverfaced gear. I don't care so much about watts ratings, they drastically changed the watt ratings around 1980 for all receivers. And, there are some really good quality Realistic models, and alotta crappy Realistic models.
Also, the proper packaging for shipping by ebay sellers is something to consider. If the seller doesn't have much history of selling equipment.. then be ready for a battle to get your money back when a 45lbs vintage receiver shows up damaged from inept packaging.
Great video with practical advice and realistic expectations. Your flow of information was perfect and well prepared, thanks a lot!
In the past six years I have bought many pieces of vintage gear and repaired several....I would never buy BPC ...
Yeah, I love the looks and sound of vintage gear.
Hi where did you get your pioneer logo that's lit up in blue the one on top the receiver next to the speaker. let me know thanks
I bought a Emotiva TA1 use it as preamp and Emotiva A2 amp 160 watts at 8ohms over 200 watts at 4ohms with a three year warranty if it breaks after 5 years just buy new I don’t like static when I turn knobs on old stuff I tried old stuff to much maintenance for me got my money back on a 2270 that they lied to me about.
I can feel the passion in you video. Do you test and service our own equipment?
Some repairs, but not all. I need more equipment.
I had to go buy some device that I had to plug my turntable into in order for it to work with my crappy Sony DTS sound system.
I inherited a bunch of old Marantz and JVC stereos. Been going through them and 80% are in working order except the tape decks. Belts are all rotten.
ive still got allmy gear from the 80's and keep thinking of upgrading ,then when i chuck a record on I ask myself why do i need to upgrade if it still works? it certainly isnt Audiophile gear ..jvc jl a20 turntable Keff calidonian floor speakers ( I have changed the tweeters and condensers on the board) these are being used with my sony lbt d705 full system and a technics pg420a cd player. not great stuff but it plays ok still. although I do keep looking at new decks and amps lol....
Im full whit you yep facts! 100%
I completely agree with you todays stuff does not last and theres no depth to the sound
I love it too Bruce
Great video
You might be mixing nostalgia with practicality.
1 - who needs 120 watts rms? Totally unnecessary - 30-60 watts would be more than enough.
2. Lasting 40-50 years sounds impressive - but as a boomer I won’t live must past 20-25 years if I’m lucky and will I be listening to music as intently when I’m in my 70’s and 80’s? Can you say I Need hearing aids ??
3. There are varying manufacturers of new equipment that is built - to varying specs. Smaller efficient and often more powerful - everything new is to new specs - take out of the box and you are ready to go.
But in any event - no decent receiver of any age is going to sound better than another - it’s the speakers that matter the most - and having built in Bluetooth or direct Ethernet : cat5 connections for high speed streaming is nicer because it’s integrated -
If you want to buy vintage components for the sake of “art” and nostalgia - of feeling youthful
Again - that’s ok. But is it technically better - no.
To each his own -
And btw - I bought 2 receivers recently - 1 Sansui 7070 plenty of watts and certainly ( easier to work on than the 8080 or 9090db) and a Sansui QRX 7000 quad series because of its incredible good looks - and only to listen to it in stereo no quadraphonic. And I’m adding a Wiim Pro on each for streaming purposes anyway. Each for 2 different homes I have. I’m
Not going down the rabbit hole of buying a turntable / a cassette deck or reel to reel. That’s not only a financially inefficient way to go / it’s inconvenient to listen to the songs I want when I want it. I embrace new technology - My music is what is important to me - with my old ears - it is not pure like it was when I grew up in the 70’s.
buying vintage in my opinion is a great way to re-capture fond memories and show off a sense of style -
That I will agree to buy vintage does.
How high can you see this market going? Will it become like fine art or collectible autos?
Good topic for a future video. Stay tuned
The NewStuff isn't better, it's Digital and that's not better in most cases!
The 70s and 80s sound Rules!
NOPE!