Great video. The Nikko NR 815 is a sleeper I found at a Mexican flea market in Detroit for 75 bucks. I took it home and used it in the garage and during bbq's where it stayed for another 20 years. I cleaned it a month ago, and now it has earned a place in my living room and is still jamming.
Another great sleeper is the Sanyo Plus55 receiver. Super tuner with combo analog/digital dial. Plenty of clean power, led power meters, nice stepped volume control and great phono section. Very clean sound.
You mentioned Realistic brand and they deserve a showing of their speakers and receivers. Currently im looking for an STA 95. 45w per channel. I had one when i was a teenager and it was a tank. It would fry speakers and keep on trucking. It met its end when a buddy spilled his soda in it. I tried to repair the amp circuit but in 1997 we didnt have ebay and amazon for replacement components. 2N3055s didnt work.🔥🔥
@@johnbeckham1483 No im not familiar with those models but i have an sta 110 that is 25 watts per channel and it has very good quality sound and will still shake the walls. With the current over rating of amp output, manufacturers would probably give it a rating of 500 watts.
@@johnbeckham1483 I have a Realistic STA-2000 and it's a really nice receiver. I know Kevin doesn't like JVC but Japan Victor Company made some really high quality stuff you just have to know what to look for. I have a JVC VR-5535 I just fixed up and it's an amazing receiver when you consider you can get them pretty cheap. Nice wood cabinet, thick front panel, switches have that high quality feel, knobs etc.. are all nice high quality, components and circuit design are also top tier. Both amps sound every bit as good as a Sansui, Marantz etc.. but won't empty your wallet buying one. I could care less about paying a premium just to name drop how cool and expensive my gear is online. If my scope and distortion analyzer are happy, and finally my ears are happy and my toes are tapping I'm good.
I bought a Pioneer 1250 receiver back in the '70's , from the Navy Exchange in Naples Italy , a friend kept bugging me to sell it to him , so I did , then he wanted to borrow my Bose 901's so I let use them (I was in the USN at the time) . He dropped one while moving , put a lit cigarette on one (while drunk) . After I found a Technics 5770 , but it ain't my Pioneer . I picked up a Technics SA 5150 a couple yrs. ago . I'd like to check out your store in person , but like Al Bundy said :"My cars only got half a tank of gas". Good stuff.
I very much agree the Hitachi receiver is a fantastic unit. I owned the next model up, the 904 Dynaharmony, I think it was 120 watts per chanel, but I don't remember exactly, and it was very powerful and LOWD. I regret parting with it. I needed a stereo with surround. One of my life mistakes.😢.
I gotta say, I love my Sanyo DCA 1400. Like many of the viewers to this channel, I have quite a few amps and my Sanyo is one of my favorites. They've made my most boring speakers sound great.
Laughing out loud at the "Frankenstein" drop in. Nice job. Really fun video seeing the different equipment passing through your shop. Really fun to watch. Keep throwing these in the mix every now & then. Thanks Kevin, Thanks Eric.
Old Sherwoods were sold next to the Marantz receivers back in the 70s . I sold my Sansui when I found a S7200 Sherwood at an estate sale for $20.00 in beautiful condition.
Fisher 800-C! I love mine. It's paired with a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers and is a delight to listen to. The warm, dynamic sound is literally music to these old ears.
I'm a Marantz/Kenwood guy...but I found a Technics SA-1010 that I'm really enjoying. 125 watts and was not making sound when I bought it for $7 at my local thrift. Did a thorough cleaning and spent some time tuning the tuner until I got Stereo working. Once the switches were clicked 40x each, they all fired up. I'll get it professionally restored now that I know it sounds like.
I got to use a Marantz 2252B receiver for a month while my SR-804 was in the shop (for new lamps) and found it most satisfying with my Ohm L speakers. Very robust to say the least but I liked my SR-804 better.
I picked up a Mitsubishi DT40S three head cassette deck. Its a rare bird and built like a tank. The sound quality is amazing! Its also easy to work on. Mine needed belts and the mechanism removed and came apart super easy. Its quickly become my favorite deck besides my Nachamichi RX505. It also looks very nice and has rack handles. I love this deck!
Enjoyable and informative episode, thank you. It's always interesting to learn about the lesser talked about brands. Just a thought - how about an episode on store brands? Airline, MCS, Sears (often Fisher?), Realistic, Lafayette, etc. Store brands are often overlooked and priced low.
@edwardbagu1252 I've had an Akai AA1150 for a couple of years. Wow, amazing performer. [ looking for an AA 1175 for a while, dual mono really powerful but hard to find in UK.] You can't go wrong with Akai early 70s receivers.
Akai is probably the most underrated brand. I had an Akai AA-1020 and it sounded very good. In my experience Akai and Harman/Kardon built the best sounding receivers. I have had, Marantz, Sansui, Sanyo, Pioneer, JVC, Sony and probably some I have forgotten. The build quality may be higher on some others, but what you get for the money is hard to beat.
Great vid, would like to see more on less mainstream or lesser known brands and components. I really like the Hitachi receiver, I like the lighting of the meters, a nice look. Didn't Hitachi make some of Radio Shacks components?
Glad to see you featuring Toshiba. Was gifted a matching pair of Toshiba SY330 pre-amp and SC330 amp a few years ago. They sounded absolutely excellent until the amp developed an output fault. I've been meaning to get around to repairing it for a while. as it will be worth it.
Another interesting sleeper was MCS (Modular Component System). Sold by JC Penney, these were Japanese designed and built by NEC (the chip and supercomputer company). On par with the equipment you are showing. I suspect they weren't popular since people assumed it was like the junk Sears and Montgomery Ward was selling. Not so.
This is a great type of video to help us budget collectors. Please make this a continuing series "Hidden Gems" out is wild. I for one feel that build quality & serviceability is more important than overall features such as power ratings and/or # of inputs. keep'em coming .....
I have a Toshiba SA-735 that is a lot like the one you have shown. Excellent build quality in my opinion. A bit on the large size for what is in it. But it sounds great. Had a bad power switch so I installed a toggle. Sherwoods are a good buy too. i have both the s-7100 and S-7100A and recently acquired a S-7125 that needs similar work to the Toshiba unfortunately. Also have an Akai AA-1030, a HH Scott Stereomaster 344-C, Allied 369 that is really a pioneer, and some Fishers that are pretty cool too. Too many to mention really, lol.
Funny u mentioned a toggle on your Sa 735 cause I do too. lol It came that way from Ebay purchase. Also own Toahiba Sa 750. Now that one rocks hard ( paired up with sansui Se-7 equalizer).
I had a Nikko 6065 receiver, 34wts/ch. It powered a pair of Ohm E speakers with no problem. Great tuner, and great phono output! Also had an Akai AA-6300 receiver.Boy I miss that receiver. 40wts into 8 ohms. Super smooth tuner, very quiet with the FM mute on.
My best sounding sleeper is a Nikko NR-815. Not talked about in many circles, but sounds very pleasing. No super bowl here either, instead was setting up a new cartridge / old turntable and enjoying brand new vinyl. Never thought I'd be doing that. Edit: Turntable is a nice clean PL-A45D , was my dads.
I forgot to mention my garage setup. Fisher CA 880..Fisher EQ 276 driving JBL LX 44's and a vintage Cerwin Vega 12" powered sub. This setup bangs hard for heavy metal music when hanging out outside.
A few more vintage brands I've run across here are Gradiente from Brazil, often sold as Garrard in the states, Lenco, Tectronic, Winthrop (Possibly built by Panasonic/Technics?), Aiwa, Akai, Mitsubishi, NEC, Sankyo/Sanyo, SAE, Stereotech, Sherwood, MCS (JC Penny), Vector Research, Nikko, Optonica, Concept, Project, Scott, and Philips.
Pretty happy with my exotic vintage components…amp is a Onix OA21s, turntable is a Toshiba SR355 with Jelco arm and speakers are old eastern germany RFT BR25. Nice vid guys, many thanks.
RFTs!!! I had a pair of those bookshelf speakers as a teenager but could never remember the brand name!! I’ve spent years trying to remember. With the fall of communism they started seeping into the western market in the early 90s, but then disappeared. they were superb imaging, blew competitors away
@@donello430 mine are reworked (surrounds, crossover, casing)…so they look fresh an new. But sound and image like the older version…love them. Never expected anyone knows this overseas ☝🏽 Bought mine one eBay…sometimes there are a pair. But not often nowadays …
In my army barracks days, especially during late 70s W. Germany, people displayed their expensive stereo gear in their quarters. Theft of that kinda property was never an issue. Something to be said for security.....
Picked up a 70s JVC JRS81H Receiver, incredible sound quality and build. Even has the rack handles. It's right there (soundwise) with my Pioneer 1050, 1080 and 950.
I have the same reciever and am blown away by it! I replaced my yamaha cr420 "sleeper" with it and couldnt be happier. The sound is a lot like my pioneer sx9000. Very very impressive reciever!
Back in the day when Toshiba started coming out with their own stereo gear, some of their ads showed things like a Pioneer receiver with all those "Toshiba"-labeled components inside. And I have a couple of those sets shown at 14:04 but I prefer the analog tuner.
I'm so excited that you mentioned Grafyx speakers! I have the SP-10 which is actually my favorite speakers. They sound pretty fantastic. I also have the SP-6 and had the SP-8 which I'd still have if I hadn't made a cross country move. It is very difficult to find info on these speakers. The SP-6 sounds decent for its size but the magic is in the 8s and 10s with the Phillips tweeters.
cool video. do not pass up on Nikko receivers -- I have two NR-1019's --- amazing looks and sound. Their story is very interesting IMO .. If I remember correctly, Nikko was started by an audiophile/electronics engineer that had a very wealthy father in-law. I also have the Beta II pre-amp and love it.
You will like this story. I was driving in my neighborhood in Philly about 12 years ago. Came across a pair of ADS (8) Braun speakers on the side of the road. Didn't know how long they had been sitting there for. (Trash day) and I scooped them up because the cabinets were in great shape as well as the dust covers. I figured of the speakers were bad I would make a Frankenstein set out of them. Well, fast forward to a month ago- I never tried them out, I kept them in the box after I moved and when my center speaker blew in my theater, I decided to switch out my B&O's to the theater and pulled the ADS out of the bacement. -WOW! Sound amazing. (Not as good as my ol B&O's but the sound stage is larger by far. Free- Who would have thought??? They pair nicely with my JBL L80T
Thanks for the info that you share with us! I'm just getting into vintage audio gear, and I picked up the Toshiba SA-420 receiver off of market place and I have fallen in love with this receiver, but have had a hard time finding any real useful information on it. So i was glad when i found this video. I love the rich warm tone produced by this receiver if that makes sense.To me, I find it sounds equal to if not better than many more popular easy to find receivers of this time frame that I looked at before buying this one
I have a pair of JC Penny MCS 8232 Rated @ 10-100 watts rms. Sensitivity (1 watt at 1 meter) 92db. Crossovers at 700hz-8000hz. Frequecy range 30-20,000 hz. They have dome mids and sound incredible!
I love the vintage equipment. Being a "boomer", and having an older brother in Nam that sent equipment state side, he was into Pioneer, Garrard, Akai, and Coral. It would be interesting to see an evaluation on the late 60's early 70's receivers specifically the Pioneer SX-1000tw , which I own a minty full functioning survivor, or the SX-1500 receivers. There is something about the sound of the early Pioneers receivers that is unique.
I still have my Hitachi SR-504 that I bought from a friend in my senior year of high school ('82) for $75. Still works, but could probably use a service. I have it paired to some vintage Rega Camber 3.5 speakers. My daughter just moved to Des Moines and so I now have an excuse to bring my unit out to your shop in person. Really enjoy your videos (and the nolstagia) and have been binge watching all weekend 🙂
My first new receiver was a Toshiba, maybe the same model. Is anybody old enough to remember Shaack Electronics? That's where I got it and its matching cassette deck. Fun video. Thanks Kevin.
The JVC turntable is pretty decent for what it is. It was their entry level DD model built to look like the JL-B51/55/T77 and incorporating an arm with their TH (Tracing Hold) technology. For the technology in it, the JVC Jl-B31 had a list (without cartridge) of $355 but a much lower street price of about $199 (even with a budget AT11/e cart) when it was introduced in the fall of 1975. By 1981 leftover stock was going for $100 As for more on the arm, JVC described the tone arm as using the "TH method to improve tracing capability by lowering the center of gravity of the moving part. This tone arm has a non-resonance design with anti-vibration material in the bearing and pipe, and is equipped with an anti-skating mechanism with a 0.5g click, a lifter point for accurate lifter operation, a rubber ring-wound shell locking nut, and a counterweight." While the upper end arms used machined aluminum components even for non-critial parts, some of those parts on JL-B31 were made of plastic to save cost.
Some of the products in the Sears Professional line were surprisingly good. The hard part is determining which ones before you shell out any money for them.
Sears also sold the "Silvertone 1448/9" line of electric guitar's back in the day which weren't only bought & played by young budding kid guitarist's as a cheap toy instrument. Some of those Silvertone guitar's are still very sought after by guitar collectors to add to their collection today. Those old Sears catalogs had a few gem products available to buy back then for sure. Just saying... +Peace, Funk & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
I have the big brother to the SR-804, the Hitachi SR-2004. It is also labeled "Class G", and has the four meters. The output meters top out at 600 WRMS for each channel. Very solid. Mostly Hitachi's own components, including the output transistors. Huge toroidal transformer, capacitors and side-mounted heat sinks on each side for the 8 output transistors. Very good sound. Insanely loud. AC power consumption is 1190 VA / 850 W... Serious stuff. Those mini Mesa speakers look great !! The Toshiba shows how much quality went into even small, low wattage entry-level receivers in the late 1970s. Five internal fuses and three external fuses. *_Eight_* fuses to protect an 18 watt / channel receiver !!
Hitachi is a very underrated brand. They were less expensive than other comparable units, and not as flashy, so I don't think they sold very well. But I've had 2 tape decks and one TV made by Hitachi (one under the Realistic brand), and I've been very impressed by all 3. They made some surprisingly good stuff for the money.
@@theclearsounds3911 I believe I read somewhere (years ago), that the SR-2004 was close to 1,100 $ when introduced in 1977.... and that's Hitachi 'value' !
After seeing this I ran across a Hitachi SR-804 for $70 working. Refurbed it and replaced the peeling vinyl wrap with walnut veneer. This receiver is amazing looking and sounding! Thanks for the video Kevin and team! I have a 2238B for my daily driver and the SR-804 is giving it a run for the money.
Enjoyed this installment. I still own a JVC table, and it has served me well over the years. I also still own the JVC JRS-501 that I bought new from Franklin Music, just as I was leaving. Yes, it too, has served me well. Another lesser known vendor was Setton. We sold them, and it was created by I think, the major Pioneer importer. Some of the Pioneer engineers did some of the design work. When I see one pop up on eBay, they are asking what "they" think they are worth. Rare, and think "Marantz Tax".
When I was a kid I inherited my grandfathers Toshiba SA-420. It was my bedroom stereo until I got an all in one with a CD player as a teenager. I recently had the Toshiba serviced and am beyond happy to have it running once again. I'm just glad I never stuck any crappy glam rock band stickers on it as a kid, LOL. I've got it hooked up to a pair of Studio Lab Series speakers that I remember my Dad bringing home talking about the killer deal he got on them from a white van at a gas station, Ahhh the good old days.
Toshiba had a lot of really good gear that went under appreciated. They are top notch. I have a small sa2500 receiver and it’s fantastic. They had some really nice turntables as well.
Realistic STA 2080 paired up with my Realistic Nova 10's is one of the best sounding combo's I own out of 9 total I have displayed and working. My Pioneer SX-727 with Rectilinear speakers is top sounding also
Although not Foster / Realistic's most powerful, the STA-2080 might be one of the nicest looking receivers Radio Shack ever sold, with the green dial scale and meter illumination, similar to Sony's STR-V series.
THe 2080 is real nice. I have one on the shelf currently in rotation. I love the Realistic stuff. The 2200 series is also nice. Maybe a bit more modern looking but the 2250 and 2280 kill it.
Sherwood HP 2000 Integrated Amp 120 watts and Sherwood S9110 Receiver 110 watts. Both are very well built, Sound Phenominal, have a warm Marantz and Fisher like Sound, Both can run 4 speakers at the same time in ARS mode which would be best described as Stereo Surround (Not Quad) My repair tech says they are easy to work on and rebuild kits are available to recap if needed,
Juet some food for thought on the JVC platter. I noticed both 45 and 33 rpm had pitch control. I had a Duel 505 with pitch control and I liked it because I didn't have to depend on an electronic controller. I'm sorry but I am old. Thank you for another interactive video. George from St. Pete
I enjoy seeing what you come up with on journeys like this one. My first receiver was a Rotel Rx-403 if I remember correctly. I bought it and a pair of AR 18 speakers in about 1978. My brother in-law has the Rotel and uses it to this day. I don’t remember where or when I parted with the AR 18s, probably in the later 80’s when I bought a pair of Boston A-400s. I sold audio in the 80’s and 90’s, and Onkyo, Sony, Denon all offered a wide range of products that went from budget to pretty serious stuff that was really excellent sounding and reliable. Why isn’t there more interest in them? And a couple other brands that were more expensive and harder to find, but offered prime performance are Kyocera and Nakamichi. Both companies offerings were a cut above the rest. Especially Nakamichi tape decks, they rained supreme. If you can find one of their products from the 80’s or early 90’s , you would probably be very happy.
My teenage speakers from the 1970's was the "BIC Venturi Formula 4." I wonder how they would sound now? I remember them as being a little week on the highs.
I've always went for the more popular vintage brand throughout the years of collecting. But I think I've found my most favorite receiver that not many people even look at because of the brand. The SANYO JCX-2400KR Receiver & SANYO TP-1030 Turntable are my reference pieces. My speakers are DIY with JBL 8340 cinema crossover and drivers. It's a killer set up! Great videos!
Agree with other comments, just getting back into the the vintage equipment with not a lot of money but found this really nice looking receiver on Ebay a Realistic STA -850 I was a bit worried because it looked like he had used pics of it from the internet but boy was I pleased when it arrived it seriously looks brand new and a really nice sound, friends are also impressed when they hear it, it was about $380 US when new in 1982 I think it was in their mid range and its heavy about 7-8kgs or 17-18 pounds going by the shipping docs, I have seen some of their higher end equipment which others on youtube rated highly, there could be a couple of sleepers in the realistic brand for sure. this cost me $250Au or about $150 US. recently found you channel Kevin and I am enjoying it, thanks.
Hitachi equipment seems to last forever, in my experience. I had one of their turntables for 30 years until I traded up to a Rega Planar 3. I gave the old turntable to a friend.
Most of the descriptions of class g here are close enough. The refereced internet post severely overstates the duration these amps can operate on the higher voltage rail. It is not minutes, but milliseconds, like 500 or so. So you get doubled to quadrupled power for about 0.5 second, enough to support transient peaks. Whether this headroom is 3 or 6 dB depends on the voltage difference. The duration depends on the capacitors supporting the rail.
Just looked up class G amplifiers as this was the first time I'd ever heard of them, too. Basically it is a variation on class AB, but is designed to be more efficient by using multiple supply voltages, and 'shifting gears' so to speak in order to use the minimum supply voltage required for a given signal level. At low levels, the amp will be fed by a lower voltage supply rail that is sufficient to provide the required amplification; as power draw increases the amplifier will automatically switch to the higher voltage rails as needed to provide the necessary output. And dammit, you cost me $$ - just bought one from the Bay of Evil. Looks like a nice little unit.
@@bradleydurbin6784 I just looked up Class H - it appears to be a more advanced iteration of class G, with continuously variable supply rails as opposed to the distinct rail 'steps' apparently used in Class G. Almost like an amplifier powering an amplifier.
Paul McGowan of PS Audio did a video explaining class h technology. I guess it’s not really a thing to much anymore because they run really hot like this Technics receiver I literally found laying on the sidewalk. I took it to the local vintage repair dealer here in Tucson and they said it’s a keeper. I can’t afford what’s out on the market now. I bought a used Adcom power amplifier from there and it’s amazing. Adcom GFA 535 250.00 can’t beat that!
I’ve owned the JVC JL-A40 turn table and JR-S300 Mark II receiver since 1977. Still sounds and works great after all these years. What’s your opinion on these two pieces from JVC?
Good catch on that toshiba! I have a larger pair of grafyx, 18-19 liters, same tweeter brought forward, run out of phase with a 3rd order crossover. Definitely a 'thing' with the designer at grafyx. Oh, one had a seized woofer also- not the best magnet glue, I'm afraid. That was common for less-than-aerospace quality epoxy back then
After I bought a Technics SU-8080 and matching Tuner back in '77 to power my 4 Tannoy Ardens, my father, an A/V Tech, bought the Technics SA- 700 about a year or so later. I'm now using older Onkyo Receivers like the TX-NR 3009, and have added a TX-NR 906, in Bridged mode and Pure Audio, off the L/R RCA pre amp outputs of the 3009, to run the Main Paradigm Studio 100 V2's. I still have both the Technics which are hooked up, but I rarely use them. I've had a look inside the SU-8080 and was really impressed with separate Power transformers, build quality, etc. What do You think ?
You might be right about the JVC tonearm being manufactured by Denon. In addition, the oblique shape of the platter's edge and its silver colored circling reminded me of more recent Denon models that were popular with hip-hop DJs in the mid-80's. Edit : Yup, just checked it out on google images and this JVC turntable design is quite close to the 1981 Denon SL-7D. Even the controls under the tonearm are the same.
I have a small collection of vintage stereos, a couple Sansui G series, a Kenwood model eleven, and an Onkyo A-10 integrated( an absolute beast!), but my favorite is my Sherwood S-7200. It is in original unrestored condition and sounds great. It's not a powerhouse by any means, but to my 60 year old ears sounds nice and warm with a fantastic tuner that pulls in all the local stations w/o an antenna. I found it in the trash 15 years ago, replaced a fuse, and it has been in service in my workshop ever since.
I also have a technics turntable SL23 bought off ebay was brand new in the box never been open mint I realize its belt drive the only reason I bought it was that was my first turntable in1975 have a Stanton 681 EEE cartridge on it I always like stanton for their midrange.
The Hitachi receiver you opened up had a clean layout inside. The good sound quality you mentioned is probably due to the Mosfets that Hitachi was known make and put in some of their amplifiers and receivers. Knowledgeable hi-fi enthusiasts know about the tube like sound quality of Mosfets. I have a classic Hafler 120a 60 watt power amp that I love the sound of. I use it in the spring and summer, then I switch back to tubes in the fall and winter.😊 It shares biamp duties covering midrange and treble with my Adcom 555 mk2 on bass. In fall and winter i use my Conrad Johnson mv55 to cover those frequencies, while the Adcom is on bass all year round. I'm biamping Maggie 1.6's with Vandersteen stereo subwoofers.
I live in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and picked up several 70's pcs: I would like to have them gone through serviced/ restored. What piece would you start with. Kenwood KR-7600 reviever/amp. Pioneer PL- 530 turn table. Pioneer CT-F500 cassette. Akai 1723W reel to reel and Akai GXC-39D cassette deck. The speakers are JVC SK-15A. All are in working order but have been sitting in the original set-up audio room since early 80's. What are the most worthy components. Where would you recommend having them serviced. Thanks for your input. Blazinfour
Class G is a hybrid between class A (at low/mid volume) and A/B at high volume. Recently bought the Arcam sa20 class G. Very nice for low/mid listeners.
I think when you knock certain brands ill use Kenwood vs Sansui, Its not that Kenwood didnt make a good unit its that they didnt "Consistently" put out a good unit. Some brands IE Marantz/Sansui every model at a certain time was good regardless of its watts.. Not so much with Kenwood / Technics etc.. I totally get it, I also dig that Hitachi.. The Fisher 202 im working on is made by Hitachi and socket'ed driver boards seems to be a key to their design and I wish more brands did this.. Dream to service! Another cool brand ive come across is PhaseTech, I thought it was whitevan and its far from whitevan. Great vid!
Has Kevin ever covered or done a tier list or recomendations for 60s tube gear? There is a stock rusty Fisher KX-200 integrated thats local to me that I am considering for a restoration project but the $400 asking price feels like a painful gamble.
Class G amps are Class AB derivatives that use multiple power supplies. At low power they are Class A. At higher power the extra power supplies kick in and they become Class AB. They are efficient but expensive to implement.
It toggles the voltage up and down. When more power is needed it steps the voltage up. This allows much smaller heatsinks to be used. Less heat is generated, and the amplifier is more efficient and uses less power. electronic components last longer when they're run cooler as well. The issue with class G is switching the voltage in a timely and hopefully inaudible manner. Class G was superseded by Class H amplifiers (look that up) and then Class D amplifiers became the choice for efficiency. But Class G and Class H amplifiers still operate as basically class AB amplifiers, which are arguably more appropriate for hi fi, while Class D is another animal ( and generates far less heat).
Hey Kevin. Enjoyed your video on sleepers. I picked up a Lafayette LR-9090 for $100 from a moving company who said owner left it behind. Great shape and everything works. What are your thoughts on this big receiver? (I have an SX1010 and plan on comparing them using 2 sets of OLA’s speakers I have). -Dave Cinnaminson, NJ
My best friend and I both bought one of these in the late 70's, on the same day. Great sounding receivers! Unfortunately I sold mine years ago. Fortunately my buddy gave me his a couple of days ago as he was cleaning out his basement. It has some rust on the top and bottom covers, otherwise in good shape. Hoping to get it refurbed and back in business! Good luck with yours
u got me talked into parting out stereo units .... i have stuff sitting here now that i cld start stripping n listing ... love the store prolly swing by at some point
Toshiba receivers are very nice 👍 and sound great Toshiba made a lot of the power amplifier transistor used in my different brands audio equipment
Great video. The Nikko NR 815 is a sleeper I found at a Mexican flea market in Detroit for 75 bucks. I took it home and used it in the garage and during bbq's where it stayed for another 20 years. I cleaned it a month ago, and now it has earned a place in my living room and is still jamming.
Really enjoy these videos about lesser-known gear that is worth picking up. This would make a good reoccurring series imo.
Would love to see more unique items, like Optonica.
Another great sleeper is the Sanyo Plus55 receiver. Super tuner with combo analog/digital dial. Plenty of clean power, led power meters, nice stepped volume control and great phono section. Very clean sound.
You mentioned Realistic brand and they deserve a showing of their speakers and receivers. Currently im looking for an STA 95. 45w per channel. I had one when i was a teenager and it was a tank. It would fry speakers and keep on trucking. It met its end when a buddy spilled his soda in it. I tried to repair the amp circuit but in 1997 we didnt have ebay and amazon for replacement components. 2N3055s didnt work.🔥🔥
I also like Radio Shack's Realistic line up as well! Are you familiar with a 1988 model the STA-2150 or STA-117?
@@johnbeckham1483 No im not familiar with those models but i have an sta 110 that is 25 watts per channel and it has very good quality sound and will still shake the walls. With the current over rating of amp output, manufacturers would probably give it a rating of 500 watts.
@@johnbeckham1483 I have a Realistic STA-2000 and it's a really nice receiver. I know Kevin doesn't like JVC but Japan Victor Company made some really high quality stuff you just have to know what to look for. I have a JVC VR-5535 I just fixed up and it's an amazing receiver when you consider you can get them pretty cheap. Nice wood cabinet, thick front panel, switches have that high quality feel, knobs etc.. are all nice high quality, components and circuit design are also top tier. Both amps sound every bit as good as a Sansui, Marantz etc.. but won't empty your wallet buying one. I could care less about paying a premium just to name drop how cool and expensive my gear is online. If my scope and distortion analyzer are happy, and finally my ears are happy and my toes are tapping I'm good.
Bring this back on a continuum. There are so many sleepers out there so be got
Glad to see Hitachi getting some respect. My first receiver was a SR 703 and I still have it.
I bought a Pioneer 1250 receiver back in the '70's , from the Navy Exchange in Naples Italy , a friend kept bugging me to sell it to him , so I did , then he wanted to borrow my Bose 901's so I let use them (I was in the USN at the time) . He dropped one while moving , put a lit cigarette on one (while drunk) . After I found a Technics 5770 , but it ain't my Pioneer . I picked up a Technics SA 5150 a couple yrs. ago . I'd like to check out your store in person , but like Al Bundy said :"My cars only got half a tank of gas". Good stuff.
I very much agree the Hitachi receiver is a fantastic unit. I owned the next model up, the 904 Dynaharmony, I think it was 120 watts per chanel, but I don't remember exactly, and it was very powerful and LOWD. I regret parting with it. I needed a stereo with surround. One of my life mistakes.😢.
I have been a big fan of Hitachi’s Class G since buying a SR-904 almost 10 years ago.
Got my SR-804 in 1979 and still use it as my main amp. It's boss.
I gotta say, I love my Sanyo DCA 1400. Like many of the viewers to this channel, I have quite a few amps and my Sanyo is one of my favorites. They've made my most boring speakers sound great.
😅😮😢😅😊
Really good show and very interesting. More of these!
Laughing out loud at the "Frankenstein" drop in. Nice job. Really fun video seeing the different equipment passing through your shop. Really fun to watch. Keep throwing these in the mix every now & then. Thanks Kevin, Thanks Eric.
I've got a couple sets of Realistic MC-1000 speakers that I "Frankensteined" with new generic woofers and they sound fantastic.
Old Sherwoods were sold next to the Marantz receivers back in the 70s . I sold my Sansui when I found a S7200 Sherwood at an estate sale for $20.00 in beautiful condition.
Fisher 800-C! I love mine. It's paired with a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers and is a delight to listen to. The warm, dynamic sound is literally music to these old ears.
I had a Fisher RS-1056 a long time ago. Wish I never got rid of it. Im always looking for one though. ;)
The fisher 440-T is a nice small 60's unit that punches above its weight. It gives the later fisher RS 2007 a good run.
I'm a Marantz/Kenwood guy...but I found a Technics SA-1010 that I'm really enjoying. 125 watts and was not making sound when I bought it for $7 at my local thrift. Did a thorough cleaning and spent some time tuning the tuner until I got Stereo working. Once the switches were clicked 40x each, they all fired up. I'll get it professionally restored now that I know it sounds like.
I got to use a Marantz 2252B receiver for a month while my SR-804 was in the shop (for new lamps) and found it most satisfying with my Ohm L speakers. Very robust to say the least but I liked my SR-804 better.
I picked up a Mitsubishi DT40S three head cassette deck. Its a rare bird and built like a tank. The sound quality is amazing! Its also easy to work on. Mine needed belts and the mechanism removed and came apart super easy. Its quickly become my favorite deck besides my Nachamichi RX505. It also looks very nice and has rack handles. I love this deck!
Great video, my daughter is starting college in Iowa next fall, really hoping to get to the store.
You can do it!
Another great Skylabs video, have a fine Sunday evening! Best Regards, from Oregon!
Thanks, you too!
Enjoyable and informative episode, thank you. It's always interesting to learn about the lesser talked about brands. Just a thought - how about an episode on store brands? Airline, MCS, Sears (often Fisher?), Realistic, Lafayette, etc. Store brands are often overlooked and priced low.
I got a Akai aa-1050 stereo receiver. Power supply caps went bad. After replacement it sound great.
Great units, got an Akai AA-1175, it's amazing, then an AA 1150 showed up bought it, had it fixed and oh boy it is lovely...
@edwardbagu1252
I've had an Akai AA1150 for a couple of years. Wow, amazing performer. [ looking for an AA 1175 for a while, dual mono really powerful but hard to find in UK.]
You can't go wrong with Akai early 70s receivers.
Akai is probably the most underrated brand. I had an Akai AA-1020 and it sounded very good. In my experience Akai and Harman/Kardon built the best sounding receivers. I have had, Marantz, Sansui, Sanyo, Pioneer, JVC, Sony and probably some I have forgotten. The build quality may be higher on some others, but what you get for the money is hard to beat.
@@petejames5562if you get one, just make sure when cleaning the faceplate you do not use anything strong cleaner. I wiped some lettering off mine..
Great vid, would like to see more on less mainstream or lesser known brands and components. I really like the Hitachi receiver, I like the lighting of the meters, a nice look. Didn't Hitachi make some of Radio Shacks components?
The Toshiba SA420 was my first piece of audio equipment I bought new in 1977 and is used frequently to this day..Always love watching Skylab videos
Glad to see you featuring Toshiba.
Was gifted a matching pair of Toshiba SY330 pre-amp and SC330 amp a few years ago.
They sounded absolutely excellent until the amp developed an output fault. I've been meaning to get around to repairing it for a while. as it will be worth it.
Another interesting sleeper was MCS (Modular Component System). Sold by JC Penney, these were Japanese designed and built by NEC (the chip and supercomputer company). On par with the equipment you are showing. I suspect they weren't popular since people assumed it was like the junk Sears and Montgomery Ward was selling. Not so.
This is a great type of video to help us budget collectors. Please make this a continuing series "Hidden Gems" out is wild. I for one feel that build quality & serviceability is more important than overall features such as power ratings and/or # of inputs. keep'em coming .....
I have a Toshiba SA-735 that is a lot like the one you have shown. Excellent build quality in my opinion. A bit on the large size for what is in it. But it sounds great. Had a bad power switch so I installed a toggle. Sherwoods are a good buy too. i have both the s-7100 and S-7100A and recently acquired a S-7125 that needs similar work to the Toshiba unfortunately. Also have an Akai AA-1030, a HH Scott Stereomaster 344-C, Allied 369 that is really a pioneer, and some Fishers that are pretty cool too. Too many to mention really, lol.
Funny u mentioned a toggle on your Sa 735 cause I do too. lol It came that way from Ebay purchase. Also own Toahiba Sa 750. Now that one rocks hard ( paired up with sansui Se-7 equalizer).
Great reading these comments and seeing some brand names from the 70s & 80s that I've forgotten like BIC & Superscope, Sherwood... wow.
I had a Nikko 6065 receiver, 34wts/ch. It powered a pair of Ohm E speakers with no problem. Great tuner, and great phono output! Also had an Akai AA-6300 receiver.Boy I miss that receiver. 40wts into 8 ohms. Super smooth tuner, very quiet with the FM mute on.
My best sounding sleeper is a Nikko NR-815. Not talked about in many circles, but sounds very pleasing. No super bowl here either, instead was setting up a new cartridge / old turntable and enjoying brand new vinyl. Never thought I'd be doing that. Edit: Turntable is a nice clean PL-A45D , was my dads.
Sleeper alert!!! Tandberg tl 1500. 2 way speaker from Tandberg. 25 watts. Truly outstanding. Running off a marantz 2215 bl .
I forgot to mention my garage setup. Fisher CA 880..Fisher EQ 276 driving JBL LX 44's and a vintage Cerwin Vega 12" powered sub. This setup bangs hard for heavy metal music when hanging out outside.
A few more vintage brands I've run across here are Gradiente from Brazil, often sold as Garrard in the states, Lenco, Tectronic, Winthrop (Possibly built by Panasonic/Technics?), Aiwa, Akai, Mitsubishi, NEC, Sankyo/Sanyo, SAE, Stereotech, Sherwood, MCS (JC Penny), Vector Research, Nikko, Optonica, Concept, Project, Scott, and Philips.
I love seeing the old unique pieces. I had a Phillips back in the 70's with EPI speakers.
Pretty happy with my exotic vintage components…amp is a Onix OA21s, turntable is a Toshiba SR355 with Jelco arm and speakers are old eastern germany RFT BR25.
Nice vid guys, many thanks.
RFTs!!! I had a pair of those bookshelf speakers as a teenager but could never remember the brand name!! I’ve spent years trying to remember. With the fall of communism they started seeping into the western market in the early 90s, but then disappeared. they were superb imaging, blew competitors away
@@donello430 mine are reworked (surrounds, crossover, casing)…so they look fresh an new. But sound and image like the older version…love them. Never expected anyone knows this overseas ☝🏽
Bought mine one eBay…sometimes there are a pair. But not often nowadays …
Thank you for the Hitachi love. Our little SR-503 boasts 20 watts and sounds great. You've got an eye for quality, kid.
In my army barracks days, especially during late 70s W. Germany, people displayed their expensive stereo gear in their quarters. Theft of that kinda property was never an issue. Something to be said for security.....
Really enjoy your videos. Ever though of doing a top 10 cassette decks?
Picked up a 70s JVC JRS81H Receiver, incredible sound quality and build. Even has the rack handles. It's right there (soundwise) with my Pioneer 1050, 1080 and 950.
I have the same reciever and am blown away by it! I replaced my yamaha cr420 "sleeper" with it and couldnt be happier. The sound is a lot like my pioneer sx9000. Very very impressive reciever!
Back in the day when Toshiba started coming out with their own stereo gear, some of their ads showed things like a Pioneer receiver with all those "Toshiba"-labeled components inside. And I have a couple of those sets shown at 14:04 but I prefer the analog tuner.
I'm so excited that you mentioned Grafyx speakers! I have the SP-10 which is actually my favorite speakers. They sound pretty fantastic. I also have the SP-6 and had the SP-8 which I'd still have if I hadn't made a cross country move. It is very difficult to find info on these speakers. The SP-6 sounds decent for its size but the magic is in the 8s and 10s with the Phillips tweeters.
cool video. do not pass up on Nikko receivers -- I have two NR-1019's --- amazing looks and sound. Their story is very interesting IMO .. If I remember correctly, Nikko was started by an audiophile/electronics engineer that had a very wealthy father in-law. I also have the Beta II pre-amp and love it.
You will like this story. I was driving in my neighborhood in Philly about 12 years ago. Came across a pair of ADS (8) Braun speakers on the side of the road. Didn't know how long they had been sitting there for. (Trash day) and I scooped them up because the cabinets were in great shape as well as the dust covers. I figured of the speakers were bad I would make a Frankenstein set out of them. Well, fast forward to a month ago- I never tried them out, I kept them in the box after I moved and when my center speaker blew in my theater, I decided to switch out my B&O's to the theater and pulled the ADS out of the bacement. -WOW! Sound amazing. (Not as good as my ol B&O's but the sound stage is larger by far. Free- Who would have thought??? They pair nicely with my JBL L80T
Thanks for the info that you share with us!
I'm just getting into vintage audio gear, and I picked up the Toshiba SA-420 receiver off of market place and I have fallen in love with this receiver, but have had a hard time finding any real useful information on it. So i was glad when i found this video. I love the rich warm tone produced by this receiver if that makes sense.To me, I find it sounds equal to if not better than many more popular easy to find receivers of this time frame that I looked at before buying this one
I have a pair of JC Penny MCS 8232 Rated @ 10-100 watts rms. Sensitivity (1 watt at 1 meter) 92db. Crossovers at 700hz-8000hz. Frequecy range 30-20,000 hz.
They have dome mids and sound incredible!
That was a good one. Information I can use while hitting the estate sales. Thanks.
I love the vintage equipment. Being a "boomer", and having an older brother in Nam that sent equipment state side, he was into Pioneer, Garrard, Akai, and Coral. It would be interesting to see an evaluation on the late 60's early 70's receivers specifically the Pioneer SX-1000tw , which I own a minty full functioning survivor, or the SX-1500 receivers. There is something about the sound of the early Pioneers receivers that is unique.
I still have my Hitachi SR-504 that I bought from a friend in my senior year of high school ('82) for $75. Still works, but could probably use a service. I have it paired to some vintage Rega Camber 3.5 speakers. My daughter just moved to Des Moines and so I now have an excuse to bring my unit out to your shop in person. Really enjoy your videos (and the nolstagia) and have been binge watching all weekend 🙂
My first new receiver was a Toshiba, maybe the same model. Is anybody old enough to remember Shaack Electronics? That's where I got it and its matching cassette deck. Fun video. Thanks Kevin.
Were I to delve into some other vintage receivers/integrateds:
- Carver receiver
- Acurus DIA-100
Japan has been making good stuff for a long, long time. I remember the old Sony Trinitron color TV's. they were the world standard
The JVC turntable is pretty decent for what it is. It was their entry level DD model built to look like the JL-B51/55/T77 and incorporating an arm with their TH (Tracing Hold) technology. For the technology in it, the JVC Jl-B31 had a list (without cartridge) of $355 but a much lower street price of about $199 (even with a budget AT11/e cart) when it was introduced in the fall of 1975. By 1981 leftover stock was going for $100
As for more on the arm, JVC described the tone arm as using the "TH method to improve tracing capability by lowering the center of gravity of the moving part. This tone arm has a non-resonance design with anti-vibration material in the bearing and pipe, and is equipped with an anti-skating mechanism with a 0.5g click, a lifter point for accurate lifter operation, a rubber ring-wound shell locking nut, and a counterweight." While the upper end arms used machined aluminum components even for non-critial parts, some of those parts on JL-B31 were made of plastic to save cost.
I had a 2 foot Graffix device in the 80's.
best "speeker" I ever used. LOL!
Aquarium rocks in a soup can.
I have a Yamaha CA 810 intg from 1977 and for price point hard to beat with new age amps
Nice to see a hitachi. I have two HTA-4001's and a HGE-1100. I realy like them.
Some of the products in the Sears Professional line were surprisingly good. The hard part is determining which ones before you shell out any money for them.
I have been trying to buy the separates for a long time. They are either to far away or way over priced.
Sears also sold the "Silvertone 1448/9" line of electric guitar's back in the day which weren't only bought & played by young budding kid guitarist's as a cheap toy instrument. Some of those Silvertone guitar's are still very sought after by guitar collectors to add to their collection today. Those old Sears catalogs had a few gem products available to buy back then for sure. Just saying... +Peace, Funk & Rock n' Roll 4 Your Soul My Friend+ 🤘😜🤘
That was fun, thanks!
Love your new style of video. Especially the back and forth.
Thanks, hoping to include more of these dingbats at the shop in more videos.
I have the big brother to the SR-804, the Hitachi SR-2004. It is also labeled "Class G", and has the four meters. The output meters top out at 600 WRMS for each channel. Very solid. Mostly Hitachi's own components, including the output transistors. Huge toroidal transformer, capacitors and side-mounted heat sinks on each side for the 8 output transistors. Very good sound. Insanely loud. AC power consumption is 1190 VA / 850 W... Serious stuff.
Those mini Mesa speakers look great !!
The Toshiba shows how much quality went into even small, low wattage entry-level receivers in the late 1970s.
Five internal fuses and three external fuses. *_Eight_* fuses to protect an 18 watt / channel receiver !!
Hitachi is a very underrated brand. They were less expensive than other comparable units, and not as flashy, so I don't think they sold very well. But I've had 2 tape decks and one TV made by Hitachi (one under the Realistic brand), and I've been very impressed by all 3. They made some surprisingly good stuff for the money.
@@theclearsounds3911 I believe I read somewhere (years ago), that the SR-2004 was close to 1,100 $ when introduced in 1977.... and that's Hitachi 'value' !
After seeing this I ran across a Hitachi SR-804 for $70 working. Refurbed it and replaced the peeling vinyl wrap with walnut veneer. This receiver is amazing looking and sounding! Thanks for the video Kevin and team! I have a 2238B for my daily driver and the SR-804 is giving it a run for the money.
Enjoyed this installment. I still own a JVC table, and it has served me well over the years. I also still own the JVC JRS-501 that I bought new from Franklin Music, just as I was leaving. Yes, it too, has served me well. Another lesser known vendor was Setton. We sold them, and it was created by I think, the major Pioneer importer. Some of the Pioneer engineers did some of the design work. When I see one pop up on eBay, they are asking what "they" think they are worth. Rare, and think "Marantz Tax".
Truly enjoy your videos. I learn a great deal from your knowledge. If it’s ’stereo related’ I’m interested. Great channel….
I appreciate that!
When I was a kid I inherited my grandfathers Toshiba SA-420. It was my bedroom stereo until I got an all in one with a CD player as a teenager. I recently had the Toshiba serviced and am beyond happy to have it running once again. I'm just glad I never stuck any crappy glam rock band stickers on it as a kid, LOL. I've got it hooked up to a pair of Studio Lab Series speakers that I remember my Dad bringing home talking about the killer deal he got on them from a white van at a gas station, Ahhh the good old days.
Toshiba had a lot of really good gear that went under appreciated. They are top notch. I have a small sa2500 receiver and it’s fantastic. They had some really nice turntables as well.
Infinity 305 s, phillips turntable, kenwood 60 watter, sony cassette. 1978 really miss that system
That little Toshiba receiver looks sweet. I like how they made it look like a couple stacked separates.
Realistic STA 2080 paired up with my Realistic Nova 10's is one of the best sounding combo's I own out of 9 total I have displayed and working. My Pioneer SX-727 with Rectilinear speakers is top sounding also
Although not Foster / Realistic's most powerful, the STA-2080 might be one of the nicest looking receivers Radio Shack ever sold, with the green dial scale and meter illumination, similar to Sony's STR-V series.
THe 2080 is real nice. I have one on the shelf currently in rotation. I love the Realistic stuff. The 2200 series is also nice. Maybe a bit more modern looking but the 2250 and 2280 kill it.
Sherwood HP 2000 Integrated Amp 120 watts and Sherwood S9110 Receiver 110 watts. Both are very well built, Sound Phenominal, have a warm Marantz and Fisher like Sound, Both can run 4 speakers at the same time in ARS mode which would be best described as Stereo Surround (Not Quad) My repair tech says they are easy to work on and rebuild kits are available to recap if needed,
I agree I have owned several Sherwood receivers s7225 s 7300 my favorite S 7900a better than Yamaha and kenwood
1 @@ericschwartzberg5083
I have a sherwood S E L 200. 60 Watts. Concert sounds
Juet some food for thought on the JVC platter. I noticed both 45 and 33 rpm had pitch control. I had a Duel 505 with pitch control and I liked it because I didn't have to depend on an electronic controller. I'm sorry but I am old. Thank you for another interactive video. George from St. Pete
Never be sorry that you are "old". Hopefully we all get there some day!
I enjoy seeing what you come up with on journeys like this one. My first receiver was a Rotel Rx-403 if I remember correctly. I bought it and a pair of AR 18 speakers in about 1978. My brother in-law has the Rotel and uses it to this day. I don’t remember where or when I parted with the AR 18s, probably in the later 80’s when I bought a pair of Boston A-400s.
I sold audio in the 80’s and 90’s, and Onkyo, Sony, Denon all offered a wide range of products that went from budget to pretty serious stuff that was really excellent sounding and reliable. Why isn’t there more interest in them? And a couple other brands that were more expensive and harder to find, but offered prime performance are Kyocera and Nakamichi. Both companies offerings were a cut above the rest. Especially Nakamichi tape decks, they rained supreme. If you can find one of their products from the 80’s or early 90’s , you would probably be very happy.
My teenage speakers from the 1970's was the "BIC Venturi Formula 4." I wonder how they would sound now? I remember them as being a little week on the highs.
I had some BIC Venturis back in the early 90's. I think they were the v630's. Another set i'm always on the look out for.
I've always went for the more popular vintage brand throughout the years of collecting. But I think I've found my most favorite receiver that not many people even look at because of the brand. The SANYO JCX-2400KR Receiver & SANYO TP-1030 Turntable are my reference pieces. My speakers are DIY with JBL 8340 cinema crossover and drivers. It's a killer set up! Great videos!
Thanks Blitz. Sanyo had some winners to for sure.
@@skylabsaudio wow! Thanks for replying! Hope to see some SANYO stuff in another sleeper video. Thanks again!
Agree with other comments, just getting back into the the vintage equipment with not a lot of money but found this really nice looking receiver on Ebay a Realistic STA -850 I was a bit worried because it looked like he had used pics of it from the internet but boy was I pleased when it arrived it seriously looks brand new and a really nice sound, friends are also impressed when they hear it, it was about $380 US when new in 1982 I think it was in their mid range and its heavy about 7-8kgs or 17-18 pounds going by the shipping docs, I have seen some of their higher end equipment which others on youtube rated highly, there could be a couple of sleepers in the realistic brand for sure. this cost me $250Au or about $150 US.
recently found you channel Kevin and I am enjoying it, thanks.
I’ve just got an Onkyo CR725 dab, it’s exceptional!!
Those 4ft devices from the 90's! Oh that's a classic memories. And the music!
Have a Marantz 4140 didn't get the SQ decoder wondering if I could still find one?
Hitachi equipment seems to last forever, in my experience. I had one of their turntables for 30 years until I traded up to a Rega Planar 3. I gave the old turntable to a friend.
I picked up an SR-904 at a Goodwill for I think
Most of the descriptions of class g here are close enough. The refereced internet post severely overstates the duration these amps can operate on the higher voltage rail. It is not minutes, but milliseconds, like 500 or so. So you get doubled to quadrupled power for about 0.5 second, enough to support transient peaks. Whether this headroom is 3 or 6 dB depends on the voltage difference. The duration depends on the capacitors supporting the rail.
Just looked up class G amplifiers as this was the first time I'd ever heard of them, too. Basically it is a variation on class AB, but is designed to be more efficient by using multiple supply voltages, and 'shifting gears' so to speak in order to use the minimum supply voltage required for a given signal level. At low levels, the amp will be fed by a lower voltage supply rail that is sufficient to provide the required amplification; as power draw increases the amplifier will automatically switch to the higher voltage rails as needed to provide the necessary output. And dammit, you cost me $$ - just bought one from the Bay of Evil. Looks like a nice little unit.
Was it similar to the Class H technology? I have a technics receiver that I found. Circa 1995 This unit rocks!!!!
@@bradleydurbin6784 I just looked up Class H - it appears to be a more advanced iteration of class G, with continuously variable supply rails as opposed to the distinct rail 'steps' apparently used in Class G. Almost like an amplifier powering an amplifier.
Paul McGowan of PS Audio did a video explaining class h technology. I guess it’s not really a thing to much anymore because they run really hot like this Technics receiver I literally found laying on the sidewalk. I took it to the local vintage repair dealer here in Tucson and they said it’s a keeper. I can’t afford what’s out on the market now. I bought a used Adcom power amplifier from there and it’s amazing. Adcom GFA 535 250.00 can’t beat that!
I’ve owned the JVC JL-A40 turn table and JR-S300 Mark II receiver since 1977. Still sounds and works great after all these years.
What’s your opinion on these two pieces from JVC?
Those Toshiba units rule!! I had an 820.... Wow!! Impressive.
Good catch on that toshiba! I have a larger pair of grafyx, 18-19 liters, same tweeter brought forward, run out of phase with a 3rd order crossover. Definitely a 'thing' with the designer at grafyx. Oh, one had a seized woofer also- not the best magnet glue, I'm afraid. That was common for less-than-aerospace quality epoxy back then
After I bought a Technics SU-8080 and matching Tuner back in '77 to power my 4 Tannoy Ardens, my father, an A/V Tech, bought the Technics SA- 700 about a year or so later. I'm now using older Onkyo Receivers like the TX-NR 3009, and have added a TX-NR 906, in Bridged mode and Pure Audio, off the L/R RCA pre amp outputs of the 3009, to run the Main Paradigm Studio 100 V2's. I still have both the Technics which are hooked up, but I rarely use them. I've had a look inside the SU-8080 and was really impressed with separate Power transformers, build quality, etc. What do You think ?
You might be right about the JVC tonearm being manufactured by Denon. In addition, the oblique shape of the platter's edge and its silver colored circling reminded me of more recent Denon models that were popular with hip-hop DJs in the mid-80's.
Edit : Yup, just checked it out on google images and this JVC turntable design is quite close to the 1981 Denon SL-7D. Even the controls under the tonearm are the same.
I have a small collection of vintage stereos, a couple Sansui G series, a Kenwood model eleven, and an Onkyo A-10 integrated( an absolute beast!), but my favorite is my Sherwood S-7200. It is in original unrestored condition and sounds great. It's not a powerhouse by any means, but to my 60 year old ears sounds nice and warm with a fantastic tuner that pulls in all the local stations w/o an antenna. I found it in the trash 15 years ago, replaced a fuse, and it has been in service in my workshop ever since.
Find a low price 2215B Marantz. Put all your audio thru it before going to a Kenwood. Warms it up nicely.
I also have a technics turntable SL23 bought off ebay was brand new in the box never been open mint I realize its belt drive the only reason I bought it was that was my first turntable in1975 have a Stanton 681 EEE cartridge on it I always like stanton for their midrange.
The Hitachi receiver you opened up had a clean layout inside. The good sound quality you mentioned is probably due to the Mosfets that Hitachi was known make and put in some of their amplifiers and receivers. Knowledgeable hi-fi enthusiasts know about the tube like sound quality of Mosfets. I have a classic Hafler 120a 60 watt power amp that I love the sound of. I use it in the spring and summer, then I switch back to tubes in the fall and winter.😊 It shares biamp duties covering midrange and treble with my Adcom 555 mk2 on bass. In fall and winter i use my Conrad Johnson mv55 to cover those frequencies, while the Adcom is on bass all year round. I'm biamping Maggie 1.6's with Vandersteen stereo subwoofers.
I live in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and picked up several 70's pcs: I would like to have them gone through serviced/ restored. What piece would you start with. Kenwood KR-7600 reviever/amp. Pioneer PL- 530 turn table. Pioneer CT-F500 cassette. Akai 1723W reel to reel and Akai GXC-39D cassette deck. The speakers are JVC SK-15A. All are in working order but have been sitting in the original set-up audio room since early 80's. What are the most worthy components. Where would you recommend having them serviced.
Thanks for your input.
Blazinfour
So cool to see my old Toshiba - wish I never sold it - great unit.
Another enjoyable video! Curious, what type/brand of vinyl wrap do you use for turntables and receiver cases? Thanks!
Class G is a hybrid between class A (at low/mid volume) and A/B at high volume. Recently bought the Arcam sa20 class G. Very nice for low/mid listeners.
Didn't Panasonic make some hifi gear back in the day?
I think when you knock certain brands ill use Kenwood vs Sansui, Its not that Kenwood didnt make a good unit
its that they didnt "Consistently" put out a good unit. Some brands IE Marantz/Sansui every model at a certain
time was good regardless of its watts.. Not so much with Kenwood / Technics etc.. I totally get it, I also dig
that Hitachi.. The Fisher 202 im working on is made by Hitachi and socket'ed driver boards seems to be a key
to their design and I wish more brands did this.. Dream to service! Another cool brand ive come across is PhaseTech,
I thought it was whitevan and its far from whitevan. Great vid!
Has Kevin ever covered or done a tier list or recomendations for 60s tube gear?
There is a stock rusty Fisher KX-200 integrated thats local to me that I am considering for a restoration project but the $400 asking price feels like a painful gamble.
Class G amps are Class AB derivatives that use multiple power supplies. At low power they are Class A. At higher power the extra power supplies kick in and they become Class AB. They are efficient but expensive to implement.
It toggles the voltage up and down. When more power is needed it steps the voltage up.
This allows much smaller heatsinks to be used. Less heat is generated, and the amplifier is more efficient and uses less power. electronic components last longer when they're run cooler as well.
The issue with class G is switching the voltage in a timely and hopefully inaudible manner. Class G was superseded by Class H amplifiers (look that up) and then Class D amplifiers became the choice for efficiency. But Class G and Class H amplifiers still operate as basically class AB amplifiers, which are arguably more appropriate for hi fi, while Class D is another animal ( and generates far less heat).
I had an mcs from jc penny's. Mid 70s. Still have it today.
The balance control being around the volume control, reminds me more of many HH Scott receivers.
Hey Kevin. Enjoyed your video on sleepers. I picked up a Lafayette LR-9090 for $100 from a moving company who said owner left it behind. Great shape and everything works. What are your thoughts on this big receiver? (I have an SX1010 and plan on comparing them using 2 sets of OLA’s speakers I have). -Dave Cinnaminson, NJ
My best friend and I both bought one of these in the late 70's, on the same day. Great sounding receivers! Unfortunately I sold mine years ago. Fortunately my buddy gave me his a couple of days ago as he was cleaning out his basement. It has some rust on the top and bottom covers, otherwise in good shape. Hoping to get it refurbed and back in business! Good luck with yours
u got me talked into parting out stereo units .... i have stuff sitting here now that i cld start stripping n listing ... love the store prolly swing by at some point