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New member Username: Richard_earlFt. Worth, Texas United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-08 | I am glad that I have found this website. I need some opinions. I am trying to make up my mind on buying a two channel receiver. I am a huge fan of vinyl. I love the sound of 1970's receivers for listening to my record collection which keeps getting bigger. I have found many cool vintage receivers on Ebay that I know that they will sound great for the sound that I want. I have not purchased anything from Ebay before and I do not want to get something that will need repairs in the distant future. I am a fan of vintage Marantz,Pioneer and the Yamaha natural sound units. I see that Harmon Kardon ,Marantz and Onkyo still make quality two channel receivers with a phono jack. Do these modern units compare with the sound quality of the vintage ones for listening to vinyl? I would love to hear some opionions from you all. My speakers are a pair of floor standing American Acoustics from the late 70's - 80"s. |
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Silver Member Username: CcdoggyPost Number: 177 Registered: Jul-06 | If i were you i would keep it vintage. I am personally all about the new the high wattage, and the detail. But it should like from you're post that you really like that 70-80s sound and i dont think you would really get that from a new receiver. you could try one and see what you think and return it if you dont like it. But there is the problem of aging components and repairs to old equipment that may make it too expencive and hard to repair. There must be a refurbishing company out there that fixes those older receivers up and sells them. maybe try looking for one of those. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 5967 Registered: Feb-05 | There some very nice new receivers, just not the ones you listed. I wouldn't buy vintage from ebay as most sellers do not package well and the units get hammered in shipping. Try Craigslist or find a local or regional repair shop with a good reputation...they usually either sell gear or know where you can buy. If you decide to go ebay, communicate clearly your expectations around shipping safely and offer to pay extra for careful packing and double boxing. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 1043 Registered: May-06 | Richard, I agree with Art. I have had a McIntosh MC7300 which I bought off of Audiogon and it came in a McIntosh double box which the seller purchase from McIntosh for the sale. I just yesterday received a Kenwood KT-8300 from an eBay auction. It was very carefully packed and it too was double boxed. So far I have been fortunate. The Kenwood KT-8300 has replaced a Pioneer SX-650 Receiver. If you are interested I can let you use the Pioneer for a while. It is one of their lesser models but works well. Send me a PM if interested, I live in Wiley and work in West End. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2388 Registered: May-05 | If you're interested in vintage Marantz gear, there's a gentleman on eBay who refurbishes old Marantz gear and sells it. I was looking into buying an old Marantz receiver myself a while back, and this person seemed like he did everything right. I remember about 2 years ago someone here bought one from him and was very happy with it. Here's a link to one of his receivers. Right now he only has one or two, but he usually has about 5 or 6 at any time. http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-MARANTZ-2270-Refurbished-Works-super_W0QQitemZ110214 708336QQihZ001QQcategoryZ3279QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12077 Registered: May-04 | . " I have found many cool vintage receivers on Ebay that I know that they will sound great for the sound that I want." Can I ask how you know this without ever hearing them? Does "cool" apply to the looks or something else? . |
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New member Username: Richard_earlFt. Worth, Texas United States Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-08 | I have a lower end Pioneer SX-434 that is giving out on me. I have to listen to my music in mono which I am not to crazy about. A friend of mine gave that unit to me awhile back. I unhooked the mid 90's Pioneer receiver that I was using and plugged in the 70's SX-434. I was blown away from the sound quality that this older unit had. The sound was much warmer to me then the mid 90's Pioneer was. I remember as a child in the 70's how good these older units sounded. I am basing the coolness factor on reviews and just the comparison in sound from the old to newer unit that I experienced. I do not know the audiophile aspects of things that you guys do but I want to learn. Music has been a part of my like since I was a small child. And yes ,I do like the appearance of the older units as well but the sound is by far the most important thing to me. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12080 Registered: May-04 | . "I remember as a child in the 70's ... " Awwwwwwgeeeez, I suddenly hurt all over. "Vintage" audio is difficult to suggest IMO. There are obviously people who like the "warm" sound of old Pioneers and Marantz receivers. I sold these receivers back in the day and I have a generally less apreciative attitude toward most of the mass market stuff from the 1970's. I hear a "warmth" that simply covers over the faults of the amplifier and smothers the music's life right out of it. Even back in the '70's most of this stuff wasn't what anyone in most shops chose to listen to and certainly not to own. There were exceptions and there was a heirarchy to what we considered "good". Low end Pioneer was better than high end(?) Transaudio but not in the same league as Kenwood which wasn't as nice as a good HK from the same time period. By the mid '70's most of the Japanese designed receivers were deep into IC based circuits which simply didn't produce the musicality of the better equipment and certainly not of live music. But, if that's what you want, that's your decision. If you prefer to drive a 1970's car, then you can certainly do so. Repairs are not simple when you own a vintage anything. Parts are not always available and finding someone to do the work at a reasonable rate is not always easy. Parts wear out and need to be replaced. If you want to deal with this, then vintage is "cool". Since your question is mainly about phono sections, however, I would suggest you investigate a new receiver with an outboard phono section. You'll have what is quite possibly a better "amplifier" with the ability to choose the sound of the phono pre amp by choosing amongst the multiple units available. I'd give this one a serious consideration; http://www.needledoctor.com/Bellari-VP129-Tube-Phono-Preamp?sc=12 I have no idea what you might like but I can guarantee this will sound "better" than a 30 year old receiver with an IC based phono section. Alternatively, this receiver has been getting some of the best reviews from some of the most discriminating ears in the business; http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html Once again I cannot imagine anyone preferring the sound of a Pioneer SX-anything to the Outlaw product. It has been on sale recently and you can possibly catch it at a reasonable price reduction. That would be my choice, but opinions differ. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/430662.html . |
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New member Username: Richard_earlFt. Worth, Texas United States Post Number: 3 Registered: Jan-08 | I greatly appreciate the time you all have spent answering my post. I have much to think about now. Your opinions are making an impact on my decision. That Outlaw receiver has a good look to it. Have any of you heard it? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12104 Registered: May-04 | . I haven't heard their receiver. I own an Outlaw pre amp/processor and find it to be better than average in quality of sound. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9642 Registered: Dec-04 | The forum over there is the Hideout. They can answer, but might be biased, of course. |