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Vintage Receivers

mhardy6647

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I have never understood the popularity of the Superscope (Chatsworth, CA) era Marantz components.

OK, that's not true -- I do understand completely -- the Byzantine (EDIT), nay, Rococo cosmetics and funky fonts just suck some folks in.
By and large, those components (especially the receivers) just. Didn't. Sound. Great.

The AR receiver, if memory serves, operated in Class B and was not just notorious for reliability issues -- it was also notoriously not very good sounding.
Gorgeous, timeless cosmetics, however.

:rolleyes:
 
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MakeMineVinyl

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I have never understood the popularity of the Superscope (Chatsworth, CA) era Marantz components.

OK, that's not true -- I do understand completely -- the Byzantine Rococo cosmetics and funky fonts just suck some folks in.
By and large, those components (especially the receivers) just. Didn't. Sound. Great.

The AR receiver, if memory serves, operated in Class B and was not just notorious for reliability issues -- it was also notoriously not very good sounding.
Gorgeous, timeless cosmetics, however.

:rolleyes:
I have a functioning AR amplifier. it had the problem with the bias and I had to go in and do some mods to keep it from blowing itself up.
 

North_Sky

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It would be interesting once in a while for Amir to measure a vintage receiver...just for the heck fun of it, like circa 60s, 70s and/or 80s for example...Kenwood, Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, Yamaha, etc.

* Wes, are you a member over @ AudioKarma?
 

Laserjock

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Funny, I was just looking at Pioneer SX-3600. Had one in HS. Can’t remember what happened to it or what speakers I had but seemed like it sounded pretty good.
 

mhardy6647

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It would be interesting once in a while for Amir to measure a vintage receiver...just for the heck fun of it, like circa 60s, 70s and/or 80s for example...Kenwood, Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, Yamaha, etc.

* Wes, are you a member over @ AudioKarma?
The problem - I would opine - is that it's not fair to the design to measure an "as-is" 40 (or more) year old hifi component -- but it's also not really fair to the product to measure it when it's been rehabbed with higher-quality modern passive (and maybe active) circuit components. Either approach will give a biased "n=1" sort of datapoint that is (again, I'd opine) not very representative of the product itself.

I am still quite "skeptical" (for lack of a better word) of the "vintage" (relatively speaking) Infinity loudspeaker that @amirm performed and published. I am not at all sure it would've measured the same, or - perhaps more important, as things have played out - sounded the same qualitatively to him when it was brand-new-fresh.

It's a conundrum, I would posit. :confused:

EDIT: I mean, if @amirm ever gets the urge to go down that rabbit hole -- I can be an enabler. Shipping will be the killer, though. :(
 

mhardy6647

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Still listening to a Sansui 5000x in my bedroom.
One example of the Canadian variant lives here -- the 5000, eh? ;)

Sansui 5000A front by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
Sansui 5000A rear by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

ahem -- that's 5000A, Marky.

d'oh

:facepalm:

Sort of more on-topic... it's an OK receiver. The AM and FM tuner sections are both better than average; that's the best thing I can say about it.
I have done nothing to it but listen to it. There is a well documented power-supply (IIRC) sub-board issue in these amps (which was fixed in the 5000x, and for the 5000a, a retrofit board was available). I doubt this issue has been addressed in this particular example. I've never had the nerve to look :( -- so, from my perspective, this particular example is an accident/disaster waiting to happen. :)
 
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North_Sky

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The problem - I would opine - is that it's not fair to the design to measure an "as-is" 40 (or more) year old hifi component -- but it's also not really fair to the product to measure it when it's been rehabbed with higher-quality modern passive (and maybe active) circuit components. Either approach will give a biased "n=1" sort of datapoint that is (again, I'd opine) not very representative of the product itself.

I am still quite "skeptical" (for lack of a better word) of the "vintage" (relatively speaking) Infinity loudspeaker that @amirm performed and published. I am not at all sure it would've measured the same, or - perhaps more important, as things have played out - sounded the same qualitatively to him when it was brand-new-fresh.

It's a conundrum, I would posit. :confused:

EDIT: I mean, if @amirm ever gets the urge to go down that rabbit hole -- I can be an enabler. Shipping will be the killer, though. :(

Some have been rehabilitated (refreshed with new caps, fuses, etc.) and others unmodified in their natural original shape (dust and all).
Nothing is fair but today everything is fun; that was the spirit I posted in.

Anyway a simple fun suggestion for people like us; audiofile scientists. :)
 

Doodski

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I have never understood the popularity of the Superscope (Chatsworth, CA) era Marantz components.

OK, that's not true -- I do understand completely -- the Byzantine (EDIT), nay, Rococo cosmetics and funky fonts just suck some folks in.
By and large, those components (especially the receivers) just. Didn't. Sound. Great.

The AR receiver, if memory serves, operated in Class B and was not just notorious for reliability issues -- it was also notoriously not very good sounding.
Gorgeous, timeless cosmetics, however.

:rolleyes:
The beauty of the Marantz like a 2245 is the construction. Built to last. Tough and durable inside. :D I'm not a fan either of the sound even though I used a 2245 on my test bench for years and finally cannibalized it and took out the amp modules and made a power amp out of it for a winter project.
 

mhardy6647

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The beauty of the Marantz like a 2245 is the construction. Built to last. Tough and durable inside. :D I'm not a fan either of the sound even though I used a 2245 on my test bench for years and finally cannibalized it and took out the amp modules and made a power amp out of it for a winter project.

True enough. The unsuffixed 22xx receivers were right beefy.
I remember that comparing a 2215 and a 2215B that passed through here (both dump finds).
The 2215 was far more impressive in every aspect of construction (including the engraved faceplate).
Other than that, neither was worth the space it took up (to my ears and taste) & are long gone.

1597016074930.png

1597016290799.png

1597016166878.png

(I broke the shaft on the speaker selector on the "B" :( )

... I don't have a handy photo of the innards of the "B", sorry.


The bulk of my vintage hifi collection is currently one old Radio Shack STA-7 receiver.
View attachment 77347
Mine, unfortunately, is rather more bulky. :facepalm:
I did always (and FWIWI) really like the looks of the STA-7 :)
 
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Blumlein 88

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In college there was one fellow with the biggest of that series Marantz. Everyone was envious. It was gorgeous.

I have one of these not functioning. Never saw one in the wild. All tubed Sansui.
https://classicreceivers.com/sansui-1000a

1597015661589.png


I picked it up at thrift store for $2. Wanted to repair it until I pulled the bottom cover and saw this. Looked too time consuming.
1597015692649.png
 
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mhardy6647

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In college there was one fellow with the biggest of that series Marantz. Everyone was envious. It was gorgeous.

I have one of these not functioning. Never saw one in the wild. All tubed Sansui.
https://classicreceivers.com/sansui-1000a

View attachment 77348

I picked it up at thrift store for $2. Wanted to repair it until I pulled the bottom cover and saw this. Looked too time consuming.
View attachment 77349
I have one in semi-restored condition (probably about the same as yours, judging those Sprague/SBE "orange drops" in there). The value in the 1000A is the fine quality Tamura OPTs in it -- otherwise it's kind of a sad case. I don't have the heart to [edit] strip the one here -- but that's the best thing to do with it, objectively.

Any remaining paper/oil caps in there are bad, bad, bad -- those Elna electrolytics probably are, too.

Nice "Mad Men" cosmetic vibe, though. ;)


DSC_9817
by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

PS oh, @Blumlein 88 does yours have the plug in MC phono stepup transformers in it (or was that just available for the unsuffixed 1000 -- a very different beast inside)?
PPS The phonostage phono preamp/EQ in the 1000A, if memory serves, is soiled solid state.
 
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JeffS7444

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In college there was one fellow with the biggest of that series Marantz. Everyone was envious. It was gorgeous.

I have one of these not functioning. Never saw one in the wild. All tubed Sansui.

In the late 1980s, a coworker gave me a Marantz 4400 quadraphonic receiver (with oscilloscope!) which was blowing fuses. I quickly determined that it had simply blown it's main bridge rectifier, and had it operational in no time. But it was huge! Too wide and too deep to fit my shelving unit, and to be honest, I was relieved when he asked if he could have it back!

I've seen tubed Sansui (and Pioneer) receivers, but only once or twice.

Part of me understands the appeal of the solid physicality of these things, but some of that dies every time I move apartments and find myself hauling heavy + fragile (why do those things always go together?) items up multiple narrow flights of steps. Because of course there are never ramps or freight elevators when you need them.
 

mhardy6647

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I've seen tubed Sansui (and Pioneer) receivers, but only once or twice.
Stop by sometime! ;)

In the late 1980s, a coworker gave me a Marantz 4400 quadraphonic receiver (with oscilloscope!) which was blowing fuses. I...

An artifact of a bygone era (i.e., "quad") :) Rare and valuable (i.e., expensive) beasts today. Times were tough in the early/mid '70s (in the US), and those things were expensive then, too. :oops:

Scan_Pic0048 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

You may find a better quality scan than mine ;) at https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Lafayette-Catalogs/Lafayette-1975-750.pdf (see catalog page 28... and don't miss the remarkable catalog cover art! :facepalm:)
 
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Blumlein 88

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I have one in semi-restored condition (probably about the same as yours, judging those Sprague/SBE "orange drops" in there). The value in the 1000A is the fine quality Tamura OPTs in it -- otherwise it's kind of a sad case. I don't have the heart to stip the one here -- but that's the best thing to do with it, objectively.

Any remaining paper/oil caps in there are bad, bad, bad -- those Elna electrolytics probably are, too.

Nice "Mad Men" cosmetic vibe, though. ;)


DSC_9817
by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

PS oh, @Blumlein 88 does yours have the plug in MC phono stepup transformers in it (or was that just available for the unsuffixed 1000 -- a very different beast inside)?
PPS The phonostage phono preamp/EQ in the 1000A, if memory serves, is soiled solid state.

I believe it does not have the MC phono, but I'd need to pull it out of storage to look. And yes there were some early germanium transistors in the phono stage.

I noticed what the OPT's were bringing on ebay. I actually had in mind at one time making a new DIY tube amp using those OPT's. Just one of those projects that never got done.

side note: I had one of the early Fisher integrated amps with 6BQ5's and a matching Fisher 50B tuner. Still have the tuner. Works and sounds nice.
 

JeffS7444

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Stop by sometime!

One thing's for sure: You'd never have to worry about my walking off with things, but I can't promise you that you wouldn't discover one or two extra items in your collection! My self-storage unit is called "eBay".
 

mhardy6647

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I believe it does not have the MC phono, but I'd need to pull it out of storage to look. And yes there were some early germanium transistors in the phono stage.

I noticed what the OPT's were bringing on ebay. I actually had in mind at one time making a new DIY tube amp using those OPT's. Just one of those projects that never got done.

side note: I had one of the early Fisher integrated amps with 6BQ5's and a matching Fisher 50B tuner. Still have the tuner. Works and sounds nice.
Good tuner and the push-pull 6BQ5/EL84 Fisher integrated amps were very sweet. I don't have one, but I rehabbed one (X-101, IIRC) for a local vintage hifi wheeler-dealer (who is, unlike some of them, a very nice guy) some years back. I enjoyed working on it (the Fisher stuff was neatly laid out and is easy to work on) and listening to it, too.
1597022153964.png
 
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