Why are 1970's receivers so valuable now?

[Suffolkhifinut]

So much of it is really handsome too.
I'll admit one of the biggest reasons I got my Marantz 2270 was looks.
What a beauty in that walnut case
I thought it was the best looking receiver at the dealers, that and the Marantz name.
Look on ebay for a rehabed 2270, about the highest priced ones around.

A thing of beauty, had one and gave it away to a mate after buying a Sony V-FET integrated amp. Then like now thought FM was a waste of time, here in the UK if you’re not into classical music. Bought an Arcam streaming amp and love it all the internet stations Worldwide at my fingertips. A return to the ’70s for convenience but better!

 

[restorer-john]

I have 12 seventies receivers, mainly Rotel, Trio, SABA, Sansui and JVC from the late sixties and from the seventies. I use them mainly to listen to FM. For me it's the looks: I have a spot on a mid-century display cabinet in the reading corner where such a unit just looks right, flanked by my KEF 105.1s They are all serviced and frequently get exchanged. My wife thinks I am mad, but can't deny the visual appeal. I don't mind that they don't sound as great as my all digital chain setups, it's all about the looks.

Your wife is lucky your hobby and interests are centred in the home, with vintage HiFi, not out of the house, at the pub or club with other temptations...

 

[restorer-john]

After you fire it up comes that gorgeus perfume of new electronics (and perhaps the wood surrounds) wafting from the vents to you across the room.

Do you know, as a hardcore vintage HiFi restorer, I could tell you blinded, the brand, era, and almost the series of gear, based on the smell over the warm grille of a vintage piece? Akai, Pioneer, Sony, Sansui, Yamaha all smell different. Their fluxes, phenolics and processes all contributed to a specific smell signature.

Even with loudspeakers. Traditional USA made JBL have a distinct smell. Its likely the adhesives/formaldehyde in the particle board and the innerfill. Unique and the only other brand that came close was early DCM- something about the glues/adhesives and board.

That said, all bets are off when heavy smokers, mice or cockroaches had a say in it. Eeew...

 

[fordiebianco]

Your wife is lucky your hobby and interests are centred in the home, with vintage HiFi, not out of the house, at the pub or club with other temptations...

Very true.

 

[Vacceo]

I am tempted to sell you guys a couple Onkyo relics...

 

[DSJR]

The reasons are myriad.

HiFi in the 1970s was aspirational, expensive in relative terms, exclusive and very much the centrepiece of a modern man/couple's entertainment space. The fact that advancements in technology were happening very quickly meant the industry was enormous and the Japanese were showing the world their expertise in precision, miniaturization and performance improvements.

People who lived in that era as young people, can now afford the gear they wished they had bought back then. Many of them were paying mortages, putting kids through school and now they are in their 60s-80s and have plenty of money to buy what they want. Supply and demand. The original stuff is mostly in landfill so the mint gear is worth a fortune. I know, I've been repairing and restoring this gear for decades, long before anyone cared for it. I kept telling people the TOTL vintage gear was going to be future 'gold'. It now is. A good Pioneer SX-1980 is easily worth US$7k. A Spec1/2 pair is worth AU$12k.

View attachment 210135

There's nothing remotely interesting about modern/obsolete AVRs as compared to say an Pioneer SX-1250, and SX-1980, a Marantz 2600 or many of the midrange receivers where the battles for people's wallets took place.

By the time 1990 came around, the traditional HiFi receiver was morphing into a platform for guaranteed obsoletion every few years. Surround decoding systems appeared every other year. More amplifier channels, video/SVHS/Composite/HDMI v1etc connections. Everything is cheap plastic, poor construction, poor performance and not much more. I often pick up high range obsolete AVRs for a few dollars, not to use, but as a supply of NLA parts.

It's no accident that Yamaha resurrected its much loved vintage look about a decade ago- the original designs were by a Japanese design house that won several good design awards and was iconic. Marantz even have tried (poorly) to evoke the look of their past products. The trouble is, people want the original gear, not a modern take on it. They yearn for a simpler time, when you had a turntable, an AM/FM tuner and maybe a few other sources that always worked. You turned them on and they just worked. No menus, touchpads, internet, dropouts, reboots, crashes, glitches, bluetooth or phones.

2 channel HiFi survived barely during the AV/HT onslaught. But survive it did, and it came out the other end stronger and more in demand. Vintage receivers are part of that. I know plenty of guys with esoteric six figure audiophile systems that also have a few systems where handpicked, fully restored vintage 2 channel makes up the setups.

How tastes change with maturity and hopefully, education...

In the late 70's the 'high end west end' store I was at was really getting into Linn turntables and Naim amplifiers (yes, I know now...) and we had in the Spec 1 and 2 pair to assess. You know, I doubt it got much more than a glance, let alone being powered up and USED!!! The multitude of brush aluminium and knobs on the preamp put everyone off at the time and a few days later, it was boxed up and returned. I doubt many of these were ever sold in the UK market, so closed minded we'd become in a very short time...

I look back on *some* of this old gear with immense sadness, as the cost of these things would be at Accuphase levels today, let alone the generally cheaper Luxman brand. The rise and rise of 'domesticated PA systems' in the UK was palpable in the circles I mixed in and no wonder 'we' were called flat earthers (some of us here still are). To me now, the current Luxman amps are absolutely beautiful and there's little to no empty space inside them either, but the prices are high and I basically admire them from afar these days, rather than lust after one as I may have done in the mid 70's (I was fond of the L85V back then which would be around a couple or three grand now I think).

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

How tastes change with maturity and hopefully, education...

In the late 70's the 'high end west end' store I was at was really getting into Linn turntables and Naim amplifiers (yes, I know now...) and we had in the Spec 1 and 2 pair to assess. You know, I doubt it got much more than a glance, let alone being powered up and USED!!! The multitude of brush aluminium and knobs on the preamp put everyone off at the time and a few days later, it was boxed up and returned. I doubt many of these were ever sold in the UK market, so closed minded we'd become in a very short time...

I look back on *some* of this old gear with immense sadness, as the cost of these things would be at Accuphase levels today, let alone the generally cheaper Luxman brand. The rise and rise of 'domesticated PA systems' in the UK was palpable in the circles I mixed in and no wonder 'we' were called flat earthers (some of us here still are). To me now, the current Luxman amps are absolutely beautiful and there's little to no empty space inside them either, but the prices are high and I basically admire them from afar these days, rather than lust after one as I may have done in the mid 70's (I was fond of the L85V back then which would be around a couple or three grand now I think).

Never bought into the Naim / Linn thing at all. In the ’70s went out looking and listen too them. They couldn’t compare in build quality with the Japanese competition, bought the Marantz receiver and a Technics direct drive turntable instead. Was Marantz Japanese in the mid ‘70s, US owned, or owned by Phillips?

 

[restorer-john]

(I was fond of the L85V back then which would be around a couple or three grand now I think).

I could make you cry... I have an L85-V here for restoration. Don't remind me. Absolutely unmarked and pristine physically.

One my Dad picked up for peanuts a number of years ago and I am (obviously) tasked with rebuilding/restoring. Along with the two L-81s, they are a mainstay of the Lux late 70s arm of our 'collection'.

 

[OWC]

Simple nostalgia by collectors.

Actually, it is just how the market works.
The simple answer is nothing more than, just because people want to spend money on things.
Which very often comes with an hype attached to it.
Retro computers and hardware as well as retro video games also sell for big bucks right now.
(which kind of annoys me because I literally got rid of my Voodoo 1 & 2 cards in originals package not that long ago).
With some original Mario games even selling for thousands or millions of dollars. (no joke)

That being said, I have to admit I really love the looks of 60s and 70s audio gear myself.
(although would never spend so much money on it)

 

[DSJR]

Never bought into the Naim / Linn thing at all. In the ’70s went out looking and listen too them. They couldn’t compare in build quality with the Japanese competition, bought the Marantz receiver and a Technics direct drive turntable instead. Was Marantz Japanese in the mid ‘70s, US owned, or owned by Phillips?

A late 70's 'bolt up' 12s/SNAPS/250 system (even the 12s/120) presented music in an admittedly sighted far more 'interesting' way than the often two-dimnsional far eastern competiton. In 1980, the 'CB' range came along, the 250 lost it's nice musical relaxing quality and went harder toned and even with the then new HiCap supply, the 32 preamp was showing it's lack of 'air' and sounded a bit 'splashy' (fixed a little post CD/digital in the 72 with better tone controls - sorry, band limiting fixed filters ).

So much good stuff out there and 'we' hardly saw any, made worse because the far eastern companies wanted us to stock a full range and not cherry-pick.

 

[Neddy]

HiFi is a hobby, it is about creating something. Realizing old dreams of buying HiFi now that you as young could not afford? Create some sort of time travel? Retro worm, also in general? As here for example:

If you have access to a designated listening room. Completely empty to begin with and you fix it. I understand the temptation to go all in with even with 70's furniture. In with a carpet over the entire floor, good for the sound and also 70's style. You do not have to read the text, look at the pictures and you will understand:

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It seems itchy too much in his fingers, so in fat fat JBL speakers:

Page 12:

"Finally. The day before yesterday it was finished. JBL (what else?) 4355 with subwoofers built according to chief engineer Greg Timber's drawings from 1983."
Okay from 1983, but pretty close to the 70's

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View attachment 210160
(Not my room / or Hifi system)

He he:
View attachment 210161

Wow. Fond memories of many many hours spent in front of a pair of 4355s (w/a 32" subwoofer!), owned by a friend of mine who was service manager for a JBL pro dealer (RIP).
That rug somehow also brings back fuzzy memories of weed smell and night long parties....
Electronics was for sure a LOT more interesting - and yes, Tactile than it is now. The era before Remotes, when you had to get the f*ck up and flip switches and turn actual knobs!!
The main reason I'll keep my STC 7000 is to share with others that tactile/control experience - since this has a decent FM tuner, it'll work very nicely on the Eames table next to the bed in the guest room, where you could just reach out and flip knobs and dials!! (w/powered monitors, of course).
Ah. Nice. Stuff. Fond memories all around.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

A late 70's 'bolt up' 12s/SNAPS/250 system (even the 12s/120) presented music in an admittedly sighted far more 'interesting' way than the often two-dimnsional far eastern competiton. In 1980, the 'CB' range came along, the 250 lost it's nice musical relaxing quality and went harder toned and even with the then new HiCap supply, the 32 preamp was showing it's lack of 'air' and sounded a bit 'splashy' (fixed a little post CD/digital in the 72 with better tone controls - sorry, band limiting fixed filters ).

So much good stuff out there and 'we' hardly saw any, made worse because the far eastern companies wanted us to stock a full range and not cherry-pick.

Was seduced by the looks the Marantz receiver lit up blue and had Vu meters, even of it wasn’t playing a joy to look at. The Technics turntable was also a looker, subsequently bought a Rega Planar 3 can’t say it sounded any better so the Technics deck stayed. Around that time bought a Crimson pre & power amp, the preamp was powered by a PP9 battery. Took the Marantz receiver off and connected the Crimson kit up, listened too some vinyl and decided to play a cassette turned the preamp selector knob and there was a horrible howl from the speakers two fried tweeters. Replaced the tweeters and before changing the input had to switch off the power amplifier. Too much trouble threw both amps in the bin. That’s what you get for reading HiFi magazine reviews HiFi Answers never mentioned that in their write up!

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Do you know, as a hardcore vintage HiFi restorer, I could tell you blinded, the brand, era, and almost the series of gear, based on the smell over the warm grille of a vintage piece? Akai, Pioneer, Sony, Sansui, Yamaha all smell different. Their fluxes, phenolics and processes all contributed to a specific smell signature.

Even with loudspeakers. Traditional USA made JBL have a distinct smell. Its likely the adhesives/formaldehyde in the particle board and the innerfill. Unique and the only other brand that came close was early DCM- something about the glues/adhesives and board.

That said, all bets are off when heavy smokers, mice or cockroaches had a say in it. Eeew...

If you were a guest in our house and proceeded to start smelling things, I would question your sanity.

 

[DSJR]

Was seduced by the looks the Marantz receiver lit up blue and had Vu meters, even of it wasn’t playing a joy to look at. The Technics turntable was also a looker, subsequently bought a Rega Planar 3 can’t say it sounded any better so the Technics deck stayed. Around that time bought a Crimson pre & power amp, the preamp was powered by a PP9 battery. Took the Marantz receiver off and connected the Crimson kit up, listened too some vinyl and decided to play a cassette turned the preamp selector knob and there was a horrible howl from the speakers two fried tweeters. Replaced the tweeters and before changing the input had to switch off the power amplifier. Too much trouble threw both amps in the bin. That’s what you get for reading HiFi magazine reviews HiFi Answers never mentioned that in their write up!

I've had two Technics SL1500's from the mid 70's pass through my paws. Switchery is a reliability issue now, but set up and used like a Rega without the lid, the 'sound' from these is potentially superb I think.

Crimson did kind-of come good in the early 80's I remember, but it's very 'hair shirt' even for me...

 

[qec]

I too love the look. This is my office setup. Marantz 2245 driven by Topping DX3pro+ and my work laptop.

 

[Suffolkhifinut]

I too love the look. This is my office setup. Marantz 2245 driven by Topping DX3pro+ and my work laptop.View attachment 210234

Thanks for posting the photo, brought back happy memories.

 

[Mojo Warrior]

For those of us who lived in that "Golden Age of HiFi" let us never forget that "Made in Japan" back then was a pejorative. It was a xenophobic insult aimed at the gear coming out of Japan/Asia that was better engineered and constructed compared to the lagging American competition. Back then some Japanese gear was simply a far better value for consumers. Yes, there was poorly made gear imported from Japan. But among the major brands there was a fierce annual competition among them which dramatically raised the price to performance ratio beginning in the mid-1970s.

 

[Waxx]

Those of the 1970's and early 1980's just look like better quality (even when they are not), are fairly easy to operate and in most cases very reliable. I have a luxman C-02 preamplifier that is 40 years old and the only maintenance on it done was a recap of the elco's. The rest is still ok. I doubt that modern stuff will last that long. And that is not even a top of the line model. I could buy it cheap because it needed a recap altough and i wanted to sell it again, but prices are raising so i keep it for a while while i see the second hand market price go up i think... Idem with my 1976's Technics SL1500 that is still almost mint after 46 years of use, by the first owner (where i bought it from) and me. I did not even cahnge the cabling as those were also still very good.

But the prices paid are a bit mad, i would never pay so much for such an amp, altough i also love them. And as so many still love that look, i wonder why no company makes them. It could be modern tech inside, but just with the metal look, vu meters and toggle switches. It does not cost a fortune to do if you do it on big scale and it surely will attrackt customers if the amp inside is good. Those cheap plastic boxes is something nobody think is beautifull, it's just cheap and practical. And the few who do (like marantz or Rotel) make the design to modern minimalistic or don't use real polished metal, but more anodised and too thin alluminium parts.

I know people who did that for their own, use Hypex or IcePower modules, but build a case that look like a 1970's amp with blue or yellow analog vu meters and so, so it would look good and get a good WAF rating. And those one of builds of a guy i know did not cost that much to make as long as he did supply the cad drawings to the metalshop who made the case (and that for a one off). The guy is a product designer altough so he knows how to make those designs and drawings. He uses Hypex Ncore 400 modules, the accompaning SMPS and a custom input board with source switch, a mono switch (and circuit) an NE5532 opamp based buffer, old looking vu meters from china and a volume control pot (but nothing special, just quality stuff) and his project was just a bit above 2K on price...

 

[JeffS7444]

Part of me would really like to have a good silver-faced receiver with slide-rule dial, and all the satisfyingly dampened, clicky and weighted and rotary controls, toggles and push button switches - a "Busy Box" for adults? But it would mostly sit on the shelf looking pretty, maybe get used as a radio once in awhile.

FWIW, even in the mid-1990s, I recall Superscope/Marantz receivers selling for almost $300.

 

[zen87192]

Yeah... prices have certainly gone up for these 1970's monsters. Although I really do wish I held on to my Pioneer SX1980 which I had fully restored. It was an absolute brute that sounded 'the business' ! Really do miss it !