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Receivers - do they matter that much? - Page 2

post #16 of 28
2/25/10 at 6:44am
I like this quote I read somewhere...
"In Hi-Fi there is the fool who thinks 'this is vintage and therefore good' and then there is the fool who thinks 'this is new and therefore better!'"

I would never pay more than $100 for a nice vintage receiver in MINT condition. Hit up your local second hand stores. You can usually find them there in good shape for $15 or less.

You can buy brand new Sony stereo receivers at best buy for $100.00.
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post #17 of 28
2/25/10 at 1:34pm
So true, LFF!. I had a thing for old receivers a while back, and cycled through a few before I realized that even though they were well-built, age takes it's toll - contacts oxidize, and capacitors dry out. It might be worth it to get a $20-50 one at a tv/vcr repair shop, but forget about the $400 ones unless they have been professionally refurbished or unless you're just buying it for looks/collectible purposes.

Here is some great information on exactly why old electronics don't last forever without some refurbishment.

There plenty of inexpensive new receivers around $200 that would work wonderfully, such as the HK3390 and the Onkyo 8255. I've had mixed results with $100 models, some are good, but quite a few at that price (like one of the very cheapest Pioneers I bought a few years ago) have excessive noise and distortion, just do a little homework on the particular model, and listen to it first.
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post #18 of 28
2/25/10 at 3:57pm
I'm totally with LFF on this one. Some of the prices on those pages are ridiculous, I wouldnt risk that at all! I've found some nice stuff now and then from Goodwill. Heres some of the stuff I've found at my local Goodwill

TEAC bookshelf speakers - 10$
Yamaha bookshelf speakers - 10$
Infinity SX4 speakers - 10$
Yamaha CDP - 15$
JVC CDP - 15$
Kenwood receiver - 15$
TEAC receiver - 10$

At these prices, you can just try them and decide for yourself if they are good or not!

Yesterday I saw a lovely JBL Northridge bookshelf speaker with the foam torn on the woofers, but otherwise in great condition, just needs refoaming (20 bucks from parts express) or maybe even a new woofer) Amazing the kinda stuff you can find.

Theres still a Pioneer CDP from 1990, an Onkyo CDP, and Technics CDP from 1988 I think, all for 10 bucks. I didnt bother with those since I dont wanna end up filling up my tiny apartment with old gear
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post #19 of 28
2/25/10 at 4:56pm
You guys must have some amazing luck. I've made dozens of trips to thrift stores and have never seen anything better than the occasional trashed 1985 Magnavox tape deck for $40. Often there's some good vinyl, though, so I keep going.
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post #20 of 28
2/25/10 at 5:40pm
Thrift stores aren't often that fruitful, unless you've got an especially good one nearby. Look for old-style "tv/vcr repair" shops that are in the throwback mode from when people still had vcrs, and people still got tv's fixed. Chances are if you can find a shop like that, they'll have a few old receivers for sale too.
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post #21 of 28
2/25/10 at 7:03pm
Help!!! Im being held captive by Best Buy!!!!
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post #22 of 28
2/25/10 at 7:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
Help!!! Im being held captive by Best Buy!!!!
Just buy the Monster HDMI cable and they'll let you out.
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post #23 of 28
2/25/10 at 8:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
Help!!! Im being held captive by Best Buy!!!!
You didn't make the mistake of asking them a question, did you? There's no escape from that!
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post #24 of 28
2/25/10 at 9:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
Help!!! Im being held captive by Best Buy!!!!
That's why I never go into a Best Buy.
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post #25 of 28
2/26/10 at 5:28am
They locked me in a back room and they make me wear Bose headphones and listen to OwlCity-FireFlies!!!! Then they make me wear Monster Dr Dre Beats, then they take them off and while they try to brainwash me, they play Bose 301 speakers with an Onkyo Reciever!!!!

Must make it to the high end room to play Steely Dan on the Martin Logans and escape!!!
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post #26 of 28
2/26/10 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
They locked me in a back room and they make me wear Bose headphones and listen to OwlCity-FireFlies!!!! Then they make me wear Monster Dr Dre Beats, then they take them off and while they try to brainwash me, they play Bose 301 speakers with an Onkyo Reciever!!!!

Must make it to the high end room to play Steely Dan on the Martin Logans and escape!!!
LOL, reminds me of one and only time I visited a Bose outlet store. They had a pair of the awesome state-of-the-art 1960's tech 901s. 4" paper cones galore! The source? A Kenwood portable CD player. The salesman tried to tell me that was just about as good as it gets.
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post #27 of 28
2/26/10 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveBSC View Post
LOL, reminds me of one and only time I visited a Bose outlet store. They had a pair of the awesome state-of-the-art 1960's tech 901s. 4" paper cones galore! The source? A Kenwood portable CD player. The salesman tried to tell me that was just about as good as it gets.
I go there when im bored just to bust chops.
I ask them if i can plug my own mp3 player and amp into their headphones, but i cant because theyre permanantly attached to their own amp with enhanced recordings...lol.
Marketing!
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post #28 of 28
2/26/10 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rederanged View Post
You guys must have some amazing luck. I've made dozens of trips to thrift stores and have never seen anything better than the occasional trashed 1985 Magnavox tape deck for $40. Often there's some good vinyl, though, so I keep going.
The thrift store thing is very chancy. My city has a ton of thrift stores and I rarely come across worthwhile stuff, although in 4 years of regular looking (I mean visting at least 3 thrift stores a week) I have found FOUR good pieces of gear. The reason why you don't find good stuff various, but I recently found out why my local salvation army does get ANY good stuff. I bought a reciever off ebay (BTW, I also recommend Marantz - the "B" series stuff - it bettered alot of newer gear I've owned, like Adcom and Harmon Kardon) from a local guy. I went to pick it up and he had TONS of gear. He told me why: He had a deal with someone at the Salvation Army DISTRIUBTION CENTER who pulled anything interesting looking for him. So the good stuff never even makes it to the stores.
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