This is a topic that doesn't get discussed much, but from my time here I've read posts of many people who own either vintage integraded amps or receivers. I know since they are vintaged it can be really hit or miss. But there are many who have had great results with these products. So I've created this thread for those owners to discuss the performance of their vintage gear and how they may compare to some of the current gear they have owned or listened to.

Although I do not post much here anymore I saw this and ... I use a 1977 Marantz 2238B. Both as an speaker amp and headphone amp. Lastly I also drive the K1000 via the speaker outs as well as an Stax SRD7Pro. Lovely sound!
 
BTW, this has been discussed before.

I've came across threads asking about vintaged gear, but I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread dedicated to vintaged gear owners. I have read a lot of good things on the 2238B on other forums. It seams to be a well sought after piece.

I like the older receivers. I have a Pioneer SX-750 and just got a Kenwood 5400. Pioneers are very clean sounding. The Kenwood is darker and some say not unlike an old Marantz. I never heard a modern receiver I liked but never really did a side by side comparison with the older 70's models. Old receivers are great. The one's that get top dollar, outside of the Marantz's are the one's with lots of watts. 30-50 watts by 1970's standards is quite loud. That's what makes the lesser-powered older receivers such a great buy.
AudioKarma is a great site for info on all this.

I agree with you on watts. 30-50 watts on old receivers sounds very powerful compared to today's receivers power ratings(referring to stereo receivers only). There are very few that actually putting out their rated power. They are getting better, the receivers from the early 2000s were just garbage IMO. I have an old sony from the 70s rated at 37 wpc I think. Those 37 watts sound very powerful and gets my psb floorstanders plenty loud. There's just something about the sound of that receiver that sounds so different from modern gear. I wouldn't call it an audoiphile sound, it's just different. Whether it's a good or bad different is up to the listener. I love the sound of my fisher tube integrated. It's very lush sounding, and one of the more "musical" amps I've ever listened to.

The receiver wars in the 70's made for lot's of great gear.

I used an Advent 300 for years.  I drove Grados and Sennheisers out of the headphone jack and Stax electrets out of the speaker outputs.  Great sound and an outstanding Tomlinson Holman phono section.
 
Steve

Well, moodyrn, like you, I am a big fan of the Fisher KX100

I've been very tempted to pick up one of the vintage HH Scott tube integrateds that Mapleshade mods...

I thought of picking up a second amp as well, but over the past several months the prices have skyrocketed. Even ones needing a major overhaul is going for much more than I paid for mine which was brought up to spec. Maybe people like me have been calling too much attention to them. The vintage solid state integrated/receivers are still going for decent prices. I would love to listen to one of those, but I'm just so in love with tubes.

Yeah, and that would be much more of a crapshoot...there was some REALLY bad solid state in the 70's, man...really bad. Whereas there were a lot of great stereo tube integrateds made.

One notable exception to the above is the Dynaco SCA-50. Pretty decent sounding SS integrated from the 70's, and highly moddable.

I'm listening to a normal bias Lambda out of an SRD-7 driven by a Realistic STA2200.  It's a beast of a mosfet amp from the 70s.  It weighs about 60 pounds and I made the mistake of having it delivered to work.  It sat in my office for 2 months before I managed to get it home.
 
Vintage amps are very popular on the ortho thread.

Wow that is a beast. That must have one heck of a transformer inside.

I'm new here, so I may be ignorant, but what constitutes "vintage"?  I have a Denon 2000 ivr integrated that weighs in at about 60 pounds.  No idea it if is "vintage," but I know it's not made any longer.  I think it's rated at 80 watts, but I've read that is extremely conservative.  I'm not that experienced, but I love the way this amp sounds pushing my Polk LSI9s, which are demanding.  This amp doesn't break a sweat driving these speakers to loud, clean volumes.  In terms of headphone performance, I have really enjoyed listening to my AKG 701 and Grado 225i through the integrated's headphone out.  I recently posted on this by asking whether forum members think I'd enjoy an upgrade if I used a dedicated headphone amp. 

The vintage integrated receiver I have is a Panasonic RA-6500.  It is a solid state receiver from the early seventies.  I believe 1972, but I could very well be wrong.  It is quite large and heavy, although, it does have a lot of fun switches and knobs  It may not be an integrated, but I have a Scott 559T tuner and a Sony Legato Linear TA-AX44.  I also have a MCS 3548 cassette deck (not that I have ever used it.)

that's cause the amp section was masured correctly. most amps nowadays are only mesaured at 1khz@8ohms where amps from the 70's to early 90's are measured 20hz-20khz@1w into 8ohms and power doubles lower the impedance. also there is more to it then watts that delivers good performance. i have 2 sansui amps. a 1972 sansui 5000x 60wpc into 8ohms and 1980's Sansui Au-D7 amp rated at 80wpc into 8ohms and combination of class A/B amplifier but which of these slam my 2 sets of 200w technic 3-way floor speakers? the sansui 5000x. even tho rated at 20wpc less then my sansui au-d7 it can out muscle it behind the power amp section but both of them sound absolutely wonderful.


i love the older Sansui's. lovely amps and can drive about any speaker on the planet no sweat. i never liked pioneer or marantz and honestly think they're over-rated and sell for rediculous prices nowadays. don't take my opinion serious tho. i love kenwood too myself. kenwood and sansui are my top picks when it comes to good sounding receivers. wattage has nothing to do with the sound of the receiver/amp.  i use all my vintage receivers with headphones as well. soon to get a pair of 600ohm akg's for them  from a local since i'm the only one he knows can sell it to and capable of driving them.  
Quote:

moodyrn said:

I agree with you on watts. 30-50 watts on old receivers sounds very powerful compared to today's receivers power ratings(referring to stereo receivers only). There are very few that actually putting out their rated power. They are getting better, the receivers from the early 2000s were just garbage IMO. I have an old sony from the 70s rated at 37 wpc I think. Those 37 watts sound very powerful and gets my psb floorstanders plenty loud. There's just something about the sound of that receiver that sounds so different from modern gear. I wouldn't call it an audoiphile sound, it's just different. Whether it's a good or bad different is up to the listener. I love the sound of my fisher tube integrated. It's very lush sounding, and one of the more "musical" amps I've ever listened to.

Click to expand...