IMHO - I'm a big fan of the vintage Realistic sound and build quality. I'm an even bigger fan of their attractive prices haha. They really did put out some good gear and most of them can still be had at great prices.
As for Kenwood - I've had the KR-9600 and the KR-790 and been able to listen to a good number of good examples and I find that they tend to share a "west coast" signature - low distortion and clear, strong presence, but strong on the bass to a fault. That strength tends for them to shoot out bass harmonics. It's not annoying or bothersome, actually, it makes most music sound awesome and powerful, but you can definitely tell with some recordings, i.e. spoken voice. Brief - you might not feel like you're there, but you'll feel something nonetheless.
Pioneer also put out some really exceptional gear. My -1980 has definitely (almost) cured me from hunting for "the next best thing" in terms of receivers. It just does everything right. Lower end Pioneers usually do most things right within reason. Like many people I think a sx-1250 is probably as good as (if not ever so slightly better than [just because of build quality, really. open one of them up and you'll see - frikkin tank]) the 1980. The good ones are every bit as good as people say.
On a tangent -
I've been playing with a Sony STR-6065 I picked up last month. I got it all cleaned up and brought to spec, new bulbs, etc. I was pretty excited about it then, and I still am. The inside is one of the most overbuilt pieces I've ever seen. Heavy gauge wire, solid terminals, built like a scuba tank. In terms of pass-through sound quality, it is every bit as good as the sx-1980.
Dead heat tie. The headphone out is plenty powerful too. It seems like it doesn't clip even at max volume, though I'd have to get an o-scope to confirm. The tuner is the only real difference - it is just not quite as good at catching those weak signals. On strong signals, it is still fantastic and the amp section does great. I'd say the tuner is still a 9.5 if the 1980 is a 10. For the price these things go for, I am ecstatic.
Here's your stereo pr0n - you can see the -1980 moping in the background, but still very content with its spot on the shelf.
P.S. I know y'all probably don't care, but those McIntosh XR-16 speakers are in the top 3 least-distorting and best sounding speakers I've ever listened to. Just saying - great to tell how your amp sounds.
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