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Old Classic Receivers: A Mistake to Buy?

I was contemplating purchasing a 70's receiver, as I used to love the construction and appearance of the Sansui, Kenwood, Pioneer, Marantz. However, when I ran this by an audio friend, he said, "Forget it."

He says: They sound terrible. The caps & resistors used before the early 90s' were dreadful. The electrolytics are drying up and will start crackling and substantially degrade the sonics. The switches and controls used were almost never sealed, so they deteriorate and make noise and can't be fixed even by taking them apart and cleaning them.

Tuners: He says that nearly all non-digital tuners used varactors, which go out of alignment and cause problems, so no old tuners, with the exception of the Mac MR-78 and possibly a few others, are worth dealing with.

I am tempted to believe all that he is saying is true, but I see a market for these items, and also know that people claim they are still using these pieces for 25 years.

What's the truth here? Can some of the techies enlighten me?
kevziek
ait
480 posts
 
I'm in the middle of re-capping a Marantz 2230 receiver right now. It's not hard - just unsolder the old ones and solder in the new ones. This receiver has 70 electrolytics, so it takes a while, but it is fun. Since the new caps are much smaller than the old ones, I was able to double the power supply capacitance and double the output cap values for more bass and punch. Here's a picture with the main filter cap and output caps replaced - the filter cap is a Panasonic THA, 10000uF, 80V, the output caps are Nichicon KG Gold Tune 4700uF, 80V, bypassed with a 1uF Solen polypropylene. Total parts cost is ~$50 for the entire re-cap and I paid $20 for the reciever at a flea market. Outstanding bang for the buck!!

Marantz 2230 re-cap
ait
480 posts
 
Oh, and by the way, I own the following vintage receivers:

Sansui 2000X, Pioneer SX-750 and SX-626, Lafayette LR5555A, Marantz 1150, Marantz 2030

and dozens of vintage speakers, tuners, radios, etc. I also have "modern" high-end gear as well, so I enjoy both sides of the argument, so to speak.
boulderskies's avatar
boulderskies
4 posts
 
I'm the original owner of a 1975 SX-1250. All of the things your friend says about the parts are pretty much true. BUT, the receiver CAN be restored by a knowledgeable repair outlet. The original caps are not available but better substitutes are.

The sound of a restored SX-1250 is a bit better than a non-restored piece and still possesses the trademark warm and almost limitless power.

I am less certain about resale value. The key would be to fine that individual looking for that specific model.

-Scott
markus1299
252 posts
 
I bought an old Sansui G9000 on here years ago and sent it to an electronics guy that completely recapped and realigned and cleaned everything and I'll have to say that it sounds absolutely fabulous and it's a beautiful piece also. Something about the pure power,clean sound that really comes through. I'm sorry to say that it's very close to my Cary Tube amps that cost thousands more.
sprink
110 posts
 
I'm glad I spotted this thread.Growing up, my prents were all about listening to music. Mostly rock i.e., Led Zep, The Who, Jethro Tull, etc.When I left for the Army in '87 they put the stereo in storage, mainly because they did'nt listen to it much anymore. It was a simple set-up, Marantz 2226 receiver, Pioneer turntable, and RTR tower speakers. My mother, knowing of my audio fetish, calls me yesterday to let me knoe these items have just been pulled from the shadows, and wanted to know if I wanted them before they got thrown in the trash. I'll be getting them this week.
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