Top 5 recievers of the 70's and 80's ????

Sony STR-5800SD

Good grief, no mention of Yamaha?

They were inexpensive, ultra reliable and had vanishing low distortion specs combined with great sound and forward looking cosmetics.

I personally sold thousands of dollars worth of them with a very clear conscience. Their small model had 5 year unlimited warranty, a great tuner, variable loudness compensation, a fine phono stage and real wood cabinet for $199.00.

Albert, you missed Starcon and me.

I agree - they were great value. I was working for a Yamaha dealer during those days as well, at night and weekends during high school and college and it was a regular sale.

Further to a clear conscience, my only difficulty was a customer who decided after several demos and lots of praise for the Yamaha receivers that yes, he would go with my suggestion and in fact would stretch for the top of the line, monster Yamaha receiver 2020 (?) 2040 (?) a model which we had never sold.

This was all very happy and exciting until the last minute - on the morning we had agreed for him to pick up the system, he decided he just had to have a pair of Dahlquist DQ10's - our "reference" demo speakers - instead of Polks or something.

Nearly 30 years later, I can still recall feeling a little funny connecting DQ10's to a receiver in his apartment, but I thought it would have been worse to suggest that our flagship powerhouse receiver might not power them adequately.

So I hope those old Yamahas were in fact so good that he got many years of enjoyment out of the Dahlquists!

What about the Concept 16.5?

Pacific Stereo in Southern California
carried the Concept Line.

My Brother has one, and He said it was
more powerful than many of the Big Marantz
and Pioneer Receivers.

http://sportsbil.com/stereo/concept16_5/

One of Parasounds head guys came from Concept.

Not John Curl but Dick Schram did the circuitry
on the 16.5.

http://www.electricalhobby.com/monsterreceiversite/unit_pages/ConceptReceiver.htm

Dual transformers was a rare thing for Receivers back
then.

The Technics was more wattage and 20 pounds heavier.

Given the same sensitive speaker, using less than 50 watts
maximum, I just wonder which Receiver would sound Superior?

http://www.thevintageknob.org/TECHNICS/SA1000/SA1000.html#

Love to hear these 2 today with a nice CD player, and some
high quality speakers.

Concept 16.5 - not drinking the Kool Aid.

Not to doubt your observations, but looks like a rebadged, private label type product.

I stand by the Yamahas.