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

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!

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.

Cwlondon:"but looks like a rebadged, private label type product"?

Hmmm...so aside from an obvious "bias" for Yamaha,

What difference is it, what it "Looks" like?

Especially if the product outperforms its peers.

The 16.5 is a step above the rest.

The amplifier section plays more like a separate amp.
than a Receiver. Oh, and the Tuner section, it is superior
to many separate Tuners!

I can say this confidently as my Brother has both a 2020
Yamaha and the 16.5, as well as Pioneer, Marantz, and other Super-Receivers,
none can hold a candle to the "black sheep 16.5" Receiver,
it just is better at everything.

Besides, the Best components of the above Companies, All were made in Japan, we never
saw some of Japans finest,never will.

IMHO after listening to a heap of Receivers, the 16.5 was like a step above at least, in all areas. Too bad Yamaha did not make it. The answers here would be the 16.5 Yamaha hands down.

This is America, where "imitation is the highest form of flattery". In everything!

Anytime someone takes any product, and improves it, do You
stick with the original? Or go for the much improved version?

Of course in Audio, we go for the Latest version MKIII over
MKI, its a fact.

Like Sony and their venerable SCD-1,funny how Reiymo and
other independent companies have "SCD-1 Clones" Same thing!

In audio, notice Denon and Sony players look identical, and
the list of companies with "similar looking" products is too
long to list.Infinity and Genesis etc.

Careful when we judge the outside of something we don't like;
it reminds me of how some people look at "other" people,
and "label" them. Music is "Pure", let us strive to
allow Music to bring Us together not "further" separate Us.

Music, one of life's true pleasures.
By Yourself, or with friends, Music is uplifting!

Love Your Music!

Enjoy the tools.