As I settle into old-manhood, I've decided I must have a 70's receiver with a silver face and lots of knobs and dials an

[Dennis S]

Is this Marantz 2010 worth $150?

http://littlerock.craigslist.org/ele/5446459490.html

[Article Accelerator]

Dennis S wrote:
The only brands I know to seek are Marantz, Pioneer, and Yamaha. What other brands

Harmon-Kardon, McIntosh, Dynaco.

[Dennis S]

McIntosh is out of my price range.

[mikebw]

If you want lots of knobs you should check out the Pioneer SPEC-1, but it's just a pre-amp and good luck finding one under $300.

[Will Collier]

Cleaning out a closet yesterday, I found an old Kenwood receiver box that still had the Wisconsin Discount Stereo label from the mid-80's on it.

WDS was the Amazon (for stereo gear) of its day. They were a deep discounter, and one of the first examples of "showrooming" where people would check out stuff at a local store, then buy it (by phone) from WDS for much cheaper.

[mrlynn]

I gave away my late father's Harmon-Kardon receiver some years ago; it needed work.

I still have a Pioneer SX-580 from 1979, which I bought used from an electronics guru friend. Mine looks just like this:



I'm now using my father's black Sherwood in the living room, so the more-stylish Pioneer is up in my wife's little office, so she can listen to my radio show on Saturday mornings; still works fine; noise in the volume control seems to have disappeared.

Found a Youtube video about this receiver:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ch0o8DhIQ

/Mr Lynn

[deckeda]

Dennis S wrote:
Is this Marantz 2010 worth $150?

http://littlerock.craigslist.org/ele/5446459490.html

If it doesn't need anything done to it, yeah. Even the cheaper Marantz go for bigger money. I was just browsing eBay recently. $300 doesn't buy much except the entry level models. And factor double the price if it needs a rebuild. In that sense it's almost like buying a '70s car.

The real value in these, even at the low end, is the phono section and to some extent FM since those were the primary sources. My little Sansui 221 (8WPC !) has been with me since jr high and is currently my phono pre in the living room. They start to seem "a little large" IMO if you just want them for aux-in. There are several powered speakers less than $1K that are really nice if an overall sound upgrade is a goal for just line level or streaming sources.

Browse the vintage section on eBay to uncover potential gems. For example a few of the Realistic receivers had great FM sections, and the early Allied receivers are solid too. But do your homework.

[deckeda]

RAMd®d wrote:
I have this:

Dude. You're freakin' me out.

Tell me there's one of the RS 1500 family feeding those. http://www.thevintageknob.org/technics-RS-1500U.html

[rgG]

I am totally blown away that my Marantz might be worth about what I paid for it back in '77-'78. Of course adjusting for dollars then to dollars now and all, it still cost more back then, especially because $200-$300 for a college student was a LOT of money in 1978, but still, it is amazing that it has held its value. I always thought that gyro wheel and the blue back lights were the coolest thing ever, still do.

I originally bought another brand, Sansui, I think, it had green backlights, but it just wouldn't pull in the radio stations that I wanted to listen to. The Marantz had no trouble at all, so it was also qualitatively better, a well as looking better. The place I bought it had a 30 day exchange policy, thank goodness.

[rgG]

RAMd®d wrote:
I have this:...

I always knew you had good taste.