its worth a ask i think

jacks2start

Ok guys, just between these two chime in with any and all info... compare the two and give your idea on how hard it would be or is to find them , along with what prices they are running.


the Poineer 1980 vs Marantz 2600 vs ( you pick)

need prices
availibilty
goods and bads vs each

poll of what if any of these you have..

just looking for info and hoping you the guys could pull info from what your seeing around this country of urs.

thx guy

skrol

Initially I would have said the Marantz just on reputation but that Pioneer looks like an incredible build. Tough call. The Marantz is kind of cool with the eye candy display. The Pioneer looks very classic.

Something to keep in mind is that these old receivers will likely need some reconditioning in that the electrolytic capacitors tend to dry out and drift in value. You may get lucky and find one that has already been re-cap'd or find a shop that can do it if you can't DIY. I am in the process of re-capping my Parasound amp and pre-amp from early 90's and have found several caps have gone out of spec.

txcoastal1

Here's a little chat on AK about the vintage units


http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-60259.html

F1nut

Neither has tubes.

mhardy6647

F1nut wrote: »

Neither has tubes.

...and, even in the pantheon of soiled state, neither is really 'all that' (at least in my opinion) ;-)

These were quasi-statement pieces from massmarket Japanese manufacturers at a time when the "power wars" were at their peak.
In fact, however, both companies had their real "statement" pieces, even in the late 1970s, as separates.

The SX-1980 and the 2600 both have enough knobs and buttons to choke an alligator... chock-ful of basically useless bells and whistles (although an oscillloscope for FM tuning/multipath is actually pretty useful)... and, truth be told, both are perfectly OK but neither is anything I'd want to be stuck listening to for long periods of time.

The 2600 is legendary for reliability issues.

The 1980 is better in that regard (not great, though, at this late date).

Either will be massively over-priced, IMO, for its performance value... if you've really gotta have that much power (270 wpc for the Pioneer, 300 wpc for the Marantz), and you really want it all in one box with a preamp and a tuner... and you've really got money to burn... either is probably an OK choice.

Although...

you might want to take a look at Sansui's G22000 or G33000 - at least they are quasi-separates, which ain't a half-bad idea if one stops and thinks about it :-)

I think that Mitsubishi had a "docked separates" line, too, in the same general timeframe.

In the interest of true and complete disclosure, I do have a couple of big-ish, knob/button-laden 1970s Japanese receivers in the house... but that's basically nostalgia driven.


SX-1980p1 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

2600 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

Mikey081057

My opinion is strongly biased, as I own a Marantz 2385 which is the "little" brother of the 2500/2600. Mine is in incredible shape inside and out, and fully functional. I might send it in for a recap/rebuild in the future. It sounds beautiful, and unless you have heard one you shouldn't rush to judgment based on other biases you may have. They are built literally like tanks and represent the best of Japanese manufacturing based on American design and manufacturing specs. There is a reason why collectors pine for these as they have good value and can be listened to even to some 30 - 40 years later. I was really expecting to have to invest a considerable amount into it as it was sent to me be my brother who "found it" at an estate sale.

I paid $250 + $80 (packing and shipping) +$48 (LED Lamps) ($378 Total) and estimate that I could get 1200 - 1400 (not that I would sell it) for it on auction. It is very clean sounds great has the wooden case and functions perfectly. It has a couple of minor blemishes, but overall is nicer than most i have seen.

My second choice however would be the Sansui G33000.

Here is mine:

Mikey081057

DSkip wrote: »

Not sure about that unit, but if it has that classic marantz sound, it pairs very well with modern speakers. They don't seem to have the edge that every other vintage piece I've tried has.

Many have said that the 2385 is the most musical of the bunch... It is powerful enough to drive my VR3 LSi9 four ohm loads with ease, and it is not grainy at all...10:00 o'clock on the gain knob and it reaches reference levels in my listening room. It sounds beautiful with any music from any source at any volume.

I haven't tried the phono input, but everything else I throw at it sounds sweet.... And the look is mesmerizing. Best $378 i ever spent.

jacks2start

all points well taking here.. while i havn't really looked into the G22000 or G33000 i do intend to.. I'm likely to have setups both ways as a receiver and in the combo pre amp/amp way..

cnh

Sounds like you just want to buy a MONSTER class receiver from the '70s there. But I have to say that, often, the MONSTERS were not necessarily the best sounding of the line.

For example. With Pioneer, some of us like the SX-1010 which is only 100 watts x 2 @ 8 ohms. But sounds so MUCH sweeter and "warmer" than the Pioneer monsters that succeeded it. If I could buy ONE old Pioneer. This would be IT!

Mike's Marantz 2385 is a nice unit. But the same reasoning above sometimes applies.

A lower power Marantz like a 2230 or 2215 may sound a LOT more Tube-like. And I, for one, really love those old SS units that sound more "tubey"

I have a Harman Kardon HK 430 (only 25 watts x 2 @ 8 ohms) that's pure liquid on some old Dynaco A25s! And Mark H. can attest to the fact that any number of old school Klipsch owners love running the HORNS on this HK which smooths out the top end.

If you like Sansuis it's probably better to get one of the classic twin power integrateds and matching tuner--they'll sound BETTER than the MONSTER pictured above, IMO!

cnh

mhardy6647

The hk430 was an exceptionally fine receiver, with completely dual power supplies (two power transformers). I also quite like the aesthetics of that era of hk hardware.

The hk430 loves vintage Polks, too.


whatmore by mhardy6647, on Flickr

FWIW... in terms of solid state Sansuis, I'd look - hard - at the AU-717 integrated amplifier. It is a beautiful, well-built and good sounding piece of hardware.


scan0004a by mhardy6647, on Flickr

boston1450

Match these with a pair of Monitor 5a or 7's & pure bliss. Can be had 50-100.00 or get a sweet deal on bigger Marantz or Pioneer & youll be in heaven. Bigger models for bigger price tags IMO is just crazy

j1mmy

I like the old school receivers with my Monitor 10's and Monitor 7's.

cnh

boston1450 wrote: »

Match these with a pair of Monitor 5a or 7's & pure bliss. Can be had 50-100.00 or get a sweet deal on bigger Marantz or Pioneer & youll be in heaven. Bigger models for bigger price tags IMO is just crazy

j1mmy wrote: »

I like the old school receivers with my Monitor 10's and Monitor 7's.

You're "preaching to the choir" here, boys!

cnh

Mikey081057

cnh wrote: »

You're "preaching to the choir" here, boys!

cnh

Amen to that .... I pair my 2252B with my Mon 5's and people can't believe the sound.

mhardy6647

heh... I've got a pair (of Monitor 5Bs) hooked to a dump-find Technics SA-400... and I wouldn't admit that just anywhere ;-)

Why, I hear you ask? Well, it is in essence the sole source of entertainment at my my (soon to be vacated!) bachelor pad/halfway house :-) apt. in MA.


IMG_0132 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

Next Friday is retirement day - thence up to NH full time!

One thing I will say for the overall rather cheezy SA-400... the AM tuner section in it is surprisngly "hot" - far, far better than essentially any of its mass market Japanese contemporaries IME.


PS - yes I realize that those ain't Monitor 5Bs in the photo... those were some dump-find Radio Shack speakers (MC-800, if memory serves... I'd have to go back and look). I put 'em on the freebie pile at NEARC last autumn and replaced them with the aforementioned (and far superior) Monitor 5Bs.

Mikey081057

The speaker stands make it!

pglbook

Another fantastic vintage receiver from the late 1970s "receiver wars" era is the Yamaha CR 2020 (or really any model in the Yamaha CR series).

In the past I have had my Yamaha CR 2020 drive my Polk SDA 2B TL speakers quite nicely and now use it in my 2nd system to drive a pair of Polk Monitor 10As and it sounds wonderful.

cnh

mhardy6647 wrote: »

heh... I've got a pair (of Monitor 5Bs) hooked to a dump-find Technics SA-400... and I wouldn't admit that just anywhere ;-)

Why, I hear you ask? Well, it is in essence the sole source of entertainment at my my (soon to be vacated!) bachelor pad/halfway house :-) apt. in MA.


IMG_0132 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

Next Friday is retirement day - thence up to NH full time!

One thing I will say for the overall rather cheezy SA-400... the AM tuner section in it is surprisngly "hot" - far, far better than essentially any of its mass market Japanese contemporaries IME.


PS - yes I realize that those ain't Monitor 5Bs in the photo... those were some dump-find Radio Shack speakers (MC-800, if memory serves... I'd have to go back and look). I put 'em on the freebie pile at NEARC last autumn and replaced them with the aforementioned (and far superior) Monitor 5Bs.

Love the "Dorm" motif!

For a while my go to office system was comprised of a pair of Monitor 5As, a JVC R-S33, and PS1 as the CDP. The 5As sitting on stock bookshelves!

The sound you say? FAR better than it should have been!

cnh

mhardy6647

The Monitor 5 family are just dandy... just dandy.

Re: the dorm comment - I told my wife that I had this nearly uncontrollable urge to put up the Farrah Fawcett red swimsuit poster... it just seemed 'right', somehow, y'know?

As to the speaker stands; may I just point out that they are scientifically tested and determined to be fit for purpose: I think that Matthew would've used them in lieu of the Polkstands himself but he ran into IP issues with Sealtest (or, in Baltimore, maybe the old Green Spring Dairy) ;-)

In (some) seriousness, the speakers sound far better uncoupled from the floor; the milk cartons work fine (and I used 'em to schlepp stuff to the apt. last summer when we sold the MA house).

jacks2start

all great setup idea's,,