Audiophiles, a minute of your time please.

[JoeB]

The amp on my state of the art circa 1980's stereo system bit the dust.
It was a Sony TA-AX500, 80 watts/channel
Looking for a new one but am confounded by current offerings.
I don't need a 2000 watt, wireless remote controlled unit that communicates online.
I need simple to run phono, cd and a graphic equalizer.
Suggestions appreciated.
Minimal Guzzi content, cheap would be nice.
Thanks.

[molly]

If you were in the UK finding a good old fashioned uncomplicated amp would be easy. For the money Cambridge Audio offerings are hard to beat, if you can buy them where you live.

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en

[Murray]

Unless you are looking for an excuse to buy a new one its most likely something associated with the power supply and is repairable and yes 1980's stuff is considered vintage. What is best for you can really only determined buy you. If the shop is any good you should be able to take your music in the format you listen to it and they will do their best to match the standard of your phono CD player and speakers. Pick the one you like the best I have an archaic Marantz PM80 which were in production for around 15 years (on a consumer good) would recommend if you can find one works best with krix speakers hanging off it though which apparently can be a bit pricey in the USA.

[kingoffleece]

You'll most likely need a good preamp to run the phono.  Built in ones in most receivers are really poor and that's if you can find one.
As for the EQ, good luck finding a pre-amp in section on any moderately priced receiver.

That said, Denon and Yamaha do offer some very serviceable units at fair pricepoints.

[kingoffleece]

Yep.  The older Marantz stuff was very nice indeed.

[twowings]

NAD makes great basic gear



https://nadelectronics.com/

[brider]

I recently acquired a Rotel RSX-(???) receiver for free (had to have it fixed because it wouldn't turn on, shop said it was an easy fix and charged me $150). It was an early 2000-vintage I believe, like 6 channels (or more), home-theater capable, etc. Beautiful case and display, MANY features I'd never use, but I thought I'd compare it to the sound of my old Pioneer SX-880 that I've been using continuously since new (80's vintage) with my Denon turntable.

The sound was noticeably more "thin" and not-nearly-as-good as my old Pioneer, and I switched back and forth a couple of times. Working with the bass/treble settings worked a little, but the bottom line was the Rotel was far too complicated and required too much "work" to get it to sound as good as my Pioneer, so I sold the Rotel.

Guy bought the Rotel to replace his broken Rotel of the same model #, so he was happy and I broke even.

[Sheepdog]

+1 on Cambridge Audio. I use one of their Bluetooth stereos in my shop. The sound is great and operation is intuitive. My son is in the high-end audio business...things are different than they were in the eighties.

[ratguzzi]

Very pleased with this.
JB

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y15DWXZ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[mjptexas]

NAD makes great basic gear

https://nadelectronics.com/

Second that suggestion.   Also look at Rega.  However, I'm the wrong person to ask about this if you have budget constraints.  I'd stay away from the 'vintage' stuff.  I know a lot of people swear by the oldies, but that gear isn't in the same league with the new offerings.  If you are into vinyl you may have to buy a phono pre-amp to get quality sound.

[Zoom Zoom]

As Murray noted, it very likely can be repaired if that is what you prefer.

As for newer stuff, there are merits to that as well. For quite some time, I had been buying Onkyo, but the newest receiver I owned had problems with the HDMI board going out. (Many models suffered from this.) It was a known issue that they fixed twice. When it went out the second time, I had it repaired but gave it to my daughter for free and bought a Marantz receiver to replace it. (I actually bought the Marantz before I got the Onkyo back. That was how disappointed I was in the brand.) When I bought the Onkyo it was the very top of their line so you can imagine my ire. I don't know if they have resolved this or not.

If you are looking at new receivers, you need to pay attention to the connections. Some have a phono connection and some do not. I stepped far enough up in the Marantz line to also get some of their circuitry that does a very fine job with music as compared to the nearest Denon  counterpart. Marantz uses something called HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) technology found on their Reference Series components if you step up high enough in the lower models, which is what I did. I must say it does an exceptional job with music. Some say the Denon is better for movies but if music is your preference, the Marantz is the preferred of the two. Another thing I appreciate is the newest Audyssey MultEQ XT32, which sets the delays and levels on the speakers to optimize the sound. Gone are the days of using an SPL meter to set levels and measuring distances to set delays.

I will add that I have an affinity for multi channel sound, and there is music out there to take advantage of that. Some has been remastered and remixed to take advantage of that. Just about anything redone by Stephen Wilson will sound fantastic. Aqualung comes to mind. Dark Side of the Moon was meant to be 5.1 and it blows you away. There is a lot of music out there that was recorded with the intent of being multi channel even though it was not originally released that way. DTS-X, Dolby Atmos, and Auro 3D are the most current formats for sound, but I'm getting off track.



If you are looking at new receivers, most places have a rear view of the one you're considering. Make sure you see a phono connection and you should be good. You generally need to step up above the lowest price offerings to get it though. Do your homework before you buy. I always look at the back, (rear view), to see if they have all the necessary connections that I need for my legacy stuff. Often, you can also download the manual and see what it does. Shop Crutchfield and the manufacturers sites for details.

If you locate a repair shop nearby, they may be able to give you an estimate which will be deducted off the repair price should you decide to move forward with repairs. Start with Google and look for electronic repair shops near you, and/or check for manufacturer authorized places either take or send your equipment. Of course sending it is a pain but it may be your only option.

If you decide to look at a new Marantz or Denon, PM me and I can point you in a direction that will save you a couple bucks.

John Henry

 

[bad Chad]

What, aren't you happy to listen to your tunes through an iPhone like so many of our youth?

[Zoom Zoom]

There are three of your Sony amp for sale on e bay for 125 to 175 bucks.

John Henry

[huub]

if you like what you had , get it rebuilt, you wont beleive what can be done.
if you want simple , you might do as i did , i bought a vintage quad 303/33/fm3 set, and had it professionally rebuilt. (pretty affordable)
As simple as you can get it , and on my ESS electrostatic speakers, can match most of the modern stuff as far as sound is concerned.

[Zoom Zoom]

What, aren't you happy to listen to your tunes through an iPhone like so many of our youth?

Boy if that isn't dripping with sarcasm, I don't know what is. I like it though. I guess I'll have to go back and "like" you now.

I will say though, music on a phone and a small speaker fits well on the bike and provides music in places other then your living room. Some nice background music around a camp fire is always welcome.

John Henry

[screamday]

I bought a Marantz SR6006 when they first came out......2011-2012? The sound quality is great but I have been very disappointed with the user interface. Between the on screen menus and the remote control it is not very user friendly and the manual is very hard to follow......in my opinion. It took a while to get set up and I bought a Logitec Harmony remote to use for the whole system. Once I had it set up, using the Harmony, I left it and it has been that way ever since with the exception of replacing my TV once since I bought the receiver.
It has plenty of HDMI ports and other connections for all the crap I have connected to it and I do like that it has speaker zones. I set up speakers on my deck and I can listen to music outside on the deck while my wife watches TV in the house. Another thing I didn't like is that it will not pass HDMI through to the Zone speakers only analog sound, but I mostly use it to stream internet music so not a big deal.  When streaming internet radio stations, it seems to have a problem staying connected to the internet (using a wired connection) and it will drop the station occasionally. I have not been able to correct that.

[earemike]

https://vaf.com.au

[dguzzi]

I can fix you up with a Kenwood 70's era.  100$ or best offer.  Certainly not new but its less worry.  Message me for model info.

[Toecutter]

I use a Rega amp for my turntable and aux needs. Has 5 inputs, works great, looks good, compact and perfect for my needs.

[PeteS]

If it was mine I would fix it. The early Sony, late '60s to early '70s was excellent. Maybe not state of the art design but they used quality components. I had a TA-2000 pre amp from new for about 15 years, then sold it to a friend who is still using it. Never had to clean the controls. They remain scratch free to this day.
The only Marantz worth having is the early stuff from the '60s to early '70s when Sol Marantz owned it. After Sony bought them it dropped a few tiers.
I am still amazed Mcintosh is still making the same stuff they made in the '60s with the price keeping pace with inflation, just out of reach.

Pete

[AJ Huff]

Find a Goodwill, buy another one.

-AJ

[rider33]

the big box stuff right now is pretty bad,  �follows the digital sound file drift of the market where most people really don�t know what good sound is anymore.  Mid fi manufactures tho still make some really nice stuff, look for brands like NAD, Rega, Creek, Cambridge Audio, Parasound etc.  The problem is, most speciality retailers have been driven out of business by the dumbing down of the audio market (no virgina, your 2� computer speaker or your bluetooth thing are NOT high fidelity, just heavily processed to make you think they are) .  If there is not a speciality shop in your area I would give these guys a try:

http://www.audioadvisor.com/ssearch.asp?txtsearch=integrated+amplifier

[not-fishing]

On a different note, my youngest taught me to get rid of the stereo and just go to an ipod with good headphones.  After years if shooting, construction and a recent bought of hearing loss (reverse slope) the higher quality is wasted on me.

[rider33]

PS- power ratings mean next to nothing.  A good, honest 30 watt amp like say a NAD will general sound better and and play louder than a 50-100 watt big box store amp where the rating is made into a resistor.  Real speakers present complex loads, real amps are designed with range and head room to handle them. 

[blu guzz]

I have been in the audio hobby as long as the motorcycle hobby.  I also agree that NAD makes very basic components that are executed very well and have been for decades.  They sound good, are simple to operate and reasonably priced.  Also, those old 70's bruisers tended to be massive.  The NAD equipment is the opposite of that taking up only the size as is necessary. Good luck.



Now, that's a turntable mate. (Crocodile Dundee paraphrased)

[craigclu]

I'll drop another name...  Adcom.  Their gear will approach most audiophile's basic needs and used stuff on eBay is very affordable.

[pehayes]

Now here's a turntable.  BASIS.  Set you back about 150K.

http://audiograffiti.com/my-product/basis-work-of-art/

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[roadscum]

I recently decided to simplify my A/V set up and replaced my receiver(Demon) and speakers(B&W) with a  KEF LS50 wireless music system. Later I may add a sound bar for theTV, maybe, maybe not. On the KEF each speaker had has two built in amps(bi-amped) for a total of 230 watts/channel and the system has an excellent DAC. Most of my music is streamed from Pandoria  or played on the CD player with an input into the KEF.  I no longer need a radio. Take a look, maybe you'll lke what you see: https://www.kefdirect.com/speakers/flagship-hi-fi-speakers/ls50/ls50w-powered-music-system.htmlthink you may be interested

The Denon AVR-2309CI is available on the cheap. If you think you may be interested let me know. Same for the B&W's, two 601's and a LCR60 S3.

Paul

[trippah]

If you are near to Syracuse NY, try these guys https://www.hionfi.com/  Its what they do.  Best of luck.

PH:  315 396 5311

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'll drop another name...  Adcom.  Their gear will approach most audiophile's basic needs and used stuff on eBay is very affordable.

Yeah, I've had Adcom separates for years. Uh, many years, come to think of it.  Still sounds great.