Our Top 5 Vintage Stereo Receivers You Can Score For Under $300!!!

Elite-ist

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#5
Thanks for the video. I watched it when it popped up on my feed a few weeks back, as I am a subscriber to Skylabs Audio. I have the Onkyo TX-1500 MKII and a Yamaha CR-420 which is a step up from the CR-400. I got both of these receivers from my local thrift stores for under $25 CAD each. As far as the harman kardon receivers - don't count them out, as they are known for having ample dynamic headroom and that's why they can deliver much more than their rated power output on dynamic peaks.



The lights need replacing on the Yamaha CR-420.


Nando.
 

krellmk

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#8
Thanks for the video. I watched it when it popped up on my feed a few weeks back, as I am a subscriber to Skylabs Audio. I have the Onkyo TX-1500 MKII and a Yamaha CR-420 which is a step up from the CR-400. I got both of these receivers from my local thrift stores for under $25 CAD each. As far as the harman kardon receivers - don't count them out, as they are known for having ample dynamic headroom and that's why they can deliver much more than their rated power output on dynamic peaks.



The lights need replacing on the Yamaha CR-420.


Nando.
Gonna visit the store next time i go across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
 

Elite-ist

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#14
These are the perfect-sized receivers to gift to family and friends for a starter stereo system.

I've given and sold many receivers in this power output range. Mostly, people want to get back into playing records and tapes, since they got rid of their gear long ago.

Nando.
 

8991XJ

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#18
The HK sounds very good. I had one in the sound room hooked up to speakers and it was my go to radio. One button and I'm listening, not big rig to fire up.

Sold the Onks back in the day, before the 2000 mentioned above but the x500 series and these were nice. For three bills one could find a TX-2500 II with 40 a side bumped from 27 for the not II version.

Sansui had the 221, 331 and maybe even the 441 as weaklings in the line. The 331 I picked up was rated 12wpc from 40-20kHz cause it didn't have the oomph to do the deep bass. But it had a very dark sound to it. Use for TV sound for a bit before it found a home.

Chip had his SX-434 here. That thing ran out of power as it was turned on. Couldn't drive much at all. These were ported speakers, too for the neighbor kid. Swapped to a 50watter and he grinned from ear to ear with the added power.
 

Elite-ist

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#19
I have found and bought many vintage receivers that are in the under-50 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo) class.

Notable ones would be:

Sherwood S-7100A
harman/kardon hk 380i
Realistic STA-90
Pioneer SX-680
Fisher 304

Nando.
 

WOPL Sniffer

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#20
Our daily driver up here in the Living Room is the SX-3700 Pioneer and it's 40+WPC and I see nice examples for under the $300 target. This one is in near mint shape and I got it for $250. Sounds excellent through the Klipsch VB15's (I want another pair).

The "Under $300" list is going to be HUGE. I don't know how they whittled it down to those 5 when we have found better choices.


Poi3700.jpg
 
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