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I think it’s the look. An Audiolab 6000 or Emotiva integrated is just a black rectangle with a knob. The old silver receivers had a window with depth that let you see the tuner, they had VU meters that bounced with the music, they had a tactile click of the knob and they had warm lighting that is pleasing to the eye. All comes together into something that is enjoyable. You could have all that or a black rectangle with a knob and a very basic LED display. We have been told that this is a “clean and beautiful” design, in reality it’s cheap and easy.

This has happened to anything vaguely collectible during the pandemic - those who kept working from home had money + nothing to do = impulse buys via internet or auction. Crazy prices for watches, cars, etc.

I just bought a 1970s 380wpc power amp(soundcraftsmen) with peak led lights for 75 bucks yesterday. Also bought a matching 10 band eq with pink noise generator and scan capabilities for 25 bucks. Both need cleaned up and possibly some transistors or capacitors, but so what?? They both sound fantastic and there's nothing like the cool factor of golden age hifi equipment!

Hahahaha. I'm an 'unmarried uncle' and I approve of this video! 👍😎 I love your work Randy. Thank you Sir.

I like it when Randy talks about how he enjoys the loudness control.

Music is about aesthetics and emotion, and the equipment (including the instruments that reproduce it in your room) is a big part of that. I love the glow of those '60s-'70s receiver dials (Pioneer, Kenwood, Harman-Kardon, Sansui and Sherwood made some beauts -- and there are some great-looking Realistics, too). I dig some of the comparatively minimalist front panels on thoughtfully designed integrated amps (say, Kenwood KA-8004 or KA-9100, Marantz 10xx, Sansui AU-xxxx) and separates with their analog VU meters (in amber or blue). I just don't want to have to look at those indifferently styled '80s-present black boxes with, maybe, one teeny red "on" light. (At least the Sansuis have silver knobs to snazz up the black faces -- and McIntosh has that elegantly cool black glass.) And I hate digital numerals anywhere, unless they're in old Russian Nixie tubes, which are analog anyway. I do have a Pioneer SA-708 (1979-80) that has the blue LED meters, and that one looks and sounds cool. So, yeah, I derive great comfort and pleasure from the vintage gear I coveted in my youth. A friend of mine who's a film professor has written about what he calls "the adolescent window," that period in your impressionable youth when everything is new and passions are intense, and he says the "imprinting" we do around that time naturally stays with us. The music, movies, cars, food, relationships we treasure at that time in our lives will always elicit powerful feelings.

If you want total old-school, you'd be using one of these old receivers or amps with big old horn-loaded Klipsch speakers, which are so efficient that you can damage your hearing with 20 watts per channel anyway. No need for the top-end power range in that case. I think one reason people are willing to pay a lot for these is that they're buying completely serviced units that are recapped, converted to LED illumination, cleaned, calibrated tuners, and so forth. Better than when they were new, in some ways. Keep in mind that these things are 50 or 60 years old, so there can be a lot of oxidation, corrosion, and other age and use wear.

Some silly people seem to think that what some sellers ask for a product on Ebay is the norm.

I think that boomers like myself are providing rather than buying the vintage gear on the market right now as they either downsize or pass away. I get nostalgic about the Kenwood and HK receivers I've had in the past but when I look them up on ebay I lose interest in owning them again because I remember all of the things that were starting to go wrong with them. I'm mostly nostalgic for my 1976 hearing. What's happened with Marantz, Pioneer and Sansui is insane.

In September 2021, I purchased a SX-1050 that was completely restored from source to output with premium parts in excellent physical condition for $1,500. That felt like a steal then and still does. I then purchased a custom black walnut cabinet to replace the original. It looks and plays like new, and better yet my wife LOVES that it’s vintage. It sits in our living room… and we’re both in our late 20s. Couldn’t be happier, I can’t wait to pass this down.

I have a Carver receiver 2000. Bought it used for 1200 bucks 35 years ago and had it repaired once for $100. It still sounds great to me with my new Mission speakers . Things were built to last back in the day!

Hi Randy, I absolutely love your channel! I continue to come back for knowledge and entertainment. The vintage audiobook Hit me hard about 5 years ago and has become an addiction. It was when it was much cheaper to be in this hobby and you could find some excellent deals. It gave me a chance to experience many different pieces of equipment. Many have come and gone and many have stayed. So many brands have a specific sound signature and I have fallen in love with 70s Sansui receivers and their AU integrated amplifiers. I had to break out into the modern world because I fell in love with streaming music and discovering so much that I have been missing living in a smaller town. I have used your links to buy products and everything you have recommended, I have totally fallen in love with. One set of speakers that sounds particularly good on my Sansui receivers are the Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ speakers. I have them hooked up to my Sansui 5000x and I'm in love with the sound. My current fascination is with DACs and I have several now. Synergy is a real factor in audio systems and it has been quite interesting to experiment with different combinations. Thank you so much for introducing me to affordable modern gear. I find your reviews very accurate and trustworthy. Keep doing what you are doing Randy!

I stumbled onto an early 1980s JVC receiver at my local Goodwill. It was $19.99 so I snagged it. Turns out it's 100W per channel and it sounds great with my 1980s JBL speakers. Nobody is looking for vintage JVC gear, but it's not bad.

Vintage audio is BY FAR much more attractive than the ugly ridicolous boxes of nowadays....all manufacturers MUST return to the BEAUTIFUL aesthetics of the 70's!!!!!

Availability is different on location. Where I live there are two guys that basically monitor the classifies (craigs/kijiji) and grab EVERYTHING worth anything to overturn. A couple months back someone posted a Yamaha 610 and matching tuner for $120. Only issue was the bulbs were out. Called within 36 minutes of the post and the guy had already grabbed it. 19 hours later they were back up on the same site with the bulbs replaced at $600.

Thanks Randy, love your take on the whole vintage thing going on. My experience has been it is a lot more to make one good than to buy one that is ready to play.

Things are worth what you can get for it. Cars, houses, dogs, and audio equipment. Best way to get a good deal is look around and have cash available. I've got some awesome deals being at the right place at the right time with money in my pocket. they can be very few & far between though.

While the prices are INEXCUSABLE, there is something to be said for repair-ability of these older electronics. Capacitors can be replaced. But when the logic board on my $600 onkyo that I bought in 2013 failed, it was landfill. One audio shop saved it for a few months by reflowing the board, but there are NIOI ought in 2013 failed, it was landfill. One audio shop saved it for a few months by reflowing the board, but there are NO spare parts, and three different audio shops said they've tried in the past and straight up couldn't save them. I'm all for spending a bit of money on items that can be maintained and restored.

I think you're spot on. I purchased several pieces of decent vintage gear in the early 2000s and their values have all pretty much outpaced inflation; another reason they've continued to climb is that they are good investments.

Hi Randy, great video, as always. Anything from the eighties or earlier that hasn’t had at least its electrolytic capacitors replaced is unlikely to sound like it did back in its heyday. I strongly recommend at least adding the cost of a full recap to stand a chance of hearing that true vintage sound. Electrolytic caps dry out, even if they’re not being used and many components fail due to being stored in unheated places such as attics, sheds and so on. I’ve bought amps from the eighties onwards from NAD, Marantz, Sansui and Musical Fidelity in the last two years. I’ve gone through them, replacing components such as transistors, capacitors, resistors, connectors and wiring to take crusty old underspec parts with much better new ones. They all sound so much better than they did, particularly the ones that didn’t work at all, and will likely go on sounding good for years. It’s fun too.

Local Goodwill stores rarely have decent electronics. They send everything to their headquarters and sell it on line. I have seen some good deals at local charity thrift stores that still sell at decent prices.

I just went to my local Goodwill today and purchased an early 1970s 'GE Stereo Music System' with a turntable & cover, amazing AM/FM stereo [that lights up], and an 8 track player. 2 big Panasonic thruster speakers included. Total of purchase was $15. Everything is the beautiful heavy polished metal knobs, body, etc. I plugged in the speakers in the store and turned on the stereo, the sound was so good that a guy heard it from the store and actually offered to buy it from me before I even got to the checkout counter! It's amazing. The sound is exceptional. I am 54, grew up with these. Maybe from a collector or purist standard it's junk but the sound is wonderful. It's in perfect shape as well.

Another point on eBay sellers, I always ask questions! Communication often indicates whether i will bid or not! Sometimes they answer questions in a convoluted way like they are hiding something. If no reply to a question, definitely no bid!

Randy, the totl monster receivers, have been really expensive for quite some time. Pioneers are reasonably priced until you reach the 80 watt+ models, then it quickly escalates. I had a SX 980, bought for 400 $ 4 years ago, it has now doubled in value. It's not because of the pandemic, but it HAS accelerated a bit..🤷‍♂️

Vintage prices are stoopid. I would love an old late 70's-80's receiver..even just to play with the build quality....but they are WAY too over-priced. You are so right on when the receivers turned "ugly", mid 80's - ish. Those older ones are gorgeous tho. Good advice here.

Awesome and honest video. I threw a 2270 in the garbage because they where going for $150.00 and it was cheaper to just buy another one. Im still kicking myself in the ass for that. Insane.

I have a Realistic sta 2080 and love it. I bought it for $50 on Marketplace. They said it didn't work but it powered up and received FM perfectly. When I opened it up to deoxit the controls I found a fried diode in the power supply bridge rectifier. The owner probably heard and smelled that component fry and wanted to sell it. I replaced all 4 diodes and it sounds and looks fantastic. I love the power meters. With 2 phono inputs and 2 tape and a aux input, I have all the connections I need. Realistic did make good stuff but isn't well regarded by audiophiles. Maybe they deserve another look. I wish I had my Marantz 2270 that I sold on ebay years ago but I feel this Realistic is a good replacement.

I used to own a vintage Pioneer receiver. Damn. I guess I shouldn't have thrown it in a dumpster. Whoops. But yes. People have lost their minds.

The cost of vintage receivers seems to have gone up more than the cost of vintage integrated amps or preamps and power amps. Since AM and FM are a wasteland anyhow, you might be better-served by looking for vintage separates, which also tend to wear better and be easier to repair (or replace, if they ultimately can’t be repaired).

Kenwood KA amplifiers from the 70s are still a steal (usually less than $400 - depending on the model). They sound amazing, they look amazing (all siver face plates and dials), and have really great phono stages. I own both the KA 3500 and the KA 7100. Both are beautiful visually and aurally. I have more modern equipment that is better/higher end, but still love these amps and cannot get rid of mine.

Holy crap, Randy!!!! That's a real sponsor!!! I nearly ship myself when I figured out you weren't spoofing us with updated Sith Audio graphics. Good on you, sir. Good on you.

Good one today Cheapaudioman! Keep em comin!

Great video, I just picked up a Pioneer SX-737 for a decent price from a Pawn shop via eBay. Still pricey, but less than what I probably would've spent on a nice class D. And way sexier.

Dude, you are too funny 😄.. Love your sense of humor.. Subscribed! 😁

Love your channel. I remember adopted father's old stereo set up he brought back from Vietnam with reel to reel tape deck. It glowed and was shiny and had a large sound. It really impressed me as a young kid. Time went on and I knew other people that had awesome stereos with cabinetry and glowing lights with dancing vu meters and rocking sound, whether Led Zeppelin or Brahms. Ended up with a Denon system and Def Tech tower speakers, and it is fine, but looks so sterile and generic compared to the beautiful industrial design of the 70's. I am lusting for a Sansui 7070, or 8080, or 9090, and boy have their prices shot up. Why don't modern manufacturers return to the vintage aesthetics with the modern internal electronics? There is just something about the metal and wood and glowing lights producing such marvelous sound.

Vintage Kenwood can still be found at a good price. One of the most underrated brands.

Great content Randy, thanks

This is a super helpful video. Thank you.

It is crazy. Nostalgia has to play a huge part. I love vintage audio. I had a Pioneer SX-780 and let it and some "house brand" Circuit City speakers go for peanuts - $150 - in 1986 because I wanted to "upgrade" to an AVR. Man I sure wish I had kept that thing! Electrical engineering equations and physics haven't changed that much since 1970 - LOL. But really, compare old stuff to new stuff (AB to AB topologies) and yes, you could get great deals on well-engineered products. But now, not so much. Would you rather get a 40 year old receiver with questionable innards that have aged (unless you spend $$$ on getting it refurbished) or a new Outlaw RR2160MkII for $1000? Yes, the styling of yesteryears stuff was beautiful - all that silver, gold, and glass, and the wonderful tactile feel of the controls. Maybe manufacturers of today's products should take note.

Had a neighbor growing up who was a hoarder and had stacks of audio receivers stored away, when he passed away they let me take stuff and I grabbed the ones I thought looked coolest, Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, etc. My entire set up now is just from trading that equipment and DIY. Currently run a NAD receiver, B&W two ways, Duel turntable, built preamps and tube amps for fun.

I bought locally two vintage receivers over the last few months, both in excellent physical and operational condition. I paid US$120 for a Nakamichi SR-2E (with Nelson Pass designed STASIS amp) and more recently, a Pioneer SX-626 for $180. The Pioneer externals are like new and the interior was immaculate. Both sound quite nice, the caps look good, and the pots were in good shape too. The STASIS amp on that Nakamichi is a stunner...I use it with my more sensitive IEM's (S12, Olina) because it has no detectable noise at low volumes. Both offer more than enough power for my use case...mostly headphones & IEM's...at most some bookshelf speakers. I did pay a little more for the Pioneer, but the man who sold it tested it in front of me at his home...the guy had magnificent equipment...Pioneer SX1050, Macintosh, Marantz 2230, Yamaha...etc. The man is a true audiophile and was proud to walk through all of his fantastic-vintage gear.

I've been an audiophile long enough to remember when all this "vintage" gear was new, and I owned quite a bit of it. I still think it's some of the best looking gear that was ever offered. Sound wise, you can find modern gear that meets or exceeds it easily. The real gripe I have is all the enthusiasts who insist on gutting otherwise functioning gear and replacing a whole slew of old semiconductors with modern equivalents. Sure, it still works, but those "old" semiconductors are part of what made the sound so special.

*I think you nailed it. And like you My STA 2080 is smokin' hot! Bought late 70's new by me, and had a buddy give me a pair of Realistic electrostat 2a's. Nirvana ...the feeling not the group.*

I love the warm sound of some of the vintage receivers I remember, but the dacs in my newer H/K 3490 and the general knowledge that it'll keep working for many years, keeps me from seeking out a cool old one. Ok, well, that and it was 200 bux used from a hippie.

I think receivers and amplifiers have been most affected by the vintage craze. But you can still find bargains. I just bought a vintage 1980 Philips pre-amp that is actually a Marantz made in Japan and I paid 109 Euro ($125,-) for it.

Great video! Also a useful tip would be to start looking at some “underdogs” brands that in fact only lost the marketing war during the 70-80s. Hitachi, Toshiba, Kenwood, Akai for exemple did really impressive piece of hifi. I personally would take a small Hitachi HA-330 WAY before a famous Marantz 1060 or any pioneer i can think of. Toshiba and Hitachi had much more knowledge than most of the “cool” hifi brands. Some Toshiba and Hitachi models i wont mention here can flat out make you cry so much they got great musicality, presence and dynamics.

Great as always Randy! Just bought my first 2 channel system JBL Stage A130 and Cambridge AXA35. Where should i go from here?

Just picked up a SX-780 for my den and am getting an sx-580 from the same guy soon for my living room. $450 for the 780 and it is in absolutely amazing shape, looks like it just came out of the box. It was part of a collection and wasn't used much.

I like to buy non-working units with good cosmetics. Usually I replace all electrolytic capacitors, known, "noisy", transistors, re-grease and replace the mica insulators on the output transistors, get all of the lighting working, set bias and DC offset or balance, depending on the unit, for $75-$150 in parts. If I like it more than something I currently have, I sell something. When redone correctly and thoroughly, they will last a looooong time.

Also you may want to check out your local used record store. I recently purchased a pioneer SA 6700 silver faced, wood sided amp with VU meters everything worked they wanted 150 I walked out of there paying 120 for it. It is absolutely beautiful. At 35 W per channel it doesn’t command the prices of the high-powered rigs but honestly hooked up to my new Polk ES 20s I can’t really put it above 3 to 4 without bringing complaints down from upstairs. It is extremely clean and sounds great. 35 W is fine for my situation. Also most of the vintage stuff has capability to A.B. speakers. newer gear seems to not have that feature at the entry level.

I have a vintage JVC AS 44 with vu meters, cost £150 so 170 bucks . It sounds wonderful not capped original that was basically never used . Slight lack of inputs though 🙂 oh had to look up sub sonic switch .

I am glad I decided to buy a vintage HIFI receivers about 10 years ago when prices were reasonable, I first bought a Pioneer SX1250 for a fraction of what you would pay today. I love it and use it as the centre piece of my main living room hifi. I then got the bug and also purchased a Marantz 2226 black face, which is in my office, and then a Sansui 2000X for my bedroom system. As wanted to have good examples of Pioneer, Marantz and Sansui to compare. I like them all. Anyway, you can still find bargains, recently bought a Pioneer PL-630 turntable for 200 bucks off of EBay. I’m now putting together a vintage quadraphonic system. It’s an addiction. 😀

Concept receivers, specifically the lower-to-mid-wattage models, like the 2.5, 3.5, or 4.5, can still be found in good condition for not-obscene amounts of money. Concept was the house brand of Pacific Stereo, and the receivers they made are very highly regarded. They don't have the name recognition of Pioneer or Marantz, and weren't as pretty (though still nice looking), so they're not as sought after (except for the higher wattage models, which are kind of legendary and fetch ridiculous prices). As Randy mentions, the Yamaha CR-620 and CR-820 can also be found for reasonable prices, and those are outstanding receivers when in good, functioning condition.

Thanks Randy, enjoyable piece with lots of sound advice as usual. Prices are definitely going up considerably for vintage electronics (not so much vintage speakers though) but there are still some good deals to be had. Crazy prices seem to be the order of the day for certain well known brands - Marantz, Sansui, Yamaha and Pioneer - but some brands don't get much love and prices reflect that: Toshiba, Hitachi, JVC, and even Sony vintage stuff hasn't got crazy expensive (yet).

Ah Yes, the "Marantz Tax" has hit the rest of the vintage community

Hey Randy, love the channel. Im looking at getting a vintage receiver. as a teenager my first stereo was a fantastic pioneer sx-680. I remember as a kid loving the Marantz, Pioneer and Yamahas. In Canada a 50 watt Marantz runs $950+ the equivalent pioneer $650-700 and the Yamaha $350-400. Is the Yamaha a bargain compared to the others. Going to check out a cr-820 next week. fully cleaned and refreshed.

My STA 2300 still going strong at 40 years. I'm just getting back into 2 channel now that the kids have moved on. I did the whole surround sound thing for years but while that's great for watching movies it's left me feeling unfulfilled. Looking for a good tube preamp that also has a volume control...cause yeah, I've reached that more sedentary age. I dig your channel dude. You so remind me of some of my buddies.

Great advice!

Just got a Realistic STA-2700 in mint condition, remote, papers and all for $80.00. Works great and sounds good too.

My next door neighbor has one of those Pioneer beasts that her husband purchased while in the Navy in Japan. It's pristine and works great. She won't let it go because it reminds her of her husband.. I get it. It's matched up with some Bose speakers and man it sounds like freakin' heaven with the vinyl... even if all she listens to is Neil Diamond..lol

I have to agree with you completely on this video. I used to sell HIFI equipment in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At that time, Marantz, Kenwood, Pioneer, and Technics equipment was sold in volume HIFI discount stores and discount appliance stores. Hi-End Audiophile specialty stores sold Luxman, Yamaha, Harman Kardon, and Onkyo. Retailers made pennies on electronics and made their profits selling speaker wire, cartridges, and accessories. The brands that have survived were the ones that were sold in the highest volume. At the time they were sold, they were not highly regarded. I bought lots of vintage equipment a few years to get back into audio after having had to leave all my equipment during a move. I agree that modern equipment is a better value even if it doesn't look as cool as vintage. I have watched the prices go up. The prices have nothing to do with the audio quality of the products. Many collectible speakers are simply not that great. If someone wants to get great value, there are still American-made speakers that are really cheap. If someone is willing to repair the foam on older speakers, they can really get some great value. I do not understand the high price people are willing to pay for vintage Japanese branded speakers while some really highly praised vintage loudspeakers can still be had cheaply. I saw a pair of Dalquest 10s go for $400.00 the other day. I was buying older Epicure and Genysis Physics speakers but the prices have been going up. One tip -- look for bigger and heavier speakers being sold in remote locations. You might have to drive a couple of hours. Speakers that are too heavy to ship and farther away from population centers are often sold cheap because they are taking up too much space. While the EPI 100 goes for $200 or more, I got a pair of EPI 400+s for $80.00. I got three pair of Genesys IIs for under $50 each pair.

Picked Up a Realistic 2100d for $500, all serviced & lighting is great, it’s an absolute monster & I love the look of it. 👍🏻

I got my Sansui P-L50 linear tracking turn table from shopgoodwill for $50. Had to replace the belts, but it works great. I know it's not the top of the line. But I sure can't complain. I actually found my Sherwood Tuner/AMP sitting on the curb. Guy said it didn't work. I has worked great for me.

JA - Just Audio Forget the town. Up in the N.E. corner of the USA. They also have a KZfaq channel. They have a complete shop - new - used - vintage & repair. The prices are NOT cheap - tho I believe everything for sale has been thru the service shop. They do a good bit of research when they do a - Featured - piece of vintage gear.

I bought a dirty and dusty Yamaha ca-x1 for 70 USD. Brought it home and cleaned the silverface and blew the dust off inside the chassis. Deoxited the pots and put it back together and plugged it in and hooked up the source and speakers. Crossed my fingers. NO ISSUES!!!! It sounded great!

Hola estimado. Excelente trabajo y todo el aporte. Gracias..!!!

I had to move three years ago and didn't want to bother getting my non working Sansuii AU717 fixed. Threw it in the dumpster. After watching this........AHHHHHHH! The good news is i have 2 Aiyima A07's working in 2 different systems and love them!

I just sent my sx850 pioneer in for a rebuild a month ago... Can't wait! :-). Bought it 20+ yrs ago for $150....

I totally agree! I did the same thing when I was growing up, and I like realistic as well, they made some nice stuff.😉

I'm glad I've never been that crazy about the silver face stuff. They're cool and all, but I've always been more of a 70s Harman/Kardon man. I own a 330c that my father bought new, a 330B and a 930 Twin Powered. I love the looks and the sound!

The 1980 goes for so much because (1) they're rare, (2) those of us of a certain age used to lust after them when we were younger, (3) it's the best and most well-known vintage receiver ever, and (4) because almost nothing made today can keep up in the looks or the performance department. I've repaired a lot of them, and repair vintage audio gear for a living to this day, but I still can't afford a 1980!

I tried the vintage audio trip. Bought some good stuff on eBay, and now it's junk in the garage. It's too expensive to spend that much on old electronics that WILL fail. I eventually gave up on vintage and bought a brand new Cambridge Audio amp w/CD Player, an Audio-Technica turntable, and Klipsch speakers for ~1500. For what I spent on respectable vintage gear that turned out to be crap, I could have bought my modern system three times. Vintage is just not worth it unless you've got money to burn.

About 2004 I got my Pioneer SX 1250 at a pawn shop for $400 and the same year I got my Sansui DB 9090 on eBay for $250 shipped. Back then I thought I was paying too much

I just bought a Sumo Delilah Electronic crossover from Mort's tv out of Levittown,PA. They service and sell vintage gear. I like your KZfaq show. Manny

Back in the 90s my brother who is older than me get into Stereo's and he said that he remembered that he had went into a thrift store after work one day and they had pioneers, Yamaha's, Marantz stocked up on the wall where the electronics were and they were letting them go for $15 apiece. How i regret maturing into this hobby at this time, I mean I could've made a fortune.

You can still get a good deal on some great receivers, just not Marantz, Pioneer, or Sansui. A Harman Kardon Twin Power, 630, or 730 is better than the Pioneers IMO, and the prices are...reasonable. They also have gorgeous, clean looks.

Sleepers: Harmon kardan x30 series from the 70’s. Also Nikko from the 70’s. Both of those are still relatively reasonable and they sound just as good as pioneer and marantz. Especially the HK’s. I have a 730 and it’s such a sweet romantic sounding receiver. Both these brands are not difficult to find and can be repaired or recapped if necessary

It is because of us reaching back for our good old days. Price rising with demand. But I do believe some sellers have replaced vital parts so they have spent a few dollars updating Caps etc. Good subject. Thanks, Randy.

For me the classifieds like Craigslist and kijiji have helped me put together a couple of good vintage systems. The key is to shop around, know what your looking for and know when to be picky or walk away. I've gotten some great items dirt cheap. For instance I recently got a Realistic STA 460 for 50 Canadian and it works perfectly.

Vintage is cool. But wow, the prices here in the Midwest are crazy. Awesome video.

Last receiver I bought from goodwill website was a Denon avr-3803 for 40 dollars..missing volume knob..works perfectly.

I have bought many dozens of different pieces of vintage audio gear in the last 10 years; much of it from ebay. All the speakers I have bought (many) have worked as they should. Based on my experience, speakers might be the safest buy. A few of them did not last that long though. Two phono cartridges out of 8 were no good; both with sound in only one channel. Phono cartridges might be among the riskiest used buys. Sellers description of "I have no phono stage anymore" can be a convenient excuse. Still; 3 out of 4 isn't bad. Never had any major problems with buying stereo tuners used, or cd players used. There have been 4 or 5 bad cassette decks out of 14. They might be the riskiest buy used; because of all the mechanical parts. It's good to buy extra cassette decks, because 2 or 3 years of good service might be the average. Reel to reel decks might be built a little better than cassette decks; they usually sound better. They are among your riskier buys used also, again because of all the mechanics involved. Of the dozen or so amplifiers that I bought, 8 out of the 10 were good. Scratchy, static-y volume controls are to be expected on around half of them perhaps. It's best to get them checked out for leaking DC current, which can ruin your speakers. Your speakers fed DC current from the amp, sometimes do a strange 10 second or so high frequency whistling sound, before they bow out for good. Again, if buying used vintage, maybe 3 years of good service on average before your amp might need a repair. Capacitors dry out etc. But with all that money saved buying used, it is probably worth it. It's nice to go to something different sounding anyway; especially if it is as good or better. Headphones, I have only run into one lemon in my buying. So based on my vast experience of buying used vintage audio, the percentages are definitely in your favor. But getting something not working right is not too too rare. I try to buy from sellers with confidence inspiring feedback. Otherwise my percentages might not be the norm. Generally speaking, vintage stuff seems like it's built better. The supposed more advanced technology of today, might be more hype than reality on many things. In some cases there might be more advanced technology in play, but cutting corners and cost on build quality could play against it and even negate it sometimes. It's not just what is inside a piece of gear, but how well it is built. Stuff that is built better, just might sound better. So don't automatically assume that "newer is better"; or that it's using more advanced technology. Even if it is, it might not be built as good as a lot of vintage gear. I personally think stuff that looks like it is built better, usually sounds better. Because of higher shipping costs, the transformers they give you in much of today's equipment are smaller and less beefy than in much vintage gear. Transformers are one of the most important things in any kind of audio component. Lots of great vintage gear out there. Had my first experience A/B-ing the same interconnect with RCA connectors on one end vs. the same cable with 5 pin balanced connectors on one of its ends. The one with the balanced connectors sounded better. It is a more sophisticated and secure electrical connection. The standard connection in Europe, I don't know why RCA plugs predominate hear. There is more low level detail and a better sense of continuity with the balanced connectors. Make sure you look for the right ones. Some have 5 pins, some have 3 pins, and some may have a higher number of pins than that. They use better connectors in Europe and higher voltages also. Most of the great gear throughout the years has been designed there and in Japan.

Just picked up a Realistic STA-2380 for $75 on ebay with free shipping. Found an Infinity BU-2 subwoofer for $35, and a Pioneer PL-S50 direct drive turntable for $45 at resale shops. I also found a Realistic TR-3000 reel to reel deck that I found from a local repair guy for $200. I'm keeping my eye out for a good couple of speakers, but right now I have them connected to the pair of Realistic Mach One speakers I have had since they were new in the early '70s. If I sound like a Radio Shack fan, I am. I worked there as a store manager in the 70's. We had great stuff back then ( and some duds too). I also stll have a dozen Minimus 7 speakers used around the house as surround and Atmos speakers.

I found a yamaha AV-50 integrated (1988) for $75 free shipping. Rated 105 wpc, it's my best piece of vintage gear, very powerful nice sound. It has rear surround with on/off switch, I don't use the surround.

I love my vintage pioneer equipment but have acquired a few pieces of MCS and for the money that stuff sounds great!

I use my vintage stuff as decoration. Love the lights

I got my son a Yamaha Aventage reciever $1200 msrp for $210 and it had all the accessories and looked new and sounded amazing

I once had Pioneer HPM100 speakers. $300 bought when stationed on Okinowa. Most awesome speakers ever with real wood veneer. Old beat up ones in need of repair now listing for over $1000. Wish I still had those.

The reason I bought vintage was because the same quality new cost a fortune. Now that vintage costs a fortune, I am selling and buying new. Vintage does NOT sound better than new if you can afford the new that is quality. Thanks trend. Great video.

Yes, price of vintage has more than doubled in the last 2 years, nostalgia?, pandemic?, looks?, collectors?, dealers?, good/great sound? Need to go back to basics with fully analog gear v/s super high tech stuff? Maybe a combination, and don't leave out some younger generations who think vintage stuff is just "cool". More demand and prices go up as it is the case with used vinyl. I bought a Pioneer SX550 2 years ago for $150.00 including shipping and just serviced, now they're almost double or more. Only rated at 20 WPC but at 4 or 5 is already very loud but clear with no distortion, plus the very much loved "loudness switch"!. I have done nothing to it except replace the wood side panels with real oak. I use it daily and I love those "looks" especially at night. I fixed a Sony cassette deck, maybe it's time to connect them together and make tapes, again, to listen to in a couple of older cars still with a tape player. A vintage play list! Great review, Mr. Randy.

Hey man, I love your content, I'd like to send you one of my vintage carver amps that I had restored to modern spcs. to review if you want. It's A TFM 35x carver Amp. Just let me know. Awsome channel. All my gear is carver and have loved it since when I bought it while i was in the military. I had a friend bring by a modern age amp because he said that no way mine would compare, well he left very said. LOL....I still believe in old equipment. Stay safe.

Audio Classics in Vestal, NY is excellent

I bought stereo equipment in the 70's and stayed with with it all this time. Sansui AU 7900 integrated amp, Pioneer TX 8500 II Tuner that are now connected to JBL 100T speakers I purchase in 1985. Nirvana Unplugged in NY sounded great yesterday. Needles to say. Nothing is for sale.

I got my 70s kenwood kr-3400 for 80$ and it plays perfectly and got a set of bic venturi formula 4s for 50$ and a teknics cast aluminum direct drive turn table for 60$ great setup that works. The receiver is even a silverface

I picked up an Oppo OPDV971H for $5 and Oppo BDP 83 for $17 at Goodwill. Both work and in excellent cosmetic condition. Wish me luck.

Picked up Onkyo TX-4500mkII, JVC QL-F4 direct drive turntable (both mint) and 2pairs of KLH model 23 (rough shape) all working wonderfully for $350 local CL.

I have a beautiful Magenta 2230 and it, and it's Mono switch, powers my mono system, wonderful and rich. A few have tried to buy it but I can't let it go. I purchased it new as a teen it would take a lot of cash to take it. I've turned down $750 so this may be some of the reason for high prices.

The WAF can also be a consideration when acquiring vintage gear. Our dining room is wood paneled from the Golden Age (French-polished oak everywhere, ceiling beams, etc.) and has lots of antiques and family heirlooms from the 18th and 19th centuries. I wanted to add a modest sound system, all of which would live atop a late 18th century Sheraton-style sideboard. None of the sound system could clash, said the wife. All the current black-box gear looked wrong-wrong-wrong. But I found a lovely, silver-faced and walnut-veneered wood encased Kenwood amp from the 1970's. Perfect! Granted, I had to settle for a pair of modern small speakers - I've been told to hide them in veneered cases that will look like miniature KLH Model 6's. Right after I completely rebuild that Kenwood amp. Even now, with its venerable, out-of-spec electrolytics and sketchy transistors, the sound can't be beat. It deserves to live another fifty years - Kenwood isn't making any more of them.

One of the main reasons I bought a vintage Pioneer SX 780 for $500 is because it was in great shape, had the original box and owners manual, sounds great, and because a buddy of mine sold his Pioneer SX 1250 for $250 a little over ten years ago. Have you seen the price they’re going for lately? The SX 780 is much too powerful for my room, but I’m loving it.