If you have come to this page, we might share the same affliction. I really like the way the old audio gear looks and feels. The switches and knobs all have weight and reward your input with a mighty mechanical thump. During the receiver wars of the 1970’s I think it was all about seeing how many of these glorious switches, knobs and buttons they could put into a beautifully detailed face plate while also competing to see who could generate the most power. The receivers below are 2 great examples from the late 1970’s. The SX-1250 (bottom) offered 160 watts per channel and carried a power transformer that weighs 22 lbs and 4 22,000uf capacitors. The biggest power supply ever put into production. This same power supply was also used to power the SX-1980 that offered up 270 watts per channel.. Pause for grunt here! These wonderful devices were clearly designed and marketed in an age where the purchasing decision was based on an audition rather than the ability to get it with free shipping.
The lighting is warm and somehow calming no matter if it is the soft incandescent glow of an old Pioneer or the soft blue glow of a prized Marantz. While I completely understand the current movement to replace all incandescent lighting with LED’s, I just prefer the power consuming glow of the incandescent.
My personal toy, for now, is a 1976 Pioneer SX-750 that I bought off of Craigslist two years ago. It needed some major deoxing and some minor lighting and power supply fixes but it was a fun project that resulted in a pretty cool office system. The SX-750 was a mid level model outputting 50 watts per channel and weighs a hefty 32 lbs.
