Ok, I'll admit that some of Carver's technology sounds like something out of a Star Trek movie. Magnetic Field Amplifiers (MFA). Sonic Holography (SH). Asymmetrical Charge-Coupled FM Detector (ACCD). Huh?

Nonetheless, Bob Carver is known for making great amplifiers and, in this case, a receiver. The Carver MXR-2000 , also known as The Carver Receiver 2000,  is part of 'The Receiver' line from Carver. It started when Bob Carver designed no model number The Carver Receiver which in time became the MXR-130 and had 130 watts per channel. Next in line was the MXR-150 which was just an upgraded MXR-130 and had 150 watts per channel.  Then along came the MXR-900 and the MXR-2000.

The MXR-2000 can power most any speakers with 200 watts per channel and its above mentioned Asymmetrical Charge-Coupled FM Detector technology results in excellent FM tuning and separation. The Sonic Holography technology is said to give music extreme detail and soundstage. I believe the MXR-130 and MXR-150 both incorporated the ACCD and MFA technology while the SH tech was added in the MXR-900 and MXR-2000. The MFA technology reduced the need for large transformers and filter capacitors which resulted in a lighter receiver then you might expect for the power output.

While Carver receivers are known for their technology they are also known to have reliability issues. You'll find many threads on audio forums pertaining to the repair of Carver receivers. Still, they aren't too difficult to fix as the problems are mostly well known. Many vintage receivers will need work at one time or another and some of them just aren't worth the time or expense. The Carver receivers are, for the most part, worth it. In fact, I've seen repair kits on eBay specifically for the Carver receiver line. Hot running resistors, bad solder connections and plastic switching components are all weak spots in the Carver receivers. The MXR-2000 is known for the bad solder joints on the main board.

While the MXR-2000 did have a more modern look from the front it still had wood side panels that now give it a classic vintage feel. Carver has a pretty loyal following so his receivers and amps usually sell for good prices. The MXR-2000 sells for anywhere between $400.00 and $600.00 with parts units reaching $100.00. If you can find one that's already been serviced and had its weak links fixed then that is the way to go.

Carver MXR 2000 The Receiver 2000 With Remote
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Vintage Carver MXR 150 Magnetic Field Stereo Receiver Power Amplifier
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Carver MXR 130 2 Channel Receiver
	$49.99 Time Remaining: 3d 12h 35m

High Performance Voltage Regulator kit to update CARVER MXR 130 150 THE RECEIVER
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Onkyo's contribution to the Monster receiver genre is the Onkyo TX-8500.  It was Onkyo's top of the line receiver at the time and put out an under rated 150 watts per channel into 4 ohms and 110 watts per channel into 8 ohms. This line of Onkyo receivers including the TX-2500, TX-4500, TX-6500 and TX-8500 are all under appreciated units. The build quality, performance and features are all second to none. Onkyo was a little late to the scene with their monster receiver so it didn't receive the fanfare that the Pioneer and Marantz receivers received at the time but it is easily comparable. A later MK II version was released that had a digital tuner along with the analog tuner. As you can see below it is fairly easily distinguished from the original TX-8500 shown above.

Below are the specifications for the TX-8500.

The TX-8500 does not have an Aux input though it does have 3 Tape inputs so you shouldn't be short inputs. The amplifier section is one of the best around and the tuning section is no slouch either. This unit is big at 22-7/16” X 6-5/16” X 18” and weighs in at around 55 pounds.

As I mentioned above the vintage Onkyo receivers don't get as much attention as they deserve. Because of this you can usually get one for a very good price. Of course, they aren't that common either so you don't see them for sale all that often. Still, if you want a monster receiver but don't want to pay the extravagant Pioneer or Marantz monster prices then try an Onkyo. You can pick up a TX-8500 for $400-$500 in good working condition. The MK II's are a little more expensive but still a very good value.

ONKYO TX 6500 MKII TX6500 MK2 STEREO RECEIVER
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ONKYO TX 6500 MK II QUARTZ LOCKED STEREO RECEIVER
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ONKYO TX 6500 MK II QUARTZ LOCKED STEREO RECEIVER
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This Technics SA-225 receiver was made during the transition from the analog era to the digital era in the early 1980's. Similar to other receivers of that time it has both analog and digital features. As you can see it utilizes both an analog dial and a digital display for tuning. It looks to be kind of a half hearted attempt with the analog dial as it's really too small to be of real use. Obviously Technics wanted to make the move away from analog but didn't seem to want to shock customers too badly by making the transition too quickly.

Similar in many ways to the SA-222 the SA-225 puts out 35 watts per channel. Certainly not a top of the line model from Technics but it does have some nice features including a Quartz Lock tuner, push button tuning and separate Bass and Treble controls.

The SA-225 also has 7 memory preset buttons to store your favorite stations. This, of course, became a mainstay of many future digital receivers. The Auto Scan feature is another aspect of the digital revolution that became ingrained in later receivers. Simply turn the Auto Scan on and the tuner will automatically scroll through stations until it finds one with good signal strength.

Red and Green LED's were favorites of the transition era receivers. As you can see Technics used them on the SA-225 signal strength meter. Volume, Balance, and the Tone controls are all controlled with a knob while the rest of the controls are push button. Inside the unit it's pretty sparse. The battle over who could produce the biggest baddest receiver were coming to an end and consumers were looking more for value, features and compact size.

The Technics SA-225 is not top of the line but there are collectors who favor that generation of receivers. The Pioneer's and Sansui's garner most of the attention but this Technics receiver will still sell for around $150.00.

RARE VINTAGE Technics SA 7300X Receiver by Panasonic made in Japan MINT
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Vintage Technics CD4 Stereo AM FM Receiver SA 8100X Made in Japan
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TECHNICS SA 300 RECEIVER VINTAGE STEREO
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There is not a lot of information on this classic Kenwood KW-70 tube receiver from the early 1960's. It was also badged as a Trio WX-400 in Japan. As you know, Trio later came to be known as Kenwood. It was also possibly the higher end unit of the line since there was also a KW-44 and a KW-60.

The Kenwood KW-70 has a "Tuning Eye" which was somewhat popular in the older receivers of the time. Basically a horizontally mounted tube glows brighter as the signal strength gets stronger. The unit also featured stereo FM, separate bass and treble controls and a headphone output on the front panel.

The KW-70 uses fairly common tubes in the output section which is a plus as well. I believe it was advertised as having about 14 watts per channel but is probably closer to around 8-10 watts per channel.

As you can see the under side of this receiver is a rats nest of wiring. This unit has also had all the gray colored coupling capacitors changed out which is pretty much a necessity in this receiver.

Tube receivers are always popular with both collectors and audio enthusiasts. This receiver would also be in demand from mid-century collectors and decorators as well. Because of this prices are relatively high. A fully functional KW-70 can sell for over $500.00 with average units selling for about $300.00.

4 Mullard ECL82 6BM8 tube for Kenwood KW 44 receiver
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Kenwood KW 60 AM FM Stereo Multiplex Manual
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2 pcs TESLA 6H31 6BE6 EK90 NOS NIB TUBES FOR KENWOOD KW 60 FISHER 800 B
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This is the Pioneer SX-3900 which was Pioneer's top of the line Fluroscan receiver. It's the big brother to the SX-3800 and was introduced in 1980 at a retail price of about $800.00. It represents Pioneer's transition from analog receivers to the more contemporary digital receivers. In fact, the SX3900 basically has both analog and digital features. As you can see it has an old school analog tuning dial, the mechanism is mechanical, as well as a five digit digital tuning display. The displays use fluorescent bulbs hence the nick name fluroscan.

The blue fluorescent display is beautiful and one of the more iconic displays in vintage audio. Still, the FM Quartz Locked SX-3900 was not all looks. It pumps out 120 watts per channel with less than 0.005% total harmonic distortion and is built with quality engineering.  It also incorporates a non-switching amplifier.

You can see from the pictures that the SX-3900 has illuminated push buttons for certain functions as well. Some other features are:

• 2 high pass filters
• Tone turn-over controls for bass and treble
• Adapter loop switch
• FM de-emphasis
• Tape duplicate
• 2 phono inputs

Measuring in at 20.7 x 6.9 x 17.8 inches the SX-3900 is pretty big and weighs roughly 46 pounds. It is similar inside to the Pioneer SX-D7000 which, oddly, was on the market at the same time. The SX-D7000 moved even more toward the digital side and had all push button and slider controls and no analog dial.

It's a little hard to see in the picture but the SX-3900 has a large toroidal transformer that is tucked in on the left side and sits sideways like a tire as opposed to flat like most transformers. I suppose they had to economize on space given the number of features the unit has. You can also see the large heat sink in the middle. These units generate a lot of heat so it's not a good idea to stack anything on top of them.

The Pioneer SX-3900 represents the end of the analog era and the beginning of the digital era. And, being from one of the pre eminent audio companies of the time in Pioneer they are popular. However, I would say that, given the features, performance, and iconic nature of this receiver, they tend to be under valued. A good working unit will sell for $300.00 to $400.00 which is quite a bit under what other comparable receivers sell for. Of course, I did see one SX-3900 that was nearly mint and had been completely restored that sold for $1400.00. But, it had been fully recapped and had a LED lamp conversion as well. It was a VERY nice receiver.

Pioneer SX 880 SX 780 SX 3800 SX 3900 Power switch ASK 507 on off
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AAD 139 PIONEER KNOB TOGGLE CAP SX 3700 SX 3800 SX 3900 POWER FILTER LOUDNESS
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AAB 239 PIONEER KNOB BASS TREBLE POWER BAL VOL SX 3700 SX 3800 SX 3900 RECEIVER
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