Classic Receivers

Produced from 1972-1974 the Sony STR-7065 is a nice looking, aesthetically well balanced, receiver. It's Direct coupled power amp produces 60 watts per channel. It retailed for about $550.00 and was a direct competitor with Pioneer, Marantz and McIntosh.

The brushed aluminum face, beveled knobs and green dial give it a sophisticated look. The sleek optional wood case is well designed too.

The older Sony receivers fly under the radar these days and are underrated by most enthusiasts. The performance of the STR-7065 compares favorably with all the other top end receivers of its era.

Some of the features include:

Inputs for phono and aux
2 Tape outputs
Seperate tone controls for each channel
High and low filters
Loudness compensation
Preamp and power amp input
Headphone jack
Optional wooden cabinet.
Outputs for 3 sets of speakers

The build quality is excellent though it does tend to encounter some problems due to age. The green dial face loses its color, probably because of heat buildup around the lamps at the edge of the dial. The power switch can also fail due to heat related issues. So, be on the lookout for these potential problems when purchasing one.

The Sony STR-7065 measures 18.5 x 6.2 x 14.8 and weighs almost 34 pounds.

Overall the early Sony receivers are excellent. If you find one in good working order you will most likely not be disappointed. A really nice one should run about $250 to $400.

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The Technics SA-800 is one of Technics by Panasonics' higher end models. It has the classic Technics look with dark insets around the knobs and warm glow of the tuning dial. The red and green program and power level LED's give it a colorful visual effect.

The SA-800 produces 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms with no more than 0.04% total harmonic distortion. An interesting aspect of this receiver is its Automatic Load Impedance Detector circuitry. When the power is turned on a low level signal is sent to the speakers to determine their impedance. Then a relay selects the correct power supply voltage depending upon whether the speakers are 4 or 8 ohm. So, the SA-800 can produce

The Peak Power indicator is a string of 24 LED's, 12 for each channel, with the outer red LED's indicating an output level that is approaching clipping. Technics used LED's in the meter because they can react faster than an analog meter.

The SA-800 has a great tuning section with a MOS FET FM front end and a Phase Locked Loop circuit for stable FM performance with wide separation. It also has multiple tone controls and filters on the front panel.

One drawback of the SA-800 is that many times the potentiometers on unserviced units will need cleaned and they are difficult to get to. Other than that the build quality is excellent. There is also an SA-800A version that has a dark gray faceplate but is essentially the same receiver.

The higher end Technics are good receivers. They are built well and perform just as well as a Marantz or Pioneer. They tend to be priced a little lower than those other brands so many times you can pick one up for a good price. A fully serviced SA-800 will sell for $600 to $800.