Sony STR-7065

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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29 thoughts on “Sony STR-7065

  1. I just received a SONY STR-7065 for free and I wanted to see if it worked , I plugged it in and it worked great, I hooked up one speaker and smoke started to come out. I talked to a electronic guy and he said I need a amp for this unit.
    In your opinion, do I need a amp?
    I plan on hooking up 6 speakers with this unit.

    1. Shouldn’t need an amp for one or two pair of speakers depending upon the ohm rating of the speakers. If you get smoke with one speaker then something is wrong. Smoke is always bad. If you’re running three sets of speakers then you at once then you may need an amp. But, it seems like there is another problem.

  2. This is an extremely good sounding, stable receiver. I have this and a Marantz 2270 as well as some contemporary gear. I’ve been working on old electronics for years and realign tuners, rebuild amps, etc..

    My STR 7065 is about 45 years old. It still produces about 70 watts per channel, full bandwidth at low distortion and the tuner simply has never needed an alignment. My Marantz 2270 required an extensive rebuild and has never tested as well.

    The Sony is sonically excellent delivering a very smooth, natural sound stage with good transparency and no harshness.

      1. Baloney. Sony made some excellent audio gear beginning in the late sixties. They made a number of elite pieces that equaled or exceeded anything Marantz was doing at the time. If you don’t believe me, ask a reputable tech. As for Marantz, their glory era was during their tube and early solid state days. Most of their mid/late seventies receivers and amplifiers were above average mass-market performers, nothing more. They do look beautiful, which is probably why many out there are willing to pay ridiculous prices for them–hey, it’s their money, and they can spend it how they want to–but don’t tell the rest of us they’re superior performers when they’re not.

    1. Tom, my STR 7065 is dead. No dial lights or hum anywhere. Is there a fuse inside somewhere? and where is it if you know. Front/back, left/right. What does it look like. I’m a car kinda guy and the fuses I know of, I don’t see in there.
      Denny
      Bbd at nwrain. Dot kom…
      Thanks!

      1. Don’t know if you fixed your problem since then, but I had the same issue. I found my unit on someone’s curb years ago, and took it home, and nothing lit up. In retrospect, I determined what happened. After taking it to a local repair shop, which has since closed, I found out that there are two fuses soldered onto the “mother” board. It then made sense-the house from whose curb I picked it up, had an antenna attached to their chimney. Likely that lightening hit close to the house and some of it travelled down the lead to the Sony. Anyhow, works beautifully now. They were quite high-end in their day, and can be found on eBay for only a few hundred now. Retail when new in 1972 to 1976 was around $550. Hope that helps.

    2. I concur on the quality of Sony receivers of this era but don’t believe they are superior models. I have a Marantz model 2216B, Marantz 2230, 2245 a model 29 as well as vintage Pioneers, Sansui and one Sony model. They all sound phenomenal and are built like tanks. I’ve learned over the years that a lot of people overlook the acoustics as far as they’re set up. Ex. I had a glass table in between my JBL L82’s in a smaller room. Read a similar forum and was blown away by the way sound is affected between the speaker and the ear. I have a Sony STR-6800 in the larger room pushing 2 of the greatest speakers ever made, the JBL L100. That’s all you need brother. Six speakers will divide your wattage, confuse any crossovers which send your tweeters your highs and woofers your bass. Mid ranges blend the two. Perfect purity. Any vintage two channel system will blow the doors off of any six channel (assuming Dolby 5.1) system any day of the week.( unless it’s for cinema) I believe both gentlemen are telling the truth with their experiences and suggestion of quality.
      Different receivers of this age have been through different storage, usage, and experiences. They all rock, trust me because I have collected them all. It is worth fixing and generally inexpensive compared to shelling out 10k for a vintage system. New systems use plastic, garbage parts and have eliminated tubes. Work with your receiver, find adequate speakers, and fine tune acoustics.

  3. Are there any parts available for these? Years ago, the tuner was scratchy. And like an idiot, sprayed it with Radio Shack electronics cleaner. Took it to an audiophile shop, in Orlando, he scolded me and said the damage was done. Crap!!!
    Love love this piece. Hate to part with it.

  4. I’d be super interested on input on the restoration kit for this. Just a crazy warm driven receiver – spoiled for the last two years. Pushed it too hard with four speakers, which it should be able to handle once cleaned up. Then bought Parasound speaker amps for it, which worked awesome, then the right side speaker started flaking out intermittently. Found an Akai 1050 on the cheap, it’s pretty rounded but not as deep as this receiver. Appreciate all your help

  5. I have a 7065 in addition to several other Sonys of this era (6050, 6055, 7035, 6060 and 6120 as well as an SQR 8075 and a later 4800) and while the 7065 isn’t hand wired like the 6060 or 6120 the sound is quite good. I wouldn’t try to drive more than 2 sets of speakers on it, even with KG4s and some heresy’s attached which are all quite efficient, it will struggle a bit at high volume for long periods of time. It does have options for 3 sets of speakers but if you’re going to do that I’d use an external amp as it does have pre and out capability. Compares quite well to my Marantz 2205b and 4270 in sound but pales in comparison to the 2285 for power. All in all these are great receivers that now seem to be getting their due, highly recommended.

  6. Anyone looking for a working STR 7065 $150 plus shipping.
    Have had it for 30 years. Got it from my neighbor that bought it new.
    Some of the knobs need cleaning (crackel sometimes)

  7. I’ve got a Sony HR-55. Can’t seem to find any info on it. Likely nothing special. Anyone interested in purchasing it? I can send a few pics.

  8. I love the sound these produce, so punchy and detailed. I have three and using them as amps and a Denon for the processor. If I buy another I’ll be divorced. Since the sound great so should I bother getting them recapped?

  9. I have a STR-7065, I bought it new in the summer of ’72. It looks great and sounds fine, except only one side works. Is there something I can do to fix it?

  10. I bought one in 1972 for $399 and had it repaired once, no other problems after that. It`s hooked up to two Altec Lansing Voice of Theater speakers, they run clear as a bell and can rattle the walls, awesome bass.

  11. Fun fact- this is the amp The Allman Brothers used to listen to records at the Big House, 1970-1973. I just visited the museum today and their stero is still there. Thanks for the information!

  12. I have a STR-7065 and a STR-6800 SD. Both in good working order (6800 just needs lights on frequency dial and a touch of veneer on one corner). Read and weap.

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