High Powered 80s receivers

smiklich

New Member
I have been looking around for a list on high powered 2 chanell receivers built in the 80s and have not had much luck .I have found lists of the 70s receivers listed by wattage but nothing from the 80s .Could someone point me in the right direction to find info on the 80s stuff.
Thanks
 
Sansui made their XX00z series in the early 80's. The most powerful was the 9900z with 160 watts/channel @8 ohms. I had a 5900z (75 watts) that was very well built and sounded great. These were made right before Sansui's quality went downhill.
 
For anything after the early eighties you have to do your research or your going to get stung....

sansui.us

If Sansui did not make an international model it was just cheap junk headed to the States.
 
I think some of the Sony ES models fit that bill. I have a 444ESX, but it's on the low end of the high end line (I think). The guts are well built, manufactured between '84 and '87.
Sony 444ESX 03a.jpg

EDIT: I'm kind of chuckling at the specs on that 444ESX - I can hear up to about 15khz, and my speakers go down to about 28hz

Power output: 105 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency response: 2Hz to 200kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.004%

Damping factor: 100

Input sensitivity: 2.5mV
 
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I have a Mitsubishi DA-R35 receiver from 1980. It's 85w into 8 ohms or 110w into 4 ohms. It is my main living room stereo and sounds great.

Technics had some very good stuff. I have an integrated amp (and other components) that I bought new in 1989 on semi-permanent loan to my brother-in-law. I believe it's rated at 110w, but I'm certain it's never had to do it. Might be an SU-G75, not sure anymore. Sounds very good.

There was plenty of good stuff, but the look of things got very strange sometimes. Best to research anything you run across if possible.
 
Sony STR-GX10ES. Owners tend to hang onto them, so they don't come up for sale often at all. 150w/ch x 2. The GX9ES has slightly lower output. I believe that there is/was a GX9 on Bartertown.
 
I have a Kenwood KR 850 that I got NOS from eBay last year. I browsed it over a week or so and kept passing it by because it did not have the 70s vintage look that I was interested in. I finally broke down and did some research on it because it was still in it's original box and looked like it had never been used. This line from Kenwood came out in the early 80s and was the first Kenwood stuff to lose the metal knobs and faceplate etc but still had the quality on the inside. The seller finally took a best offer of $110 with free shipping. When I got it my mouth fell open and the condition and at how good it sounded and how cool all the features are. 75 WPC is waay more than I need, especially with the 90db Polks I use with it. I love my 70s Kenwood, Realistic and Pioneer receivers but the KR 850 simply smacks the older ones in everything but looks. I think a lot of early 80s equipment gets overlooked because it lacks the classic looks with metal knobs etc........the later 80s and 90s stuff did get really cheap IMO but the transitional stuff is actually pretty good and can be had pretty cheap.

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Pioneer SX D7000 circa 1980 if you can find one. 120 watts @ 8 ohms. Unless something really special drops in my lap for very little money this is probably my last receiver/ amp. It's a very special piece of gear.
 
What did pioneer have that was any good ? in the late 80s ..Its a shame that the 80s receivers are not getting respect It seems like they did make some nice receivers ...Just had to look hard
 
I have a Kenwood KR 850 that I got NOS from eBay last year. I browsed it over a week or so and kept passing it by because it did not have the 70s vintage look that I was interested in. I finally broke down and did some research on it because it was still in it's original box and looked like it had never been used. This line from Kenwood came out in the early 80s and was the first Kenwood stuff to lose the metal knobs and faceplate etc but still had the quality on the inside. The seller finally took a best offer of $110 with free shipping. When I got it my mouth fell open and the condition and at how good it sounded and how cool all the features are. 75 WPC is waay more than I need, especially with the 90db Polks I use with it. I love my 70s Kenwood, Realistic and Pioneer receivers but the KR 850 simply smacks the older ones in everything but looks. I think a lot of early 80s equipment gets overlooked because it lacks the classic looks with metal knobs etc........the later 80s and 90s stuff did get really cheap IMO but the transitional stuff is actually pretty good and can be had pretty cheap.

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Thats actually a pretty nice looking Receiver
 
Big issue in this era, was too many integrated circuitry, microprocessors, and some makes used IC output blocks and or/STK modules. When the above fail. many failed receivers got scrapped. So, fewer survivors. Some fared better than others. Many a Pioneer in this era has fewer survivors. And the early 1980's Pioneer first such models had reliabillity issues earlier on. Luxman in this era was arguably the best of this type of receiver, and had the best build and reliability. As were the Nikko offerings made in this time frame.
 
I had a Pioneer SX-8 for a while and liked it quite a bit. 100wpc with discrete outputs, giant transformer and nice build quality.
There was an even more powerful SX-9 that had 120wpc I think.
The looks, well, you liked it or you didn't. I was given mine and decided to rebuild it for fun and it was fairly easy to go through and repair.
 
The ground breaking Yamaha CR 1020....
It broke groud in the mid 70s so it isn't an 80s high powered receiver. At 70 wpc and a span from 1977-1979 by some accounts, it would have been a left over or used by the earliest of the 80s.

I would think that the monster receiver threads that are stuck to the ss board would have the monsters listed and one could review these lists to find units that were made available in the 80s or later.
 
Sansui AU-G99x.

Currently, even after a full rebuild/recap, the damned left channel has acted up again.

It's a beastly 160 wpc with what they called "x-balanced technology" which has been explained to me as 2 amps per side, bridged.....or something.

All I know is that I've spent far too much on it over the last 30 years, but when she runs, she is mean.

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If Lord Vader had an amplifier, it'd be this one.
 
Luxman R-117 -- 160 wpc
NAD 7600 -- 150 wpc
NAD 7400 -- 100 wpc (?)
Sony STR-GX10ES -- 150 wpc
Sony STR-GX9ES -- 120 wpc
Onkyo TX-85 -- 80 wpc (cool looling display)
Carver The Receiver -- 130 wpc
Carver MXR 130 -- 130 wpc
Carver HR-772 -- 150 wpc
Concept 12.0D -- 120 wpc
Kenwood Galaxy Commander -- 120 wpc
Yamaha R-2000 -- 150 wpc

From memory...
 
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