What MCS Receivers are quality NEC?
- Thread starter bd1886
- Start date
Frhodes
Active Member
Mcs
I restored a MCS 3125. Near mint and sounds fantastic. Some people don't
like the built in equalizer but that is a matter of taste.
On the 3125:
"...it is important to realize that this is a real "hi-fi" receiver whose
performance is light years beyond that of mass-market "stereos."
Stereo Review January 1981
I restored a MCS 3125. Near mint and sounds fantastic. Some people don't
like the built in equalizer but that is a matter of taste.
On the 3125:
"...it is important to realize that this is a real "hi-fi" receiver whose
performance is light years beyond that of mass-market "stereos."
Stereo Review January 1981
Attachments
sandmanhuck
New Member
Hi,
One question.
They have voltage selector?
I'm in UK and I'm thinking to buy one to test it.
Already have an NEC A820E and love the sound.
One question.
They have voltage selector?
I'm in UK and I'm thinking to buy one to test it.
Already have an NEC A820E and love the sound.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
No voltage selector, as these were USA marketed. Most US sold Japanese gear is 120/60 Hertz.
Forgot all about starting this thread an man how things have changed! Fairly much past all the comparing thing but one thing hasn't changed....still have my favorite MCS. Gone are some top Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui because either I have a representative, don't want a growing pile or need of freeing up resources for cash...whatever.
In that whole "comparing phase"? Top MCS raised it's head. (Especially the 3125.) It's "ugly" is beautiful, it's mass is statement, quality league obvious and it's onboard EQ is truly a tool that can adjust something forward or back to appreciate an element within a song. (Can't help but appreciate being able to do this....only fun.)
That casual aquaintance flaked in getting back to me (and in retrospect all for the best) but one thing still constant is just what a neat and quality peice of gear that NEC 3125 effort was indeed. JC Penny? Nope...."Jacque Penne" with a middle finger salute. (Very glad my original post triggered some good clarification within this brand and AK rocks because of it's members.)
Thanks with gratitude folks.
In that whole "comparing phase"? Top MCS raised it's head. (Especially the 3125.) It's "ugly" is beautiful, it's mass is statement, quality league obvious and it's onboard EQ is truly a tool that can adjust something forward or back to appreciate an element within a song. (Can't help but appreciate being able to do this....only fun.)
That casual aquaintance flaked in getting back to me (and in retrospect all for the best) but one thing still constant is just what a neat and quality peice of gear that NEC 3125 effort was indeed. JC Penny? Nope...."Jacque Penne" with a middle finger salute. (Very glad my original post triggered some good clarification within this brand and AK rocks because of it's members.)
Thanks with gratitude folks.
Binkman
Lunatic Member
btw.. I have the 3722 tuner and matching 3522 cassette player picked up about 3 years ago.. seller wouldn't part with the amp but I repaired the msc speakers (had technics xovers inside) sold off speakers to break even. recently was quite surprised at the price for the tuner today considering my 35$ cost for the units. No question very good quality.
I have two of the MCS 3125's.
Had to do the disassemble and clean the controls on both of them (especially the two "defeat" buttons, those seem to be a particular weak spot on these), takes 2 to 3 hours but well worth it to get these beasts up and running right.
These have a deep strong effortless sound. Pretty good for "department store stereos".
As for looks people like 'em or hate 'em. I like them.
Had to do the disassemble and clean the controls on both of them (especially the two "defeat" buttons, those seem to be a particular weak spot on these), takes 2 to 3 hours but well worth it to get these beasts up and running right.
These have a deep strong effortless sound. Pretty good for "department store stereos".
As for looks people like 'em or hate 'em. I like them.
i figure ol JCPenney probably had a decent amount of money to play with back in the late 70's and early 80's... they decided to make groundbreakers in wattage that sells most which is why they dont have any super monsters past the 3125, but they didnt mess around when contracting someone to do the job. the more i see the inside of many of thee old japanese receivers, the more it seems that NEC had a hand in building ALL the good japanese receivers. i know their parts are in pretty much any good receiver of the late 70's/80's.
I think JCPenney had more money than many audio companies due to their irons in other fires. i think JCPenney went straight to the best of the best to build their receivers and had them build receivers with wattage output that consumers bought most
they probably have the best sounding 75 watt, 85 watt, and 125 watt vintage receivers of the era
i really wish thevintageknob would stop saying the 3285 is made by technics... they even say they cant find what technics receiver its a rebadge of, but that "its definitely technics"... lol
considering matsushita technics at the time was probably a subcontractor for NEC, its no wonder they had a hand in building a lot of MCS's stuff.
JCPenney had a lot of made in taiwan stuff that was junk, so im sure those pieces of equipment didnt help their reputation and as the junkier ones were generally more affordable, they were the units that more often gave people the impression of MCS that stuck through the years.
they had so much taiwan junk, no one even noticed their TOTL stuff
when their TOTL stuff was made exclusively by the people whos parts can be found in any "good" receiver of the era..
growing up, my dad used to tell me MCS was made by some badass individuals. he would tell me this while listening to a taiwan junk 3207 that he didnt know wasnt a quality MCS. i could tell it wasnt as quality as my realistic sta-78 so i never took him seriously as he never knew much past what he was saying anyway, just going off hearsay from over the years..
i didnt find out about ol MCS til i bought him a 3275 a few weeks after i bought a realistic-2080... needless to say the bug bit me there.. i couldnt believe what i bought him...
i had no intentions of getting any more receivers, i planned on using that 2080 because i thought it was the bees knees. i bought that 3275 for my dad thinking hed like all the knobs and the classic 70's mcs look.. i may have even thought it would be the perfect opponent for my newfound realistic 2080.. i figured itd be like the old days with the sta-78 sounding better than the 3207.. i didnt have any idea it would sound better than anything ive ever heard.. it played music for me unlike ive ever heard it in my 23 years of existence.....
boy i was pissed off.. i felt kind of stupid honestly.. that 3275 haunted me every time the 2080 was hooked up and the 3275 wasnt...
ive been buying NEC/MCS gear ever since.. got a working 3285 on the way, should be here tomorrow. that'll give me a chance to re cap the 3125. ive got a service manual coming for that monster too.
if its an MCS anything thats made in japan, it doesnt mess around
I think JCPenney had more money than many audio companies due to their irons in other fires. i think JCPenney went straight to the best of the best to build their receivers and had them build receivers with wattage output that consumers bought most
they probably have the best sounding 75 watt, 85 watt, and 125 watt vintage receivers of the era
i really wish thevintageknob would stop saying the 3285 is made by technics... they even say they cant find what technics receiver its a rebadge of, but that "its definitely technics"... lol
considering matsushita technics at the time was probably a subcontractor for NEC, its no wonder they had a hand in building a lot of MCS's stuff.
JCPenney had a lot of made in taiwan stuff that was junk, so im sure those pieces of equipment didnt help their reputation and as the junkier ones were generally more affordable, they were the units that more often gave people the impression of MCS that stuck through the years.
they had so much taiwan junk, no one even noticed their TOTL stuff
when their TOTL stuff was made exclusively by the people whos parts can be found in any "good" receiver of the era..
growing up, my dad used to tell me MCS was made by some badass individuals. he would tell me this while listening to a taiwan junk 3207 that he didnt know wasnt a quality MCS. i could tell it wasnt as quality as my realistic sta-78 so i never took him seriously as he never knew much past what he was saying anyway, just going off hearsay from over the years..
i didnt find out about ol MCS til i bought him a 3275 a few weeks after i bought a realistic-2080... needless to say the bug bit me there.. i couldnt believe what i bought him...
i had no intentions of getting any more receivers, i planned on using that 2080 because i thought it was the bees knees. i bought that 3275 for my dad thinking hed like all the knobs and the classic 70's mcs look.. i may have even thought it would be the perfect opponent for my newfound realistic 2080.. i figured itd be like the old days with the sta-78 sounding better than the 3207.. i didnt have any idea it would sound better than anything ive ever heard.. it played music for me unlike ive ever heard it in my 23 years of existence.....
boy i was pissed off.. i felt kind of stupid honestly.. that 3275 haunted me every time the 2080 was hooked up and the 3275 wasnt...
ive been buying NEC/MCS gear ever since.. got a working 3285 on the way, should be here tomorrow. that'll give me a chance to re cap the 3125. ive got a service manual coming for that monster too.
if its an MCS anything thats made in japan, it doesnt mess around
personally i feel that if it werent for MCS, NEC may have never produced their very own line of receivers..
like the mcs 3275 EQ was the foundation for their completely separate AG-100E equalizer that ended up as a carbon copy integration into the mcs 3125...
which came first, the NEC-9060E or the MCS 3260? did they hit the global markets simultaneously? were they assembled in the same plant at the same time? different assembly line for NEC badged faceplates or a completely different plant/window of time? its almost like the chicken and the egg question
like the mcs 3275 EQ was the foundation for their completely separate AG-100E equalizer that ended up as a carbon copy integration into the mcs 3125...
which came first, the NEC-9060E or the MCS 3260? did they hit the global markets simultaneously? were they assembled in the same plant at the same time? different assembly line for NEC badged faceplates or a completely different plant/window of time? its almost like the chicken and the egg question
Renegade
Well-Known Member
I don't think
I agree the MCS/NEC stuff is a lot of times a good bargain "for the money",,,,,, but I haven't really seen where they are blowing any household names away.
As I recall there were models made by NEC, but also Panasonic/Technics as well, and maybe others. All were pretty much subbed out to the low bidder I'd bet.
Speaking of bidders, NEC primarily made electronic components, so it stands to reason they were in a lot of,,,,, electronic components,,,,,,,,,, just as a number of other companies back then, whose parts are also common to period electronics. I don't recall any of them being overly dominant in their use.
I agree the MCS/NEC stuff is a lot of times a good bargain "for the money",,,,,, but I haven't really seen where they are blowing any household names away.
As I recall there were models made by NEC, but also Panasonic/Technics as well, and maybe others. All were pretty much subbed out to the low bidder I'd bet.
Speaking of bidders, NEC primarily made electronic components, so it stands to reason they were in a lot of,,,,, electronic components,,,,,,,,,, just as a number of other companies back then, whose parts are also common to period electronics. I don't recall any of them being overly dominant in their use.
yeah they only made the output transistors for everything from the sx-1250 and sx-1980 to entire receivers for JCPenney.....
have you looked up what people think about the 3125? ive seen over 5 people now who have replaced marantz 2385's, sansui 9090's, sx-1050's... with the mcs 3125
so yeah actually everywhere ive heard someone talk about the 3125 its better than all of its competition
i have an mcs 3236 and it sounds just like my 3125
maybe people didnt THINK jcpenney was really selling that high quality of sound, but they definitely were
if technics made any receiver for MCS it was the crap taiwan stuff because all the japan receivers/amplifiers were NEC. technics had nothing to do with any of MCS's good receivers/amplifiers
3285 is all NEC, no technics at all. NEC circuit boards, its a beefed up NEC a820
"the clothing department store couldnt possibly be a real contender for the best sound quality per watt"
they were.
like i said, i thought it was smoke and mirrors until i first heard the difference between my realistic sta-2080 and 3275. it was so night and day that it hurt my feelings and embarrassed me. I was certain the 2080 would outclass the 3275, it seemed so much better than anything ive heard before. WRONG. i cant begin to stress enough how big of a difference it was. the 2080 is up to spec too. the 3275 has a bigger transformer, possibly bigger filter caps and better heat dissipation than the 2080 thats for sure. the 3275 has a BIG 3 gang tuner vs the 2080's small 4 gang and the 3275's tuner is wayyyyy stronger than the 2080.
if the 2080 is the favorite realistic receiver to many due it its sound quality, then i dont ever need to own another realistic again because i dont even need the 2080 anymore. i have an arsenal of NEC equipment that blows its doors off. id rather listen to my 3236 than my realistic sta-2080
they were.
like i said, i thought it was smoke and mirrors until i first heard the difference between my realistic sta-2080 and 3275. it was so night and day that it hurt my feelings and embarrassed me. I was certain the 2080 would outclass the 3275, it seemed so much better than anything ive heard before. WRONG. i cant begin to stress enough how big of a difference it was. the 2080 is up to spec too. the 3275 has a bigger transformer, possibly bigger filter caps and better heat dissipation than the 2080 thats for sure. the 3275 has a BIG 3 gang tuner vs the 2080's small 4 gang and the 3275's tuner is wayyyyy stronger than the 2080.
if the 2080 is the favorite realistic receiver to many due it its sound quality, then i dont ever need to own another realistic again because i dont even need the 2080 anymore. i have an arsenal of NEC equipment that blows its doors off. id rather listen to my 3236 than my realistic sta-2080
i wonder where the skunkworks of NEC ended up when they stopped hi fi endeavors under the NEC name? im sure the brains behind NEC are now/helped form the brains behind current super equipment
*maybe sony or yamaha... are there any japanese manufacturers still holding strong to japanese manufacturing values? or has all production for everyone pretty much moved to china?
*maybe sony or yamaha... are there any japanese manufacturers still holding strong to japanese manufacturing values? or has all production for everyone pretty much moved to china?
Hifirob2
NEC and Klipsch rock!
Yotems, it's nice to hear from another NEC fan! I agree with much of what you say - up to a point. I've been a big cheerleader for MCS gear here on AK for years, and I collect that brand along with NEC gear.
I have owned the Taiwan stuff, and, while it's build quality is lower than the NEC stuff, it's still fine gear for it's price point. Check ebay and you will find many Taiwan pieces still in service after all these years. That should underscore their quality. Sear's LXI brand certainly can't compare, yet many people still lump MCS and LXI gear into the same group - low end store brand junk. Ok, they think that until they find (and listen to) some MCS pieces - LOL.
And yes, no MCS receiver was ever made by Technics. I've tried to tell people this for quite a while now, but it's a hard habit to break, I guess. There is the MCS 2500 receiver - a rebranded Panasonic, but technically, not a Modular Component Systems piece. It's MCS stands for "Matched Component Systems". Their Taiwan made units were not made by Technics - they were designed by Arvin Electronics in the US, and manufactured in Taiwan.
NEC got into home audio right about the same time Penney's started contracting with them - early 1978. For proof, I once found a MCS 3275 receiver that was a mock up model for Penney's buyers to see. On the back panel it still said NEC instead of MCS, and it had hand written labels for the adapter input and output jacks. It was the very first MCS receiver made by NEC (a rebadged NEC AUR-8075), and I regret not bidding on it. It was a sample unit that never made it to the sales floor, so it was unique. So, IMHO, NEC came first, and MCS came right after it. Curtis Mathes started using NEC as a supplier in 1981-82.
Any NEC made gear sold in the USA will have NEC codes on the circuit boards, and the NEC factory code on the rear panel. The circuit board codes will start out with "YEC-##-####". Their factory code was "720", and will either be silkscreened on the rear panel, or be a sticker. Sometimes the 720 was followed by one or two random letters, but the 720 is the giveaway that it came out of NEC's Tokyo, Japan factory. There are a few exceptions to this. The first few months of NEC production used hand written numbers on the circuit boards (in black magic marker), and no 720 label on the rear - the codes and 720 appeared a few months in. Also, the MCS 3040 10 band equalizer has no manufacturer codes on it at all, yet it was made by NEC (the service manual says so). This is most likely because the 3040 EQ was also sold as the Yamaha GE-3, and Yamaha probably didn't want any identifiable markings on it. That makes sense - if people found out the Yamaha was also sold as a MCS (for less money), Yamaha's image may have taken a hit.
Check for NEC factory codes and circuit board codes on other brands of gear. NEC made gear for other brands - including Nakamichi.
I also am one of those who feel like the MCS 3125 is one of the best sounding receivers of all time. It simply blows away all my other receivers. The 3285 does indeed have nearly the same amp section as the NEC A820, but their preamps are so different, that the two units sound VERY different. The A820 sounds closest to the 3125, and the 3285 sounds closest to the NEC A-11 (and it's brothers -the A-7, and A-10II). I know that may be hard to believe, but that's what my ears tell me, so it's only my opinion. Compare them for yourself, and form an opinion. The 3236 I had did sound very nice, but it was no where near the 3125 in sound quality, IMHO.
I've complained about the Vintage Knob site saying the 3285 was made by Technics for some time, and I think Axel changed the text a bit, but still clings to the notion that Technics had a hand in it. I don't know why he assumes this - although all the other SeriesA components WERE made by Technics. No MCS catalog or brochure ever stated who made their gear, so he is simply assuming the 3285 also came from Technics. It's so easy to prove it was made by NEC.
JC Penney had a tough decision when deciding who made their MCS gear. NEC as a company would NOT build a low quality item - their quality standards were very high. That came at a cost, and Matsushita could supply them with lower cost gear. Penney's paid a dear price when they switched from NEC to Matsushita to supply them with their higher end integrated amps and tuners in 1983, 1984, and 1985. The models produced from those three years are nearly all in landfills somewhere. They had a very high failure rate. Penneys went back to using NEC in 1986, and their 1986 and 1986 1/2 models were of very high quality, and ebay has a ton of them. After the 1986 1/2 model year, Penney's caved in, and stopped using NEC altogether. Starting in 1987, Matsushita was back as the main supplier, and the quality went in the dumpster. Curtis Mathes still continued on using NEC rebadges through 1988 or so - selling a few of their surround sound integrated amps and receivers. MCS never got into surround sound with any gusto, so they slowly went away. By the mid 90s, MCS was gone. My "newest" MCS piece is a CD player from 1992. An entry level model, and I have no idea who made it for them, but it sounds okay and works well.
Just my 2 cents....
I have owned the Taiwan stuff, and, while it's build quality is lower than the NEC stuff, it's still fine gear for it's price point. Check ebay and you will find many Taiwan pieces still in service after all these years. That should underscore their quality. Sear's LXI brand certainly can't compare, yet many people still lump MCS and LXI gear into the same group - low end store brand junk. Ok, they think that until they find (and listen to) some MCS pieces - LOL.
And yes, no MCS receiver was ever made by Technics. I've tried to tell people this for quite a while now, but it's a hard habit to break, I guess. There is the MCS 2500 receiver - a rebranded Panasonic, but technically, not a Modular Component Systems piece. It's MCS stands for "Matched Component Systems". Their Taiwan made units were not made by Technics - they were designed by Arvin Electronics in the US, and manufactured in Taiwan.
NEC got into home audio right about the same time Penney's started contracting with them - early 1978. For proof, I once found a MCS 3275 receiver that was a mock up model for Penney's buyers to see. On the back panel it still said NEC instead of MCS, and it had hand written labels for the adapter input and output jacks. It was the very first MCS receiver made by NEC (a rebadged NEC AUR-8075), and I regret not bidding on it. It was a sample unit that never made it to the sales floor, so it was unique. So, IMHO, NEC came first, and MCS came right after it. Curtis Mathes started using NEC as a supplier in 1981-82.
Any NEC made gear sold in the USA will have NEC codes on the circuit boards, and the NEC factory code on the rear panel. The circuit board codes will start out with "YEC-##-####". Their factory code was "720", and will either be silkscreened on the rear panel, or be a sticker. Sometimes the 720 was followed by one or two random letters, but the 720 is the giveaway that it came out of NEC's Tokyo, Japan factory. There are a few exceptions to this. The first few months of NEC production used hand written numbers on the circuit boards (in black magic marker), and no 720 label on the rear - the codes and 720 appeared a few months in. Also, the MCS 3040 10 band equalizer has no manufacturer codes on it at all, yet it was made by NEC (the service manual says so). This is most likely because the 3040 EQ was also sold as the Yamaha GE-3, and Yamaha probably didn't want any identifiable markings on it. That makes sense - if people found out the Yamaha was also sold as a MCS (for less money), Yamaha's image may have taken a hit.
Check for NEC factory codes and circuit board codes on other brands of gear. NEC made gear for other brands - including Nakamichi.
I also am one of those who feel like the MCS 3125 is one of the best sounding receivers of all time. It simply blows away all my other receivers. The 3285 does indeed have nearly the same amp section as the NEC A820, but their preamps are so different, that the two units sound VERY different. The A820 sounds closest to the 3125, and the 3285 sounds closest to the NEC A-11 (and it's brothers -the A-7, and A-10II). I know that may be hard to believe, but that's what my ears tell me, so it's only my opinion. Compare them for yourself, and form an opinion. The 3236 I had did sound very nice, but it was no where near the 3125 in sound quality, IMHO.
I've complained about the Vintage Knob site saying the 3285 was made by Technics for some time, and I think Axel changed the text a bit, but still clings to the notion that Technics had a hand in it. I don't know why he assumes this - although all the other SeriesA components WERE made by Technics. No MCS catalog or brochure ever stated who made their gear, so he is simply assuming the 3285 also came from Technics. It's so easy to prove it was made by NEC.
JC Penney had a tough decision when deciding who made their MCS gear. NEC as a company would NOT build a low quality item - their quality standards were very high. That came at a cost, and Matsushita could supply them with lower cost gear. Penney's paid a dear price when they switched from NEC to Matsushita to supply them with their higher end integrated amps and tuners in 1983, 1984, and 1985. The models produced from those three years are nearly all in landfills somewhere. They had a very high failure rate. Penneys went back to using NEC in 1986, and their 1986 and 1986 1/2 models were of very high quality, and ebay has a ton of them. After the 1986 1/2 model year, Penney's caved in, and stopped using NEC altogether. Starting in 1987, Matsushita was back as the main supplier, and the quality went in the dumpster. Curtis Mathes still continued on using NEC rebadges through 1988 or so - selling a few of their surround sound integrated amps and receivers. MCS never got into surround sound with any gusto, so they slowly went away. By the mid 90s, MCS was gone. My "newest" MCS piece is a CD player from 1992. An entry level model, and I have no idea who made it for them, but it sounds okay and works well.
Just my 2 cents....
