Four Receivers, One Slot to Fill

rmoreau61

Well-Known Member
A friend recently moved and gave me some stereo equipment he just didn't want to move. I've got room for one receiver in my rack. Looking for advice.

Here's the list:

Nikko STA-7070
Sansui 661
Kenwood KR-5400
Onkyo TX-2500

The only factor to add into the decision (that can be worked around) is preferring 2 phono inputs to support extra turntables.

I'm taking votes.
 
I have a STA-8080, KR-6400, and a TX-4500. All unrestored and original with bias and DC offset when possible. Out of mine, I like the sound of the Nikko the best. Only you can decide how your particular units sound. I think they're all nice.


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What speakers?

The units all are quite nice so it is more what speakers and the synergy. I would suggest try each in turn and see which works best for you.
 
Try each and every one on phono and pick the one that sounds the best.

Phono pre-amp are not created equal.
 
Wow. Good feedback and advice. I don't know too much about these specific models but my head says Sansui for the general reputation and my heart says Nikko for my teen year drooling in the Tech Hifi catalogs. Point well taken on the preamp advice - one of my concerns. I may actually lighten my TT load and install a Kenwood cassette deck which was also part of the buddy unload. I definitely have to do a serious A/B comparison. I did test the Onkyo and Sansui with the Kenwood deck using M8nimus 7's from SA. Onkyo sounded flat in comparison but it's wicked cool looking.... Oh, and my speakers are recently recapped and refoamed OLA's. Keepp the votes coming!
 
OLAs, okay. The Sansui likely will be euphoric lacking in minute details but a pleasurable listening pair.

The Kenwood, likely more detailed and lighter sounding but still a send euphoric hint. A nice balance between warm romantic and analytical.

Onkyo little euphoric hints. More details and drier. More towards neutral while being possibly less involving, closer to say the Yamaha neutral signature but with more life.

The Nikkos I remember were similar to Pioneer sonically and for me too hard and harsh for the OLAs with my music. Never heard the unit you are considering so not sure if it holds true to my Nikko experience.
 
I would lean towards the Sansui but you will have to audition all of them with the speakers you plan on using.
 
I've A/B'd a lot of receivers in those families and Brian's take on their sound characteristics could have been written by me!

1. For a warmer sound the Sansui does it very well and smooth.
2. Calling Onkyo a "fuller Yamaha" has to be the best description I've ever heard. (I was blown away on how my TX-2500 MKII took care of business and even compared to it's bigger brothers.) The only other "small" receiver that I've seen reach so high to fight is the Pioneer SX-750......makes me just shake my head.

You have receivers there that are in no way poor performers and I'd just spend time swapping them out to see what's up
 
A nice choice to have there! I run "stacked" OLA's and after experimentation with several vintage receivers, I think my Nikko NR-815 sounds the best with those speakers.

I believe the 815 came in the series after the STA-7070. To my ear the 815 (and the more powerful 1015) have an exceptionally smooth sound that tends to tame the sometimes "brash" tweeter of the Advents.

The 815 and 1015 also have nice sounding phono amps. I've been very pleased with how nice my newly acquired Denon DL-110 cartridge sounds with the 815 and Advents.

If your 7070 has the same house sound as the 815, my vote would be for the 7070. But by all means, I'd do as others have suggested and try them all!

'Would love to hear your impressions if you get the chance to try different pairings.
 
Votes so far. Trying to interpret objectively.

Sansui 4
Nikko 2
Kenwood 2
Onkyo 1

I'm starting to warm up to the idea of selling off a couple of turntables and filling those slots with the Kenwood cassette deck and Denon CD player. That would support the Sansui which sounds pretty sweet with the OLA's. I hooked it up and got about 30 seconds of visitation rights - the family was watching a movie and they did not appreciate the interruption. That just about cemented my decision to turn my youngest girl's bedroom into an audio enclave after she moves out. If my other daughter gives me a hard time, well, there's my turntable retreat.
Back to reality.
This weekend I A/B the Sansui and Onkyo - maybe compare to my re-capped Sherwood for a baseline. Then do the intake on the Nikko and Kenwood with the Minimus 7's.
 
If you are going to quit vinyl, or only listen occasionally, then try each and every one with your speakers.

You're looking for "synergy".

(Its actually a nice balance of power and efficiency coupled with damping factor).
 
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I appreciate the advice, blhagstrom - truly, but I've got to go emotional with this. I respect your depth of knowledge, but we're talking about six not-top-of-the-line turntables. ADC I've owned since 18 - gotta keep it and as far as I can tell, the best tracking I have. There is not a record that has ever skipped with this table. A recenetly reacquired Micro Seiki - I got it at 16 and traded it in for the ADC at 18. The next 3 TT's are all models I wished I could have as a teen. A BIC, a Miracord, a Pioneer. Lastly is my Philips. A poor man's AR to replace the AR I gave away in my 20's (though after transforming it from barely functional to 100% I've gotten a real soft spot for it). Plus, I'll still have 3 receivers going: Sherwood, Marantz and the winner of this vote/audio audition. This could get really complicated....
 
Go with the Nikko. Nikko don't show up much and there are better Sansui, Kenwood and Onkyo out there than those models.

FWIW,
The 661 tends to hum and no one has shared the fix.
The MK II Onkyo units were the better ones, and the 2500 is it baby.
The Kenwood is nice, but not uncommon.
 
Votes so far. Still trying to interpret objectively...

Sansui 4
Nikko 4
Kenwood 2
Onkyo 1

If I have time tomorrow I'll do th eintake on the Nikko and Kenwood. I have to pick up some Oscale train track for my father in-law. The guy with the track has a Pioneer SX-2500.... Oh no!!!
 
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