Just recently I had a chance to listen to all three receivers. Basically Marantz 2216 (2x16W/ch) is my main stereo, Sansui 771 (2x32W/ch) I have picked up to refurbish and give to my parents and Technics SA-5160 (2x30W/ch) is temporarily replacing Marantz which is going on a work bench for a recap.
I know that all three receivers are different but still, it was a good experience to run them on the same set of speakers (Thiel Model 01) with the same source (Denon DP-51F record player). Hopefully my short review will help some other users who are interested in starting with the vintage silver era audio gear. Please do keep in mind that none of the receivers has been recapped. I just cleaned pots, replaced lamps and adjusted bias and dc offset (except Technics as I do not have the service manual). Here are my observations:
Marantz 2216 - Great all around small receiver with a very nice styling. Very good tuner section (gyro tuning is great), nice display, warm bass with enough punch if you want to crank it up a bit from time to time. You need efficient speakers though. Power runs out between 11 and 12pm on the volume scale. Feels solid and it is easily accessible for any repairs.
Sansui 771 - Well, at 2x32W per channel this receiver sings with Thiels (sensitivity 94db). Goes way beyond normal listening volume levels in 12x14ft room. Tuner section is better than Marantz. Display is very nice. To my ear not as warm as Marantz but very dynamic and better balanced. As to the repairs, not as easy accessible as Marantz but still not bad. Had tough time to replace fuse lamps as I had to disconnect some wires to pull the panel out.
Technics SA-5160 - Hmm? Not impressed at all. The only nice thing in this receiver is the front panel. Very thick aluminum which puts Marantz front panel to shame. Other than that, the knobs feel flimsy. Tuner is OK but nothing special. Kinda hard to lock on the stations. Sound is just what I would call plain. Bass is boomy and not too much clear highs. Plays nice in low volumes but gets distorted quickly when volume gets increased. Repairs should be pretty easy as all the panels are easily accessible. Replacing fuse lamps is a breeze (all receivers should be that easy).
So that's my quick review. Oh, and reminder to all: check fuses before you connect the gear for the first time. The Technics had mismatched fuses (one was way below the expected value and the other one was above).
I know that all three receivers are different but still, it was a good experience to run them on the same set of speakers (Thiel Model 01) with the same source (Denon DP-51F record player). Hopefully my short review will help some other users who are interested in starting with the vintage silver era audio gear. Please do keep in mind that none of the receivers has been recapped. I just cleaned pots, replaced lamps and adjusted bias and dc offset (except Technics as I do not have the service manual). Here are my observations:
Marantz 2216 - Great all around small receiver with a very nice styling. Very good tuner section (gyro tuning is great), nice display, warm bass with enough punch if you want to crank it up a bit from time to time. You need efficient speakers though. Power runs out between 11 and 12pm on the volume scale. Feels solid and it is easily accessible for any repairs.
Sansui 771 - Well, at 2x32W per channel this receiver sings with Thiels (sensitivity 94db). Goes way beyond normal listening volume levels in 12x14ft room. Tuner section is better than Marantz. Display is very nice. To my ear not as warm as Marantz but very dynamic and better balanced. As to the repairs, not as easy accessible as Marantz but still not bad. Had tough time to replace fuse lamps as I had to disconnect some wires to pull the panel out.
Technics SA-5160 - Hmm? Not impressed at all. The only nice thing in this receiver is the front panel. Very thick aluminum which puts Marantz front panel to shame. Other than that, the knobs feel flimsy. Tuner is OK but nothing special. Kinda hard to lock on the stations. Sound is just what I would call plain. Bass is boomy and not too much clear highs. Plays nice in low volumes but gets distorted quickly when volume gets increased. Repairs should be pretty easy as all the panels are easily accessible. Replacing fuse lamps is a breeze (all receivers should be that easy).
So that's my quick review. Oh, and reminder to all: check fuses before you connect the gear for the first time. The Technics had mismatched fuses (one was way below the expected value and the other one was above).
