20 1/2 year old stereo

[coreno]

Ok, curiousity kicked me today and I got the urge to find out some more information on this old '83 Sanyo stereo. I don't know alot about home audio stuffs, or audio stuffs in general, so I thought I'd ask here.

It's a Sanyo Model Number JA 220. System 220 (Which apparently means is 220 Volts (good? bad?). It was manufactured 11-01-83 (printed on the back).

The speakers are in large wooden cabinets (24" high, 13" wide, 8" deep) with the large speaker (sub? 6.5" diameter) small speaker (tweeter? 2.75" diameter) and air-intake (cover with dust , 2" diameter) 8 ohms impedance.

The sound quality is amazing, especailly when you look at it's age and I don't think I'd ever give this stereo up. If the speaker were to ever give out I think I'd cry

Anwyay, I can't find any documentation on this thing. I got more information out of a 1970 stereo than this thing.

What I'm looking for is what would the market value be, system wattage, etc...

 

[O'Shag]

A lot of older kit is built with tremendous quality. How about the PAS 4 tube preamps from Dynaco, (a company out of Phili). These relatively simple but beautifully finished preamps are incredibly musical even by todays standards. Many of the new components today offer a lot more features and functionality, especially for Home Theatre. That doesn't necessarily mean they sound better for pure 2 channel stereo listening. I can easily believe your Sanyo sounds really good.

Best,

O'Shag

Austin Powers of Audio

 

[coreno]

I wrote to Sanyo and got a very prompt reply:
You are correct, these are 1983 units. We do not have a copy of the instruction manual(s) on file for the System220, which is made up by the models that you list. We do have copies of the Service Manuals that we can make copies of and mail to you, if you would like to provide your address.
This amplifier, JA220, is 20 watts per channel.

 

[Unregistered]

I wrote to Sanyo and got a very prompt reply:
You are correct, these are 1983 units. We do not have a copy of the instruction manual(s) on file for the System220, which is made up by the models that you list. We do have copies of the Service Manuals that we can make copies of and mail to you, if you would like to provide your address.
This amplifier, JA220, is 20 watts per channel.

Hey hey. I also got a sanyo ja 220. I bought it for 7 us $ at a market. It works great. Is it only 20 watt per channel? why does it say 100 watt on the back? Or maybe 220 means 2 channels a 20 watt?
I use this with some old Fisher (70 watt)speakers and its great

 

[JoeE SP9]

You might want to give that old Sanyo a try with some newer speakers. I beleive you might be very surprised with the sound. The art of speaker building has changed and improved a lot more than electronics. For low to moderate levels 20W may be more than sufficient.

 

[dsa220]

Hey hey. I also got a sanyo ja 220. I bought it for 7 us $ at a market. It works great. Is it only 20 watt per channel? why does it say 100 watt on the back? Or maybe 220 means 2 channels a 20 watt?

The 100 watts is more than likely the amount of power that the unit draws from the AC outlet, which in this case it means this little (?) unit is an honest 20 watts per channel.

There appears to be a retro craze going on in some audio circles. I have some friends who have brought out some of their older stereo equipment and are finding out they are enjoying listening to music more. I have an older [12 year old] pre-amp that has not been displaced by any newer pre-amp for 2-channel listening (I have tried 4 different ones in the last 12 years). If it still works and you find yourself listening to [and enjoying] more music - then enjoy yourself!

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

The "100 watts" was probably "peak" (i.e., B.S.) power. As far as I recall Sanyo was never known for audiophile gear here in the US; strictly mass-market stuff sold in appliance and dept. stores. Not that the electronics were necessarily any the worse for that. You could probably ABX your unit's electronics with a good modern receiver and get a null (no difference) result as long as it wasn't pushed too hard. Trying it with up-to-date speakers sounds like a good idea!

As I have said ad nauseam elsewhere, I still have a 30+ year old Dynaco PAT-4 preamp and FM-5 tuner in my system! Yep, noisy pots, switches and all. My old Dyna Stereo 120 power amp gave up the ghost only about a year ago. I need to join the 21st century eventually.

I drive cars into the ground, too...

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

There appears to be a retro craze going on in some audio circles.

I don't have the URL but there is a Website I stumbled on once devoted to old "Pioneer Silver" (do a Google search) equipment - the stuff from the 70s and early 80s with those brushed silver faceplates and knobs. Man, what a nostalgia rush for audio geeks of "a certain age". One guy had a pic of his collection -- looked like a Pioneer-only audio showroom from about 1973! Tape decks and everything.

Myself, I think the Marantz gear from the late 60s and early 70s with those horizontal tuning dials on the tuners/receivers are still the cat's *** for style.

 

[JoeE SP9]

The "100 watts" was probably "peak" (i.e., B.S.) power. As far as I recall Sanyo was never known for audiophile gear here in the US; strictly mass-market stuff sold in appliance and dept. stores. Not that the electronics were necessarily any the worse for that. You could probably ABX your unit's electronics with a good modern receiver and get a null (no difference) result as long as it wasn't pushed too hard. Trying it with up-to-date speakers sounds like a good idea!

As I have said ad nauseam elsewhere, I still have a 30+ year old Dynaco PAT-4 preamp and FM-5 tuner in my system! Yep, noisy pots, switches and all. My old Dyna Stereo 120 power amp gave up the ghost only about a year ago. I need to join the 21st century eventually.

I drive cars into the ground, too...

The Stereo 120 has my vote for the worst sounding amp of all time. The Dynaco factory used to be almost around the corner from my house (three blocks away). I still own a PAT-5, PAS-3, Stereo 70, 2 Mk3's and yes a Stereo 120. I originally bought the solid state gear to replace the tubes but the tubes sounded so much better I just put the silicon in the closet.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Rip, I liked those older Marantz receivers too, how about some of the 70's Realistic receivers and tables, they were nice too. My dad had one that the tuner display would change color when you touched the dial, too cool. You could give it one good spin and it would go all the way accross. Rip, you talking about here and here

This is what I am talking about

 

[slmcdonald7]

Old-school Marantz

Hello all,

I posted a similar question earlier (without much of a response), but now seems like the perfect time to bring it back up.

I have no working recollection of the older Marantz amplifiers from the 70's (i.e. I was born in 1980), but I am interested in getting one for my system. A few of my audio-phile/phyte friends have strongly recommended that I purchase one.

I am currently using the Denon 3805 to bi-amp my front speakers. Would an older Marantz improve my system, or would the $300 or so I would spend for one on eBay be better spent elsewhere, keeping my fronts bi-amped with my 3805?

I figure a few of you old timers (only kidding) may have an opinion on this. I hope this hasn't deviated from this thread’s original post too much, it seemed to me that this was the natural flow of the conversation...

Thanks,
Stephen

p.s. Jeff, the Marantz you linked to (your third link) is one that I have looked at on eBay. Any comments would be greatly appreceiated.

 

[JoeE SP9]

As far as old stuff goes I use an Accuphase T101 analog tuner. It is the best tuner I have ever been able to afford. Here in Phila. when Temple radio WRTI 90.1 goes of the air I can pick up Howard Univ. from Wash. DC on the same fq. The Accuphase is an early 80's model.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

I would never consider replacing any of my new stuff with something of that era, it would be cool to have a working one just to listen to it once in a while. For nostalgia sake, thats all.