As the stereo market exploded in size among the college-aged consumer in the ‘60s and ‘70s, receivers became the dominant electronic component, supplanting the.

At Classic Car Audio we are proud to offer owners of classic vehicles the ability to have modern digital quality sound in their classics. Custom Autosound Mfg., Inc. Established in 1977 is the originator and industry leader of ‘Classic Car Audio’. They manufacture radios made exclusively for classic and custom vehicles featuring AM-FM cassettes, CD changer control radios and dual speaker upgrades for American Classics from the ’40’s to ’80’s. We are proud to have been appointed one of their Canadian distributors. Our goal is to give you today’s quality sound in your classic vehicle without compromising its appearance. All of the products are designed to be installed without vehicle modification.

Custom Autosound customizes all radios offered to fit your original radio openings. Radios are configured with appropriate logos, bezels and correct tuning shaft dimensions to give you a no modification ‘OEM’ fit. There is a $15 customization fee for vehicles that require a custom build. For more information and shipping costs!

Model Classic Car Audio Price USA-1 If you want great sound at an affordable price then this is the radio for you! A quick review of the features and you’ll realize why it’s our best seller.

Now with 200 watts and auxiliary input for iPod, MP3, satellite radio, etc. This radio has outstanding features. *AM-FM Stereo * Auto Reverse Cassette * 200 watts (4×50) * Auxiliary Input * Electronic Tuning and Volume Control * Pre-set Scan * Digital Clock * Best Station Memory * 30 Pre-sets (12AM-18FM) * 4 Channel RCA Pre-outs * 4 way Fader * Separate Bass and Treble * Fast Forward and Rewind * Digital Clock * Power Antenna Lead * Chrome Face, also available in Black Face USA-01BK.

NLA USA-230 A great look and sound at an awesome price. This Concours series USA-230 radio has no cassette but comes with Auxiliary Input for iPod, MP3, Satellite radio, etc.

Classic features with a classic look. These exciting features include: * AM-FM Stereo * 200 Watts (4×50) * Auxiliary Input * Digital Clock * Electronic Tuner * 30 Pre-sets (12AM-18FM) * 4 Channel RCA Pre-outs * 4 way Fader * Chrome & Black Nosepiece * Power Antenna Lead Call for Pricing USA-630 Optional: iPod Interface available for this modelIf you want to keep the classic look of your dash, but demand the great sound that today’s modern electronics offer, this is the radio you’ve been looking for.

This AM/FM Stereo unit is packed with features, including a whopping 240 Watts (4×60) * Electronic Tuning and Volume Control * Auxiliary Input for iPod, MP3, satellite radio, etc. * 25 Pre-Sets * Separate Bass/Treble Controls * Power Antenna Lead * 4 Channel RCA Pre-Outs * Electronic Tuner * CD Changer Controller. The radio buttons will control all functions of the 10-Disc CD Changer offered on the CD options page. Note: This radio does not include a cassette player.

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Fold Down Full Detachable Front Panel – Available in Chrome or Black models. Features: CD/WMA/USB/SD/MMC INTERFACE * Fold down & Full detachable face panel * CD/MP3 Compatible * Full Electronic Loading CD/MP3 DECK * ESP-Electronic Shock protection * 4 x 40 watts * RCA pre-out (1 PAIR) for rear amplifier * Front Panel AUX in Jack * AM/FM PLL Tuning Radio * Electronic Audio Control, all functions * USB JACK ON FRONT PANEL * Jumbo Size Multi Color Display Panel * ID3-TAG COMPATIBLE – SHOWS ARTIST/SONG TITLE ON THE DISPLAY Call for Pricing Slidebar Radios The Slidebar Radio is Custom Autosound’s latest innovation in the quest for a perfect classic car radio. Just slide the ‘slidebar’ to the right and the analog AM radio display drops away to reveal a full featured digital display. With the large OEM style push-buttons you get a perfect look in a classic dash. Now a radio that not only looks right and sounds great in your classic vehicle, it gives you a direct connection to today’s modern audio.

Although it looks classic it has the latest modern features that include an iPod doc. Navigation for the iPOD includes artist/song/album/playlist all from the buttons on the radio. A great feature so you can keep the iPod hidden away in your glove box or console. The USB input is still there on the back of the radio and allows you to plug in a USB flash drive for playback of MP3/WMA song files. The alpha numeric LCD display shows the song/artist/album titles during playback of flash drive (thumb drive), iPod files and RDS radio station information. This LCD display has 7 user selectable color choices so you can match it to your other dash illumination. As an option you can get Bluetooth music streaming from your Bluetooth capable phone or Bluetooth compatible player with the BLUKIT.

A2DP music streaming allows you to advance the songs on your phone buy using the track up/down button on the radio. It will also mute the music while to take a hands free phone call through the radio. With 300 watts peak the radio should have all the power you may need, if you want more there are four pre-outs jacks and a subwoofer out on the back of the radio for optional amplifiers. The back of the radio also has auxiliary audio input for satellite radio or any portable player you may wish to use. If CD’s are your thing we have you covered as this radio will control an optional 6 disc changer USA-CD60 or our CD1 compact size CD/DVD mp3 compatible player.

This article will have a slightly different angle than the recent article, “.” Instead, we cover the most “memorable” receivers, not necessarily the most influential. Neither article is about “the best,” but we’re sure that won’t stop the flood of comments. Actually, those comments are the very reason we do these articles, so we’d love to hear them. Round-up/historical articles like these are a heckuva lot of fun to write, and it’s even more fun to hear the reactions and read the comments. If the response to the Speakers article was any indication, this one should spark some lively debate of its own.

We cover everything from vintage two-channel to the more recent multi-channel surround AV receivers. We discuss the evolution from tubes to transistors, power ratings and the FTC, social, economic, and demographic changes that have occurred in America since the 1960’s and how this has impacted the receiver market. So, in rough chronological order from oldest to newest, here are our picks for the 10 (or so) most memorable receivers of the last 50 years: Two-Channel Simplicity: The Good Old Days Fisher 500-T The Fisher 500-T receiver from around 1965-ish was a hugely important unit in the evolution of American hi-fi. Fisher and H.H. Scott were the two most prominent U.S.

Manufacturers of mainstream electronics and the 500-T was Fisher’s first all-transistor unit. Early transistor models used germanium transistors, before superior silicon parts were available. Germanium transistors had narrower bandwidth, less gain and were not particularly reliable, giving the first transistor units a somewhat shaky reputation for inferior sound and questionable quality.

Of particular interest is this ad’s headline, boasting that it’s a “90-Watt” receiver. 90 watts how? 45 per channel, so 90 watts total? At what level of distortion? Over what bandwidth? Both channels driven simultaneously or only a single channel driven?

This is how it was done in those days: Let the buyer beware! Way back in the ’60 s and early ’70 s, before the FTC stepped in (1974) and made all the stereo manufacturers clean up their deceptive advertised wattage ratings, companies would use all kinds of ratings. In 1974, FTC stepped in to make stereo manufacturers clean up their deceptive wattage ratings. There was Continuous or RMS, but since this was the smallest, least-impressive number, it was always listed last, in small print, if listed at all. Double the RMS was “Dynamic” or “Peak” or “Music” power—the rationale being that an amplifier could likely deliver about double its continuous rating on a temporary peak in the music.

Double that was a really bogus number called “IPP” or Instantaneous Peak Power. The flimsy rationale was that an amplifier—if it had enough of a power supply—could probably muster about double its Peak power for the briefest of instants, if it had the wind at its back and you completely disregarded the distortion. So a 30-watt/channel RMS stereo amplifier became a 60-watt/ch peak amp, which became a 120-watt IPP amp. Adding together the two channels, manufacturers would advertise, “240-watt Amplifier!” for a 30-per-side unit. In 1974, the FTC came in and mandated that audio amplifier power specifications had to state RMS/continuous power first, in the largest type, and that it had to be specified over what frequency bandwidth, at what THD distortion level, and both channels had to be driven simultaneously. Furthermore, the FTC mandated a warm-up or “preconditioning” period of an hour at 33% of rated power at 1kHz before measurements were taken. The manufacturers hated this one, because 33% power is right in the heart of the least efficient operating range for typical Class AB amplifiers (which all of these were), and so the amps would run very hot during the preconditioning period.

That necessitated large, heavy heat sinks for new designs, or sometimes a downgrade in power ratings for existing designs in order to meet the new requirements. For example, Dynaco—a well-regarded manufacturer of better-than-midgrade electronics—had to de-rate their popular SCA-80 integrated amplifier from 40 watts RMS per channel to 30 watts RMS per channel, because the unit ran too hot during the new FTC-mandated preconditioning period. This particular Fisher receiver—if you read all the fine print really closely—eventually said that it was 28 watts RMS per channel, although it’s not clear if a distortion level or frequency bandwidth was ever specified. But considered all on its own, the Fisher was a fine unit. 25 or 30 clean watts per side would easily drive any normal speaker of the time to more-than-ample loudness levels in the typical living room. It was an attractive, convenient, easy-to-use piece.

It ushered in the coming stereo market expansion and deservedly takes its place among the industry’s most memorable receivers. McIntosh 1900 McIntosh. The “Macs.” The generally-acknowledged best electronics of their time (apologies to Marantz separates fans), long before the Aragons and Brystons and Audio Researches and Jeff Rolands, et al. Came on the scene. Mcintosh 1900 Receiver They were primarily a separates company but when they did finally come out with their first receiver—the tube/solid state hybrid model 1500—it was a big event. They followed that with the more solid state/less tube (tuner section only) model 1700, but with the model 1900 in the early ’70s, “Mac” finally entered the solid-state receiver market.

And what a solid, well-built, beautiful, high-performance unit it was. You didn’t judge Macs on a watts or features per-dollar basis. These were the Cadillacs of their day and price was just not part of the equation. In 1972, a Ford Galaxy 500 would take you to the store to buy milk just as well as any luxury car, but that’s not the point, is it? At a list price of around $950, it was probably twice as costly—if not more—than similarly-spec’d receivers from mainstream companies, but the 1900 had an aura of solid quality that nothing else could match. Mac watts were somehow cleaner, more powerful, louder and more authoritative than those very pedestrian Kenwood watts coming forth from their KR-6160 receiver. In high school as my interest in stereo picked up steam, one of my classmates had (or I guess his Dad had) a “high end” system consisting of a Mac 1900, AR-3a speakers and a Thorens turntable with a separately purchased tonearm (probably an SME).

The system cost over $2,000—this was an extremely expensive system in the early 70’s, real high-end. Download Do Jogo Tekken 4 Para Pc Gratis on this page. I remember he played the Isaac Hayes record “Shaft,” and the high-hat strikes that began the title cut were so realistic and sharp, I didn’t think anything could ever sound better.

I was blown away. As a teen just getting into audio, that was an impression that has lasted to this day. McIntosh electronics certainly had the cachet and their 1900 receiver did nothing to sully that reputation. It was quite arguably the first “high end” receiver of the modern equipment era, where the specs/price ratio was not as important as the build quality, company reputation, and perceived sonic superiority.

Pioneer SX-424 through SX-828 series These were the receivers that launched the stereo college revolution of the ’70s. The line consisted of five models, from the SX-424 (15 wpc) to the SX-828 (50 wpc). They were beautifully-made, beautiful-looking units, with silver faceplates, wooden side panels, and heavily-weighted tuning flywheels that spun nicely from one end of the tuning dial to the other. Since younger aficionados are only acquainted with digital tuners, they’ve really missed out on one of the greatest tactile/high-quality equipment sensations of the halcyon era of stereo. (Another being the smoothly-damped, slow-opening cassette deck door—but that’s another story for another time.) Pioneer was the standard-setter for mainstream receivers in that timeframe.

Kenwood, Sansui, Sherwood and others definitely had some great equipment also—the budget-priced Sherwood S-7100A (20 wpc) being a particularly terrific value, a truly gutsy, great-sounding receiver. But the Pioneers were the benchmark units and their sales and marketing policies ensured they were the biggest sellers. Vintage Pioneer Receiver In the ’70s, all those millions of Advents, EPIs, JBLs and ARs blasting out Allman Brothers, the Who, Jimi and CSN&Y in beer-drenched, smoke-filled (never mind what kind!) dorm rooms across the country had to be powered by something.

More often than not, they were made to sing by the clean, dependable, abuse-resistant power of a Pioneer receiver. The SX-424 thru 828 model series was made from about 1971-1973. It was followed by the SX-434 series and then in 1976 by the SX-450 series models, the latter with their strikingly-gorgeous soft gold backlit tuning dial/power meter display area. Two of these later series units—one each from the 30 and 50 families—were so significant to the history and evolution of the high-fidelity industry that they’ll be called out on their own a bit later. But for now, let’s remember the Pioneer SX-424 thru 828—the receivers that powered so much of the music of the Baby Boomers’ college-aged youth. From Joni Mitchell to Miles Davis to Santana—Pioneer was there. Marantz 2230, 2245, 2270 series No matter how good the accepted standard-bearer is in any field, there’s always something a cut above.

Whatever it is, it has that something extra, a bit unexpected, a little better than it has to be. A better affordable family sedan than Toyota. Advertising Arens Schaefer Weigold Pdf Viewer. A better chain restaurant than Olive Garden. The better ones exist because the company feels their customers will appreciate it and pay a little more for their product.

Not too much more, but a little more and worth it. Marantz 2270 Receiver If the Pioneers (and by implication, the Kenwoods, Sansuis, Sherwoods et al.) were the benchmark for minimum-required excellence, then the Marantz 2200 series was the line that represented a cut above. What distinctive and classy units they were. With their beautiful champagne-gold faceplates, their elegant black script control labelling and that striking deep blue tuning backlighting, the Marantz’s were certainly lookers.

But their tuning knob—who could forget that tuning knob? While everyone else chased the conventional spin-the-dial target, some brilliantly-inspired industrial designer produced the horizontally-oriented thumb-actuated Marantz-only tuning knob. With its black-knurled slip-resistant surface and heavily-weighted expensive feel, the horizontal tuning knob ensured that the Marantz 2200-series receivers were instantly recognizable and forever unforgettable, even to this day. You didn’t see too many of these in random dorm rooms and fraternity house bedrooms. While we have no specific empirical sales data from that period showing the demographic distribution of its buyers, the strong suspicion here is that Marantz was the receiver for “grown-ups,” and the others were mostly for college kids. Whenever one did see or come across a 2230 or 2245 in someone’s room, it elicited an involuntary—and well-deserved—chorus of “ooohs” and “ahhhs.” No one ever ooohed and ahhhed over a Kenwood KR-5200.

But a Marantz 2245 or 2270? Well, that was different. Now—another tale of the Marantz 2270, and not a particularly flattering one. I went to college in Boston and was a member of the nationally-known Boston Audio Society, a group of enthusiasts who met monthly to discuss audio matters and get presentations, factory tours and demonstrations of manufacturers’ latest gear. At the time—the mid-1970s—the whole notion of “why did amplifiers sound different” was really taking hold in audio circles.

At a BAS meeting in the fall of 1975, we got a presentation from a test equipment manufacturer (I forget who) who was going to show us—prove to us—why some amplifiers sounded better than others. They used three popularly-priced receivers of about the same power output—a Pioneer, an AR receiver, and a Marantz 2270. All three were rated at about 50-70 watts RMS/channel into 8 ohms, within about 1.4 dBW of each other. In other words, no real-life difference in loudness capability. I think the speakers for the demonstration were Advents or ARs.

When the receivers were pushed hard—to the edge of clipping, as we all watched on the scope—they sounded markedly different. The Marantz was clearly the worst. From an audibility standpoint, it wasn't just total THD but how that THD was constituted that mattered. These were the very early days of distortion spectrum analysis, and the presenter of the test equipment was showing us how an amplifier whose THD products are comprised of upper-order harmonics would sound much harsher and more strident than an amplifier whose THD products were the more benign and musically-related lower-order (2 nd- and 3 rd-order) harmonics.

In other words, it wasn’t just the “total” of THD, it was what that THD was constituted of that really mattered. We saw on the scope that the Pioneer had a reasonable spectral distribution of distortion products (a mix of lower- and upper-order distortion when pushed into clipping); the AR receiver was almost entirely lower-order distortion (2 nd- and 3 rd-order) and so its clipping was quite smooth-sounding and hardly noticeable, but the 2270 was a complete mess when it ran out of steam—virtually all 4 th-, 5 th- and 6 th order distortion. Nails on the blackboard. (See ) This is not to denigrate the 2270, a well-built handsome powerhouse whose 70+ undistorted watts per side were more than enough to get a set of Large Advents far louder than any reasonably-sane college kid (or mature adult) could stand. It’s just an interesting recollection that must be included for the sake of historical accuracy and completeness. Johnny2Bad, post: 1214562, member: 7 I agree with another poster above who said Kenwood receivers were overlooked unfairly. Decent SQ and some of the world's best FM sections.

An unfortunate oversight. Most Classic Receivers, even budget models, with discrete radio sections, run rings around a modern AV Receiver with it's $10 radio-on-a-chip (and the same chip as all it's competitors) radio section. No comparison, really. Ponying up for a premium AV unit does not get you a “better” chip. In the modern world the more advanced radio ICs are found in OEM autosound, which often perform better than their component AV counterpoints back in the listening room. The best autosound can be found on pre-1990's OEM radios, but as in-car radio is seen as a priority versus as in the home, an afterthought, even the chips used in OEM radios cost significantly more than the AV Receiver's unit.

Agreed, Kenwood (Trio) should not be looked down upon. They had some very nice units. The Kenwood I'd love to have is the L-07D, one of the finest Turntables ever made. I almost got one last year but I dragged my feet and it was gone. I also agree with your tuner comment. The tuner section (if you can even call it that) in AVRs is an afterthought (just like their phono sections). I remember the first time I heard the one in my Denon 3803 back in the early 2000's, the radio sounded terrible.

If that's the only type of FM tuner a person has heard and then they listen to even a lowly classic receiver they'd be blown away at how good FM can sound. Take it one step further and have them listen to a mid level separate old school Tuner like the Sansui TU-717 and their jaws will drop. When I found my Sansui AU-X1 integrated it was in pristine condition and the original owner was also selling the matching TU-X1, by all accounts one of the best tuners EVER made. I passed on the tuner because I never listen to the radio but I sometimes regret it. The tuner alone is over 35lbs!

Image from the net. 22587 My all-time favourite receiver was the Luxman R-1120 120WPC (measured higher) and an outstanding FM section, along with two decent MM phono inputs and also provision for two tape decks or processors. Very rare, you see the smaller units on eBay (R-1070, decent, and R-1040, a budget model) for what I would consider to be high prices (often more than MSRP) and poor value, but the 1120 doesn't show up much. One sold on canukaudiomart for $C 350 recently, a bargain.

If you've heard Mcintosh tuners / amps /preamps, you should have an idea of this units's Sound Quality, very similar overall. Regardless of which vintage receiver you choose, they should be sent out for an alignment as the FM and AM sections will not be in proper tune after so long a time has passed. I agree with another poster above who said Kenwood receivers were overlooked unfairly. Decent SQ and some of the world's best FM sections. An unfortunate oversight. Most Classic Receivers, even budget models, with discrete radio sections, run rings around a modern AV Receiver with it's $10 radio-on-a-chip (and the same chip as all it's competitors) radio section. No comparison, really.

Ponying up for a premium AV unit does not get you a “better” chip. In the modern world the more advanced radio ICs are found in OEM autosound, which often perform better than their component AV counterpoints back in the listening room. The best autosound can be found on pre-1990's OEM radios, but as in-car radio is seen as a priority versus as in the home, an afterthought, even the chips used in OEM radios cost significantly more than the AV Receiver's unit. Alex2507, post: 1072458, member: 22358 My introduction to rec'rs was pretty H/K-centric.

That didn't stop me from enjoying the article one bit and I'll end up going back to it to better fill out my understanding. I think I had one of the Pioneers. That was before things got out of hand. I think I sold it for 100 bucks worth of meat. It currently handles background music duty in a butcher shop. Rock solid FM tuner on that thing. I have to check old posts or go buy some meat to verify the model.

I'm currently using a couple of Yammies and but yearn for one particular Denon that's still a little to expensive for me. So even though I haven't owned a Denon, they still get the vote. Those B&K rec'rs though A butcher shop? I was one of those pricks that wouldn't allow it in my shop.

I had a crew of 10 and nobody liked the same music and fewer liked mine. Corporate didn't like it either tho and we were having trouble hearing pages so I decided it wasn't worth the aggravation.