过过眼瘾也无妨~~~~~~~~~~~

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:44

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[s:97] [s:97] WELCOME TO MONSTER RECEIVER [s:97]

The Monster Receiver Museum has a simple goal: spark your interest in the huge "boat anchor" Stereophonic Receivers made during the late 1970's and serve as a definitive resource for anyone interested in collecting them.
Of course, I am always looking for parts units, parts, and I'm always looking for new Monsters to add to the collection. Feel free to [email=markrr1000@hotmail.com?subject=Monster Receiver]e-mail[/email] me if you'd like to discuss this further.
A little background: The Monster Receiver era is affectionately referred to by audiophiles as the "Power Wars" and was a time when each manufacturer would play a leap frog like game of "one-upmanship" to produce a bigger, more powerful, more feature-laden, and, generally, more expensive, Stereo Receiver than had ever gone before. Strangely, this phenomenon didn't happen with separates, just Receivers.
Eventually, the "stereos" got so large that they became physically unmanageable and the game ended, such that by 1982 most of the major manufacturers had backed off and begun introducing smaller, less powerful digital tuner equipped units, although prices did not drop much. However, some concerns continued producing their Monster Receivers as late as 1984. But, by then, all the Monster Receivers had come and gone. Gone too were their quality, their durability and their sheer physical presence.
What makes the Monster Receiver era so interesting for present day collectors is that in these "top of the line" (TOTL) units no expense was spared, no cost was cut, in the pursuit of boasting rights so magazine ads in long defunct publications like "Stereo Review", "Audio" and "High Fidelity" could blare "We're the finest!" and create a "halo effect" for the rest of the lineup. It was a race to produce the very best that contemporary technology would allow. They stand is stark contrast to what is generally available now. And, even better, they sound better!
Arguably, the Monster Receiver era began with the introduction of Pioneer's seminal SX-1010 Stereo Receiver in 1974, billed as "The Finest Receiver the World Has Ever Seen", and the world's first "100 watt" Receiver. Prior to this, the Japanese manufacturers had been generally regarded as "second rate" compared to the Americans and Europeans. The SX-1010 certainly changed that perception. The era reached its zenith in 1979 when Panasonic (Matsushita) dropped their Technics SA-1000 Receiver on the audio world, arguably the most powerful receiver ever marketed by a major manufacturer at a circuit-breaker breaking 330 wRMS/ch. However, even that title was in dispute as Hitachi, an OEM manufacturer, tossed their hat in the ring with a porcine powerhouse of their own, the Hitachi SR-2004, featuring a "Class G Amplifier" capable of short-term peaks of up to 400 wRMS/ch! Well, you get the idea.
To put it all in some sort of perspective, below is an interesting cover photo from the May 1978 issue of Stereo Review Magazine showing some of the Monster Receivers together (from top to bottom they are the Nikko NR-1415, Hitachi SR-2004, Kenwood KR-9600, Marantz 2600, Rotel RX-1603 and Pioneer SX-1980). Notable absences are the Concept 16.5, Sansui G-9000, Akai AA-1120 and the Technics SA-1000. (And, no, that's NOT me in the photo!)

As you can see, certainly one of the biggest Monsters size-wise was the 1976 Rotel RX-1603, pictured above (second from the bottom) a veritable "Japanese Battleship". At a spine crackling 75 or so pounds it was simply gargantuan. With its weight, and girth, it was barely manageable by one person. And, where would you put it? Of course, Sansui made the G33000 and G22000, each of which came in two parts for convenience sake, and put together these weighed even more than the RX-1603, at almost 100 lbs. each. And, those burly handles are not some fanciful cosmetic touch, they were a NECESSITY!
While E-Bay makes it easier to acquire the Monsters nowadays, I suspect that it is also hastening their demise as they are easily damaged during shipping and, if the damage is cosmetic, it is generally not repairable. So, unfortunately, the loss of these Monsters is increasing at the same time they are more easily available to a wide audience.
If you'd like to learn more about "the hobby" and interact with other Monster Receiver collectors, you're invited to join our audio forum Monster Audio .

Ken is a Monster enthusiast from Belgium in the European Union. Here is his "Stack":
From top to bottom Sanyo JCX2900KR, Kenwood KR-9050, Sansui G-7000, Pioneer SX-1980, Rotel RX-1603.
He rates them as follows:
sound:
rotel, kenwood, sanyo, sansui, pioneer
vision:
pioneer, sanyo, sansui, kenwood, rotel
vision by night:
sanyo, rotel, pioneer, sansui, kenwood
The smile on his face says it all:)

At some point, I plan divide this site into two (2) parts: one featuring my personal collection and the other featuring visitor's submissions. All in all, I hope to have every Monster Receiver brought to market represented here at some point. Please [email=markrr1000@hotmail.com?subject=Monster Receiver]send me your photos[/email].
I also encourage your comments and submissions so that this site can be a reference for Monster Receiver collectors worldwide. Also, if you enjoy this site, please consider making a donation to offset the costs so I can keep it running. Anything will be much appreciated.
Many Thanks to Chris for creating the original site and to Alex for allowing the site to be rebuilt and put back online for everyone to enjoy.
marek, webmaster.
hifi_museum@yahoo dot ca
Cast of Characters:
Kajguy03 ("Mr Opfell") - 1st Webmaster
Alexkerhead ("Mr Rushing") - 2nd Webmaster
marek ("mr yellow/orange m&m") - 3rd and current webmaster
hifi museum - Web Dev/Admin & Hosting
Socal Sam - Contributor
Njord Noatun - Friend of MR
240volts - Friend of MR
Tom Ishimoto - "The Tech

1982 KENWOOD KR-1000 (120X2) HI-SPEED DC AMPLIFIER RECEIVER

RX-1603

Rotels don't get a lot of attention so I thought I'd share my Rotel collection. Enjoy!!
The RX-1603 with 185 wpc, was introduced in 1976 and it briefly held the title of most powerful receiver in the world. The RX-1603 can be separated into two parts ala Sansui G-22000 and 33000. I haven't done this but I've seen pictures and it looks awkward. They are both decent sounding machines and can pump volume. Bass is emphasized, especially in the RX-1203 (120 watts) with its single pair of 63v 22,000uF caps. The 1603 amp is better built so more detail is available but bass still rules the day. The 1203 and 1603 are the most collectible of Rotel’s receivers with the RX-1603 becoming increasingly rare as collectors lock them up as keepers.
The RX-1203 and RX-1603 are IMO the best looking Rotels out there and have an industrial deco look that is hard to beat. Kajguy03 (member at Monster Audio) described the 1603 as looking like a battleship and I agree. The 1203 with its expansive grey top looks like an aircraft carrier. Although the dial and switch layout of the two are nearly identical, the circuit boards are completely different. Both of these machines are built like tanks with not a splinter of wood in sight nor even offered for that matter. And, they feature standard rack handles, which is rare for a receiver. Turn the knobs and feel the thick faceplate and you will know where Rotel spent the development budget. Peek inside and you will see a spider’s nest of wiring and circuit boards. Definitely not the clinical internal design seen inside a Pioneer SX-1250.

RX-603

The RX-504 is significant for being one of the few black-faced Rotels of the era. Unlike the supposedly higher up RX-803 and RX-603, the 504 has an all metal face and metal switch covers giving it the look and feel of quality. Surprisingly, the RX-504 features power meters that are shockingly absent in the TOTL RX-1603. At 40 wpc, it is a mini monster.
The second photo shows my RX-603. This one has the family look but plastic for the dial surround and for the rack handles smack of cheapness. The thickness of the faceplate is about half that of the RX-1603. Sound is competent but not memorable. If you have to have Rotel, best to save a little longer and go for the RX-1203 or get a second job and bid for a RX-1603. The similarly built RX-803 (75 watts) is not much better than the RX-603 (50 watts) but it is more powerful.

RT-1024 (top), RA-1312 (bottom)(咱目前在用的宝贝)[s:97] [s:97]

The better Rotel separates have the same family look as the RX-1603. The ones to go for are the RA-1312 (80 watts), RA-1412 (120 watts), and the RT-1024 tuner. The RT-1024 and RA-1312 paired look fabulous. Again, the all brush metal look is relentless in an almost clinical manner. Surprisingly, the RT-1024 looks better paired with the MOTL 1312 amp because they are the same width and height. The more powerful 1412 is wider. The tuner sounds great through the 1312 amp.
The RA-1412 is overbuilt for a 120 wpc integrated amp. It has the same power rating as the RX-1203 but unlike the 1203, the 1412 features a dual mono layout with two conventional transformers and a pair of 22,000 uF filters per channel. Big bouncy meters and thick rack handles complete the look. Like the flagship RX-1603 receiver, the controls are a tactile delight. The volume pot is especially smooth and very easy to modulate.

Written by SoCal Sam

[ 本帖最后由叶荣玉于 2010-4-29 20:12 编辑 ]

clk · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:45

交易区新帖推荐

[s:197]

生于70后 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:46

沙发全篇就看懂一个WELCOME

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:47

[s:41] [s:41] [s:41]

生于70后 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:47

晕死居然是板凳了还想第一次做沙发

生于70后 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:47

交易区新帖推荐

手慢地板都轮不到

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:49

[s:41] [s:41] [s:41]

生于70后 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:51

更晕了还有很多看不懂的牌子[s:106]

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:51

[s:6] [s:6] [s:6] [s:68] [s:68] [s:68] [s:68] 那时侯的高级音响是给有钱人的玩的！！！！[s:14] [s:14] 现在的高级音响是给有闲心又有闲钱的人用的！！！！！:41] [s:41] [s:41]

生于70后 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:55

闲心有闲钱难

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 16:59

[s:97] [s:97] [s:97] [s:41]

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 17:03

[s:97] [s:97]

叶荣玉 · 发表于 2010-4-29 17:10

Diatone

Fisher 400-CX

HK Citation XX

The Citation XX was considered to be one of the finest amplifiers in it's day, showcasing the low TIM technology of Dr. Matti Otala and Dr. Jan Lohstroh.
There has been some discussion about where these were produced. This one appears to have been made in the USA. Super rare everywhere this one sold for a mere $1700.