Q: Can you recommend a low to moderately priced stereo receiver?
A: These days it is hard to find stereo receivers, and selection is severely lacking. Not long ago Harman/Kardon had the HK3490, a substantial, heavy-duty 120-watt stereo receiver that was a standout at $400. It had a tremendous amount of good, clean power and excellent sound, and its high-current power supply could drive 4-ohm speakers with ease. I recommended it for use with speakers that cost $3,000 per pair or more, and it easily did them justice. Unfortunately Harman/Kardon discontinued it and the replacement, the HK 3770, has not been as well received. I am hesitant to recommend it.
"Moderately priced" means a lot of things to a lot of people, and the argument can be made that my top recommendation is "moderately priced" at $699 given its performance and the fact that you can spend many thousands of dollars on stereo amplification. Fortunately, you can get a nice receiver for only $149.
The Onkyo TX-8020 (www.onkyousa.com) is rated at 50 watts per channel for only $199 MSRP. It can be found online for $149. The TX-8020 has a phono input, so you can use it with any turntable. It is a good choice for budget systems, and it pairs well with inexpensive, yet high-quality speakers that are easy to drive.
If you are starting from scratch, some good matches are the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 ($349, www.wharfedaleusa.com) and Diamond 10.2 ($449.) These speakers have a beautiful finish and deliver very detailed, yet warm and satisfying sound. The Diamond 10.2 has very impressive bass for a bookshelf speaker. If you want floorstanding speakers, the Pioneer SP-FS52 towers are an excellent match for $260 per pair (www.pioneerelectronics.com).
The Marantz SR4023 is a nice 80 watt-per-channel receiver. It offers more connections and flexibility than the Onkyo for $499 (us.marantz.com).
My top recommendation is the Outlaw Audio RR2150 for $699 (www.outlawaudio.com). Rated at 100 watts per channel into 8-ohms and 160 watts per channel into 4-ohms, this receiver's 36-pound weight is a testament to its solid construction and beefy, powerful amplifier. It features beautiful art deco-inspired styling and lots of inputs, including a phono input with moving magnet and moving coil settings.
Though I have not tested it, the FM tuner is claimed to be a high-performance unit. That's a rarity today, when most FM tuners are not very good. The $39 BTR-100 Bluetooth receiver can be added if you want to stream from a portable device. The Outlaw Audio RR2150 is a great hub to a high-quality sound system, and I would not hesitate to use it even with very expensive speakers.
