My "latest" pick-up- Sony ES receiver [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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thekid
03-20-2010, 04:20 AM
Just to show I am not stuck only on gear made before 1978 I thought I'd post a pick of something I came across at a local thrift last week. The ES line was Sony's TOTL gear at the time and the G8AES was one of their best when it came out in the mid-late 90's. I already had the 222ES CD/SACD player so I thought for $13 I could get a matching receiver. Works like a champ and I am using it to drive my pair of KEF35's in a little corner set-up.

Mr Peabody
03-20-2010, 07:17 AM
What do you think of the "ES"? I've heard people say they weren't that much different from the regular Sony line but my impression was the "ES" sounded much better. I especially thought the "ES" was able to generate better bottom end. It could have just been a system thing but that is my impression and I'll stick with it until proven otherwise :)

thekid
03-21-2010, 03:51 AM
What do you think of the "ES"? I've heard people say they weren't that much different from the regular Sony line but my impression was the "ES" sounded much better. I especially thought the "ES" was able to generate better bottom end. It could have just been a system thing but that is my impression and I'll stick with it until proven otherwise :)

I can confirm that it is a cut above the regular Sony gear. Build quality is very good and this thing comes in at a little over 32lbs so it is not just an imposing looking piece of plastic. Soundwise it is pushing the KEF's very well all across the sound spectrum. The KEF's sounded a little "muddy" on the Kenwood Basic combo but have really come alive on this Sony, perhaps it is because it has a separate switch for only 4 Ohm speakers. I have played mostly accoustic, jazz and classical on it so far and am currently listening to James Taylor's "October Road" which is not exactly full of bass but this combo is producing nice tight bass and very clear mids and highs. I am going to put some Bach on it a little laterand see how it does on the bottom end. My guess is the KEF's can only go so far down. I am still playing around with the built in EQ/ Parameter and trying to figure out how to maximize its potential. It would be tempting to put it into my HT set-up and see how it performs there but that is just too much of a hassle and I really don't think it would challenge my Pioneer much there given the Pioneer's much more advanced technology in the HT area.

Mr Peabody
03-21-2010, 08:24 AM
Yeah, Kenwood does have sort of a dark bass response. It's hard to put into words but I know what you are talking about and can see how that could be a synergy issue with the wrong speakers.

frahengeo
03-23-2010, 05:29 AM
The Sony ES of the 80's and 90's were very well built and rated. Within their ES lineup, their top 2 models in their Receiver, CD and Cassette categories were made really well (copper shielding, FB construction, etc). The TOTL in your receiver's lineup most likely would've been a GA9ES, followed by your GA8ES. It should perform very very well. Anyways, it would be hard to beat the price you paid.

Mr Peabody
03-23-2010, 04:21 PM
frahengeo, regarding price, you can say that again. I can't believe the stuff Kid gets at thrift stores. Ours looks like stuff from some old guy's closet. If I could get that stuff to my area I could go into business just selling on Craigslist or something. It would be a money maker if one took the time to Ebay.

thekid
03-23-2010, 06:56 PM
Thanks for the info and the responses. I am listening to it now and the little corner set-up allows me to listen to a very good set-up without keeping the rest of the house up.

I have printed out a copy of the owners manual and am even more impressed with some of the features. Have not had a chance to try these features out but I now think I need to get my hands on the remote. I might try to go back to the thrift I was at and see if it turns up there otherwise I might see if they have one on E-Bay.

Mr.P - I know I have been very fortunate with many of my thrift and CL finds and find myself grinning at least once a week as I look around at what I have accumulated. I still attribute much of my finds to the encouragement you gave me when I first stumbled onto my first piece of Kenwood Basic gear. This confirmed for me, that while not neccessarily high-end, there was respectable gear to be found in what I will call the "recycled market".

I know not all of my pick-ups have been nuggets but on the whole my victories have outweighed my losses. I have sold off a couple of pieces of gear (a couple of members here I think are satisfied with their purchases) and I know that I could flip some of this gear for significantly more than I paid for it in some cases but at this point it still is more about the gear than the cash. :12: