wrote in message
oups.com...

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...

'allo,

I built this 'ere pc from components (my 3rd build), but the world of
"Consumer Electronics" has been grinding out stuff for which I have
no use for years and years. So I got no celly-phone, no Xbox,
no Blackberry, no GPS, etc.

And no quadraphonic sound (or whatever they call it nowadaze).

What I've got is a little 20-yr-old Technics stereo receiver in my
little home that has powered 5 sets of speakers for about 20 years.
Such receiver appears to be rolling over and dying (tons of static
and can't balance the 2 stereo channels).

What might I be able to do in terms of replacing the stereo receiver
(other than another 198x model from Ebay that might not last long)?
Are there any good, reasonably priced -stereo- receivers presently on
the market? Fancy-Dancy new receivers effectively supporting old-style
stereo??

I admit ignorance of most all "current" developments in the home
audio market: haven't had time to follow any of it.

Any/all help/info etc much appreciated.


Call around to some actual stereo stores, not the big box idiots. Tell
them
what you want, and what you DON'T want. These things still exist. I
believe
NAD and Onkyo still make simple 2 channel receivers, for instance.

Example:
http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=...s=Receiver&p=i


Does your old receiver have rotary controls? Does it seem like they might
just need cleaning? If so, head to Radio Shack for a spray can of tuner
cleaner, pop off the receiver's cover, and drench those controls with the
spray. You have to shoot it into the tiny hole on each control. Tuck a
clean
rag under the controls so the stuff's not dripping onto your table.

I believe places like "Best Buy " still have the sort of thing you are
after.


They might, but there's a 50% chance you'll run into someone who has no idea
what you mean, and will drool on your shoes. Same with Circuit City. A
friend of mine does sales training for companies like these. (A very
frustrating job). Sometimes, before he sets up training sessions, he does
brief phone surveys of the stores to see how they handle customers. At one
CC store, he asked if they carried a certain Harmon Kardon receiver. The
salesperson on the phone told him they didn't carry HK, and gave him the
name of another store that did.

Very funny. At that time, CC had carried the HK line for quite a while.
Luckily for the salesman, my friend got his name, and before the training
sessions began, he took him aside to suggest that he either come a few
minutes early to work and familiarize himself with what they sell, or keep
looking over his shoulder in case his manager was walking by.