Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
OK, I’m cycling through some receivers which have not been on in a while. Here’s the Technics SA-550, from 1984. 70 watts per channel, discrete transistor amp chips. Features a TV tuner - it’s an analog dial, so back in the 1980’s when you watched Friday Night Videos late night on on NBC, you’d hear the sound in stereo!
Took me two tries to get one of these that worked right - first one arrived damaged with cracked VFD and broken chassis, second one was rusty and stumped me with a bad amp so I merged them together. Works great and it’s been re-biased, relamped, and cleaned out. There is an electronically fragile biasing circuit where specific solder contacts need to be reflowed, so hopefullly this won’t crash and burn as some do.
Great performer. Love the dashboard and stereo expansion “Stereoplex” circuit lights.
Interesting tuner which shows you the centering signal strength.
The higher model is the SA-850 which I ran last weekend.
Have a great weekend!
OK, I’m cycling through some receivers which have not been on in a while. Here’s the Technics SA-550, from 1984. 70 watts per channel, discrete transistor amp chips. Features a TV tuner - it’s an analog dial, so back in the 1980’s when you watched Friday Night Videos late night on on NBC, you’d hear the sound in stereo!
Took me two tries to get one of these that worked right - first one arrived damaged with cracked VFD and broken chassis, second one was rusty and stumped me with a bad amp so I merged them together. Works great and it’s been re-biased, relamped, and cleaned out. There is an electronically fragile biasing circuit where specific solder contacts need to be reflowed, so hopefullly this won’t crash and burn as some do.
Great performer. Love the dashboard and stereo expansion “Stereoplex” circuit lights.
Interesting tuner which shows you the centering signal strength.
The higher model is the SA-850 which I ran last weekend.
Have a great weekend!
