Why does this circa '75 receiver sound so good?


I am in the process of rebuilding my system and have been listening to a Kenwood KR3200 receiver while I save up the funds for new ARC gear. The more I listen, the less I want to buy expensive gear. This old receiver sounds VERY good with my new Nautilus 805's. I can't figure it out--why? I have also powered the speakers with an Audio Refinement Complete, but the receiver is much more enjoyable--the Complete just didn't sound as good-period. Too much like electronics and not so much like music. I did power the speakers for one night with an ARC D300/LS3 combo and loved it. Don't know what made me think I need something "better", but I already sold the amp, so there is no turing back. Anybody have personal experience with an Adcom GFA5802/GFP750 setup? That has been another consideration lately.
adrhld
Drubin; you and my wife, and I'd bet a few thousand other partners of the aurally-fixated out there, can all start a club! Of course you all KNOW it's gotta be BS if you can't hear it, and or, if you just don't care either way, that's for sure! Then again lotsa folks say that about a whole lotta' other things in life too ("There's MY WAY, and then there's the WRONG way!"). Ya' just gotta'hav'faith in what you love, or what's the use?! Gutsy post...I like that in a man! Let us know what happens when your system is all naked, with those skinny lamp cords connecting all the boxes, and those pathetic flacid power cords begging for some Viagra just to suck that juice outta' the wall! It may sound just as good, but you ain't gettin' any that way man! Get with the program dude! If you wanna' get you some, then you need one of them thick sidewinding cords with the Matrinco tips on the ends. A big thick one, like a Beluga, or an Anaconda, yeah, that's it, an Anaconda! You know, once you've had an Anaconda, you ain't even gonna' think about going back! You can go through the rest of your life just wondering what it all means...thinking, "...if only the music just sounded a little more lifelike, a little more Authentic to the musician's and recording engineer's REAL intentions, well then I'd REALLY be living!!!! That's it, just keep your limp, skinny cords and wonder, never knowing the TRUE answers that all of us already know! NOW WAIT A MINUTE!... Don't give up on us Drubin. Look, mortgage rates are at an all-time low...just take out a second mortgage on your home and buy yourself some six-figure-system bragging rights and post it all right here, then you'll really be living!!....Just watch the funny sock puppet while they take away all the money out of your bank account! And don't be asking no questions like those again, or we won't have you in our exclusive club!!!!

PS My dad still uses my 78' Pioneer SX650 in his studio. I think he's got it running a my old pair of AR speakers with some lamp-wire hookin' them all together. Sounds pretty darn good to him! Not bad to me either! I'll be keeping my thick, lady-fetchin' power cords though!
I had an Adcom 5400 amp (the little brother of the 5802) and a GFP 750, both modified by Stan Warren. They were pretty good, especially for the money. I paired them first with Martin Logan SL3's and then with Audio Physic Avant II speakers. The amp did not do well with the SL3's - too difficult a load. It did much better with the Avanti's. I moved to a tube amp (the Berning ZH270) which is substantially better (at 5x the price). If you decide on the Adcom amp, I would buy a used one and then have it modified - it will improve substantially. The GFP 750 is a very nice preamp, and a very good value, especially if you are able to get a used one. Still, for the pair, unmodified, you are probably looking at around $2k used (maybe less if you are patient). If you are going to stick with SS, I would look for a used good quality integrated amp. I have seen used Rowland Concentra's, for example sell in the mid to low $2k's, and the Music Fidelity integrated's are even less. My guess is that either of these would be at least the equal of the Adcom pre and superior to the Adcom amp.
I've just discovered the same thing - my late Father's 1975 Trio 15W/ch receiver sounds better than my 900GBP Linn Kolektor/LK85 combo. It has much greater transparency and depth to the stereo image.

John
Late post to a very interesting thread.

I acquired a new Luxman R1120A receiver in 1982 (1976 design). It sounded so wonderful with Acoustat Monitor 3's that I never thought about listening to anything else for 15 years. Since they have both broken, I've been through a lot of expensive new equipment, but I still missed the old receiver. So much so, in fact, that I've spent a lot more than it cost new getting it completely rebuilt and upgraded with modern parts.

I'll let you know if I'm crazy after I get it back.
I guess you're just lucky you found a combination to work well together. I have two old receivers, a Marantz 2230B and a Kenwood KR6170 which I keep around and I have compared to my Cary SLI50 integrated amp and the Cary is far superior. I use the Marantz in my office with some Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers and it's fine for that type of listening.