Jihley:
Like you, I got my first entry into the interest of audio when my (now late) Uncle had this cool audio system about 35 years ago.
The Stereo Receiver he had (if I could recall correctly) was a Pioneer SX-434. And at the time, for it to be such a small receiver, it did have balls and so forth. It rocked their house with aplomb.
About 22 years ago, I personally had an NAD 7225 Stereo Receiver (had a better tuner section and better sound than my late Uncle's more vintage Pioneer SX434). It was first used alone to drive my KEF Reference 102 Speaker System (I don't know if my Uncle's Pioneer would've/could've drove my KEF's or not... but the power ratings were not that much apart from each other (15 Watts Per Channel from my Uncle's Pioneer SX434 vs. 25 Watts Per Channel (with low impedence drive capability and high current from my NAD 7225)), and later was used as a Tuner Preamp to drive a B&K ST-140 Power Amplifier.
Also from what I recall, my NAD 7225 did have a decent tuner section as well. It was definitely a decent receiver for it time.
If I were to consider getting a Vintage Stereo Receiver today, I would consider a Vintage Marantz (classy looks, attractive blue tuner dial, excellent tuner section, and more importantly, excellent sound and build quality (which probably explains why they hold their value so well)), or a Vintage H/K (I like their 80's Models a lot.... decent tuner section (maybe not as good as the Marantz tuners, but decent) and a great amplifier section).
If I am to downsize and go back to a Stereo Receiver, either one of these would not be a bad choice, and I could happily live with either one (a Vintage Marantz or a Vintage H/K), but I would also add NAD and maybe Luxman to the mix.
Good Luck and Happy Shopping. There should be some decent bargains out there.
--Charles--
