Heathkit AR-1500 Reciver

[gudnoyez]

I have heard these are decent recivers for vintage ones looks interesting is this where the price should be, or is this to much? I'am kinda curious.
http://quadcities.craigslist.org/ele/3633144036.html

[mhardy6647]

well - it is not a bad piece of hardware at all; it is very robustly built and not exactly a slouch in terms of performance for its time (tuner, e.g., is pretty darned good). The price strikes me as a little steep, but they were quite expensive - even as kits - when new. I guess if it is perfect cosmetically and functionally then it's probably not an outrageous price. It is true that they are not all that terribly common; the less expensive but roughly contemporary Heathkit AR-19, AR-29 and AR-1302 receivers are more prevalent, methinks.



There's always a bit of a crap shoot when buying assembled kit products used; as my father would say "you don't know whether it ever worked properly" if there's anything amiss with it as is.

[gudnoyez]

Thanks for the input, looking at the manual it looks like a couple of hundred pages, I heard these sound very good, and would like to give it a listen. Thanks for posting that sales flyer.

[mhardy6647]

The scan is from late in that model's fairly long production life; it's the "A" variant (not sure how the "A" differed from the original, unsuffixed model). I have an earlier catalog - someplace - with a more detailed blurb on the original AR-1500; just gotta unearth it :-)

[mhardy6647]

Just stumbled onto this tonight - yeah, it's in German, but the specs (which may be DIN) are in English :-)

http://hifiarchiv.dasfree.com/Heathkit/1973/006.jpg

[gudnoyez]

Thanks sir I'am still considering this I have several pair of speakers to hook up to this I would probably put my Acoustic Research AR 18S with this. I lived in Germany for 14 years and had no problem with this plus the wife is German so was a breeze. You cease to amaze with your info thanks again.

[Polkersince85]

They are around. I found this one in my back bedroom. That thing weighs three times what it looks like. This one came from a thrift store a few years back. Still works.

[mhardy6647]

Thanks sir I'am still considering this I have several pair of speakers to hook up to this I would probably put my Acoustic Research AR 18S with this. I lived in Germany for 14 years and had no problem with this plus the wife is German so was a breeze. You cease to amaze with your info thanks again.

:-P German readers/speakers aren't the most common thing around nowadays... I minored in German in college; if I have a couple of beers, I can speak it pretty well! :-)

Yeah, that was an interesting find. It is a very cool receiver and as Polkersince85 noted, a very hefty on to boot.

I note with wry amusement that Heathkit, for a long time, called their best receiver model a "15" of some sort. Not sure what if any significance the number "15" had to Heathkit :-)

AR-15



AR-1500



AR-1515

[skrol]

Wow, the memories...

[George Grand]

I've got one of those AR-1500 also (if I haven't chucked it already). It works but all the printing is washed off the front panel.

[mhardy6647]

you do...?!

Pretty neat piece of hardware; one might argue that it was one of the first "super-receivers".

[indyhawg]

A few years back, I heard the AR-15 drive some Monitor 10s at Harry's (HB27). Sounded really good. That is the only time I have ever heard any Heathkit product, but I was impressed. I am sure the AR-1500 is a fine sounding vintage unit.

[mhardy6647]

There was some fine sounding Heathkit hifi hardware over the years.

[gudnoyez]

I really should call this person and ask if I can stop buy and give this a listen, and ask if I can bring my AR18's with to see how they sound on this, perhaps this weekend as it's still available.

[mhardy6647]

The (original) AR-18 (and actually all of its descendants - at least the ones I've heard) is a fine sounding little loudspeaker. It was, when new, my favorite small/inexpensive speaker (1977). I had a pair for a while; gave them to someone who needed a good small pair of speakers far more than I did.



I'd have to think the AR-1500 is overkill for 'em... but the combination should sound mighty fine.

[gudnoyez]

Are those your 18's ? (Nice) I have had my 18's hooked up to a Technics Suv909 and a pair of Ar58's and those 18's would handle loud volumes quite well

[mhardy6647]

They were mine for a while - I'd swapped someone locally a dump-find Garrard 990 tt for them as I always wanted a pair (and didn't give a hoot about the Garrard). The foam grilles were even still with them and in good shape(?!). I refoamed them (of course) and reconfirmed my long-ago memory of them as very musical and satisfying small speakers. I gave them to a friend's coworker who needed a good pair of speakers; I assume he's been happy with them.

[gudnoyez]

Here are pics of my AR18's bought them along with AR58's While in Germany. The 58's are stored away as the only speaker that dethroned them are my SDA 2B's of all the vintage Speakers I have owned or own the 18's, 58's and my SDA's sounded the best. I think the 18s will sound good on that AR-1500 if not I could try the 58's. BTW these are in pretty good shape for 33 year old speakers are they not?

[George Grand]

I looked around for that AR-1500. No luck, so I guess I chucked it.

[Blorf]

I built an AR-1500 from a kit 40 years ago and used it continuously till it failed about 4 or 5 years ago. It sat dead on the shelf till 2 weeks ago when I pulled out the manual and a multitester, removed the 2 big 6000uF capacitors and lo and behold, one of them was dead. I ordered replacements online, changed all the light bulbs and it's now back in perfect working order. It's a great unit with great specs. THD is much lower than 0.25% over most of its range. It's closer to 0.05%.

I have it hooked up to my original Dual 1219 turntable and a pair of Dynaco A-25 speakers, as well as the hi def TV/Blu-Ray and a 60-disk cd changer. It sounds fantastic and I have no plans to change a thing. When we watch movies I feel the bass go right through to my bones.

The A version was a modification to the original design to add some protection to the big transistors on the power amp. They can blow if you run the unit without speakers attached.