Thrift Store Stereos: A Marantz Stereo for Less than $10

Today, the Marantz brand is synonymous with upper end of the home audio pack.  However, that has not always been the case.  When Marantz was making a name for itself, the brand was not always the top of the line.  Perhaps, that is why this tuner-amplifier combination was only $7.97 at my local Goodwill store.  I gave it a quick test with the speakers and wires on hand at the store and it didn't seem to have any obvious problems so it came home with me.  Today the Marantz brand is one of the most respected and priciest consumer electronics bands.

The amplifier / equalizer on my vintage stereo unit is labeled Marantz Stereo Amplifier PM-70.  The top portion is labeled Marantz Quartz Synthesized Stereo Tuner ST-70.  While they look like two separate components, this is actually a one piece integrated system.

About two weeks later, I added this Technics SL-PD847 Compact Disc Changer for only $16.91.  Thrift store CD players are always a crap shoot.  But, I tested this one thoroughly in the store and it seemed to work and it changed discs quietly.  It can hold 5 CDs and all the controls are accessible from the front of the unit. 
 

You'll also see an RCA Y-cable sticking out from beneath the CD player.  It lets me stream music from my phone through the receivers AUX port.  A T-shaped antenna brings in the FM radio signals.  I haven't bothered with an AM antenna yet.  However, I have several packed away in strange parts of my storage closet.  All in all, this humble system lets me get the music out and fills the room with pretty decent sound.  The complete system uses some Pioneer bookshelf speakers that I had on hand.  All together, it's a respectable system that sounds good for an amazingly low price. 

Thrift Store Speaker Encounter: Kenwood JL-870 Floorstanding 3-Way Speakers

Sometimes you find monster speakers in the most humble of settings.  For example, I found a pair of these Kenwood JL-870 Speakers at one of the junkiest Goodwill thrift stores in my area.  Each had a well-worn exterior and stood nearly waist high.  But, when I removed the dusty grills, the speakers themselves appeared to be in perfect condition.

A Vintage Kenwood JL-870 Speaker revealed

 I really wanted to buy these speakers right then and there.  They seemed to be the perfect antidote to rude downstairs neighbors with loud kids and strong, lingering, cooking odors.  But, I had to be mature.  I knew that these speakers would be more at home in a man cave deep in the bowels of a detached house in the country where they could sing at their loudest.  According to the back plate, these Kenwood speakers are 8 ohm units that can handle a maximum input power of a staggering 180 watts!  They'd be able to rumble my building with a low of 35 Hertz and a high of 20 kHz.  JL-870 speakers were also made in America.

Kenwood JL-870 Backplate

 I only found one Kenwood JL-870 review on AudioReview.com.  However, it seems like these speakers are good enough for most people.  Of course, audiophiles recommend spending more money and investing in more modern speakers from more exotic names.
 

Dusty Old Stereo Speakers Waiting for You at Goodwill

The most serious drawback I saw with these units is that they have particle board cabinets.  Unfortunately, that is not a material that stands up to the test of the time.  These speakers had some areas that were banged up and chipped along the back edge.  These cosmetic issues can be repaired, but you have to invest some time and elbow grease.

How to Save Space Storing Stereo Cables & Gear

If you like dorking around with old stereo systems and trying out new speakers and gear, you undoubtedly have a lot of extra stereo cables, speaker wire, and other assorted stereo gear stashed around your home.  But, here is the question:  Why?

Why do you need extra stereo connection cables?

You don't need any extra cables.  Stereo cables take up room in the closet, gearbox, stereo cabinet, or workshop.  You pay for space in your house or apartment every month.  When you get new gear, you can just order a new stereo cable shipped to your house.  For normal people with Amazon Prime, the cables are probably less than $10 and shipping can be free!

If you stash your stereo cables away in some special place in the back corner of your garage under some other stuff you might need, it can take you hours just to remember where you stashed the cables and dig them out.  It's frustrating!  Why do it when you can click, click, click, and get the cables in a day or two!  Even nice cables aren't overly expensive and they can come directly to your house.



Why store extra AM/FM dipole antenna?

You shouldn't store extra antennas.  You don't need extra dipole antennas.  You shouldn't store extra UHF antennas.  They end up in a tangled mess of wire. Antennas can simply come to your house when you need them.

You are much better off being streamlined, smooth, and ordering new cables and antennas when you need them.  The price on this 300 Ohm Dipole Antenna on Amazon is just perfect.

Thrift Store Speaker Encounter: Studio Monitor / Bookshelf Speakers

One of the best types of stereo speakers to find at your local thrift store is the studio monitor or bookshelf speaker.  These are the kinds of speakers that people often start out with when they build a small stereo system or a surround sound system.  After a few months or a few years, they decide to upgrade to bigger and bolder speakers.  As a result, the bookshelf speakers become available at a very low cost.

Polk Audio Monitor Series Speakers

For example, these highly regarded Polk Audio Monitor Series speakers were less than $20 per pair at my local Goodwill. 

$18.91 for two studio monitor series speakers - Wow!

If you look real close at the back of these speakers, they say that they are designed and manufactured right here in the U.S.A.  In this day and age, that's a YUGE plus!

New stereo monitor speakers from JBL run quite a bit more.  But, they are professional equipment!

Dirt Cheap Audio Review: Insignia CD Boombox with AM/FM Radio

This compact radio / CD Player combination from Insignia is the go to sound system in my home office.  According to Best Buy, this is a CD Boombox with AM/FM Radio (Model NS-BBTCD01).  However, it is pretty slick for a boombox.  To me, it looks like a modern table-top radio.  The unit has Bluetooth connectivity, a USB input, and accepts an auxiliary input via a male-to-male 3.5mm AUX connection cable.  The CD player is a top mounted unit that you simply push to open and lay the CD in.  The radio antenna is retractable and easy to access.  Overall, the unit is sleek, provides decent sound, and is a budget-friendly alternative to a Bose radio.

The design of this Insignia product is a strong feature.  It looks like a modern piece of electronics and it fits in with sleek minimalist design principles.  It simply doesn't look like a boombox.  However, it has a carry handle that folds down into the body and is not noticeable for everyday use.  When I flip it over, I see that it has a battery bay for six C-size batteries.  As a "boombox," some Best Buy reviewers find it a little short on bass and boom.  It's really meant for use within a single room or office.  It does have pre-set equalization settings for Flat, Jazz, Pop, Classical, and Rock music.  A sound button on the left just below the bluetooth symbol cycles through them easily.

When considered as a conventional radio, the only drawback to this product is that it isn't designed as a full-fledged alarm clock.  There is no clock functionality.  The LCD display is bright when the unit is turned on and playing a CD and it seems like it would have been a no brainer to add a clock, alarm, and snooze button.

I bought this Insignia radio at a thrift store for about $20.  New, it is still available for $59 at BestBuy online.  Even at that price, I would consider it money well spent.  If you are looking for a nice simple radio and CD player for an older relative, I would also consider this to be a good choice. Another nice Bose alternative might be a bookshelf stereo system. They have been getting smaller and more compact. The Philips FX10 Bookshelf Stereo might be a good option.

Philips FX10 Bookshelf Stereo with CD Player & Bluetooth

As of 2025, the Philips FX10 Bookshelf is a best seller on Amazon. It has an FM Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a CD Player. You can find it here on Amazon.

Thrift Store Stereo Find: Realistic Clarinette 104 Compact Stereo

I recently came across an interesting find at a local Goodwill.  It's a Realistic Clarinette 104.  It's a portable stereo from 1974.  It has a cassette tape deck, a phonograph, and an AM/FM tuner built in.  It's a pretty simple stereo.

Apparently Realistic (the Radio Shack stereo brand) continued to make various versions of the Clarinette up through the mid-1980s.  Here is a look at the dusty turntable on this thrift store unit.  If you ever need a needle for an old unit like this, check turntableneedles.com.

Ultimately, I didn't buy this old stereo because it stayed powered up even when I turned off the power switch.  When it comes to old electronic gear, you have to be cool about fire safety.  Plus, this has no CD player and it is fairly bulky for an old stereo.  Here is a clip from Youtube from a guy who was putting his grandmother's old stereo through its paces.

Old systems are always intriguing.  With a modern portable stereo, you can connect all sorts of modern devices using bluetooth, but vintage stereos take you away to another time.

Thrift Store Stereo Review: Sony Boombox Stereo [CFD-Z130]

Since we were planning a move, we paired down the amount of stereo equipment in our apartment.  We packed away our best speakers and sold old speakers that weren't needed.  But, after all that, we renewed our lease after all and found ourselves in a pretty quiet apartment.  I decided to change that by investing all of $8.88 in this little portable stereo boombox.  It's model CFD-Z130 and it comes with a top loading single disc CD player, a manually tuned AM/FM receiver, and detachable speakers.

Sony Boombox Stereo (Model CFD-Z130)

It's a small 20 Watt system that could even run on batteries in a pinch.  But, it makes for a good little bedroom system.  The tape deck doesn't work, but that is no great loss as we no longer have any cassette tapes.  The biggest drawback is that it doesn't have an external input for a phone.  Hence, the $9 price tag.  However, the CD player runs like a champ and the speakers sound good.  Looking through the grills, the speakers appear to be in great shape.

Overall, this system is a typical Goodwill Stereo find.  Since it is a Sony, I expect it to be a basically competent little system. I've got to clean it up a bit, but I generally expect it to last for awhile and provide a basic little stereo for a bedroom.

[Note:  After a few days, I noticed a slight buzz from this unit when the unit was off.  I'm not sure what the buzz was, but I suspect it was some sort of short.  In the interest of fire safety, I disposed of this piece of gear and replaced it with an inexpensive Marantz stereo unit.


For something a little more upscale, I'd consider the Philips Bluetooth Stereo System since it is a 60 Watt system with Bluetooth.