Sony STR-4800SD Vintage Stereo Receiver 35 WPC with Real Cherry

Sony STR-4800SD Vintage Stereo Receiver 35 WPC with Real Cherry - view 2

Sony

Sony STR-4800SD Vintage Stereo Receiver – 35 WPC, Real Cherry

Name: Sony STR-4800SD Vintage Stereo Receiver – 35 WPC, Real Cherry
Brand: Sony
SKU: 8617
Price: 695.00 CAD
Availability: InStock

$695.00

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Description

Sony STR-4800SD Vintage Stereo Receiver 35 WPC with Real Cherry Wood Side Panels — Made in Japan

Design and Sound

Made in Japan, the Sony STR-4800SD is a beautifully built 35 watt-per-channel AM/FM stereo receiver from 1976–78 — part of Sony’s highly regarded SD series, which distinguished itself from the standard STR-4800 with the addition of a Dolby FM noise reduction circuit for cleaner FM reception.

Built during Sony’s golden era of conservative engineering, the STR-4800SD routinely outperforms its published specifications — a hallmark of 1970s Japanese audio design, where manufacturers rated their equipment honestly and left significant headroom in reserve. The power amplifier delivers a genuine 35 watts per channel into 8 ohms with a frequency response extending from 10Hz to 35kHz, and a damping factor of 35 ensures tight, controlled bass with virtually any speaker load. Reviewers and owners consistently describe the sound as warm, rich, and surprisingly dynamic for its rated output.

The FM tuner section is a highlight, delivering high sensitivity and low distortion that make the STR-4800SD a genuinely rewarding way to enjoy broadcast radio — and the Dolby FM circuit further reduces high-frequency hiss on Dolby-encoded FM broadcasts, a feature unique to the SD variant. Sony’s three-mode acoustic compensator — with Low, Loudness, and Presence settings — allows you to tailor the tonal balance for low-volume listening or to suit your room and speakers, going well beyond the simple loudness button found on most receivers of the era.

The phono stage is equally accomplished, with a 2.5mV sensitivity and 70dB signal-to-noise ratio that makes it an excellent match for moving magnet cartridges. Additional inputs for Aux and Tape, along with tape monitoring and dubbing capabilities, round out a versatile feature set.

This example has been upgraded with custom side panels finished in genuine cherry wood veneer, replacing the original walnut-tone pressed board sides. The result is striking — the warm, rich grain of real cherry paired with the brushed silver faceplate and illuminated dial creates a visual presentation that is simply stunning. The cherry will continue to deepen and develop a richer patina with age, growing even more beautiful over time.

This unit has been tested and inspected by our team at Radique Audio.

Specifications

Type: AM/FM stereo receiver with Dolby FM

Country of Manufacture: Japan

Power Output: 35W + 35W into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 35 kHz

Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.2%

Damping Factor: 35

Input Sensitivity: 2.5mV (phono MM), 250mV (line)

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 70dB (phono MM), 90dB (line)

FM Tuning Range: 87.5 – 108 MHz

AM Tuning Range: 530 – 1,605 kHz

Special Features: Dolby FM noise reduction (SD variant), 3-mode acoustic compensator (Low / Loudness / Presence)

Semiconductors: 4 ICs, 1 FET, 53 transistors, 36 diodes, 1 LED

Side Panels: Custom genuine cherry wood veneer (upgraded from original)

Year: 1976–78

Dimensions: (W x H x D) 19.3″ x 6.7″ x 16.3″ (490 x 170 x 415 mm)
Weight: 30.6 lbs (13.9 kg)

A Japanese-made vintage Sony receiver with a warm, musical soul and custom cherry wood side panels that make it as gorgeous to look at as it is to listen to. Whether you’re spinning vinyl, streaming through an outboard DAC, or simply enjoying FM radio the way it was meant to be heard, the STR-4800SD delivers with an authority and warmth that modern gear struggles to match. Backed by Radique Audio’s Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program — shop with complete confidence.

🌳 Caring for Your Ottawa Valley Cherry Wood Panels

The custom cherry wood side panels on this piece are prepared to highlight the natural warmth and grain of real wood. For tips on keeping it looking its best for decades, including safe cleaners, what to avoid, and how to manage sunlight exposure, see our Cherrywood Cabinet Care Guide. 👉

⭐ Don’t Just Take Our Word For It

Radique Audio holds over 600 customer ratings averaging 4.97 stars across six public platforms — Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Canuck Audio Mart, Google and others. Every rating lives somewhere we don’t control, so you can read the originals yourself, including the less flattering ones. See what our customers say. 👉

$695.00

Additional information

Weight	34.6 lbs
Dimensions	20.3 × 23.3 × 10.7 in

About brand

Sony at Radique

We service Sony, too. Bring us your own Sony receivers, amplifiers, tuners, CD players and cassette decks, Walkman-size players included for repair, servicing or restoration (not reel-to-reel decks), with a 90-day warranty on the work. See our Audio Service page

Sony began in Tokyo in 1946, founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, and it helped bring the world the Walkman and the compact disc. We carry Sony stereo and AV receivers, CD players, cassette decks, amplifiers and speakers. We've had more than 220 Sony listings so far, covering more than 185 different models. Every used Sony here is inspected, tested and serviced as required, then photographed in-house and covered by our Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Don't see the model you want? Tell us on First Dibs and we'll email you when one arrives.

Sony models we've sold more than once include the TC-K61 cassette deck, the CDP-CE305 and CDP-C335 CD players, the STR-DA5700ES AV receiver and the STR-4800SD stereo receiver.

The Sony story, 1946 to today

Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo ("Totsuko") in Tokyo in 1946, growing out of a radio repair business Ibuka had started the year before. The company was renamed Sony in 1958.

Tape and transistors. The G-model tape recorder of 1950 is described as Japan's first, and the TR-55 transistor radio of 1955 was the first Sony-branded product.

ES. Sony describes the TA-1120 integrated amplifier of 1965 as the first all-silicon-transistor stereo amplifier and dates its ES ("Elevated Standard") line from it.

Walkman and CD. The Walkman went on sale in Japan in July 1979. Sony worked with Philips on the compact disc, and Sony's CDP-101 was among the first CD players on sale in Japan in October 1982. Sony still makes ES AV receivers.

Which Sony is which?

STR receivers: stereo receivers from the late 1960s on, such as the STR-6120, and later AV receivers, including ES models.

TA amplifiers and ES separates: from the TA-1120 to the TA-E86 preamplifier and TA-N86 power amplifier (1978).

CDP CD players: from the CDP-101 (1982) and CDP-701ES (1983) to changers such as the CDP-CE305 and CDP-C335 we sell often.

TC tape decks: reel-to-reel recorders until 1985, and cassette decks such as the TC-K61 and the three-head TC-K777ES.

SS speakers: such as the SS-G7 floorstanders of 1978.

Buying used Sony: what to check

CD players. Open and close the drawer several times; hesitation can be an early sign of trouble. Laser pickups wear, skipping is a symptom, and tray belts age.

Cassette decks. Belts dry out and cause slipping or uneven playback, and worn heads dull the sound. Run fast-forward and rewind, and check Dolby.

Amplifiers and receivers. Noisy switches and dirty relay contacts cause many faults, and bias settings drift with age. On tuners, look for blown bulbs and broken dial cords.

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.