Mitsubishi R-20 (c. 1980)

Name: Mitsubishi R-20
Brand: Mitsubishi

Not much information on the Mitsubishi R-20 has survived, and period sources can't agree on the spelling. Mitsubishi's own ads call it the R20. HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers' August 1980 review writes it as DA-R20. Either way, it was a stereo receiver. Per the manufacturer's advertising, it was one of two affordable receivers from a company that had built its name on expensive separates. The other was the smaller R10.

There is one substantial review. HI-Fi-Stereo-Buyers (August 1980, p.46) concluded that the DA-R20 managed to be more than the sum of its parts - a handsome, versatile receiver that sounded better than its feature list alone promised. The amplifier's signal-to-noise performance was judged considerably better than average. The receiver ran impressively quiet, and the audio filters and loudness compensation were said to work genuinely well. FM reception was also noted.

The rest of the record is advertising. Mitsubishi's campaign claimed 65 watts per channel for the R20 (minimum RMS, 8 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, no more than 0.02% total harmonic distortion). An October repeat of the same ad says 60 watts, so the exact figure is fuzzy. The R10 was rated at 45 watts per channel. No original price, production years, or service documentation has surfaced.