Vintage Hi-Fi gear. Who's into it?

[lnoriel]

....What is that?

I wasn't aware that Technics made one. I do know about the Sharp, but then again it wouldn't surprise me if many other companies made a linear TT. I haven't owned a TT for a long time.

Technics made a couple of Linear tracking turntables using P-mount cartridges. The SL-D1 model was featured in a book called "Sound Design: Classic Audio and HiFi Design" by David Attwood
The linear trackers are about as automated as could be back for an LP playback device. It would automatically recognize the size of the disc and adjust speed. Once it's closed you move the stylus from track to track, forward and backwards using the front touch panel controls.

The SL-D1 was build like a tank and had a locking enclosure that was demonstrated by hanging it vertically on a wall where it would still play! The SL-D10 that I have was a more affordable unit that wasn't built quite as robust as the SL-D1 but used some of the more conventional materials that were common on their more popular turntables.

The OEM cartridges were junk (Audio Technica?) and I upgraded the sample I have with an Ortofon OMP-10. It's decent as a playback device and I'm told by using the optional replaceable stylii, I can take the OMP10 and the SLD10 up a notch in musicality.

[Breakfast Club]

Thanks for the thought, but not interested.

Fine! Be that way.

I make my living shopping sites like the Goodwill site and flipping stuff so I'll throw nuggets here and there.

Maybe THIS is a bit more your speed:
Bang & Olufsen Turntable:



http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=7058104

[Breakfast Club]

Oh, and some Bang & Olufsen RL 60.2 Type 6513 speakers to go with it:

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions...d-7048473.html

[lnoriel]

That Akai deck was manufactured in 1982-1983 & had it. Naks from that time don't have it. The technology existed. Why they didn't use it is the real question.

Most cassette decks will move away from the tape surface while in FF or RR. This greatly reduced the possibility of tape binding at high speed.

In order for a cassette deck to find the beginning or the end of a track, it had to remain in contact with the tape and "listen" for the silence gap between tracks while the tape was moving at high speed forward/backward.

Aside from the tape binding potential, I was told at the time that Nakamichi opted out of incorporating this feature in their product because it accelerated head wear.

[CaptainQualude]

Fine! Be that way.

I make my living shopping sites like the Goodwill site and flipping stuff so I'll throw nuggets here and there.

Maybe THIS is a bit more your speed:
Bang & Olufsen Turntable:



http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=7058104

Thanks again. :-) I'm not going to be acquiring any more vintage stuff unless I can find a decent pair of speakers with 12" or 15" woofers in good condition for the garage system.

[CaptainQualude]

Most cassette decks will move away from the tape surface while in FF or RR. This greatly reduced the possibility of tape binding at high speed.

In order for a cassette deck to find the beginning or the end of a track, it had to remain in contact with the tape and "listen" for the silence gap between tracks while the tape was moving at high speed forward/backward.

Aside from the tape binding potential, I was told at the time that Nakamichi opted out of incorporating this feature in their product because it accelerated head wear.

Crap. Almost forgot this. Nakamichi DR-1. Took the picture today.

[vanaman]

Thanks again. :-) I'm not going to be acquiring any more vintage stuff unless I can find a decent pair of speakers with 12" or 15" woofers in good condition for the garage system.

Look into some older wharfdales. they are usually inexpesive and have a great vintage sound.
I have a pair of w60c and they sounded fantastic with an old fisher 500.

or some JBL L26 they usually go for around 100 and i love them. theve always taken everything ive given them. Teh only problem is they usally need refoamed. but that just means you can get them cheaper

steve

[CaptainQualude]

Look into some older wharfdales. they are usually inexpesive and have a great vintage sound.
I have a pair of w60c and they sounded fantastic with an old fisher 500.

or some JBL L26 they usually go for around 100 and i love them. theve always taken everything ive given them. Teh only problem is they usally need refoamed. but that just means you can get them cheaper

steve

Thanks for the info. I looked but didn't find anything local. The ones that are available out of the area kill with shipping charges. I have quite a few sets of late '80's & early '90's speakers available to use, so it's not a must have now thing. I can wait until something reasonable & nearby comes up. I'd just like to match up the vintage receiver with something more in line with it's time frame & with a big woofer.

[vanaman]

wharfdales have a sand filled back that make them really heavy. so most of the time they arent worth shipping.

steve

[CaptainQualude]

I have a set of PSB Century 500i two ways that I may use in the garage. The cabinets are pretty big, solidly built, heavy, & have an 8" bass driver.

[CaptainQualude]

I decided to hook up this combo to listen to for the time being, & will eventually move the speakers to the garage. NAD C720 BEE, PSB Century 500i, NAD C525 BEE, & the NAK DR-1. I received as a bonus a dozen hand recorded albums on tape in the box with the DR-1. The NAK has a real sweet, non-irritating sound. The magic of analog.

[CaptainQualude]

Removed the 500i pair & replaced them with a Mirage M-360 pair. Lost a little low end but the sound is much more open. I forgot how good these pre-bipolar Mirage speakers were.

[VR6Bomber]

I've got nothing but vintage gear and I do much of the same as VR6Bomber. I once built a system with digital processor and multiple amplifiers which was cool for multi-channel movies, but it just didn't sound as nice as the vintage equipment I've used. I ended up selling the gear on eBay.

Tweeking and repairing seems to be part of the motivation behind high end audio equipment. It's definitely NOT what you'd find at the local Best Buy. They would not understand the obsession. Most consumers can't tell the difference and don't care unless it has a remote.

I suppose that the vintage gear was marketed towards 'audio hobbyists'?
Most vintage stuff was user serviceable, tweak-able, etc. for the hobby-enthusiast.
Think about how Radio Shack was back in the 70's 80's, it was an electronics part store.

I guess that's where I find the 'fun' in vintage stuff.
Not like the plastic Best-Buy stuff of today that looks as cheap as it sounds imo.

This one recently went away. Enjoyed it while I had it.

The MX110 is a hard beat!
I absolutely love mine, all telefunkens! Mine is a 'Z series' and looks a lot different than yours. It looks 'older' and the front panel is very different too. I have to replace the those power cans.

[RENOG]

Crap. Almost forgot this. Nakamichi DR-1. Took the picture today.

Nice, that is a very sweet deck ya can't go wrong with that one. DR1's are hard to find locally on CL
and I hate e-bay with a passion.
I continue to wait.

[matt.e.]

Just got rid of the surround sound system and I am looking for an integrated amp or a reciever to run these:






I'm thinking 70's Pioneer's or Yamaha's might be nice. Also looking to get some vintage furniture speakers (the ones that look like side tables).

[CaptainQualude]

Just got rid of the surround sound system and I am looking for an integrated amp or a reciever to run these:

I'm thinking 70's Pioneer's or Yamaha's might be nice. Also looking to get some vintage furniture speakers (the ones that look like side tables).

Not a big fan of Yamaha. A Pioneer would be a SX-***(*) model. The SX-*** would be cheaper than the SX-**** models.

If you want a vintage integrated look into NAD.

[vanaman]

I love my nad 7255 reciever. its a great all around reciever.

Also if you some power and vintage look at the sansui 8080db or 9090db.

steve

[CaptainQualude]

Nice, that is a very sweet deck ya can't go wrong with that one. DR1's are hard to find locally on CL
and I hate e-bay with a passion.
I continue to wait.

This is the unit that's going to be added to the garage system.

I love my nad 7255 reciever. its a great all around reciever.

Also if you some power and vintage look at the sansui 8080db or 9090db.

steve

Did somebody say NAD?

[CaptainQualude]

I just moved the Mirage M-360 speakers out of the system with the DR-1 & replaced them with PSB Stratus Monitors. My first impression is that they are a very polite speaker. They really don't do anything offensive. I'll have to get some listening to get a better feel for their sound. I'm currently using a NAD C720BEE to drive them.

[matt.e.]

Anyone have any thoughts on a reel-to-reel vs. cassette deck?

[F1_Fan]

Anyone have any thoughts on a reel-to-reel vs. cassette deck?

In what way? Reel-to-reel will usually dominate cassette for sound quality because of the higher tape speed and better track separation. That said, since you can't buy pre-recorded music in that format (and there's little point in copying existing sources to it), I can't see a valid use for the home user unless you plan to do live recordings.

[CaptainQualude]

I've been searching for vintage speaker enclosures in decent shape that need new speakers, ones with at least a 12" woofer. I haven't found anything where the seller expects less than quite a bit of money for an empty box with a fake wood vinyl covering, & far from pristine. I priced out new drivers & it just doesn't make sense to spend that much for enclosures that will probably need work on bracing & deadening. Some of the cabinets seem extraordinarily light for 3-ways, & the weight includes the original drivers from the manufacturers online documentation. I was thinking of building enclosures, maybe 1.5" wall thickness, but am hesitant because I have no known wood working skills.

[monoaural]

I've been searching for vintage speaker enclosures in decent shape that need new speakers, ones with at least a 12" woofer. I haven't found anything where the seller expects less than quite a bit of money for an empty box with a fake wood vinyl covering. I priced out new drivers & it just doesn't make sense to spend that much for enclosures that will probably need work on bracing & deadening. Some of the cabinets seem extraordinarily light for 3-ways, & the weight includes the original drivers from the manufacturers online documentation. I was thinking of building enclosures, maybe 1.5" wall thickness, but am hesitant because I have no known wood working skills.

Not the right time of year, but I got my AR-71s for 5 bucks at a garage sale. That is probably your best bet, that or thrift stores.

[CaptainQualude]

Not the right time of year, but I got my AR-71s for 5 bucks at a garage sale. That is probably your best bet, that or thrift stores.

It's not easy to find a speaker with a 12" woofer. The manufacturers seem to have gotten away from making them. The ones I've found have poorly built cabinets, at least compared to what I'm used to. I have 2-way monitors that seem to weigh more than their 3-way floor standers. The weight is all in the cabinet construction of the monitors.

Maybe I'll buy a table saw, router, & something to cut circles. Cutting rectangles can't be that hard with some practice. I'll just have to figure out how to apply veneer to the outside of them.

Years ago I built a pair of subs that were pretty impressive for a first time build. They looked horrible cosmetically, but had thick walls & didn't resonate. IIRC, I bought the sub-woofers from from ACI in Wisconsin back when they sold kits & components. I bought just the speakers & crossover components. The enclosures I built myself & poorly.

[vanaman]

parts express had some decent looking cabinets for their kits.

steve

[CaptainQualude]

parts express had some decent looking cabinets for their kits.

steve

I'm very familiar with that site. I've been a customer for years. They don't have a vintage style cabinet for 12" woofers. What they do carry I already have in the monitor style of speaker.

This is what one customer built. It's the closest I've come to seeing what I'd like to build.





I'd probably want a deeper & taller box to get more volume for the woofer. The subs I built had 3 cubic foot interiors & had room rattling output.

[matt.e.]

In what way? Reel-to-reel will usually dominate cassette for sound quality because of the higher tape speed and better track separation. That said, since you can't buy pre-recorded music in that format (and there's little point in copying existing sources to it), I can't see a valid use for the home user unless you plan to do live recordings.

I guess I don't really need either to tell you the truth, just want to get one or the other eventually for kicks

[vanaman]

a jbl l36 cabinet is decently built 12" 3 way

[patrikman]

Fine! Be that way.

I make my living shopping sites like the Goodwill site and flipping stuff so I'll throw nuggets here and there.

Maybe THIS is a bit more your speed:
Bang & Olufsen Turntable:



http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=7058104

Damn, that was right down the road from me.


Does anybody have any thoughts on viintage DUAL turntables? I have an old 1225 that was my first. I recently got it back from a friend and have it hooked with the others now.

[CaptainQualude]

a jbl l36 cabinet is decently built 12" 3 way

I'd have to see a naked cabinet in person. A lot of the older speakers aren't braced internally like many of the newer speakers. I have 10 year old Paradigm Reference 100 V2's's that weigh 110-120 pounds each. That's what I consider well built.

[vanaman]

these are prolly 30lbs empty.

so prolly not as well built as you want.

steve

[CaptainQualude]

these are prolly 30lbs empty.

so prolly not as well built as you want.

steve

30lbs. isn't bad for a cabinet of that era. I've seen 3-way cabinets from that era that weigh half of that or less.

Edit: I just disconnected the PSB Stratus "Mini" Monitors, LOL, & they have to be about 25 lbs. each.

[monoaural]

30lbs. isn't bad for a cabinet of that era. I've seen 3-way cabinets from that era that weigh half of that or less.

Edit: I just disconnected the PSB Stratus "Mini" Monitors, LOL, & they have to be about 25 lbs. each.

The AR-71 weigh in at 61lbs s a piece with speakers. 12in woofer. Though I would say, give any of the AR series a try before you rip out the old stuff. I don't remember any cross bracing, but I am pretty sure there were braces in the corners, and a separation for the mids that would act as a brace too. I try to buy any equip that requires a grunt when you pick it up.

[URL="http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/ar-9_series_1978-1981/ar-9_series_brochures/ar_floorstanding_speakers/ar_floorstanding_speakers_p_2.html"]
http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/l...akers_p_4.html

[CaptainQualude]

The AR-71 weigh in at 61lbs s a piece with speakers. 12in woofer. Though I would say, give any of the AR series a try before you rip out the old stuff. I don't remember any cross bracing, but I am pretty sure there were braces in the corners, and a separation for the mids that would act as a brace too. I try to buy any equip that requires a grunt when you pick it up.

That's an interesting looking speaker. I did a quick check & the asking price is $500 on the set I found. I'll only gamble if the potential loss isn't too great.

[Obin Robinson]

Anyone have any thoughts on a reel-to-reel vs. cassette deck?

i used to do live sound recording in high school. i had a Sony open-reel deck which sounded simply unreal. i recorded school bands and the quality was way ahead of cassettes at that time. i still have some of my old master tapes kicking around somewhere.

in all honesty open reel tapes are capable of some of the highest sound quality you can imagine but ONLY if you follow a very expensive formula:

15 or 30 inches per second
+
Ampex/Quantegy (or equivalent quality) Grand Master tape
+
heavily filtered A/C power
+
no RF/EMI nearby the heads

the sound is breathtaking and it's literally the sound of a vast majority of ALL musical recordings done up to about the early 1990s. at that point digital took over. i got rid of my open reel decks and now have a Panasonic SV-3700 DAT. i'll be honest and say that Panasonic DAT is light years ahead of the open reel tape. if i wanted to go even more cutting edge on my Panasonic DAT i could get outboard A/D and D/A converters. the cost of the DAT and the converters would be less than what a vintage open reel deck plus ancillary gear would cost.

i don't know your budget but if you want to get an open reel machine and be big pimpin then check out the Nagra-D decks. Nagra machines have been used for countless movie and location sound recordings. the Nagra-D was the machine that is said to have been the "straw that broke analog's back" and even the most die-hard high end analog junkie said "analog can't beat this" when that deck came out. it killed 30ips open reel analog sound with one swift blow.

http://www.nagraaudio.com/pro/pages/..._nagra_dII.php


just don't ask how much those cost. the other thing is that they are basically only for professional sound recording. they are brutal overkill for home usage.

on the more affordable side the Fostex R8 used to be an expensive machine but is dirt cheap today:



http://cgi.ebay.com/FOSTEX-R8-MULTIT...item35aea44d50

if you want open reel pimp but don't have the baller budget those R-8s are hard to beat.

if you have a little bit more money check out the Pioneer RT-909. i missed my chance to get one of these for free. i still kick myself to this day for passing that up.



honestly though... don't get one unless you just really want that badass open reel look. sound quality wise modern tech has killed them dead. you can record much higher sound quality today using a recorder that fits in your shirt pocket and runs off of AA batteries. sad but true.

obin