Has this happened to you? How can it be stopped?


Well this question is for fun but also kinda serious too.

Have you felt the urger to buy a vintage piece of audio gear when you really didn’t need it? Have you felt that this is an addiction and how can it be stopped?

I have Marantz 2235 receiver in my office, a Sansui 1000x in my bedroom, a Realistic STA-52b in my spare bedroom and Yamaha RX-V995 in my wifes sewing room and a Yamaha RX-V690 in the garage with various vintage speakers connected to all of them. I already have two complete audio systems in my audio room.

 

When does the madness stop? My wife tells me I have an audio problem!?!

 

128x1282psyop

Showing 1 response by timintexas

Nope.

Old stuff is just that. Old stuff.  I even shake my head at all the people foaming at the mouth for vinyl. I am old enough to remember carting those heavy stupid things each time I moved.  The scratches, the pops, the crackling noise. Nostalgia does not work for me.  Gimme some Qobuz, thanks. 

I have about as much desire for "vintage" equipment as I do for a big 'ol box of floppy discs. 

Simply put, if that old stuff was so great, it would still be manufactured and never updated.  It was the best we had- at the time.  Electrical equipment does not get better over time. It just gets old. 

I have a friend (much younger) who is very much into vintage equipment. I go over to his house for a sit-down. He swoons at the "smooth analog sound".  All I hear is low level hum from bad caps and feedback. Toss in a nice crackly album and he is in heaven.  He has been convinced that old is good.  I smile and indulge him. I am glad a young guy is excited by real audio vs some jacked up Bluetooth portable speaker. 

I won't be fooled, by others or myself. I was there when that crap was new. I too was shiney and new. Now I am dusty and run down as is that equipment. 

As a point of reference, I have a beautiful old floor model Victrola and a ton of 78's.  It sounds amazing- for 1933. I enjoy it for the fact that it is dead tech. I will not try to convince myself that it sounds warm and wonderful- even if it IS pure analog lol.