Interesting topic, thanks for bringing it up. Of course this is nostalgia for us old folks, but it's also relevant for younger people starting out on a budget. Because they might not be aware of how good some of the old stuff can sound, compared to similarly priced new gear. There's no doubt technology has marched forward relentlessly, but this doesn't always translate to better sound quality.
My 'old school' system consists of Acoustic Research AR-11 speakers (the last variation on the AR3a theme with better tweeter); Luxman M-4000 power amp and C-1010 preamp (the 50th Anniversary pieces from 1975 designed by Tim de Paravacini); Micro BL-91G turntable with gunmetal plateau, Fidelity Research FR-64fx tonearm with an assortiment of MC cartridges from the same era (with FR-7f as most frequent resident), Fidelity Research XG-5 step up transformer and finally Nakamichi TriTracer 700 mkII. All 70's, early 80's gear, although I did replace the standard cables with modern ones (although decidedly in the budget range). I hate to say it, but much progress has been made there, despite all the snake oil that has given that market a bad name.
This system still sounds remarkable after 40+ years. Sure, not as detailed or refined as my modern main system, but not the yawning chasm in quality you might expect. It makes music convincingly and is just plain fun.
My 'old school' system consists of Acoustic Research AR-11 speakers (the last variation on the AR3a theme with better tweeter); Luxman M-4000 power amp and C-1010 preamp (the 50th Anniversary pieces from 1975 designed by Tim de Paravacini); Micro BL-91G turntable with gunmetal plateau, Fidelity Research FR-64fx tonearm with an assortiment of MC cartridges from the same era (with FR-7f as most frequent resident), Fidelity Research XG-5 step up transformer and finally Nakamichi TriTracer 700 mkII. All 70's, early 80's gear, although I did replace the standard cables with modern ones (although decidedly in the budget range). I hate to say it, but much progress has been made there, despite all the snake oil that has given that market a bad name.
This system still sounds remarkable after 40+ years. Sure, not as detailed or refined as my modern main system, but not the yawning chasm in quality you might expect. It makes music convincingly and is just plain fun.