Oldest piece of gear you own

OHM Ls from 1978.
Dual 1264 from 1982.
NAD 7020 from mid 80s.

Dhcod,

I remember those old Advent 300s. Great little piece, at least when working. Many seemed to have issues, but some still survive. How does yours stack up to your other more modern gear? In terms of Pre-amp? Tuner? Phono? I've on occasion thought of picking one up just because I was always fond of those little gizmos. Thanks.

Al, I have an old Air King AM table radio that's been in my family since I was a kid sitting around. 1940 something vintage I'm guessing. One of these days, I might try to get it working again on my own. I also have plans to pick up an original but nicely refurbed Victrola some day to play 78s on. There is a guy who owns a small General Store not far away in Railroad, PA., near Shrewsbury, just off the old railway trail, that has refurbs and displays them in his store amongst all the other vintage and modern stuff he sells there. I almost bit last time there! Listening to those was quite a treat!

My Air king is all wood cabinet. Darn. I guess I won't retire off that anytime soon. :-) It also needs to be refinished.

I used to listen to it a lot as a kid. It has AM and shortwave bands. I recall it being the most sensitive radio I had heard when in good operating conditon, picking up AM stations from many miles away, and shortwave from around the world, with no external antenna even. No transistor radio I have ever heard could match it. Definitely a case of tubes beats SS, at least in terms of reception/sensitivity. Sound quality is OK, nothing special.

Why is it that it seems many older tube radios outperform most transistor models since in regards to ability to pick up remote stations clearly? More sensitivity I suppose. I guess back in the heyday of radio, prior to TV a radio that picked up many distant stations had more general appeal or something. Nothing to do with the tubes, right? Maybe the power supplies?

Al, i also have a newer sangean am fm table radio that is the only modern ss radio whose reception prowess remjnds me of those older models. Maybe not quite a match, but a decent modern example of a good performing table radio in a fairly small package.

I also miss the tuner in my older tandberg 2080 receiver that i parted with a couple years back. The amp section as well.