" I have a very nice main system, all “ new” stuff but also have vintage gear, Marantz 2325- Pioneer 1050- Yamaha 640- JBL L100 - Apt Holman- Adcom etc and love it all and the sound because it brings me back to listening to music when I was young. BTW some of it sounds really good!
Yes the prices are getting high but have you noticed a BMW 2002 from the 70’s is big money? "
Oh, I look at the ’sold’ prices first, honestly.
Anyhow, interesting you’d bring up the 2325.
I just had a Sansui G-7500 and Marantz SR2325 rebuilt... ALL the boards were redone... new caps, many resistors, low level transistors, NOS output transistors for the Sansui, rebuilt power supplies, relays, lights (no LEDs), etc. etc... I brought them up to a fully AS NEW condition, except the power supply caps are faster, stronger and more powerful.
Played through my ADS L810s (bought new in 78), the Marantz sounds... DARK and slow... sorry, it does look like the cockpit of a 747 but that’s it. It doesn’t sound so good. Reminds me of my first Marantz, a new -then- SR2220B. The Sansui, OTOH, has nice pace. That one has been on the family since new in 78. Neither paints a deep soundstage, but the Sansui is light on its feet and feels like sunlight, painting a nice left to right image with instruments floating within a shallow depth. OTOH, the Marantz sounds like a dark rainy night and the instruments don’t have body.
I suppose I will hook them up to the Maggies and see, mostly to bring in modern speakers with world class soundstaging. But I doubt the Marantz will pick up the pace, even though it has more power.
Mind you, the rest of my stereos are not new either, I tend to buy used, except for the RME ADI Pro FS R AD/DAC everything is at least 15 years old -and I got the RME used too... So are my DIY Aleph 5 monos and DIY First Watt F5 (through Audiogon), etc, etc... indeed, as I wrote, the speakers I was listening to the Marantz and Sansui are a pair of ADS L810s I’ve owned since new. I got tubes, FETs, solid state, Class D, Class A, AB, you name it. Commercial, DIY, you name it. I’m only missing a nice Sony VFET.
(Note... JBL L100... I went for the East Coast Sound... hence ADS L810 in ’78, no West Coast sound for me).
(Note 2, I spin records... Linn LP12, Lingo, etc, etc.. and do Tidal HiFi.).
...
Just because it’s vintage, doesn’t mean it’s worth it. I mean, technology has moved on significantly. As audiophiles we know which ones are Good For The Ages and which ones are sonically for the dump. A modern AVR is for the dump, IMHO, but a 30 year old Nakamichi PA7 MkI is for the ages.
So, today, people are paying more for a vintage receiver than an Audio Research D70? As much as an ARC VT200 Mk I? Anything from Conrad Johnson... etc?
Fools, sorry.
I guess so long as they don’t affect the price of real stuff that us audiophiles really want.
I think I’ll sell the Marantz but keep the Sansui. At least I can say that whenever I have one of my components rebuilt it is done with care and deep know how. I can wait years to find someone who knows, and cares, about their work. And money is not usually a limit.
...
Oh, the 2002? Not worth it. Perhaps a 2002tii but even so that would be a PITA to tune. I used to have a ’70 Datsun 510 with a Webber carb. Any modern econobox today, with suitable good tires, will leave that 2002tii in the weeks... I know because my Datsun always outran even the 2002tii.
Nostalgia is one thing, but I don’t want to pay for it.
...
And this new found greed, with the flippers, is killing the joy of being an audiophile. Like the guy who wanted $26K for a pair of Pass Aleph 2’s. I actually asked him if he had done a typo... nope. Needless to say, he never sold them. Or the used dealer than wanted 4000 for an integrated... I offered him 3000. He refused. Eight months later he finally sold it for 2500. Fool. He was greedy and blind to his greed, so he lost money. (It was in Audiogon, btw).
I enjoy dealing with audiophiles who know their stuff. I’ve made acquaintances and a few friends. Being in SoCal, I’ve had the opportunity to drive to pick up components and have spent many pleasurable afternoons with such people. When I got my latest used Maggies, I brought my wife along with me and we met a great couple down in San Diego.
I established long distance relationships with builders and buyers and sellers. The DIY builder has redone 7 amps for me now and I’ve just commissioned a pair of new DIY Aleph 2s... planning on building a pair of First Watt F5 Turbo V3 in the fall.
Excellent, having fun getting my stereo to sound like music. not a stereo. ( My wife’s words).
Got to know a local guy up the freeway who is doing my receivers. Likely will do some trading of stuff that I don’t want/need. Great guy.
But these flippers are opportunists who don’t give a damn about our hobby. They will "restore" components and ruin them.
My belief is that good components are things to be shared and passed on to the community. We are just holding them for the time being and eventually we should pass them to others to enjoy... reviving the components with honesty and respect. My kids are an example... killer systems since they were kids... now they're young people with great audio setups.
Just my idea. Perhaps Quixotic but honest, I guess.
So, yeah, the flippers are destroying the hobby.
