The Allure of Vintage Audio Gear

I don't consider my 43 year old tube amps vintage,  but they are old.  They are quieter (dead silent on 97 dB speakers), clearer, more neutral,  and faster any other tube gear I've owned except a new version from the same company that retails for 9X more.  Sent them in to the manufacturer for a checkup.  Nothing wrong with them / out of spec.  They just happen to be a great sounding very robust design in my opinion.  That doesn't mean that I think all early 80's tube amps are terrific and I will use them exclusively.  I like to have a variety of amp flavors, not related to their born on date.

I don't have these particular amps for nostalgia and warmth.  Like their sound, their looks don't color my system. I listen to them every day because they sound great.  There is more nuance than all vintage gear sounds warm, more forgiving of the bad recordings of it's era, is of inferior design, highly unreliable, and all new gear is quieter, clearer, less distorted, more reliable, superior quality and design. 

I look for certain attributes in my gear and work towards the best value,  which is never brand new.  I used to think I wanted the best gear.  Now I look for gear that compromises the least in order of my attribute priorities. 

Whether newer or older, I prefer point to point wiring whenever possible for long term serviceability and sound quality in analog devices.  PCB's are designed to be throwaway,  which is fine until you can't get the board anymore. Newer or older I'm always thinking who will service,  do I have to ship, what their hourly rate is, what is their reputation.  I will not buy certain popular brands based on high repair costs or poor service reputation alone. I had the only US authorized dealer refuse to service an amp because it was out of warranty and vintage, which for them was anything over 10 years old!  Because it was point to point wired though I was able to take to local shop and repair with no issues.

perkri:  Glad to hear you’re going to delve into a pair of Heathkit UA-1’s. I’ve restored a few of these along with Heathkit EL84 integrateds which use essentially the same circuit. Some things I learned:  Use the schematic to the UA-2; minor but important changes. Use orange drop caps for a (slightly) vintage sound, fancy caps for a more modern sound.  Good luck finding good 6AN8 tubes!  Buy a bunch 😆.  Rewire the feedback switch to full feedback and no feedback.  The Heathkit circuit is designed to be totally stable with no feedback.  Also, the 6AN8 that is the quietest without feedback is a keeper. Most importantly, the power supply was designed for a 115 VAC primary. Today’s AC at 120 VAC+ will run the outputs at or beyond their limits so build a bucking transformer,  simple and cheap.  This also applies to ANY vintage tube circuit. I have a set of rebuilt UA-2’s on my den system driving B&W 805 D3’s with no want of any more power.  It’s glorious 👍.

Define vintage. Is it like cars where 25 years old qualifies for an "antique" license plate?

Another false dichotomy.

Some vintage is harsh.

Some contemporary stuff conveys a warm sound.

There is no need to sacrifice quality in a vintage system.

I’m a vintage guy, but I sacrifice little to nothing in terms of detail. My system is not for everyone, it may have a coloration but the information is mostly all there.

I ended up vintage because I took what I started out with when I was 14 years old and built out from there according to my inclinations and preferences based on my personal aesthetics and ideology. I guess some sentimentality enters into it: I’ve had most of the components in my system for 40+ years now, so they are an extension of me.

aesthetics:

- analog gives me what to my ears are a warm, rich, detailed and silky smooth sound.
- I have chosen gear as much for how it looks, its vibe etc but I don’t sacrifice sound

ideology

- I am an environmentalist. So, I have chosen gear that is very energy efficient, and I fix it when it breaks. I don’t go out and get the next latest and greatest thing, because when my system is running optimally, it can sound as good as most anything out there regardless of cost.
- there are starving people in Gaza and the Sudan and in Newburgh NY. Repairing, recycling equipment is extremely cost effective, a way to control my spending and keep it modest.

theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

About 15 years ago I bought a Marantz 4400 and a 2325 on eBay. The quadraphonic unit was really cool with the tube oscilloscope.  They both sounded tired so I had the 2325 re-capped and it sounded much better- but by real HiFi standards it was pretty much lifeless. Loud- yes, and really beautiful to look at but as a faithful reproducer of quality recordings they pretty much suck. 

I loved the nostalgia part of owning them as my first "really good" receiver in the mid 70s was a Marantz 2215B. I still have a Pioneer SX780 in my workshop and it too sounds like crap- but it's pretty and brings back good memories.