The Allure of Vintage Audio Gear

"Vintage" is where the fun is, for me. Much of it holds its value, so experimentation doesn't break the bank. This helps me up the learning curve- yes, an Eico HF81 has great midrange, but at the cost of flabby bass. A Precision Fidelity C7A preamp, now restored, sounds wonderful, but the dealing with the psycho who was the only qualified person to work on it in my area was a nightmare. Having multiple systems to play with is part of how it works for me. What electronics can I put behind Quad ESL57's to make them sing? And in so doing find that the best tweak is to raise them off the floor with home-made fully adjustable stands! Can I really "build" a supertable by deconstructing a Lenco, hand-restoring the good parts, and installing them into a plinth made from science lab countertop material? How good can Altec 604's sound with a new 45 SET amp? Do Jagusch crossovers push them over the top? Can a restored Nakamichi deck actually make my cassettes listenable? You just don't know until you try, and going vintage makes it much more fun by making the journey the destination . . .

I have 3 vintage Pioneer Stereo Receivers.  two SX-105”s and an SX-950.    I bought the first  SX-1050 new in 1978 and was thrilled to own it. It sounded great at the time.  It went down in the 90s.   My boyfriend at the time,  an EE with a Masters degree thought he knew how to fix it.  It needed a new power supply as I recall, but he kept seeing things he thought he could make better and when I got it back it was unlistenable!  I bought a second SX-1050 off eBay that was like new for $400.  This was around 1995 I think.  It still works fine, but I’ve moved on as it doesn’t sound as good as it used to,  Don’t ask as to the reasoning behind my acquisition of the 950!

I am now using Luxman tube gear with my Quad ESL63 electrostatic speakers.  Those speakers are probably classified as vintage and I think that there is little argument that they are considered treasurable by their lucky owners.  As to how I feel about them, I joke that they better be buried with me!

I enjoy good vintage gear because it sounds good, looks great and although requires effort can be properly maintained, unlike our vintage deteriorating ears/hearing we all have. The gear is not the weakest link in many cases. Plus, chasing and buying different gear has an enormous cost...time. 

Several ways to answer this question.  To me it comes down to value- what will sound better for a given cost.  My answer is generally vintage.    Digital and Class D aside, I don't think much has changed in audio design- only degrees of refinement. Circuits and designs are mostly updates of previous equipment.  However parts quality in new equipment or in replacement parts is generally much better than what was available 30-60yrs ago.  What is means is that a vintage component, carefully rebuilt using new high quality parts can sound much better than when new.  That opens up the other variable- cost.  Purchasing used, then carefully restoring is almost always more cost effective than purchasing NIB.   Consider the following system:

2pr of KLH 9 Electrostatic speakers

2 HK Citation II amplifiers

Marantz 7 or ARC SP3a

Garrard 301/401 with SME arm, and Ortofon SPU cartridge

This system will get you to the 90th percentile of performance at a considerably lower cost than anything new (or recent).  Caveat is that all components are fully and carefully rebuilt.

At the other extreme, a wonderful sounding system can be assembled around a rebuilt ST-70 and PAS3 (Val Alstine Super PAS 3a), a pair of ls3/5a speakers, and a Rega P3 TT with a Shure V15iii or V cartridge with a Jico Stylus.

One area that I do think has shown improvement is speaker design and implementation.  Computer modeled design, using better quality drivers and crossover components results in much better sounding (and more accurate sounding) speakers.   While there is much nostalgia for a pair of vintage JBL L100 or Large Advents- they still sound muddy and imprecise after new crossover parts are installed- and absolutely horrible if "all original".   Original driver material design inhibits transient response and adds distortion when driven to high SPL. 

FYI- my system is a combination of vintage and new.  And would have a cost in the mid 5 figures if I had to purchase everything new.

Linn LP12- ITTOK LVII -Cirkus/ Hercules II PS /  Stack Serene chassis, top/bottom plates / rebuilt Denon 103D (Soundsmith Ruby Line Contact)

Technics SP15 / AT 1503mkIII / mono modified Denon 103

ARC SP-10MKII

Mac MC240 Restored

(or) Luxman MA88 monoblocks

KEF LS50 

I get it about how "vintage" gear is questionable.  One of the most enjoyable systems I've ever heard had a Mac C22 preamp, Marantz 7 power amp driving a pair of late 70's KEF Calinda loudspeakers.  Voices and stringed instruments sounded magical.   The low end left something to be desired, but I really didn't care.  I suppose this was that "warm" sound we hear so much about.  It was always a pleasure to listen to and that's all the criteria I need.

My own system is all 21st Century gear and I'm always thrilled to hear it.  But that Marantz 7 and KEF Calinda combo was wonderful.