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 👍.
The Allure of Vintage Audio Gear
Vintage audio gear holds a unique charm, offering rich sound and timeless design that many modern components can't quite replicate. Brands like Marantz, McIntosh, and JBL are still revered for their warm, detailed sound, especially in tube amps and classic speakers. While modern technology offers improved reliability and lower distortion, vintage gear brings a sense of nostalgia and character that many audiophiles crave.
Do you prefer the warmth of vintage, or do you lean toward modern hi-fi innovations? How would you mix vintage with modern in your setup?
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. 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. 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.
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"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! |
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. |
Didn’t get into high-end audio until 10 years ago, so no experience prior. At an audio show, I saw a vintage Sansui 9090db running a MoFi SourcePoint which sounded musical. I kept staring at the Sansui which I thought was gorgeous. Now I’m thinking of purchasing BUT don’t need of course! Other audio purchases seem higher priority. Drat, they lowered the price…. |
I retired as an dealer 8 years ago. My service tech of 25+ years still works with me on weekends with the goal of "keeping decent audio gear from ending up in the dumpster." We regularly "fix" old audio gear that has a high emotional attachment to their owner(s). We also provide performance upgrades by encorporating "newer thinking" into older (vintage) equipment. I’ll just say that’s it’s suprising (sometimes STUNNING!!) how much additional music can come out of those old boxes. I try to stay away from general statements, but will concur with others that at a given price point newer gear will sound better than vintage gear. But, if there’s something emotionally, or esthetically, appealing about vintage gear, there’s a 98% chance that there’s a path to an improvement in sonic performance. And many allow for a return to "factory stock" with minimal effort. |
Aloha I have an engineering background in military electronics. Specifically, airborne geo-location and surveillance systems.I trained as a radioman in the USAF and was recruited by ESL in Sunnyvale a month before discharge.I recently un-retired and opened a vintage radio shop. I love working on tube equipment and have a mix of new and older test gear. These days, I don’t have a lot of radios coming to the shop for repair; except for a recent KLH Model Eight that just needed retuning due to aged components. The bulk of my day to day work is guitar amps and I really enjoy working with musicians on the restorations and voicing modifications they seek. Apparently, I’ve developed a tube guru reputation in less than a year. Unfortunately, I have difficulty engaging with the high-end tube audio community in Honolulu. Out of a dozen phone calls, where I was ‘interviewed” and found wanting, the only thing that came in for repair was a beat up McIntosh MR78. That customer was put off by my inability to give him a firm estimate and ended up selling it to me for $100. So, I’m here to learn the lingo used to describe subjective performance. I’m very open minded and can’t stand to listen to bad audio. I’m hoping I’m in the right place. Mahalo
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Almost world best microphones (>$20k) are from 1940~60’s. I can hear they sound clear and better with little noise than modern $20k mics. Mic and speaker are same topology. They made a better mics and they made better speakers then. Since last 40 years audio makers don’t mention about the natural sound and music any more. They only say about the technology. And modern hi-fi sound became more distorted and noisy. No wonder all recordings sound noisy (bad) by bad sound mics. So as audio equipment. You can hear/compare most expensive vintage mics’ ($30k) sounds and compare to a current best mic here. Alex/WTA https://wavetouchaudiopro.com/
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I used to sell many of the popular vintage lines (as a young sales pup at lafayette Radio, TEch Hifi, Radio Shack) and have heard pretty much everything since. I remember how the various products sounded back then when new quite well! Anything "vintage" is old (like me). Old things typically no longer function like new or anything close unless maintained or other wise properly repaired. My experience with modern repairs of vintage gear has not been good. It often has a short life then you are back where you started or worse. So..... if you are getting a good deal on a piece that is in good working condition (which is hard to determine), just don’t overpay and it may work out. But at that point, you may end up paying a premium just for vintage bling. Most modern quality gear will outperform most vintage equivalents. But if you think you must have that "vintage" sound and/or bling, FBOFW, then by all means have at it. It’s what you like that matters and nothing else. You might even luck out and get a good deal!
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