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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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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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
James
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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.
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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….
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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.
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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
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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.
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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!
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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 . . .
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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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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
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Define vintage. Is it like cars where 25 years old qualifies for an "antique" license plate?
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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 👍.
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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.
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@1971gto455ho I hear ya.
I love my IRS Beta powered by SA12e Thresholds and (not as old) Manley Snappers.
Sound is awesome
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@vitussl101 -Amen. Not all old equipment qualifies. And the brand name Marantz became a different story once Saul Marantz sold to Sony/Superscope.
I still have my Quad 57s from 1974 that were sympathetically restored by Electrostatic Solutions and a pair of Quad IIs with period glass that Bill Thalmann went over - he said he hadn’t seen real GEC KT66s in a long while. That stuff is enduring, though it still has limitations.
I had a set of Crosby Quad 63s which I basically gave away when I moved-- I preferred the original Quad loudspeaker to the 63, even though the latter is a better "all-arounder."
Some of this gear enters collector’s territory, eg. the Marantz 7 tube preamp. The "C" is for cabinet, does not necessarily mean it is a tube unit. Lots of those were around back in the day, some were modded. At the time, I preferred the ARC SP3-a-1, which is now itself an antique collectible. But your point- that "older" Marantz doesn’t equate with quality sound is a fair one.
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My first quality system, bought in the late 60s still resonates in my mind. Sansui AU-555, TU-555 with a Dual 1019 Turntable and Shure B15 Type III cartridge. Speakers were Sansui SP-100 with beautiful wood lattice front. I also had an AKAI R2R with Crossfield heads.
It was what I could afford, but the vinyl of the day was high quality and all my feiends loved coming over and listening to tunes. The late 60s / early 70s were a magical time for music, both live and recorded.
I know my current system of 3.6 Maggies, McIntosh MC501 mono blocs and Mc Preamp with streaming probably sounds better, but those memories are priceless and that most likely colors my memories. That said, not all gear sounded great to me, Carver amp and preamp a friend had played loud, but very harsh.
There is no bad audio choice if it makes you smile.
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There's vintage audio, then there's vintage audio. While seventies receivers seem all the rage, there are also many great antiques out there. Take a pair of Quad 57's and Quad II amps or Futterman OTL's from the fifties, with some simple mods or changes to them, and add a modern preamp and source, and you'll have a system that smokes a lot of modern-day equipment.
Man, I have to get my Crosby modified 57's out of the basement and get them working again.
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Vintage IMHO isn't worth paying a premium for, especially for tube gear. You are dealing with very old components which have a limited availability of replacement parts and limited availability of experienced service technicians. That said, there are sellers of vintage Marantz amplifiers that demand a high price and appear to get buyers. The same money (and in some cases, significantly less money) could get you a similar quality sonic experience with less agita with parts and service issues. Just sayin'.
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@mswale I'll agree with that me being firmly in the vinatge lane. I have some newer gear too but I love meshing the older classic components with more contemporary pieces; presently enjoying custom Altec Valencia with Shindo, Airtight & a classic Luxman TT w/Micro Acoustics, Shure & Van den Hul Carts. I also own Aesthetix, LFD, Sonus Faber, Audio Note, Line Magnetic, Canor & Lumin. All a mixed bag of eras and brands but I enjoy every piece. The fun (or frustration) is uncovering what works togther. Just my experience
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I certainly do like the idea of vintage equipment, and enjoy it in my friends systems. I just don't want to own it, for reliability sake. I do however own a bunch of tube gear that is manufactured like gear of the past; just made in the 2020s
I have a Tubes4HiFI VTA ST-120 amp, which is a modern take of the Dyanaco ST-70. An Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp, and an Aric Audio Transcend "Push Pull" EL34 amp. Those are all hand wired point to point, but with updated modern components.....and in the case of Aric's gear, extremely high end components.
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I worked at a couple of stereo stores in the late 70's and grew fond of several of lines of gear. I have a Yamaha receiver from 1977/8 era in my office system. I don't listen to it very much but just enjoy the esthetics. A reminder of a time that I really enjoyed being involved in my new attachment to audio.
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Tastes change and I think that some older gear have qualities that can be appreciated today. Think of the popularity of single ended directly heated triode amps, horn speakers, and idler drive turntables. Some older units sound remarkably good by contemporary standards, with proper maintenance, of course. Furthermore, an enthusiast may enjoy a pride of ownership with restoring, displaying, and listening to classic gear.
I find it appealing to listen to media and equipment that was used when the recordings were made to get a taste of the experience of how they sounded in their day. During the pandemic I started collecting 78s after receiving and fixing up an HK Citation I pre-amp with the EQs required to play back shellac and early LPs. I was given a Dual 1019 that I outfitted with a Grado 78 cartridge. Now I can listen to original 30’s and 40’s discs like from Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, and Big Joe Turner and try to imagine what it was like to hear these ground breaking artists for the first time. It’s not high fidelity, but these old discs have a presence and provide an impactful audio experience.
If your goal is “The Absolute Sound” then vintage may not be the way to go, but there are many other reasons to own and enjoy older equipment.
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I think that being very busy raising a family with different priorities, I haven't had the opportunity to use my stereo gear as much in the past, and this has provided my gear with some longevity or as you noted vintage. These days, like it was in the early days of University, I am using my gear multiple hours each day.
I think my listening these days has gotten more critical, but the memory of those days enjoying some new vinyl on the Harman Kardon 730, still linger.
Enjoy the music!
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I've been in this hobby a long time. I have mostly what I called mid-range gear. Most of my systems were under $15000, the majority were around $6000. Over the years quality gear has become more affordable. Still trying to improve my system/s, never finished. I'm fulling in the modern era and not looking back.
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@pooch2
+1 Harmon Kardan 730, my receiver for 40 years.
Never had the bug to upgrade until it died.
Same here except mine didn't last as long, probably because I played it every day for hours. Mine still works but a channel cuts out and there is static. but the sound is still huge & full. I really want to get it restored but other needs are required now. maybe later.
FWIW it blew a power supply in the late 80's so I bought a Luxman R-115. great reviews. I hated it and sold it within a year and got the HK fixed.
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In the guitar world, a 30-year-old guitar is now considered vintage. If 30 years is considered vintage for audio gear, then most of my analog system is vintage, and I suspect it is comparable in sound quality to most modern gear, and probably more durable--SOTA Star Sapphire TT with ET-2 arm, Classé Audio electronics, Nakamichi cassette decks, Luxman tuner (that I rarely use anymore), and upgraded Apogee Duetta II speakers.
I guess I'm the rare audiophile that is satisfied with his system long-term. I have made many digital upgrades, however, as I realize that digital technology is improving more rapidly, with better sound quality available at decreasing prices, compared to 30 years ago.
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If something has performed for 40+ years, and still is, it must be pretty good in an number of ways. I hate to see garages and backrooms of stores floor to ceiling full of this stuff knowing it's unused and will probably stay that way.
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Right now I’m listening to rebuilt stacked Quad 57’s with added Enigma Sopranino super tweeters, the latter not being vintage, powered by just serviced Futterman H3-AA amps. The panels are wired in series, the tweeters straight off the amps in parallel. WOW! Being a professional musician, I can attest that this is superior to my Focal Stella Utopias, except for bass slam? It’s a lush sound that wraps around me in gorgeous tonality. Not bad for mid 50’s speakers! Whenever I switch out to my modern systems, I feel withdrawal from losing the magic.
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High quality gear is high quality gear, no matter when it was built.
For me Vintage gear is where it's at. I like the build quality, the looks, and most importantly how it sounds. I like analog music, vintage will give you that, without all the add ons of today's gear.
For me, when I see new gear, I have to turn the knobs, or switches. Unless it is very high end gear, all the knobs, and switches feel cheap. Most are not even real, all digital on the back end. The stuff that does feel good, is so far out of my price range.
Right now, my main 2ch is all vintage, sans a streamer (need something from this century) & my TT. The TT is only new, as it's been tough to get the vintage piece I've been looking for. The sound is warm, analog, clean, open, with 200 old school watts, plenty of power to drive my vintage Forte II's.
As far as reliability goes, almost nothing is reliable anymore. My HT system is all new, my expensive Marantz receiver bit the dust 2 mo ago, out of warranty, no one wants to work on it. Forced me to buy a brand new Marantz receiver. With my vintage gear, once I year, I take it all apart, blow out anything inside, clean all the pots & switches. Look for any swelling caps, button it all back up. I do believe my vintage gear will outlast all my new gear. Best of all the vintage stuff can all be fixed.
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I was exclusively into vintage gear until 3 years ago. My only tech retired and I decided to go modern. Except for my speakers. I love my JBL 4311s and built my new system around them. I'm still in the process but it's going well. The 4311s, like most JBL have volume control for mid and tweets that allows me to tweak the sound as I change components.
Over the past 3 years I've listened to 6 other speakers and nothing comes close. I'm still looking at new ones, but replacing these with something I like more will probably cost upwards of $15k. I paid $600 for my JBLs.
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I’m having way more fun collecting and restoring vintage gear than my main modern system. I think many people hear vintage and think they are all overly warm sounding, but from my experiance thats a good indication there is old caps and componets in them that needed replacment probably long ago.
In my experiance vintage can compete with moddern systems at similar costs when restored. No a $2000 restored vintage peice wont compete with a $10000 piece nore should it. But doller for doller i’d take a vintage system over a modern system in the $1500-$2000 range, as what i have into them. I really dont know may speaker in that price range that can come close.
Example my Vintage ADS L910 speakers (restored) from the late 70’s sound very good and very musical. not overly warm or lacking detail. In many ways i prefer them to modern speakers. no they dont have quite the details level or sound stage level but close enough that what they do right makes them very enjoyable.
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+1 Harmon Kardan 730, my receiver for 40 years.
Never had the bug to upgrade until it died. Now I split the duty between a Cayin tube receiver and Accuphase SS preamp and Class A amp.
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This is a false dichotomy. "Vintage" gear just means whatever gear the beholder could not afford as a teenager. As a result, anything made from the 60s to the 90s can be considered vintage by someone alive today.
A better question would be, what does a certain dollar amount buys you in today’s market? Case in point: rn TMR offers a pair of Krell 600 monoblocks for something like $6500. I think anyone would be hard pressed to buy equivalent new amps for twice that amount, because there simply aren’t any out there unless a person is willing to spend a small fortune.
Given a fixed budget, pre-owned gear will almost always deliver a significantly higher level of build and sound quality than new gear. Just my opinion.
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Late 70's I had a nice Phase Linear stack. Looked impressive and sounded better when drinking. Bought a Sansui 9090 and that changed everything. Sold the stack and bought all Pioneer separates cassette, r to r, tt, 4 massive Sansui 7500 speakers. Still have it all.
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I went through that phase about 10 years ago. Since then I have given most of it to my kids. What I haven’t given away is stacked in a closet. On top of the stack is a barely used Oppo 105, so go figure. The one category that I do cherish is NOS tubes. I do enjoy walking into my sons house and seeing the blue glow of his Marantz receiver and his JBL’s. But I must say it’s no match for modern gear. Cheers , Mike
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I still happily have an ARC SP9mk2 with a pair of Acoustat Model X’s. I have updated some parts on the amps and they sound better than new.
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I listen to my main system, Pass Labs, VPI, Monitor Audio Platinum Two speakers and yet I have just this past week received my completely restored Fisher 450T receiver and previously restored AR 2AX speakers. Receiver is so recent I haven’t listened to this system yet. These gems were purchased in 1969 and my memories of their sound remain dear to me. I may end up passing this system to my grandchildren, but at this point their mother, my daughter doesn’t want these mint items placed in their home. They are young but are greatly interested in music, Listening mainly to 60’s 70’s music in a CD format.
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The only vintage thing around my gear is me. I dragged a pair of A7s around for 15 years in the olden days, and they sounded astonishingly good as stereo speakers when used for that, but generally too big for any living room I had then. Also used a KLH compact system for home audio back in the day. That thing sounded better than most anything around in the 70s...that was when all my audio bucks went for pro gear so the stereo was somewhat underfunded. No more. I love newer stuff as it's quiet (even my tube amps), very well built and sounds beautiful. Keep yer Sansuis and old Macs...have fun...I certainly am.
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I've been in the audio sphere for over 50 years. I have equipment that is vintage, used and modern. The only vintage equipment that engages me are turntables. What I like about many, slightly elevated quality, vintage TT's is that they are frequently semi or fully automatic and still have decent tonearms
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Given most of our ages on this forum, most of us started out with today's 'vintage' equipment.
Like most things, if you owned top of the line equipment from the better known companies, your equipment sounded good and would sound at least decent by today's standards. For those of us that didn't own TOTL equipment, what we did own sounded fine, until you heard something that sounded appreciably better.
The big difference back then was attitudinal. The tendency was to use what you had until it fell apart or became too expensive to repair. Lots of reasons for this, including strict enforcement of MSRP in the 60's & 70's by dealers and manufacturers.
With the 80's came stores that offered discounts like Tech Hi Fi and Crazy Eddie's and so, buying new components became more common.
For myself, I started out with a used Philco/ Voice of Music suitcase style system (tubes) that lasted 5 years until I purchased a SONY HP 161 compact phono system (solid state) that got me through college to when I purchased a Pioneer 636 / EPI 100/ Dual 1228 set-up (solid state).
Sound quality wise, it sounded fine. On rare occasions, I thought it sounded excellent. But there were limitations that I would just look past. I could only get so excited when listening to the music.
Things changed when I started to spend more and went with separates (ADCOM) and better speakers (KEF Q55).
About 20 years back, I went through a vintage phase and refurbished two Marantz receivers (2216 and 2240). Expensive proposition. I had genuinely lusted for the Marantz receivers as a teenager. Bit of a let down ultimately. Very warm sounding, hit all the nostalgic notes, enjoyable, but they did not match up to the more modern components I had. Used one of the receivers as a tuner in my main system, where it really shone nicely. Now, if only there were decent FM stations to listen to. The other receiver I gifted to Les Paul, who was a Marantz collector himself.
I do love the look of vintage equipment and every so often, I get tempted to chase something, but I stop myself because better sounding components are out there for the same money as tracking a vintage piece down and restoring it. There's also less vintage equipment (60's & 70's) out there.
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Vintage is nostalgia. It sounded good when it came out. Today's advance in technology has greatly surpassed anything vintage. I got rid of my last 70s vintage Marantz in the 80s. Looking forward ever since.
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I've been in this hobby for more than fifty years and have owned quite a bit of Hi-Fi gear; both solid state and tube. Solid state gear has come along way from the late 1960's when its sound was one dimensional and flat. Gone was the bloom of tube gear. Today both technologies are well implemented. As for vintage gear I have owned quite a bit over the years but have only kept a few pieces that I really enjoy. My 1962 Macintosh MR65B was the first tube stereo tuner manufactured by the company and my Dad's old Dynakit Stereo 70 that he built with the help of my Mom back in 1961. Dad was color blind, so Mom organized all the color coded parts for him so he knew where they went during the assembly. lol
There's nothing like a well sorted piece of tube vintage gear to bring out the enjoyment of your favorite music. 😊
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I have both and I really love vintage gear, the restoration process, the sound, the look, collecting etc. I can be very rewarding and expensive, like vintage automobiles. I have 3 vintage systems, and the one piece I could swap out and use in my main modern system is my McIntosh Mx110z. Although it doesn’t have the inputs and features of my C2300 preamp, the sound is amazing, and an FM tuner as a bonus. I realize this is not for everyone but it is a very enjoyable aspect of this hobby for me.
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I had a Heybrook TT2 with an Alphason HRS100 MCS tonearm and external power supply . Compared it side by side with new TT s above 5k$ and it beat them hands down. Was still going fine since 1985 until I sold it recently. Talk about value for the money.
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How does the Sansui au-517 au- 717 and so forth integrates sound once restored properly? And I mean full service with perhaps some better parts if available? Is this a worthwhile rabbit hole to fall into and to use this gear in a second or third system?
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Vintage gear that still sounds good.
Quad ESL57
Early Linn Sondek LP12
Naim NAP 250
Leak Stereo 20
BBC LS35a
I could go on.
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I think you have two kinds of allure for vintage gear, gear that's a kind audio Stradivarius and gear that just looks cool, even if it doesn't perform that well. Not that there couldn't be gear that's both.
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