Not counting accessories such as a Zerostat which I bought eons ago, the one piece of equipment I own which I've had the longest is my turntable- 19 years now.
I am still using an Adcom GFA 555 in my current home theatre system that i purchased new about 28 years ago. This amp has been incredible throughout the years without having any problems what so ever or needing circuitry upgrades. I also have 2 other Adcom GFA 555 II amps also pretty old still cranking out powerfully in system as well.
In a few short months my Wilson Audio Watt speakers will be 30 years old. The serial numbers were so low, I know Dave built these in his garage. Over the years I had the xover upgraded to series 2's, purchased the puppy cabinets, then also upgraded those to series 3. More recently they needed new tweeters, new baffle foam, and new grilles but by and large they are in amazing shape and they still give all of the Wilson "Magic". Numerous cd players, dacs, pre and power amps have moved thru my room, and these speakers have grown and shined with each upgrade in front of it. As I look back and listen, Dave was years ahead of his time. A Wilson Audio product is truly is a lifelong investment!
Oldest (47 years) - Teac 4070 Auto-reversing Tape Deck. Just had first tuneup. Has always worked, and well.
Second Oldest (42 years) - Original Dual 701 Automatic Turntable. Survivor of a shoot-out with my Linn SP12 / Syrinx arm combo. Same mid-range, better bass, acceptable high-end.
Third Oldest (38 years) - ARC SP-6a.and Marcof PPA-2 headamp w/Moncrieff mod. Recapped.
Noisy controls, but sounds sublime. Retired my 2004 Margules transistorized preamp.
My Hafler 9303 power amplifier which I bought in 1995 when I graduated from college. It was still in used until last month when I replaced it with the Job 225 power amplifier. 22 years in total with no problem.
This little oddity: a vintage 2-outlet isolation transformer manufactured by NCR. That stands for National Cash Register, folks. I acquired it in ’97 from a friend who had done a few mods to it. I gave him a pair of Linn Tukans and he gave me the NCR and 48-feet of van den Hul CS122 speaker cable. To this day I think I got the better part of that deal. The NCR isn’t stout enough to use with amps; just sources like CDPs’, tuners and turntables.
Years ago I owned a PS Audio Power Plant Premier re-generator. Initially I had all my components plugged into it but I decided to do an A/B test with my CDP plugged into the PPP and then the NCR. To my shock and dismay the CDP clearly sounded better with the ancient NCR. The PPP is long gone but I have a warm & fuzzy feeling that the NCR will be with me to the very end.
I still have my KEF 105's from 1979. Fired them up in my basement system after a long hiatus a few months ago. They still sound pretty good. After that, my first CD player, a Yamaha CD2 from 1984 - not so good!
Denon DP-60L turntable, several cartridges (Dynavector Ruby, Dynavector Diamond, Ortofon, and a couple more), Sota head amp,
and a G.A.S. Thalia II pre-amp - all purchased
1980 from Paul Heath Audio in Chicago. That makes for about 37 years. I have the original boxes and packing materials for the turntable and pre-amp.
Better yet - A pair of Avid 103 loudspeakers purchased 1977. That makes for 40 years. I have the original boxes somewhere, but the cardboard has gotten so dry and brittle they are almost unusable. The speakers work fine.
I'm around 30 years with some Vandersteen 4As (now in third system) and almost as long with a VPI TNT (now upgraded to 6 and holding). Similar history with a couple of SME V arms, a Koestu Urushi, some big Classe power amps......guess I have trouble get rid of anything.
Longest I've owned from the start- Technics SL 23 belt drive (still works for my daughter) I bought used in college in mid 70's. Longest period is Eico tube gear my Dad built at the kitchen table in the 50's when I was a kid- He put speakers in the wall of our living room- no Sheetrock then- plaster & lath construction- came to me when he passed- still works we still enjoy it.
Limiting this to items that are "team 1 starters": Rogue Hera preamplifier (now at Hera II status) - almost 9 years now, which seems like an eternity here; I’ve only been seriously at the 2ch game for about 12 years. Next closest would be a Koetsu Onyx at 6 years, which I’ve had recently rebuilt (though technically this now sits behind my new Coralstone).
I’ve tried to upgrade away from the Hera twice now -- both times to more expensive and highly review/regarded tube units from more prestigious hifi companies ($10K and $14K list prices) -- and both times I ended up going back to the Hera as my preference (though it’s not without flaws). The Hera was my first true "high-end" 2ch component, and perhaps part of my preference is that its sound truly has become my reference over the years. Maybe I’ll try to upgrade from it again in a couple years, but it’s been a real warrior for me!
I have a BT-1 preamp, EQ-1 RIAA equalizer, and 50 watt AMP-1 still in use from 1974. All built by the Quintessence Group from Sacramento. I switch the preamp out with a BT-2 from Audionics of Oregon circa 1980, still sweet! The EQ is especially useful as it was designed around the inflection points on the RIAA record curve. They are in use in my office system, main system is newer stuff.
Silverline Sonatina speakers. 14th year. Still sounding great. I replaced the binding posts after lengthy phone call with owner Alan Yun. Great guy to work with.
I know that it's a 100 mile trip, but I would recommend Cornell Smith, (audiodoctor.biz) I have used him for everything since I moved to AZ in 2011. He's really good, and his prices are fair. He's also organized and doesn't take forever to fix things. His # is 480-759-3724.
Thiel 02 speakers owned since 93. Though I've moved on to many other speakers, floor standers and standmounts, I can not get rid of the 02s because they re-ignited my interest in high end audio (they were my girlfriends-now-wife). They have a magic that still serves as a benchmark for me.
Other than that: custom built tube pre-amp from mid 90's, Conrad Johnson Premier 12 amps from 2000. Spendor 3/5s bought in 2001 still doing duty as TV speakers, and occasionally take up residence in my 2 channel system.
Bought a Yamaha A-1060 intergrated amp along with a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls back in 1983. 34 years ago. I still use the Cornwalls (rebuilt & upgraded) now. But the yamaha just recently took a dump. I took it to a local "stereo hospital", and they were bewildered by this "beast of an amp". They told me "they wouldn't even know where to start"??? The amp features an "X" design type high output power supply that know one seems to remember or understand? I also have a Yamaha A-1000 and a Yamaha A-1020, both are class A intergrated amps, but the Yamaha A-1060 makes them sound like it's step children on drugs.... The cornwalls are now being powered by a vintage PAS 3X tube preamp and a home made 8 watt tube amp. All's well, except, i keep praying that i will find someone in my town (tucson) that can fix my beloved A-1060 so that we may be together again to make beautiful music.
A Jadis JP-80 MC preamp, although modded in 2005, has been my main source pre since 1994. I have rolled tubes, but find the Telefunkens are most at home.
Walker turntable, very early generation with multiple upgrades has been spinning lps for 11 years.
Avalon speakers...of one model or another for a good 18 years.
Who knows....maybe I'll surprise my wife, friends and myself; and leave the system as is for another _____ years.
McIntosh C26 and Crown DC 300A purchased in 1974, still in use in my office system. At the time, I couldn't afford the extra $100 or so for the matching McIntosh 2105, so I got the Crown.
I'm one of the more unusual folks here, I guess. Don't change stuff all that frequently and have kept all the stuff I really liked. All of my "vintage" gear is at least 28 years old. Only bought one piece used and the Sansui was a hand-me-down from my parents in 1976.
Purchase date, oldest to newest:
1970 Sansui 1000x receiver (AM section out, bedroom system) 1972 Stanton Parastat Mk. IIA brush (retired now but still pretty) 1975 Discwasher brush (still in use) 1980 Discwasher brush (still in use) 1981 Tandberg TCD440A cassette deck (in primary system) 1983 RGR Model 4-1 preamp (just recapped) 1983 Rogers Studio 1 speakers (primary system mains) 1984 Sota Sapphire turntable (in primary system MC) 1986 Belles Model 1 power amp (in 5.1 subsystem for surrounds) 1989 Pioneer PL-15 DII turntable (bought used, in primary system MM)
Still have 2 original pressing LPs I played through that old Sansui when my folks would let me back when, too: Cat Stevens, Teaser and the Firecat and Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water. They're even still playable, to a point.
Still running my Thorens TD-166 MkII, purchased new in 1984 (now somewhat modified).
Also still have my Advent New Large Utility speakers (recently restored by Millersound) in a secondary system. Got these in Febuary, 1978, as an early High School graduation gift.
Oldest accessory would be my Discwasher record brush, which I think I purchased sometime around 1976 or 1977. I don't use it often these days, but I still have it.
I had a Quad 405 amp that I 8 years later had the Mod Squad do their mod to it for 27 years of continual use. A Kenwood KD-500 TT w/ Grace 707 arm for 21 years until the TT started having troubles keeping the correct speed. Had Von Schweikert's original Vortex Screens for 18 years and sold them to someone that still uses them 9 years later. I still use a Harmon-Kardon TD-120 cassette deck in my prime system a little and it has been 23 years. The heavily modded Lenco 78 TT I have dates back to 1970 (47 years old) says the dude I bought it from although I've only had it for 5 years. The stuff I now own is because of a plan many years ago and it is pretty much finished. Will have 2 of the components modded with upgraded parts by a couple of different fellows with much experience at each component--won't change the house sound, but will make them both more reliable and much better sounding. It's about 50/50 as to which thing was more important--the reliability or the sound. I loved what I have but the reliability is very important to me as one of the component's designer is no longer alive.
I realize the last 1/2 of my post goes off the OP's premise, but I see this as a check of your satisfaction level along with the battle against the desire to acquire. Bottom line is I love my system and the music it produces.
I still use my Sansui TU-717 Tuner that I purchased in 1976. To me, it's one of the most beautiful tuners lit up IMO. Well, it does need a bit of internal restoration after all this time, but still sounds good anyway. Kenny
I still have my: ARC Dual 75a- it was refurbished about 15 years ago and is presently not in use- purchased new in 1974-5; Quad ESL- refurbished recently and now in use- purchased used in 1973; Technics SP-10 turntable- refurbished and ready to go in vintage system, purchased new in 1973; among other odds and ends, e.g. Decca Ribbons I purchased in the mid-’80s, Quad II amps I purchased almost thirty years ago (they are from 1961) and recently refurbished and in use in my vintage system; I still have the piezo stylus gauge (with box) that was sold by Technics. Much other stuff that I owned back in the day, new, was traded in for upgrades, e.g. ARC SP 3-a-1 for SP 10mk ii.
Polk Model 10A from 1979. They're in my home theater system now. I still use a Burwen Research 1201A for filtering hiss when I dub LP's to disc. A 1977 Army purchase!
Revox A77, bought new in '72. ESS TranStatic I's, bought used in '81. Nakamichi BX300, bought new in mid-'80's. Original Quad ESL's, bought used and restored in the early '90's. Townshend Elite Rock turntable, bought new around the same time. An ARC LS-1 and Bedini 25/25, used in mid-'90's. Stax Lambda Pro Earspeakers and McIntosh MR78, used in late '90's. Still own them all.
Audio Research SP-7 pre-amp and D100 amp, and Dahlquist DQ20 speakers all bought in 1988 from Wilson Audio in New Orleans, Louisiana. Audio Research gear sold in 2017 (for 47% of original cost). Looking to sell DQ20s.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
