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What I miss about vintage gear

What I miss is the visual experience I had while listening late at night in a dark room. The warm glow of dancing meters goes to the top of the list. 

I love the advances and the quality of the latest gear. Being able to select nearly unlimited music from a tablet is wonderful.  Sadly for the most part clean bland boxes with a single led power indicator is what I ended up with.  Sort of wish that there was a component that I could include that gave this without effecting the sound.


Even been thinking of getting a nice looking tuner to just have powered up although its not gonna really fill that void



128x128doitwithlife
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glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,666 posts
 

Luxman, Accuphase also have full featured integrated amps with the meters etc. There are a few more out there also that still build them like they used to.

I'm really hopping some manufacturers start including the meters, tone controls etc. Again I miss the functionality of many of the older vintage gear.  The Japanese seem to be the only one still embracing full function preamps and integrated amps. shame really as they have proven it can be done right with out the negatives of having the extra stuff in the circuit.

jameswei
883 posts
 
So if you really want meters, maybe VU meters that dance to the music would fit the bill.

Realistic (Radio Shack) made VU meters -- the APM 100 and APM 200 (demo clip below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i64E8gbI-Po

TEAC VU MB-20
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-teac-mb-20-meter-bridge-249054297

If you can find them second hand cheaply.
Or you could buy an old cassette deck with VU meters and just run a signal into it.
Post removed 
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Get a Lava Light, place it between your speakers, dim the room lights, turn on some music. Smokeable herbal substance optional!
2psyop's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
2psyop
1,567 posts
 
+1 mapman. Cool VU meters are just an app away....
scorpio1951
189 posts
 
  Get yourself some vintage McIntoshes. Something wonderful about those blue lights in a dark room. 
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
Load a pretty sound meter app on  a tablet and gawk away! :-)
doitwithlife's avatar
doitwithlife OP
98 posts
 
I've toyed with the idea of the Magnum Dynalab Etude, also thought about gutting something like an old VTL amp as a façade. Have to believe the circuit wouldn't be difficult to just engage a pair of meters, just don't have those design skills. I can wield a soldering either just not sure how to layout the circuit.

Went to a demo in Spokane a couple of weeks ago and the McIntosh rep was going on about those cool blue meters. Wondering if that's what keeps drawing people to the Mc. 



 
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
I'd buy McIntosh, but I want to wait until a manufacturer comes out with an amp with larger meters.

Frank 
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,479 posts
 
You can build your own faux amplier box with pretty meters and tubes! It is just for aesthetics and would look just like you want.  Lots of nice meters out there. May be a product line extension idea ✌️  
jameswei
883 posts
 
The old Magnum Dynalab Etude or FT101's had three cool-looking meters and a digital frequency readout.  Not bad a a tuner either.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,661 posts
 
There will always be McIntosh with those large blue meters!
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