Call them Samsumg/Harmon ...now on steroids
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There's some great sounding vintage stuff out there. I have a list that I save for clients. All throughout the hobby there are those certain products that are simply amazing. Also a lot of times you will find guys who specialize working on specific designs, bringing them to life. Honestly some guys just don't like the sound of the modern drivers, cabinets and crossovers. Michael Green www.michaelgreenaudio.net |
Some of the receivers etc from the 1970s are collectible now people are buying the speakers and TT etc to get complete systems. This in no way obsoletes any audiophiles gear selection so just relax. It doesn't mean that they are inferior to you they are just collecting as humanity has done for ages. |
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There is one speaker from that era which have always had a following the Realistic (Radio Shack) Mach 1. I only know people have sought them from the start and haven't hard any myself. They are still popular but have gotten panned by people used to current audiophile standards, i.e. expecting sound quality equal to or better then todays offerings. I have some old Marantz book shelf from a garage sale I have never used, perhaps I should put them on auction. |
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From when I first became aware of good home audio in the late 60s through later years it was always a mystery to me as to why the Japanese made lousy speakers. Including Sansui…I had a large pair of Sansui speakers for a while (left with me by a friend) and they were awful compared to my KLH speakers, or JBLs, Klipsch, AR, Bozak…whatever…just bad speakers, and the Japanese know how to make other things. Weird. Later of course things got better, but I've never forgiven Yamaha for the NS10…I understand why engineers used them, and all of them did, still…it makes me feel creepy just thinking about those things. I have to go lie down and breathe... |
Vintage audio is a fad right now that seems to be growing. Everybody wants to be a flipper too and price things like they are funding their retirements. People do also collect those terrible sounding speakers because they think 'kabuki' is cool or fun. People fill their garages and shops with the things in stacks. |
That's very interesting schubert. I have long been aware that British speakers share a voicing, one prioritizing natural vocal and instrumental timbres. Traditional Japanese instruments and music have a very different sound than does Western music, so why wouldn't their speakers be voiced differently than Western speakers? |
Something to consider: my 55 year-old ears don’t hear frequencies above 16khz. As such, my recapped Marantz Imperial 6 speakers sound (to me) as good as, or better than, many modern speakers costing 10 times as much. Smooth, creamy, and eminently “listenable.” Younger folks with fully functioning ears are most likely hearing things which are completely lost on old farts like myself ;-). As far as the Kabuki speakers sold by the likes of Marantz and Sansui (among others) back in the day, they were always a joke, but some folks get a kick out of them. I get that. Fun is fun... |
Well I rather like my old lattice grille Sansui speakers. Admittedly, they're all garage sale or Craigslist items of questionable parentage and minimum cost but given good tube amplification they can sound glorious. that doesn't mean that I don't avoid fancy pants speakers, it just means that I don't delude myself that you must spend a boatload or it can't sound good. I've had plenty of expensive gear that wasn't all that great.My old Sansui speakers are fun. That's the whole idea. |
@ yogiboy, Hi, I wouldn’t sale my vintage gem receiver for any price! I’m not sure how much experience in audio you have , although this is not my video, my unit sounds as good and looks as good, I’ve compared it to some over priced junk like rega osiris $10,000.00 integrated amplifier, etc... and other $15,000.00 any thing amplifier’s, yes my main amplifier is better, but then again, I have the only modified krell 700cx out there, by advice of Dan D Agostino on what to do, And all work done by Krell factory, any way, here is the video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gf5hU_FQz4k |
+1 It’s just like the muscle car fad that had it’s zenith 10 years ago. They aren’t faster, better performing, safer, more comfortable, reliable or arguably better looking than today’s cars. Each generation goes through this when they reach about 50. |
I do agree that japenesse speaker's of the 70's are crap, someone here said they were voiced for their music at the time, true, they all were better known as kubuki speaker's, I hate them, I sold the best of Sansui, yamaha, technics, pioneer, Marantz, etc, all them multiple drivers, power meter' s, 15" woofer's are incredibly junk!, got decent money for them, to me, I thought they were the worst speaker's I've encountered. |
Never liked any of the speakers but I still have and enjoy listening to a Marantz 2250b receiver and a Pioneer SX-1050. The Marantz is hooked up to a small pair of Ushers, the Pioneer to a pair of Meadowlark Kestrels. The appeal for either is that they’re 40 years old, can still be repaired if need be, and just plain look cool. |
After trying a handful of new Hi-Fi receivers and speakers, I now own a restored Marantz 2275 and 1980s Klipsch Forte which I will never get rid. The audio repair guy that repaired my Marantz told me "even the new digital amps can not measure up to the sound of these old Marantz". They just sound that good! |