# Vintage Stereo Gear



## jackfish

Ok, who is still seduced by vintage audio? There are quite a few followers of the 1970s classics. Double Large Advents anyone?


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## Otto

Well, I inherited my dad's Thorens turntable. Mom's gonna send it for my birthday, so I don't have it yet. Never been a vinyl guy, but looking forward to having some vintage around!


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## geekwithfamily

Wow, Otto, lucky turntable inheritance. I don't have any actual vintage gear, the closest I have is my Rogue Audio 99 Preamp, that has a "classic" tube sound according to reviews.

When I was a kid, my next door neighbor had an impressive system including a reel to reel tape machine.


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## rcarlton

Running a pair of McIntosh MC-250's and a MC-2100 downstairs. Upstairs I have a McIntosh MAC-1700 with valves a glowing running Cornwall's!


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## reed.hannebaum

jackfish,

Only single large Advents, 1978 vintage. Had the speakers refoamed a couple of years ago. They still sound great!


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## Guest

I'm still using a Hafler DH200 power amp for my two channel setup. I assembled several of these in the late 1970's and I even used one as a PA amp, and it was plenty tough enough to take it. The last Bryston I used made me wonder a little if it's time to move on, but I just haven't been able to give up the Hafler yet. I received this particular Hafler as a Christmas gift from my son Pupton a couple of years ago. Seems he remembered me spending all that time soldering on the kitchen table when he was a kid, and I didn't even think he noticed.

akitaboy


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## F1 fan

I was given a classic McIntosh MC240 several years ago but I ended up selling it.


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## Sonnie

I had the MC250, MC2505, and MX115 in my system back in 96.

http://www.snapbug.ws/sr1.htm


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## jackfish

The old Marantz, Sansui and Pioneer receivers were something to behold. My vintage system includes:
Dual 1245 turntable with an Shure M97xE cartridge
Harman Kardon TD4400 CD Transcription cassette deck
AKAI AT-2600 tuner
Oppo DV-970HD non-vintage for a digital source with an AudioDigit Tubalizer tube buffer stage between the Oppo and the preamp
Harman Kardon Citation 11 preamp - reconditioned
Two Phase Linear 400 Series I power amplifiers - reconditioned
Two pair U4 Large Advent stacked, each pair driven by one of the above amps

The Large Advents are the "new" version and have been refoamed and had component upgrades to the crossovers.


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## reed.hannebaum

Jackfish,

That sounds like a great vintage system. Show some pics if you have them. How do those stacked Advents sound? In the '70s I know they were the rage. When I bought my mine back then I could barely afford one pair let alone two. I also had a Pioneer SX-880 receiver (what a beauty that was) and a Technics SL-3350 turntable, and I thought I was in heaven. The receiver & turntable were lost in a divorce, but I still have the "new" Advents.


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## F1 fan

Sonnie said:


> I had the MC250, MC2505, and MX115 in my system back in 96.
> 
> http://www.snapbug.ws/sr1.htm


Sonnie ,cool write up in Stereo Review.That was a serious HT system especially for the day.I bet 18" sub woofers were not very common although I think Snell produced one back then.The Snell B's,B minors and C's were all very good speakers.And of course the Mac stuff is built
to a very hi standard.


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## BoomieMCT

Add me to this list. I LOVE the heavy metal knobs and switches of vintage systems. I sadly had to retire my 1970's Kenwood reciever that I inherited from my father (not worth the expense of fixing). However, I still have some stuff going strong;

Adcom GFP-555 pre-amp and tuner
PsAudio number 2 amp
Advent 4002 "bookshelf" speakers (bookshelf - yeah right)

I may be picking up some Ess speakers of some sort from my brother shortly. I know nothing about them, or the brand for that matter.


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## BoomieMCT

jackfish said:


> Two pair U4 Large Advent stacked, each pair driven by one of the above amps
> 
> The Large Advents are the "new" version and have been refoamed and had component upgrades to the crossovers.



Aurgh! The Large Advents are the one Advent I'd rather have then my beloved 4002's! Feel my envy!


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## Sonnie

Thanks Fred... yeah... it was fun. Can you believe I had that sub crossed over at 35Hz? It only handled the extreme low end, but it literally shook the entire house. I never will forget moving that thing around underneath the house trying to get it in the right location so that it sounded best.

I actually miss my McIntosh gear. The Snell's were no doubt marvelous speakers too, although they did have some problems with their early models and surround rot only after a few years.


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## Sonnie

There are a lot of those Large Advents on ebay and I see some rebuild kits there as well...


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## BoomieMCT

Sonnie said:


> There are a lot of those Large Advents on ebay and I see some rebuild kits there as well...


I'm too skeptical to buy them on ebay. Besides, shipping on ebay would probably kill me. The 4002's I have I got on Craigslist (so I was able to hear them / see them before buying). I always think it is funny how much I like my 4002's - yet I only paid $20 for the pair (reconditioned a year previous).


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## jackfish

For all things Advent: http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=5

For Large Advent replacement crossovers: http://www.classicloudspeakerservices.com/

The key to buying Large Advents on eBay is to ask alot of questions, particularly if they have been refoamed as if you buy them already competently refoamed you will save some money and hassle. Usually shipping could cost more than the speakers themselves, but if you can get refoamed New Advents in good condition for around $300 a pair (including shipping) it is probably worth it. I have five pairs and if I ever get a decent 5.1 preamp, there will be Large Advent surround!


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## muse77

I still have my Pioneer SX-950 with 85 watts of power. One channel doesn't like high frequencies. I also have Pioneer CS-711A speakers. I blew out the foam surrounds on the bass and replaced the tweeters so I'm not sure if these would count.


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## jackfish

Here is my system:


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## tc-60guy

Greetings all, I don't know if they are quite old enough to be classics yet,but my ten yr old Spica TC-60 speakers make sweet music. They have recently been given a kick in the pants with the addition of a SVS sb-12plus subwoofer! A nice combo indeed! I also have a 23 yr old Denon dp37 turntable which continues to serve me well.


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## yourgrandma

I don't own any, but I lust for some old Klipsch's. A budd has four Heresies and it's a sound I could get used to.


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## rcarlton

yourgrandma said:


> I don't own any, but I lust for some old Klipsch's. A budd has four Heresies and it's a sound I could get used to.


Klipsch are very addictive. Search Craigslist for local sales. Should find some nice examples. To blow away your buddy's Heresys try a pair of Cornwalls. You can pick them up for $500-800. Heresys would go for $300-500 depending on finish and condition.


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## yourgrandma

I have been scanning th 'list and I've seen a few pairs of heresies and one pair of cornwalls. I've never heard the Cornwalls, is it pretty much just MORE of that Klipsch sound, or what? 

I've been contimplating a music only system in another room with some tube power and some way of receiving digital signal from my changer and SACD player.

Anyway, Ron, your setup is truly impressive, a Klipsch fan's dream. From what I've read, you have tha same speaker setup a a lot of movie theaters did until quite recently.


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## Funkmonkey

I have an old Marantz receiver still sitting in my parents basement, half way across the country. I saved it from going into the trash at a store that I used to work at when they switched to "muzak." They were going to chuck it because the FM tuner was starting to drift off channel. I think I was about 16yrs old when I grabbed it. I had it hooked up for a little while with my Dads old Advent speakers (not sure which model), and that sounded great. Kind of laid the foundation for my current obsession. Next time I drive back to my folks house (CA->MI) I am going to bring the Marantz and my old Technics turntable home with me, along with all the ELO, AC/DC, Van Halen, Doors, Clash, and Billy Idol LP's that reside with them....


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## Guest

Snell Acoustics Type A speakers.. the speakers that put Snell Acoustics on the map and designed by the late Peter Snell himself...

Just rebuilt them with new tweeter, midrange and woofers and recalibrated crossover networks.. Amazingly Snell Acoustics has replacement speakers for any system they have ever built and the speakers are all custom builds. 

And to drive them a Crown DC-300A Power Amp

Vandersteen OL-1 moving coil head end preamp.. sounds great with a new Audio Research SP-17 just added to the system..

All the above are late '70s, early '80s vintage equipment, except the SP-17.


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## PT800

I've got an all '70's vintage system. A Yamaha direct drive tt connected to HK Citation 11 pre-amp and Citation 19 power amp. The speakers are JBL L212 sat/sub system, which was the first consumer available powered sub system.
But I upgraded the speakers by building new boxes that are mirror imaged, which provides a better soundstage. Plus I built new, high end cross overs. Couple-Charged XOs, the same type that JBL currently uses in their top of the line $60K Everest and $30K K2 speakers.
Building CC XOs really brings older speakers into the 21st century.


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## jackfish

PT800, have you had anything done to the Harmam Kardon components? Many of the Citation Elevens I've come across are pretty rough and need reconditioning.


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## PT800

jackfish said:


> PT800, have you had anything done to the Harmam Kardon components? Many of the Citation Elevens I've come across are pretty rough and need reconditioning.


I bought mine about a year ago, it had been a demo unit and had seen very little use, works and sounds great.


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## xcapri79

I have a pair of Technics SB-F3 speakers. They are vintage 1982-83. They are unique in that they have very good quality aluminum enclosures and were decent speakers in their time. 

The horn tweeter has failed in one of them and I'm looking for a sutable replacement. They are mounted using 3 screws 120 degrees apart on a 3" diameter circle.

The horn tweeter has a part number EAS-7HH05SA, but I have been unable to track a replacement down. Can someone help me with this?

As long as the cost was reasonable, I would love to upgrade both speakers to be more equivalent to Polk LSi's since I think that they could make great rear surround speakers.


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## lcaillo

xcapri79 said:


> I have a pair of Technics SB-F3 speakers. They are vintage 1982-83. They are unique in that they have very good quality aluminum enclosures and were decent speakers in their time.
> 
> The horn tweeter has failed in one of them and I'm looking for a sutable replacement. They are mounted using 3 screws 120 degrees apart on a 3" diameter circle.
> 
> The horn tweeter has a part number EAS-7HH05SA, but I have been unable to track a replacement down. Can someone help me with this?
> 
> As long as the cost was reasonable, I would love to upgrade both speakers to be more equivalent to Polk LSi's since I think that they could make great rear surround speakers.


Look in this link for Orange County Speaker and The Speaker Exchange. These are two of the better places to look for speaker components for older speakers. If they don't have them they may know where to look.
http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...ference-information/4398-service-centers.html


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## vintagerocks

My bedroom system consists mostly of vintage Pioneer Silver era equipment. I use it for my alarm clock but it will rock out if need be.

SA-6800 Integrated Amplifier at 45w/ch
TX-6800 Tuner
CT-F900 Cassette Deck
PL-514 Turntable with Shure V15 Type IV Cartridge
HPM-40 Speakers (2nd generation)
DT-5 Audio Timer

I also acquired my fathers SX-650 receiver and HPM-40 speakers (1st generation)

My main system consists of some vintage Pioneer as well:
PD-M90X Reference CD Player
HPM-100 Speakers

The remainder of my main system consists of non vintage:
Emotiva RSP-1 preamp
Emotiva RPA-1 Power Amp
Pioneer Elite DV-47A DVD/SACD player
Carver TX-11A Tuner

So I guess you could say I still like and use vintage gear. :yes:


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## premiumplus

I've got all vintage stuff except for my CD player, a Pioneer DV-45.
Hafler DH 101 preamp (reconditioned)
Soundcraftsmen RP 22-12 EQ (reconditioned)
Phase Linear 400 Series I power amps (reconditioned)
Pioneer PL-71 turntable w/Shure M97eX (reconditioned)
2 Klipsch KG-4 (one PL 400 to drive them)
4 Realistic Optimus-7 loudspeakers(3 way floorstanding model from '74)..., driven with the other PL 400. Don't laugh until you hear them, I almost didn't hook up the Klipsches!
I have the speakers stacked with a pair of Opt-7's and a KG-4 on each side. Stands 7' tall, and sounds stunningly 3d.

I love my vintage stuff. Almost as much as I love reconditioning it!


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## Sabby

I use JBL Century L-100's in our theater area daily. Bought new more than 30 years ago. The Dual Turntable and Sony Reel to Reel have been retired but I still have them. The Marantz 2230 receiver still works and is used in the bedroom. It only has 30 Watts per channel but looks good.


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## tonyvdb

My parents still have their 1966 solid wood console stereo system in there living room that they still use daily, They have a CD player hooked up to the tape line input and the turntable still works under the lid however it spins to fast and there records sound funny but I have not figured out how to slow it down for them (I had it all apart once to see if there was some sort of internal adjustment but found none).


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

I still have the second stereo component I ever bought, a late 70s Marantz Model 1060 integrated amp. Rated for only 30 watts per channel but I'm sure it puts out a lot more than that. It's much heavier than you'd expect a 60-watt anything to be. It has pre-out and main in connections which have proved to be extremely useful over the years. I often use the amp section to power my bass guitar cabinet for home practicing. Right now I'm using it in a kind of "recording studio" I set up to transfer records and cassettes to CD, along with 90s vintage Pioneer three-head cassette deck and CD recorder. The turntable is a 1979 vintage Technics SL-3200 outfitted with a Shure V15 Type V-MR cartridge. It was the first and only turntable I've ever owned.

Regards,
Wayne


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## imbeaujp

Hello, I have the Yamaha NS-1000 











and the Yamaha CA-1010.










Verry nices components to keep !


JP


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## lcaillo

The CA1010 and CA2010 were classic, as were the NS1000. Great stuff, and many of them are still out there working great.


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## Pinhead-227

Hi, this is my first post!

I have a pair of Sansui SP-3000 speakers doing stereo duty in my shop. Believe me, we need the volume and these speakers fit the bill quite nicely. They lack a little on the low-end but in a loud work environment the bass would be drowned out anyway. These speakers work perfectly. Driving them is a Panasonic SA-H82 Hi-Fi Audio System.


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## rgk5

I just acquired a mint Sherwood S7200 receiver and B+W DM23 speakers for the bedroom. Lovely!


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## deacongreg

jackfish said:


> Ok, who is still seduced by vintage audio? There are quite a few followers of the 1970s classics. Double Large Advents anyone?


WOW, I have not listened to those in years. Very good speakers. I got one for you, the old DC series CROWN amplifiers. I used to deejay with them, they were great. Also, Bob Carvers PHASE LINEAR amplifiers. More expensive, but wonderful.


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## hrballenger

My vintage gear is in use every day. I find I enjoy the sound of the old vintage stereo equipment much more than I do the newer equipment. My set up includes a Pioneer SG-9500, SR-303, RG-2, CT-F1250, a Teac A-4010GSL ( all rack-mounted ), a Pioneer SX-1980, pair of Pioneer HPM-150's, pair of Pioneer HPM-1100's, pair of Pioneer HPM-900's, a Sansui AU-111, a Technics SL-5100 with a Shure M95HE, a Teac A-4010S. Also have a midi set-up consisting of a Yamaha YPG-625, Korg Poly 800-II, Casio CT-640, Behringer Eurorack EB1204-Pro, Roland TR-505, Roland MPU-105, E-Magic midi-USB interface and a Pioneer A-5 for a monitor amp. I've owned and used all of this gear since new in the 60's and 70's, except for the more recently acquired midi stuff.


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## deacongreg

hrballenger said:


> My vintage gear is in use every day. I find I enjoy the sound of the old vintage stereo equipment much more than I do the newer equipment. My set up includes a Pioneer SG-9500, SR-303, RG-2, CT-F1250, a Teac A-4010GSL ( all rack-mounted ), a Pioneer SX-1980, pair of Pioneer HPM-150's, pair of Pioneer HPM-1100's, pair of Pioneer HPM-900's, a Sansui AU-111, a Technics SL-5100 with a Shure M95HE, a Teac A-4010S. Also have a midi set-up consisting of a Yamaha YPG-625, Korg Poly 800-II, Casio CT-640, Behringer Eurorack EB1204-Pro, Roland TR-505, Roland MPU-105, E-Magic midi-USB interface and a Pioneer A-5 for a monitor amp. I've owned and used all of this gear since new in the 60's and 70's, except for the more recently acquired midi stuff.


Real nice, real nice! Pioneer SX-1980, that one is really taking me back!!!!!!!!


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## Xboxmastr14

I have a pair of Sansui SP-X9000's that can still put on a great vintage performance. I mean c'mon! they are almost 3x as old as I am!

Nate


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## xmas111

Over the last year I've started building my two channel system back up.

I've had a set of Acoustic Research AR9 speaker since the early eighties when they first came out. I just finished re-foaming them and replacing all the caps in the crossover. I can't believe how good they sound again! Another thing I found that also made a huge improvement in the sound was putting them on a "Isolation Base". I got the idea on another forum where they were talking about isolation for speakers. They crank some serious bass!
Here's a link that shows the isolation bases. Isolation Bases

I replaced my Carver TFM 25 amp with two Carver TFM 45 amps. (Got the amps of the bay) I've sent one so far to Rita at Rita's Carver repair center for a tune up. Rita used to be the head technician at Bob Carver's Sunfire Company. Bob himself stops by the shop periodically and signs equipment that's in for repair. He signed mine! I'll be sending the other one back soon for a tune up too. Hopefully Bob will sign that one too. Each speaker is vertical bi-amped with a TFM 45. Plenty of power with these babies.

I also replaced my Carver C-4000 preamp with a Carver C-19 preamp. What a beautiful sounding piece of equipment. This preamp has TUBES in it.

I purchased a ReVox B77 tape recorder off the bay too. Had it refurbished by Jack at JM Technical Arts. He used to the head tech for the ReVox US division. I forgot how good tape sounds! (I used to have a A77 but like a dummy I gave it away years ago!)

I have a couple hundred LP's and bought a new turntable a few months ago. Technics SL-1210M5G. it's a beautiful looking turntable and sounds great. But to be honest it didn't have the sound I remember getting from my old AR XA turntable. So again I bought a AR XA turntable from the bay and just finished rebuilding it. ahhhhhh..... that's the sound I remember! This turntable is about as plain Jane as it gets! It's using a AT 440 MLa cartridge.

Sorry so being so long winded but I very excited about getting back into two channel sound! And just wanted to let you all know....:bigsmile:

Attached a pic of my setup and the AR XA turntable.


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## PT800

xmas111 said:


> Over the last year I've started building my two channel system back up.
> 
> I've had a set of Acoustic Research AR9 speaker since the early eighties when they first came out. I just finished re-foaming them and replacing all the caps in the crossover. I can't believe how good they sound again! Another thing I found that also made a huge improvement in the sound was putting them on a "Isolation Base". I got the idea on another forum where they were talking about isolation for speakers. They crank some serious bass!


Yes replacing old caps makes a difference, but its even better to re-build all new Biased crossovers, which changes the crossover from class AB to Class A.

I can see where using those foam bases would help on a hard wood floor, much like using spikes on carpet, as I've done.


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## deacongreg

xmas111 said:


> Over the last year I've started building my two channel system back up.
> 
> I've had a set of Acoustic Research AR9 speaker since the early eighties when they first came out. I just finished re-foaming them and replacing all the caps in the crossover. I can't believe how good they sound again! Another thing I found that also made a huge improvement in the sound was putting them on a "Isolation Base". I got the idea on another forum where they were talking about isolation for speakers. They crank some serious bass!
> Here's a link that shows the isolation bases. Isolation Bases
> 
> I replaced my Carver TFM 25 amp with two Carver TFM 45 amps. (Got the amps of the bay) I've sent one so far to Rita at Rita's Carver repair center for a tune up. Rita used to be the head technician at Bob Carver's Sunfire Company. Bob himself stops by the shop periodically and signs equipment that's in for repair. He signed mine! I'll be sending the other one back soon for a tune up too. Hopefully Bob will sign that one too. Each speaker is vertical bi-amped with a TFM 45. Plenty of power with these babies.
> 
> I also replaced my Carver C-4000 preamp with a Carver C-19 preamp. What a beautiful sounding piece of equipment. This preamp has TUBES in it.
> 
> I purchased a ReVox B77 tape recorder off the bay too. Had it refurbished by Jack at JM Technical Arts. He used to the head tech for the ReVox US division. I forgot how good tape sounds! (I used to have a A77 but like a dummy I gave it away years ago!)
> 
> I have a couple hundred LP's and bought a new turntable a few months ago. Technics SL-1210M5G. it's a beautiful looking turntable and sounds great. But to be honest it didn't have the sound I remember getting from my old AR XA turntable. So again I bought a AR XA turntable from the bay and just finished rebuilding it. ahhhhhh..... that's the sound I remember! This turntable is about as plain Jane as it gets! It's using a AT 440 MLa cartridge.
> 
> Sorry so being so long winded but I very excited about getting back into two channel sound! And just wanted to let you all know....:bigsmile:
> 
> Attached a pic of my setup and the AR XA turntable.


What a great vintage system. AR9s I loved also. hugely inefficient, power hungry speakers, but when fed properly, very good dynamics


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## xmas111

PT800 said:


> Yes replacing old caps makes a difference, but its even better to re-build all new Biased crossovers, which changes the crossover from class AB to Class A.
> 
> I can see where using those foam bases would help on a hard wood floor, much like using spikes on carpet, as I've done.


I wasn't aware of biased crossovers and unfortunately I'm not going to be ripping them apart again anytime soon. Thanks for the idea PT800.....someday I might certainly try it. :yes:

Actually the isolation bases aren't foam. There two pieces of wood with roller bearings in between. I swear they have greatly improved the dynamics of the speakers. 




deacongreg said:


> What a great vintage system. AR9s I loved also. hugely inefficient, power hungry speakers, but when fed properly, very good dynamics


deacongreg, you are right......AR9's can't get enough power! Using a TFM 45 vertically bi-amped for each speaker gives a total possible 1000 watts! 500 watts for the woofers and 500 watts for the uppers. :bigsmile:


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## deacongreg

xmas111 said:


> I wasn't aware of biased crossovers and unfortunately I'm not going to be ripping them apart again anytime soon. Thanks for the idea PT800.....someday I might certainly try it. :yes:
> 
> Actually the isolation bases aren't foam. There two pieces of wood with roller bearings in between. I swear they have greatly improved the dynamics of the speakers.
> 
> 
> deacongreg, you are right......AR9's can't get enough power! Using a TFM 45 vertically bi-amped for each speaker gives a total possible 1000 watts! 500 watts for the woofers and 500 watts for the uppers. :bigsmile:



Thats what I`m talkng about, turn it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## rgk5

In my bedroom I run a Sherwood S-7200 receiver driving a pair of B+W DM23 three way speakers. The source is a Onkyo R%1 Integra CD player. :clap:


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## Seaxe

G`day all. I have had,and still own many vintage (or near enough ) vintage hi fi components to warrant an post. Such things as two Ariston RDII turntables (in pieces,awaiting a rebuild ), a Denon DA-401 lightwieght tonearm,a Denon AU-401 moving coil transformer, and most (some ?), of a pair of John Bowers Active One speakers rebuilt as passives with Scanspeak drivers (sound sublime ). Also an Conrad Johnson PV-7 valve pre-amp ,an highly desirable Marantz DA-12 digital/anologue converter as well as JBL and Celestion speakers,the last of which reside in the homes of close relatives. Love the pleasure and passion these pieces of " old kit " have given over so many years.


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## the_diyr

I have a couple of nice things stored away .. One a Norelco Cassette Deck , Koss Headphones , Old Fisher Studio Sanderd amp and Tuner with 10 band graphic eq. I also have some older Technics speakers as well as an old Marantz Amp.. Also left to me by my uncle was a old Mcintosh table radio ( tube type ) I also threw away a bunch of nice Older Pioneer Units that I call all in one ..I still have my first stereo it is almost 24 years old it was a realistic with the turntable , it is at my dads house in the attic he gave it to me to take to college.. I will look for it next time I go to visit ..


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## sleke

Hi All,
Nothing like ressurecting an old thread with my 1st post, but this one caught my attention. I LOVE the vintage 70's gear. My main setup is a Sansui 9090DB receiver with Bose 601's (original series I), Thorens TD160 turntable, and a Technics RS 1500 rtr. Set my son up with a Pioneer SX838, stacked original large Advent's, and Technics SL-D2 tt. 


"just take those old records off the shelf........I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself......":T


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## tcarcio

Well I guess I can add my new to me speakers I just picked up for my HT. They are B+W 801 series 80 circa 1979-80.


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## bucky katt

this evening i got a really nice score on my local Craigslist. a Pioneer sg9500 equalizer and a pair of Pioneer CS-MT58 speakers and i got both together for 20 dollars. it's all in like new cosmetic and functionally as well. my question is how old are these speakers, were they real expensive when new and are they considered a decent speaker? theyre around 4 feet tall or so with a 12" woofer in each, absolute monsters.


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Welcome to the Forum, Bucky!



> my question is how old are these speakers, were they real expensive when new and are they considered a decent speaker?


Back then Japanese speakers were generally considered to be junk. The common wisdom was to stick with manufacturers that specialized in speakers (and for the most part still holds today).

One way to tell for sure – is the tweeter a small paper cone-type (i.e. a tiny version of the drivers used for the woofs and mids)? Cone tweeters are the absolute bottom feeders of high frequency drivers.

Regards,
Wayne


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## bucky katt

these actually say made in the usa


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## JoeESP9

Vintage you say? Take a look at my signature. Not only is a lot of my gear vintage. I am too.


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## chadnliz

I have a tricked out SOTA Star/Saphire that is about 25yrs old but other than that I am modern gear all the way, I do think Vintage is better for the more affordable mass market offerings vs what those folks produce today but if you can spend the cash even on used todays Hi-Fi gear is much better across the board IMO


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## dbphd

In a sense my main system is vintage: Proceed PAV/PDSD pre/pro, Amp 2 and Amp 3, KEF Reference 104.2s mains and 102.2 surrounds. New or newer stuff is Sony SCD-XA5400ES, PS3-80, and DirecTV HD-DVR as sources, DVDO Edge video processor, Sony VPL VW-50 projector, Velodyne SMS-1 LF DRC and HGS-15 sub. Vinyl is a Thorens TD160 with an SME II arm and Ortofon 30H cartridge. Real vintage stuff is in the closet waiting to be set up: Marantz 18 receiver, AR3a speakers, and an AR turntable with Shure V15-Mk II cartridge, the system of my post-doc years.

The main system sounds great to me, but I'd like to hear the real vintage system again if I can figure out where to set it up.


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## vintagerocks

My bad. Ignore this post.


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## vintagerocks

Wayne A. Pflughaupt said:


> Welcome to the Forum, Bucky!
> 
> Back then Japanese speakers were generally considered to be junk. The common wisdom was to stick with manufacturers that specialized in speakers (and for the most part still holds today).
> 
> One way to tell for sure – is the tweeter a small paper cone-type (i.e. a tiny version of the drivers used for the woofs and mids)? Cone tweeters are the absolute bottom feeders of high frequency drivers.
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne


What if the tweeter driver is made of graphite such as the drivers in the Pioneer HPM-500,700,900,1100 and 1500 speakers?


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## denydog

I wish I still had some of the gear I went through in the 70's. I still have a Marantz mid-fi turntable, but most of the stuff I sold off years ago.

It still hurts though to think of the Marantz 2270 receiver I threw in the dump just a couple of years ago. It had a weak channel for a long time, and then started blowing fuses. I got tired of storing it and just threw it out. I really wish I'd looked into getting it repaired.


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## JoeESP9

PT800 said:


> Yes replacing old caps makes a difference, but its even better to re-build all new Biased crossovers, which changes the crossover from class AB to Class A.
> 
> I can see where using those foam bases would help on a hard wood floor, much like using spikes on carpet, as I've done.


I'll bite. What's a biased crossover? What is a Class AB crossover? What is a Class A crossover?


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## rdaltx

I call my bedroom system semi-vintage:
(2)JBL L-7s
(2)JBL L-1s
JBL CL-505 Center
Kenwood 3090 surround receiver with the main outs feeding a Phase Linear 400 II

Myself and many others feel that the L-7s are the most underated JBL ever built. They are very dependent on placment, but with much time spent moving them around inch by inch, you can find a spot where their sound and staging become more than awsome. I was never happy with them in the livingrm, but the move to a 20'x15' bedrm and proper placment made me a believer.

rdaltx-Dallas, TX


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## mjcmt

Some vintage gear still is quite nice by todays standards, plus it just feel right to be turning knobs and flipping switches. I currently still have a nice '76 Sony STR7045 receiver and '76 Dynaco A25XL bookshelf speakers made in Denmark by SEAS. I'm looking for a vintage turntable.
Just sold my AR-XB turntable, Technics SLD2 turntable, Sansui AU717 integrated amp and AT717 tuner, and Polk RTA11T speakers.


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## gsmollin

I still have my Advent loudspeakers, c. 1974, and they are still connected to a Universal Tiger power amplifier and FET preamp that was built from a magazine article in Popular Electronics. The turntable is a Lenco L75, a Swedish design that housed a Shure V15 Type III until my son smashed it. The FM tuner is a Heathkit model I built in 1970. Oh, yes, I still have a pair of Koss Pro 4AA headphones, and you can't beat the bass on those babies.


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## mjcmt

gsmollin said:


> I still have my Advent loudspeakers, c. 1974, and they are still connected to a Universal Tiger power amplifier and FET preamp that was built from a magazine article in Popular Electronics. The turntable is a Lenco L75, a Swedish design that housed a Shure V15 Type III until my son smashed it. The FM tuner is a Heathkit model I built in 1970. Oh, yes, I still have a pair of Koss Pro 4AA headphones, and you can't beat the bass on those babies.


I'd wouldn't mind adding a Lenco L75 to my Sony receiver/ Dynaco speakers to play my collection of Jazz, classical, and rock albums. I wish I still had my Thorens TD125/SME tonearm, but that is long gone along with my double Advents, HK Citation pre, Sony F3200 power amp, and Scott tuner.


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## gsmollin

mjcmt said:


> I'd wouldn't mind adding a Lenco L75 to my Sony receiver/ Dynaco speakers to play my collection of Jazz, classical, and rock albums. I wish I still had my Thorens TD125/SME tonearm, but that is long gone along with my double Advents, HK Citation pre, Sony F3200 power amp, and Scott tuner.


I always wanted an SME tonearm, all the more after I bought the Type III. By the time I could afford one, vinyl was fading. I bet the SME was beatch-in' on the Thorens. Was the Scott tuner a tube model?


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## mjcmt

Gsmollin,

The Thorens/ SME combo is hard to beat. I used a Stanton 681EE cart at that time. All were state-of the art in early '70s when I bought them new. The dumbest thing I ever did was selling it. The Thorens/SME would be my dream vintage TT today but very pricey and hard to come by in good cond. 

The Scott was not tube but still the highly regarded LT-112B FM only tuner.
http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/reviewsS-Z.html#scott


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## bogiedr

Who is not seduced by vintage HI FI? The remaining piece of vintage equipment here is my beloved 1984 Luxman PX100 turntable. I am currently looking for a Sansui AU 717 integrated amp. It will be ther heart of a second system that will feature the Luxman. The main two channel system features a Clearaudio Emotion TT, the Luxman would be a perfect fit for that sweet vintage Sansui sound!!!! Any opinions out there?


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## mjcmt

Yes the AU717 is a good one. It has a bold, warm, detailed sounding. The matching AT717 should be on your list too. It is one of the finer FM tuners available. I had both, which I shouldn't have sold, and can testify that they sounded better than any other vintage pieces I've owned.


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## ThumptyDumpty

Anybody have sources for info on a Nakamichi Sr-3A reciever, 86' vintage ? Manual, Schematic re-furb tips would all be helpful. 

Thanks !


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## kev

some vintage loudspeaker i have ever heard,rogers ls 3/5,harbeth and spendor,they sound amazed


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## jackfish

ThumptyDumpty said:


> Anybody have sources for info on a Nakamichi Sr-3A reciever, 86' vintage ? Manual, Schematic re-furb tips would all be helpful.
> 
> Thanks !


http://www.mediafire.com/?rzzo5cmzmmw


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## Gary Hubbard

My dubious little mind was blown recently when I found an ad for my twin arm Luxman 544 turntable that some guy wanted $1750 for - without tone arms (!!!). I think I will learn to value mine a little better. Thank God the Acoustats are back to working. GH


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## ThumptyDumpty

Thanks Jackfish...You rock !


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## skeeter99

I don't know if mine quite qualify as "vintage" yet as they're from the early 80's, but I LOVE my A-150 series I. They do so much so well. They aren't exactly the most beautiful looking speakers of all time (I've refinished mine and redid the grills with black grill cloth) but they look good to me  

This is them in my Living Room before I moved my Mini's back up here:


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## 86eldel68-deactivated

mjcmt said:


> Some vintage gear still is quite nice by todays standards, plus it just feel right to be turning knobs and flipping switches.


That's what recently prompted me to buy a c. 1979 or 1980 Technics SA-500 for the "casual listening" two-channel set-up in my main-floor family room. It was exactly what I remembered - from the days of my youth - as being a very cool piece of hi-fi gear. And it looks great and sounds great! :bigsmile:

(I have it hooked up to a pair of Mordaunt-Short Carnival 6 towers. I use it for music from my Zune, and for audio from my TV, cable box and BD player.)


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## JoeESP9

Gary Hubbard said:


> My dubious little mind was blown recently when I found an ad for my twin arm Luxman 544 turntable that some guy wanted $1750 for - without tone arms (!!!). I think I will learn to value mine a little better. Thank God the Acoustats are back to working. GH


What model Acoustats?


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## rotfan

Hartely 24' woofer (mint shape) A classic


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## rotfan

Klipschorn corner horns, Cornwall, Belle Klipsch
Phase Linear 400 Power Amp
Phase Linear 4000 Pre Amp
Marantz Model 20 FM Tuner
Crown 700 Tape Deck
Thorens Turntable with Rabco SL8 straight line tracking arm


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## rotfan

Revere Tape Recorder
Fisher 700T Receiver
AR turntable
Garrard turntable
DIY speaker enclosure with University 15" woofer
Electrovoice midrange horn
Electrovoice T35 High frequency horn


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## Vince215

I love the L-100s. Is your grille burnt orange?


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## Theresa

F1 fan said:


> Sonnie ,cool write up in Stereo Review.That was a serious HT system especially for the day.I bet 18" sub woofers were not very common although I think Snell produced one back then.The Snell B's,B minors and C's were all very good speakers.And of course the Mac stuff is built
> to a very hi standard.


I remember reading about some 18" JBL home subs back in the day. I wanted one quite badly but it was way to expensive for me. It was mactched to some 4 ways with a 12" woofer. They were sort of pyramid shaped.


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## kev

rotfan said:


> Hartely 24' woofer (mint shape) A classic




wow.. is this the same woofer,which is used on Mark Levinson HQD system?


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## rotfan

Yes, the 24" Hartely subwoofer is the one used in Mark Levinson's
HQD system. Here is another picture with the Hartely subwoofer
mounted in my wall many years ago.


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## jacky99

Real nice pics...


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## dirtold

I have a Linn Sondek turntable with a modified Grace tonearm and a Shure V15 cartridge, also an Acoustic Research D-76A tube amp.


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## mjcmt

jackfish said:


> Ok, who is still seduced by vintage audio? There are quite a few followers of the 1970s classics. Double Large Advents anyone?


Back in the day, when The Advent Loundspeaker (they didn't have the "larger" Advent because that was the only model) was just release I bought a pair to mate with a Dynaco SCA-80 integrated amp, Thorens TD150 turntable, and Koss Pro4aa headphones. It was my first system after my little all-in-one portable shelf unit w/ flip down turntable, and the sound wowed me. Shortly after, I read the review on double advents in Stereophile (when it was a rag with no advertising) and purchase another pair, and all I can say is double wow, a huge difference. That started my journey down the road to audiophile equipment. lddude:

You know what was funny, I bought 16 ga lamp cord for speaker wire and built short speaker stands to get the double Advents off the floor 3.5" (thickness of 2x4 speaker base), because my ears told me it sounded better than 20 ga. zip cord speaker wire (common in the day) and speakers on the floor (too boomy).:T


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## surprisetech

Between 1978 and 1982 I gradually built up my first decent system consisting of a pair of Philips 3-way 70 Litre Hifi speakers, Sansui 4900Z Receiver, Technics SL-D303 Direct Drive Turntable and Philips GP-412 Cartridge/Stylus.

Here's the interesting bit: The Turntable is still in my system (1 drop of oil every year, and the control IC replaced about 3 years ago); The GP-412 cartridge still gets a run occasionally; The Sansui Receiver is still the core of my best mate's Hifi system; And the 1" Dome tweeters from those Philips speakers are still in use in my DIY Front Mains!


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## olddog

I have found real enjoyment from some of the old Carver gear. M-1.5t'-M-1.0ts and a TFM 25 and 35. Currently I am running a M-1.0t with a Denon 2808 for pre on my main 2 chan sys. Then I have a Carver C1 pre. along with a Carver TFM 25 for my "old school" vinyl system. I ran a Grant Tube Buffer on that one also and it sounds sweet.


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## HionHiFi

I run a digital front end, but am ever enticed with buying a vintage 70's style turntable to begin my analog journey. :coocoo:


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## olddog

Go for it. Tubz even do well behind a SS Pre. as I had them on the TT system for a while-beautifull but not enough vlume to drive the outdoor speakers as well. Thats why the tube buffer The upgraded Carver C1 though is just a Very Black Canvas-utterly outstanding for anything especially vinyl.


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## gerchy

Not sure if this classifies as vintage altough it is 20 years old. :sneeky:


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## tesseract

20 year old Sony ES gear qualifies in my book. :T

I bought one of the first ES 1 bit CD players years ago. I waited at least 2 years for that tech to hit the market, and I pounced when it did. Great player, I fed it directly into a Teac 3 head cassette deck via AudioQuest Topaz IC's, using AKG K 240 'phones, to make tapes for my insane 12V system. I had the Teac and the $600 Audia car unit tape heads aligned by a tech to ensure a good tracking match. NO auto reverse to be had on either deck. :nono:

That was back in the day when you had to make your own passive crossovers or suffer the single cap on the tweeter coaxials. lddude:


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## olddog

It gets my vote for vintage. They realy made some great gear back then. They do now also but the realy good stuff is insanley expensive and in my humble opinion no better except in specific applications.


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## Lon

Recently brought my JBL 4311s out of a long time in storage. They still sound great. At one time, a good while back, someone told me there were more hit tunes mixed on the 4311s than any other model. They were found in a lot of recording studios. The JBL Century L100 is a very similar model, sold to the home consumer market at around the same time. The L100 appears to be the speaker that is blowing away the Maxell Man in that famous ad picture for Maxell tapes. The old JBLs can still keep up with, or even outperform many modern speakers.


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## olddog

Know what you mean. My old B&W 805s just keep on trucking and sound great-and the old school Wharfedale horn loaded just won't quit. Buy quality and if you respect it , you will have it for years to come.


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## gerchy

Okay then, two votes are enough for putting up some more pictures. :bigsmile:
http://www.sony-es.com/gallery/gerchy
Enjoy!


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## soup3184

I have a 1976 Marantz 2220B that I love, a 1978 Technics SA200 that sounds pretty good, a 1984 Harman Kardon PM 650 that is mint and sounds great and a pair of 1984 Time Window 1As that are terrific. My son has a Luxman L80-V amp, 4 JBL Lancer S99 speakers and a Kenwood KA 305 amp. He spent a total of 110 dollars for the whole works and they are all mint. I raised him right. He's 27 now, but he's been a vintage Hi-Fi nut for years.


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## cpestes

I'm a huge vintage fan, with a special soft spot for Kenwood. In fact I'm currently listening to my Baby Kenny KA-3500 and Sony CDP-70. The Kenny has very clean sound and great specs:
Power output: 40 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.2%
Signal to noise ratio: 76dB (MM), 90dB (line)
The Sony CDP is an original, 16bit and is super clean. I'm constantly surprised at it's clarity and detail. 
Now I do help the system out just a little with some Paradigm Monitor 7's. I love the stage they present, and their ability to carry classical, country, rap and rock as well....


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## kevin360

That does bring back memories. Back in '77, I thought I had 'arrived' when I bought a Kenwood KA-7100 and a pair of Large Advents. I had my old Voice of Music receiver that I used as a tuner, an Ampex cassette deck (don't remember the model and I've searched the Internet in vain), a Teac A-4010 (one of the units that did 4-track recording) and a Perpetuum Ebner PE2020 turntable. I still have that reel-to-reel, but it's been boxed away for decades. That was my first real system and I loved it. Part of me would love to have it back.

I do still have a pair of Acoustic Research AR91 loudspeakers from '81, which aren't boxed away (although not currently in use). They are in great shape, since I've restored them - was even able to obtain a pair of brand new, but original tweeters (about 12 years ago). 

BTW, welcome to the forum. It's cool that your first post was about the music to which you were listening.:T


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## chashint

I had a longer relationship with my Sansui G-7500 and Pioneer HPM-100'S than I did with my first wife.


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## Bjski

I also have soft spot for Kenwood. After I ditched my Fisher receiver in the 70's I also moved up to the Kenwood KA-7100 along with KT-7300. Few years later I bought the Kenwood KA-907 along with the KT-917 tuner. I still regret selling the KT-917 2 years ago. It's still one of the favorite tuner mods.


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## cheeseboi

Love that there is a Vintage Audio thread..

Here is my equipment..

Sansui
AU-111, AU-919, TU-717, SR-212, AU-555, 

Marantz
32+33, 250M, 2330B

Yamaha
CR-1020, CR-2020, CA-1010

JBL 4312, Vandersteens 2Ci, ELAC 184


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## fdrahuse

I had a college system with Micro Acoustics FRM-1A speakers, Nikko STA-9090 receiver, Shure V15 cartridge, a Technics turntable and can't remember the tape deck. They really rocked at the time. They were stolen twenty years ago, but I am finding equipment on ebay to bring back the old memories. I recently purchased a pair of Micro Acoustics FRM-1A speakers and plan to spruce them up and will post progress in the DYI thread. Also bought a STA 5055 Nikko to go with them. Kind of underpowered for the speakers.


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## GR300

This thread brings back memories. I also have a Kenwood KA7100 with matching receiver. Love that old setup with my first set of ESS Model 8 speakers. For many years I had the ESS paired with a Nakamichi receiver and a Pioneer turntable. One of my favorite amps has been for many years a Fisher X100 control amp with 7189a output tubes. Not a power house amp but very sweet with almost any book shelf speakes.


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## Bjski

I had a Kenwood KD-500 with a signet arm and an Adcom Van Den Hul moving coil cartilage. I sold it and went to CD's.never really liked CD's. Using Flac files now which I love. My preamp does have a phono card. Don't think I can go back to records. Also liked my Shure V15.


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## LVMan777

Phase Linear/Carver/Sunfire

PL 4000/400 1975

Carver MXR-130/Carver Platinum Amazing Loudspeakers 1988

Sunfire Next:whistling:


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## Castaway52

Here is part of my Vintage set up.


Sansui 5500 Quad from 1973
4 home made speakers with crossovers built over 40 years ago. Still sound great 
Sansui reverb. 60's
Technics direct drive turntable 70's
Pioneer 10'real to reel 60's
Kicker system to play my Zune into then through the stereo system.
and over 100 vinyl records in there original covers from the 60's-70's


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## tcarcio

My 2 channel system is all vintage gear. I have a Kenwood KD-550 turntable, A Mitsubishi DA-P20 pre-amp, a B+K ST-2140 power amp, a BSR mcd-8050 CD/cassette player and for speakers I just picked up a beautifull pair 
of Sansui SP-5000s. Here are some pics.


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## 2x6spds

Integra M504
Yamaha M80
Kenwood KA9100
Dahlquist DQM 909
Dahlquist DQM 905

M504, huge meters, beautiful rosewood side panels. Fine amplifier.

M80, a monster. Stable at 2 ohms. First 30 watts pure class A into 8 ohms. Sweet thug of an amp.

Kenwood Ka9100, great phono section, beautiful external heat sinks, silver face, little meters, sounds good.

DQM 905s, ridiculously excellent sounding speakers. Thanks Carl Marchisotto for these speakers.

DQM 909s, go deeper than the 905s, flagship of the DQM line.


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## DeepEnd

My Rega Planar 3 from 1985 (I'm the original owner) is still sounding fabulous with just a new belt and re-lubrication - does that count?


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## NBPk402

Back in the day when i had a 2 channels setup... 

I had:
Classe DR6 preamp, 
Mitchell Gyrodec TT
Sumiko modded SME V or IV arm
Sumiko Blue Point Special Nude cartridge
Classe DR10 amps running in bridge mono
Martin Logan Sequels 2


Loved it very much, and I wish I still had it.


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## Lumen

I've never owned anything mainstream vintage, until recently when my loving wife surprised me with a fully-restored classic Marantz 2226B receiver. Even the backlighting was brought up to spec! I hooked up this 26W beastie to my HeManRig for giggles (expecting to set it up for failure), but was shocked to find the little-engine-that-could wasn't totally embarrassed filling the void left by my 600W+ monoblocks. The 2226B left me shaking my head in (suspended - haha lol) disbelief. I guess it's true that for normal-to-subdued listening levels, it's really only the first watt that counts. If you can't get that right, nothing else matters! Anyway, I love the feel of Marant's much celebrated gyro tuner and polished reflective look of the front panel and knobs.


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## NBPk402

Lumen said:


> I've never owned anything mainstream vintage, until recently when my loving wife surprised me with a fully-restored classic Marantz 2226B receiver. Even the backlighting was brought up to spec! I hooked up this 26W beastie to my HeManRig for giggles (expecting to set it up for failure), but was shocked to find the little-engine-that-could wasn't totally embarrassed filling the void left by my 600W+ monoblocks. The 2226B left me shaking my head in (suspended - haha lol) disbelief. I guess it's true that for normal-to-subdued listening levels, it's really only the first watt that counts. If you can't get that right, nothing else matters! Anyway, I love the feel of Marant's much celebrated gyro tuner and polished reflective look of the front panel and knobs.


The old Marantz amps were beautiful pieces of equipment!


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## Jay Compton

jackfish said:


> Ok, who is still seduced by vintage audio? There are quite a few followers of the 1970s classics. Double Large Advents anyone?


I still have a Scott tube tuner.


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## robbo266317

DeepEnd said:


> My Rega Planar 3 from 1985 (I'm the original owner) is still sounding fabulous with just a new belt and re-lubrication - does that count?


That's about the same time I purchased mine.
What arm and cartridge did you add?


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