Old school hi fi systems

[CR94]

Originally Posted by Char Baby
... Technics was only one of the companies that made them for Radio Shack and even JC Penny MCS brand. ...
My 1989 Technics digital-tuning receiver was troublesome from the time it was new. Repaired twice under warranty by Technics, and once later by me. I gave up when it quit again in 2010. No problems with my 1973 Sony receiver until lightening zapped it in 1988, or with my mid-00s(?) used Sony receiver, or with my mother's 1975 Pioneer, which was still working at last check except for a burned-out dial bulb.

 

[ecotourist]

I have a sound system mostly from the 80's - a Mark Levinson No 23 (200 Watts RMS/ch) power amplifier and Mirage M1 speakers - high end stuff at the time.

I looked for a long time for a suitable bridge to the digital age. I finally came up with a Benchmark Pre-amp DAC as the bridge from the new to the old. That meant I could get out my ancient Mission CD player which I use as a CD transport (using only the digital out), and my ancient Technics turntable with its NAD moving coil cartridge (using the Pre-Preamp section from my old Cyrus 2 integrated amplifier) as an analog source, and of course a Sonos digital source to link to internet digital.

Great sounds (using new and old technology) on a small update budget.

 

[Kestas]

As Donald suggested, if you're serious about owning vintage gear you'll have to replace all electrolytic capacitors in the unit, even if it is working. After 30 years it's working on borrowed time. You don't know how much longer it'll work. Replacing the electrolytic capacitors will likely assure 30 more years of good service.

There are other minor issues but electrolytic capacitors are on top of the list. They're not that expensive either.

 

[cwilliamsws6]

I really need to get around to re-capping my TX-4500, and there are a few other things I need to tend to as well. Two of the indicator lights are burned out and the B channel is totally dead, only A and C have audio output.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Mitsubishi made some awesome monster receivers in the 70s-80s too. Their flagship DA series receiver from 1985 is on my want list.

 

[chainblu]

When I was a teen in the '70s, I had Quadraphonic stereo in my bedroom. I think now-a-days it's called Surround-Sound. Most of my collection was on vinyl. I wasn't a stoner, but Pink Floyd sounded REALLY good on that system. The best though was The Cars-Moving in Stereo. The sound really did move around the room.

 

[steveh]

Originally Posted by Eddie
If it doesn't use vacuum tubes it's not that old. Ed

Mcintosh still makes some new ones with tubes. Cost is about 3k to 8k at a high end electronic store.

 

[Malo83]

Still have my old Sansui receiver, same as this.

 

[spasm3]

I wish i had bought the Heathkit AA-1800 back in the 80's. Was a powerful clean amp 2 channels at 250watts per channel into 8 ohms. .025 thd. I think it was basically a Harmon Kardon in a kit.

 

[walterjay]

I had a Pioneer receiver back from the 70's. Can't remember the model but it sure was sweet. Hit a rough patch financially when I had young kids and had to sell it. Sure wish I could have kept it.

 

[sloinker]

I have this taking up space in my garage shelves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N7F7eNCyzw
I also have a Early 80's Denon POA1500 system with a first year CD player that called itself a DCD player as the naming convention hadn't been finalized yet that powers a set of 901 s.VI speakers, also taking up shelf space in my garage.

 

[NO2]

The $250 Marantz 6300 Turntable I bought in 1977 now sells for upwards of $600. What a crazy world.

 

[PimTac]

Nakamichi was another brand back then.

I have their clock alarm radio. TM1. It's over 30 years old and still sounds great. It gets used daily.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Nakamichi was another brand back then.



Oh, you just brought back good memories.

We used to record cassettes directly from albums. The Nakamichi dragon cassette player/recorder had a discreet head for recording, so that allowed us to listen in real time from the playback head, to what was recorded on the tape. So we'd switch between the turntable and the tape player and note the differences in sound quality with different quality tapes. Fun times.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Nakamichi was another brand back then.

I have their clock alarm radio. TM1. It's over 30 years old and still sounds great. It gets used daily.

Nakamichi Receiver 1 and 2 were of the few ( if any) good sounding Japanese brands in the early 90's.
The 70s pioneer stuff was good.

bad sounding 1 dollar Opamps that cam along later killed good import audio.

There are still U.S. companies that make affordable vacuum tube stuff. lIke Rogue, Manley and conrad-johnson.

Not all are priced like McIntosh. which is not really high end but high end pircing.
the BOSE for the rich and deaf.

 

[alarmguy]

The public is now clueless on what quality sound, sounds like.
Sad for me is I miss being able to hold a soundtrack in my hand, there is no feeling of ownership anymore. Like everything in the world today, its rented.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Nakamichi was another brand back then.

I have their clock alarm radio. TM1. It's over 30 years old and still sounds great. It gets used daily.


Do you remember the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck? That thing was a BEAST!! Maybe from around 1983?

Edit,Cujet beat me to it!

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted by Cujet
Originally Posted by PimTac
Nakamichi was another brand back then.



Oh, you just brought back good memories.

We used to record cassettes directly from albums. The Nakamichi dragon cassette player/recorder had a discreet head for recording, so that allowed us to listen in real time from the playback head, to what was recorded on the tape. So we'd switch between the turntable and the tape player and note the differences in sound quality with different quality tapes. Fun times.


Oh my gosh, I did that countless times, Had an AKAI GF-X71
3 Heads, real time monitoring, "Auto Tape Tune" would send high and low tones and adjust deck to the tape response before recording (if you choose too) ..
I used to compare the Song "Hold Me" by Fleetwood Mac, with the LP playing on my Linear Tracking Turntable with my Grado Cartridge, being recorded on the tape deck, switching back and forth comparing the high tones in the synthesizer section and guitar, was so perfect all the time, clear, concise ... I still hear that song today but doesn't have the precision that it used to on my current "generic" equipment.
(it was a "poor mans" Nakamichi for lack of better words)

Stereo Review Magazine, Audio Review etc. I looked forward to them every month and would pick out the best value for the money in Speakers, Amps, Tuners, Etc.
Gosh, I talk about this all the time with my wife and Im no old [censored], to this day, (including my new Mac mini) I love technology but MP3s destroyed the music industry for me anyway and I know others.
Its become worthless, nothing to hold, play, own, lend (or trade), its deleted in a minute and gone forever.

I found this photo on the internet. This is it! Akai GX-F71 Many look the same but the 3 head model has the flip down lower cover you see in the photo, in that area, right in the middle you can see a toggle "bar" switch, that is where you would switch back and forth from source to recording.

Man do I miss those days.

 

[alarmguy]

CUJET -
I found a youtube, wow, this is it and what I used to do comparing source with recording on the same model tape deck I spoke above ^^

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted by alarmguy
CUJET -
I found a youtube, wow, this is it and what I used to do comparing source with recording on the same model tape deck I spoke above ^^

Back then, it was obvious to me that certain tapes would muddy the sound. Even the best tapes were less clear than the album, in a back to back comparison.

However, in the early 80's, those tapes were WONDERFUL in my car audio system. I put a cassette player in the glove box, a first generation amp with about 8 watts per channel and 2 bookshelf speakers with 5.5 inch woofers and dome tweeters on the back seat, facing up. It actually sounded nice and went loud enough to overcome the V8 w/dual exhaust and the 4 downdraft Webers under the hood.

Today, any Tesla playing MP3's would put it to shame in every way....