Any Vintage High End Stereo folks here. SS or Tube?

[Adrenaline_6]

In the early 80's when I was buying this stuff, McIntosh was one of the top players in audiophile gear. A lot of the decent upper consumer level stuff was Technics gear. I haven't kept up with whats what in top end hi-fi gear in recent years, but I see McIntosh is still out there. When I was looking at tape decks, there was the Nakamichi Dragon, but that was out of the price range of an Army 1LT with a wife and child. Those used Dragons still sell for big bucks.

Yes, the Dragon is still king. Their car version was also the pinnacle of cassette tape playing.

[OH58D]

Yes, the Dragon is still king. Their car version was also the pinnacle of cassette tape playing.

I never knew there was a car version. My Nakamichi RX-202 is still the bomb - it was cool in the 80's and still is.

[RioGrandeGreen]

I still got a pair of Bose 901's, I bought mid 80's.

[Dirk Williams]

Yes the Dragon is spendy. Paid 1200.00, aroumd this time last year. Also picked up the NAC 1000, cassette player, two,ft tall " approx" stunning to look at, and sounds amazing. I still prefer the Denons 3520 and the 3560s, three head units, amazing capabilities.

A/D/S, is available used reasonably priced. I picked up their imtigrated amp, and a tuner, was running it thru a set of Warfdale W 90s, stacked with a second set of Warfdale W70s. It's SS, I basically used it for FM radio, and RUSH, in the mornings.

Can be had in the 500.00 range in great shape.

Dirk

[ramairthree]

In the cliched room over the garage den/man cave/I love me room I have a 1980s Pioneer rack system.

It was not and is not high end home audio equipment.

But a lot of younger friends and kids, etc. are blown away at how some of their favorite songs sound when heard as intended, and not through some little night stand speaker clock, IPhone, and ear buds.

I also run the TV sound out them.

The CS 911 Floor speakers are plenty loud and clear.

[WillBrink]

Anybody else into high end Vintage stereo kit?

DW

High end, yes, Vintage no. While vintage cars, guns, audio, etc obviously and understandably have a nostalgia aspect, they don't out perform the modern stuff. I was big into audio for many years, but always enjoyed the sonic improvements new gear added myself. I used to listen to a lot of music, but in the last few years have scaled the system way back and don't listen to as much music. When I do, It's amazing the quality of sound you get from a DAC from a modern cell phone to head phone amp and really good headphones such as B&W 7s. Sadly, high end audio is all but dead. Blasphemy I know, but true.

[Dirk Williams]

Morning Will, understand you position. I'm not seeking quick and easy, OR enhanced music. Not a shot, what your doing is quick easy, and outstanding.

After a solid year2010 of modern music reviewVS vintage I discovered, that modern music via a DAC is awesome. It's just not what I seek. I'd like to explain. I'm chasing my music from my teens, to adulthood. For example, I just had a album of Elvin Bishop, greatest hits on the TT, I grew up at his concerts on the west coast. This album, I've owned since I was like 16, it's nicked, old, and has a sound all its own.

I want to hear the scratch, or Elvin providing instruction to the drummer for one more time thru, the drum stick hitting the floor. I'm satisfied knowing that their is not another album in the entire world, like this one. It's special the dents and dings make it so.

I'm just not into artificial music., that's how I view today's equipment. Your DAC, is an a magnificent tool, just not for me. Music on my phone, is a problem I have a cell phone, it's a flip phone, and I don't carry it. Think I know where it's at.

I'm older, retired, so I enjoy getting up, selecting an album, queuing it up,and turning it up.

Example, my copies of "Monterey Pop, 1967", " will never sound as it should on modern gear.

I equate my style to this. It's like shooting one of my bM59s, or 62's in a modern carbine class, one of my M1 gurands, or m-14es, in a carbine class. It's out of the box, brother I HATE the box, or anybody trying to tie me to it. im just not embracing the worlds tech. Prefer the older times, the simpler ways. Believe our tech is a major contributing factor, to the poop sandwich the worlds in.

I live on top of a mountain, I still fish with a bamboo fly rod, backpack with an old Boy Scout pack. Drive older cleaner vehicles, save money the old fashion way. And by the grace of God, have been blessed in my retirement years.

Don't know if you grasped what I'm trying to explain. Brother were different, I follow your views,here, on M4, recognize your a bright young man. Perhaps it's an age thing, or just cultural differences.

What you seek, I've achieved in life. " honorable retirement" I'm just coasting watching the blue sky, white clouds, planning my next great adventure, checking the lake to see if the ice has broken up, so I can spend these awesome days out on Klamath Lake looking for the monster trout who thrive here, In the lake boat.

Have a good one. And most exportant, enjoy your gear.

Dirk

[WillBrink]

Morning Will, understand you position. I'm not seeking quick and easy, OR enhanced music. Not a shot, what your doing is quick easy, and outstanding.

After a solid year2010 of modern music reviewVS vintage I discovered, that modern music via a DAC is awesome. It's just not what I seek. I'd like to explain. I'm chasing my music from my teens, to adulthood. For example, I just had a album of Elvin Bishop, greatest hits on the TT, I grew up at his concerts on the west coast. This album, I've owned since I was like 16, it's nicked, old, and has a sound all its own.

I want to hear the scratch, or Elvin providing instruction to the drummer for one more time thru, the drum stick hitting the floor. I'm satisfied knowing that their is not another album in the entire world, like this one. It's special the dents and dings make it so.

I'm just not into artificial music., that's how I view today's equipment. Your DAC, is an a magnificent tool, just not for me. Music on my phone, is a problem I have a cell phone, it's a flip phone, and I don't carry it. Think I know where it's at.

I'm older, retired, so I enjoy getting up, selecting an album, queuing it up,and turning it up.

Example, my copies of "Monterey Pop, 1967", " will never sound as it should on modern gear.

I equate my style to this. It's like shooting one of my bM59s, or 62's in a modern carbine class, one of my M1 gurands, or m-14es, in a carbine class. It's out of the box, brother I HATE the box, or anybody trying to tie me to it. im just not embracing the worlds tech. Prefer the older times, the simpler ways. Believe our tech is a major contributing factor, to the poop sandwich the worlds in.

I live on top of a mountain, I still fish with a bamboo fly rod, backpack with an old Boy Scout pack. Drive older cleaner vehicles, save money the old fashion way. And by the grace of God, have been blessed in my retirement years.

Don't know if you grasped what I'm trying to explain. Brother were different, I follow your views,here, on M4, recognize your a bright young man. Perhaps it's an age thing, or just cultural differences.

What you seek, I've achieved in life. " honorable retirement" I'm just coasting watching the blue sky, white clouds, planning my next great adventure, checking the lake to see if the ice has broken up, so I can spend these awesome days out on Klamath Lake looking for the monster trout who thrive here, In the lake boat.

Have a good one. And most exportant, enjoy your gear.

Dirk

You may have missed some of the interim info I mentioned. Ar the peak of my audio, I had a pair of B&W 803Ds, being run by a massive Anthem amp, though a Tag-MClarin pre amp and Veloydyne digital amp and a Marantz SACD player, capable of high end audio reproduction about as good as it gets and have been an audio fan my entire life. My current home set up is also quite good, but I don't get to really relax and just sit with my CDs and listen for hours on end as I once did. So, I wanted to make sure at least I had access to very high quality audio in small easy to use package, and modern tech allows that where it was once a trade off.

I also get that for some, there's another experience with old LPs and such, but for myself, I was always looking for the improvements in audio sonic experience vs nostalgia or experiential aspects of it per se. By any objective measure, new stuff sounds better, yet I still recall rushing home to listen to the first LP I purchased with my own $, which was Cheap Thrills,’ Big Brother & the Holding Company.

I can honestly say I never enjoyed the snap crackle pop, hiss, etc of LPs well before there was an alternative and when CDs, with their far superior dynamic range, blacker then black background noise etc, I was a happy guy. I used to drive myself crazy cleaning LPs and making sure they didn't get scratched, or warp, etc.

[Dirk Williams]

Hi Will, awesome adventure. I love others travels on how they got to one or the other places, or equipment. I did read your gear, misunderstood, I guess. Do you still have your vintage gear? I've never listened to B& W's, m told I'm missing out, sound wise, your amp/ preamp are classic awesome equipment.

Honestly can't explain how or why I've stayed loyal to black plastic, I do have a couple thousand CD's aswell. I also find most of my stuff on Craigslist, and eBay. Albums usually someone local, generally an old rocker is selling, moving on.

I'm working with an older gent regarding his 1000 album collection. He's in hospice care, just wants his stuff to go to someone who will care for them as he has. He offered them free, I just could not do that. The man has nothing, so I offered him 400.00. Will give him 600.00, it's the right thing to do.

I've collected so much cool stuff. A guy in Portland, an older Scholars collection. Amazing stuff, all red label, in like new condition, 40s, big band, fiftys swing, the crooners, etc etc.

I'm not crazy about cleaning the albums, I borrow a friends vacuum machine. Actually I take what I want cleaned to him.

I love music, Old Black Jazz, classical, contemporary, I've really gotten into international music. Especially middle eastern stuff. I find it soothing. No idea what's being said. I need to source more of the ME stuff, just not sure where to find such music.

My big thrill is selecting an album, not looking at the cover, to determine who, or what, and letting the music surprise me.
Enjoy your equipment.

Wondering what you listen to, do you have a favorite style, or era?

Got a Spencer Davis Band, CD playing good stuff.

Dirk

[SteyrAUG]

I got two turntables and a microphone.



DJ'd through most of the 80s and into the 90s, still have most of my gear. The only thing I really got rid of was the outdoor / event amps and speakers (Carver and Crown) as I just didn't need it anymore. I have everything I need to rock the house and slowly getting a digital studio setup so I can record mixes on something other than analog tape.

Could still do a block party if I wanted, but mostly it's just for me these days. One day I need to go through my vinyl and pull all of my "will never play this" stuff and can probably thin out my collection by 30%, there was a time I was a reporting member of three record pools so I was almost getting free new releases. At one time my collection was like 5,000 LPs and 12" singles, when I stopped doing clubs and radio I jettisoned about 1,000 of them because I never wanted to hear them again.

Hope to get to the point where I start building again, I want to grab a lot of classic rock on vinyl, most stuff I had as a kid but when I moved to go to school it got "lost" when my room was redecorated.