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  1. #26
    Do What? jrhymeammo's Avatar
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    Jan 2005
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    Ahh..I thought I would help you enjoy your gears a big longer, but I see it now.. I would be trying to fix the cable madness, but if you enjoy music the way it is then why bother. Too bad about your occasional R ch problem. That thing looks sweet!!!

    Thanks for the pic.

    JRA

  2. #27
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    The thing about Kenwood, and I don't know so much about in the 70's, long before Pioneer had Elite and Sony had ES, Kenwood would put out higher quality gear than their typical consumer line. That's the Kenwood that would be worth getting your hands on. I know their Basic line was one such effort and if you ever see a KT-3300 (tuner) or KA-3300d (integrated) you should jump on them with both feet.

  3. #28
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    Jan 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by royphil345
    I'd agree with the general vibe on this thread...

    If you go vintage, do it because you love the gear and you're willing to put some money and effort into it... not to save money.
    True, and that is my main motivation, not the money. I realize that a vintage receiver is probably like a vintage car...it's going to require some work and $$, most likely. But then, the new stuff just doesn't turn me on the way the 70s era products did. Kind of like the difference between a 1955 Thunderbird and the cars they're building now...the old ones had more character

    70's gear will almost surely need restoration to bring everything back to specs. Finding someone willing and able to throughly check and restore something like an old Marantz (MASSIVE parts count) isn't easy. Some parts simply cannot be replaced except by from a parts unit. Many techs will be squeamish about really "digging in" unless they are a specialist in vintage gear and have a supply of parts units.
    That's probably what makes me pause. I remember all too well what service was like on those units even when they were just a few years old. But as you say, if it's something you love, maybe it's worth spending money on...

  4. #29
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    Jan 2007
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    I love vintage gear..

    My Sansui AU 417 & Pioneer SA 5500II amps sound awesome, I bought a new top of the line Denon & had the top of the line Onkyo and my Sansui sounded better, and the Pioneer sounds better then the Sansui at low level listening...For the cost of buying on and getting it up to speed so to speak is the way I would go.

  5. #30
    Forum Regular aevans's Avatar
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    I'll go with the rest of the guys here, while my setup may not be true vintage it is 16-18 years old. biggest problems I've run into are dry caps, fuzzy pots, bad switches and buzzing transformers.

    The need to steel parts off of other equipment just turns my stomach, but I'll end up doing it soon as I have two transformers that are buzzing like crazy. On the other side of repairs is that you have the chance to do some upgrades as cap have gotten much better in the last 35 years you can even put some black gate caps if you have the cash, which can offer some sonic improvements.

    Another problem with some of the cheaper made stuff is the integrated circuits turning brittle. not usually a problem, but I've seen it on some stuff from the late 60's early 70's.

  6. #31
    stuck on vintage dingus's Avatar
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    Nov 2005
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    going the vintage route is not for everyone, but in my experience, i have gotten more return for my money in terms of quality sound than i could have otherwise. case in point, i put together everything in my sig for just a hair under $1000. simple blind luck had a great deal to do with it, but i've learned a few basic things in the process.

    research, know what you want. wasting time and money is frustrating. there are a ton of resources available on the net for researching vintage gear.

    know the market. you'll kick yourself later if you find you've paid too much. unfortunately, epray is probably the best resource for finding this.

    factor in repair/restoration cost's. most if not all vintage amps/receivers will need at least a basic tune up (controls cleaned, DC offset & bias adjusted, etc.). if you cant do it yourself, you'll have to pay someone else (if you can even find a reputable repair shop) and that usually means lots more money.

    know where to look (again, ebay is probably the biggest single resource here). this will vary a great deal by location, some will be a boon, others will be a total bust. more likely than not you'll be using at least of few of these:
    craigslist.org - my favorite vintage hunting ground.
    thrifts and pawn shops.
    newspaper and online classified ads.
    garage sales - the best bargains i've ever heard of are found here.
    word of mouth. let your friends, co-workers and aquaintances know what you are looking for. you might be suprised at what turns up for cheap.
    online resources (ebay et.al.) - the riskiest recource, but depending on your location, this may be your only option. check out the seller, are they experienced in shipping this kind of equipment? most people just dont know how to pack audio gear. verify how the piece will be packaged before you close the deal. the last thing you want is to deal with something damaged or ruined by shipping.

    be diligent. once you know where to look, keep at it, it will pay off in the long run.

    be patient. there may be nothing worse than settling for a lesser piece, only to find the one you really wanted, after you no longer have the funds available.

    have your money at the ready. vintage is becoming more and more in demand. prized components dont stay on the market for long. dont let somebody beat you to it because you didnt have the funds ready.

    sorry for the long-winded post, in short, buying new is definately easier and safer, but in my case, vintage is much more rewarding.
    AR MGC-1, AR C225 PS, M&K V-1B, Pioneer VSX 47TX, Oppo BDP-83, Squeezebox v3, Vortexbox Appliance.

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