Vintage systems- anyone else?

time IS the final judge of any component's character. my ar classic 30's out perform any loudspeaker i've had in my home....and cost almost nothing. my gradient revolutions are nice, but compare to the older ar's, chapmans, or hales i've come to realize that high fidelity and hi end are no longer joined at the hip.

Having been in this hobby for over 30 years, and having owned a lot of vintage gear (when it was new), I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for nice vintage systems. And I still have a fair amount of vintage gear (that I can't bear to part with) floating around the house.

Resently, I set up a nice, simple retro system consisting of a Sony turntable with Grado cartridge, an Onkyo solid-state receiver, and a pair of Altec bookshelf speakers (the size of AR 3A's).

I just plunked it down at one end of a large room and hooked up the speakers with 14-gauge zip cord. The darn thing sounds TOO GOOD! If I compare it with my bigger, more costly modern gear, in terms of sheer bang-for-the-buck, I think the expensive gear will be blushing.

Both the FM stereo and the cheapo turntable sound way-better than they have any right to. Although I think that a lot of the excellent performance is related to the very good room acoustics of where I set it up.

Steve, I just took a look at your system and I like it. I like it a lot, and I bet those Mac tube amps do work great with the Altec horns. :)

How old must an item be to be considered "vintage"?

unsound, I am not going to set an age on what would be considered vintage. It would probably be different for many people. When I mentioned my vintage system, it all consists of 60-70's gear, except for the cartridges.

If you feel you have something that qualifies for vintage, tell us about it and how you feel about it.

Plato, it sounds like you and I are experiencing the same thing with vintage.

To make sure no one here will misread my intentions, I have absolutely nothing against new gear and would never bash anyones system. I mostly see folks here who are enjoying the newer stuff and don't see many talking about vintage. Hence my question.

Steve

Most of my vintage gear has worked it's way downstairs to my gym. There I have a Dynaco preamp feeding 2 Dynaco mark 3 mono amps, going to an original set of Bose 901's. I use an old Mcintosh tube tuner and a Kinergetics cd 40 as my source. It still rocks even when I'm to tired to.

I too have a soft spot for older vintage systems. My senior system consists of a Scott 340B receiver, Klipsch Industrial Ported Heresy's and a Linn LP12 turntable with the Adkit cartridge. I use radio shack interconnects and 14 gauge speaker wire. This system gets alot of things right. I can listen to jazz for hours without fatigue.

Eico st 70 stereo amp & Eico st97 fm/am stereo tuner. Of course tubes- WOW! I've have Fisher 500c 's Scott 222,299,272,340 and various Macs- but you've got to hear the Eico's.Also have modified caps Ar2a 's .Frazier speakers which sound better than tc-50's ,Ar s,KLh's etc. Just a hoot how great this combo sounds! Rekokut table tops it off. Not the greatest but amazing for it's age - got lots more too- But this combo is my favorite

My main 2-channel system is a Harmon Kardon HK 730 twin being fed by a Linn LP 12. Although my speakers are newer Tannoy Rev 3's, I'm looking for some older Tannoys or Infinity "Q" series.

I forgot to mention that I have a vintage Mitsubishi LT-30 linear turntable on the way.

I seriously appreciate the better built and engineered vintage equipment in a simular manner as as I do a cared-for vintage automobile, a fine vintage wine, classic architecture, the musical classics in all categories, classic artwork, a leather coat that I've worn old. There is a certain pride of ownership with vintage gear that just isn't the same for me when I just purchase it new. There is something special about the worn-in sound my aged analog system gives me.

My late 70's system will still outperform an awful lot of the more costly new gear (to my ears). For me, it's a joy keeping it all in fine working order. I am careful about any tweeking. I cherish fireing up my big Yamahas (MX/CX1000s), 3 pairs of Mac XR-7 speakers w/ Mac environmental equalizers, my JBL L-65 speakers , Sota Star Sapphire TT, my Micro-Seiki TT, Akai professional cassette deck, and my ATUS mixer that enables me to join in on the music with my harps.

Such a joy. Cherish the music!