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For Old Timers who experienced the "Golden Age" of Audio of the 60s and 70s.

Having traversed the long span of time and have known the love of Scott, Fisher Dynaco and McIntosh I have now settled into my "sweet spot" between a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls and Vintage Marantz 7 Preamp, DynacoST70 Amp,  Marantz 125 Tuner ,DUAL 1229 Changer and finally achieved "Musical Nirvana". How Sweet it Is!! Robinhood1940.

Please share your experiences!
robinhood1940
don_c55
1,025 posts
 
In 1975 I went into Wacks Audio in Milwaukee, and it started my journey.

I talked to the owner, and he knew I had a big interest in audio.

He took me up a flight of stairs to a locked room, that only certain customers got to see.

Inside were Magneplanar Timpani IIIc speakers, driven by an Audio Research D150, Sp3a and some unknown turntable. The D150 was massive, with three meters and a big knob that cranked up the voltage during start up. One look at that amp, and you knew the owner was dead serious about audio!

The sound that came out of those speakers sounded like "real" music. I had never ever heard anything like that, and was completely blown away!

I could not afford that system, but after hunting around, I bought Magnepan IIa speakers, GAS Son of Ampzilla, Thoebe preamp, and a decent turntable. I was more than satisfied for years!
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Bifwynne 6-4-2016 5:47pm EDT
Al, ...  how much stock do you place on some of the high-tech materials used in better speakers such as neodymium magnets, lightweight and stiff cone materials (e.g., beryllium domes, graphene, and so forth).
Hi Bruce,

Frankly, I never pay much if any attention to such things.  As I and others have said here many times in the past, what usually matters most is how well a chosen design approach is implemented, and not which approach is chosen.

And when it comes to speakers that applies doubly in my case, as I'm more knowledgeable about electronics than about speakers.

Best regards,
-- Al 

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bdp24
9,788 posts
 

Right bifwynne, it was a cardboard tube as a "transmission-line" in the 2000A. I heard them at Sound Systems in Palo Alto, CA, hooked up to early SAE electronics, which were the hot amps until ARC made it to the West Coast. They also had the speaker ESS was making before Oscar Heil hooked up with them, the Transtatic I. It also had the RTR ESL tweeters (the static part of the model name) and a transmission-line (the trans part), but theirs a real one. In front of the line was a KEF B-139 woofer (the driver Dave Wilson used in pairs in his WAMM speaker), and then a KEF 5" midrange cone. I couldn’t afford their $1200/pr price at the time (or even the $600 for a pair of 2000A’a. The 1001’s were only $139 apiece), but I have a pair now!

That was in ’71, and by the next year they had the Infinity Servo-Statics and Magneplanar Tympani T-I’s in the same (large, obviously) room, running off ARC D-75 and D-51 amps. The guy who owned Sound Systems was kind of obnoxious, and I ended up buying a complete ARC/Tympani/Thorens/Decca/Revox system in ’72 from Walt Davies at Audio Arts in Livermore. Walt went on to develop and is making the Last Record Care product line, and is a great guy.

ejr1953
914 posts
 
These postings made me think, I've had a lot of equipment over my 62 years.  Some of the memorable setups:

While in college I snagged a Dynaco PAT-4 pre-amp, McIntosh MC225 amp, Dual 1219 turntable with a Shure V15 cartridge and a pair of Large Advent speakers

After college I snagged a Tandberg receiver, B&O turntable and cassette deck and a pair of Canton LE900 speakers.

In my mid-50's I snagged the NAD Masters Series electronics, laptop for streaming, pair of Totem Fire monitors and Velodyne sub.

I agree with what's been said (above), my current equipment IS much better than what's come before, going "digital" has been a real benefit to me, not a fan of pops and clicks.
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tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
One thing is for sure:  even given the blinding number of options it's easier to research equipment now than ever before.  The harder part is the live audition.
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