Looking for vintage system suggestions (maranta, klipsch, etc...)

To answer your question about where - if you join audiokarma, for paid members, there's the Bartertown area of the site where a lot of restored vintage gear are offered up.  Many of those were restored by respected techs and are being changed hands by collectors for various reasons.  And everyone is quite helpful sharing their experiences.

I'm another klipsch/marantz fanatic.  They are a very good match.  However, as I got into the heretiage line, I have fortes and heresys, and further into vinyl, I discovered tubes bring out dimensions in klipsch  I did not know were there.  I buy everything on Craigslist and take my time, but the secondary system I have recently stumbled upon is, imho, unbeatable for price.  I'm driving recapped heresys with a modern 7 tube 20watt per channel jolinda integrated amp for under $800.  This simple, elegant, low watt, high efficiency combo sounds nearly as good as my 3x more expensive main system (forte, rogue audio tube pre, moscode tube hybrid) and way better than my 200watt solid state McIntosh amp. And is every bit as loud. If your are going to be listening to vinyl you are makeing a huge sacrifice for the aesthetic's of a 70's solid state unit vs the sound of tubes. (Though I think the aesthetics of most tube units are outstanding). Used heresys are easy on Craigslist and finding a low watt modern integrated tube amp in the 500-1000 range on Audiogon is very doable and leaves plenty of paper in your budget for either a vintage or modern turntable. I'm no expert, but have been obsessed with similar questions the last few years and my ears have led me to these conclusions. :-)

To Argonsteele - Great input , thanks. I didn't want to get long winded earlier , plus you were asking about vintage SS.  I had an Antique Sound Labs 30 wpc tube integrated about 10 years ago when I picked up the Heresy's. I rolled a quad of Winged C's and NOS Tungsram drivers . This was a great match with the Heresy's. I had amp, tubes, speakers , power cords , interconnects and speaker cables ( all Zu ), for $1400. Now if you re-cap or get Crites crossovers and a turntable , you're within budget . The Klipsch Heritage line is king of modest priced high efficiency early model speakers . The common phrase is " tubes tame the Klipsch harshness ". Like the Man of Steele , I too shop on line for used stuff . I live in central California and have driven to SF , Sacramento , San Jose and LA to pick up my purchases . It gives me a chance to see in person before I pay . Avoid shipping costs/damage and  get ripped off . True audioheads love to share their experiences. Also in this type of a system you can always add a sub(s), I have . As far as the Retro Look , tubes are the bomb , the blue light Marantz and the Macs are probably the best known look though . If you get a Marantz in the 30 to 50 watt range , it won't break the bank either . Now with the baby Marantz I have , I could also use it as preamp. I've had Dynaco FM-3, SCA 35 , MK III's and JBL L19's , Advent, Omega , Garrrard , Pioneer . I've built kit pre and power amps . I've built numerous speakers . Nothing is more satisfying to me than getting a good sound while playing with budget stuff . While I prefer the JBL sound , it takes more power to run and is more expensive . Also with tubes , you need to be committed to a larger block of listening time . With SS you can say , play an album and then turn it off . But the plus with tubes is you won't get ear fatigue, and you can change the personality of your system by tube rolling . So here we go 🏄🏽. Regards , Mike . 

Thanks again for everybody's input.

This has, so far, been very informative and helpful.  And also a lot of fun learning about.

I am thinking that the one part of the system I need to stick with are the Heresy's......I think if any larger speakers show up at my door, it would not go over too well!

that being said, the idea of a decent integrated tube amp is becoming very appealing.  It seems like that might be the best match for the Heresy's.  As much as I like the look of those ss 70's receivers, I think a decent tube amp will provide me with a lot of listenening pleasure.

i am also thinking a modern tt might be a wise starting point as well....I'll save the vintage gear for my NEXT system!

i think I am going to just go ahead and purchase a set of Heresy's.  Not sure whether I am going to go with I, II, or III's.....gonna see what the best choice is on the used market.

as far as a tube integrated, I would like to stay away from the hybrid tube/class d stuff.  I'm thinking all tube would be best.  i am aware of Cayin, Jolida, and Rogue, but what are some other brands I should consider?  I'm thinking that the budget for a good tube amp would realistically be $500-1500....

Has anybody used these?

https://www.frenzeltubeamps.com/page72.php


I am also a musician, and this company makes really nice guitar amps too.  Wondering about his stereo amps?