Has this happened to you? How can it be stopped?


Well this question is for fun but also kinda serious too.

Have you felt the urger to buy a vintage piece of audio gear when you really didn’t need it? Have you felt that this is an addiction and how can it be stopped?

I have Marantz 2235 receiver in my office, a Sansui 1000x in my bedroom, a Realistic STA-52b in my spare bedroom and Yamaha RX-V995 in my wifes sewing room and a Yamaha RX-V690 in the garage with various vintage speakers connected to all of them. I already have two complete audio systems in my audio room.

 

When does the madness stop? My wife tells me I have an audio problem!?!

 

128x1282psyop

Blisshifi

Even with my Marantz 2235? Will she need to get parts replaced... either one?

There are more destructive hobbies. I suggest you reflect about why you want to pursue this and if there are reasons beyond the adrenaline of chase or purchase that you just give into it. Develop routines in which you swap things in and out, listen to the differences, figure out what new sensations please you.

Look, no one criticizes the wine lover for wanting to try more wines, or the golf lover for wanting to play on new courses. You have nothing to be ashamed of. At all.

@carlsbad

 

 

 

725 posts

“ I got rid of my wife…”

When faced with a binary choice of audio equipment versus marriage , do I get a hint of that time-honoured axiom along the lines of:

Q why is divorce expensive? 

A Because it’s worth it !

@2psyop I used to be in the same boat. Vintage audio looks sexy, and the patina of having retro / hip-looking equipment is fun. Sometimes, the gear is not too expensive, either.

But I became more interested in sound quality over time, and to answer your question, yes, parts do need to be replaced. I recapped and restored a number of amps my first decade in audio. I realized while each restore improved the unit, it became less and less worth the time to tinker for incremental improvements, and I realized vintage equipment would only get me so far. Even more so, it detracted me from enjoying the music because I then had more gear than I could play music, and I worried about what I should do with it.

I do still have the last vintage amp I restored, however, which is a Luxman L-85V. I've gifted that one to my 5 year old son, along with the Thorens TD-166MKII that I also fully restored and souped up. He probably has the best system for any kid his age.

Have you felt the urger to buy a vintage piece of audio gear when you really didn’t need it?

Not really. I don't buy vintage because its too old for me. . But I DO have a Harmon Kardon 730 twin powered receiver which I bought new in 1978 that I want to get restored. That is one fantastic receiver with a huge full  sound. I just would like to see how it stacks up to what I now have. Plus my wife & I both loved the sound.