The fascination of vintage hi-fi: A Look Back
Is “top class” always “top class”? Not that easy to answer. By definition, a spike is the end of something. Whether with class or without it doesn't matter, at some point, it's over. Even top wines that have been kept under ideal storage conditions will one day change their state of aggregation. Also the tip of the iceberg. Which leads me to my buddy Werner. Referring to his favorite hobby, the fascinationwithf vintage hi-fi, he claims: "What used to be good can't be bad today."
"Vintage" means different things to different people. I'm not so interested in a mid-'70s era Japanese receiver. I'd be very interested in pre-WarII theatre-related loudspeakers and amplifiers/transformer and the like. What kind of "vintage" are you talking about? Some equipment is enduring; some is cool for the period, but subject to the limitations at the time. Some probably isn't worth the trouble. What are you after? |
@whart agreed. I pulled a single International Projector Co. Horn and folded cab out of an old theater in my town. After some clean up, fresh wire and some sanding, in a word wow! Friends and family are simply blown away not by it's size, but it's sound, in mono no less. I'm getting the feeling that we in this hobby spend a good deal of time chasing the new and shiny (myself included), whereas sometimes there's a hidden and unused gem somewhere. It might just take an enjoyable mini adventure to find it. That and a little elbow grease. Cheers Doug |
