The Allure of Vintage Audio Gear

Vintage gear that still sounds good. 

Quad ESL57

Early Linn Sondek LP12

Naim NAP 250

Leak Stereo 20

BBC LS35a

I could go on.

How does the Sansui au-517 au- 717 and so forth integrates sound once restored properly? And I mean full service with perhaps some better parts if available?  Is this a worthwhile rabbit hole to fall into and to use this gear in a second or third system? 

I had a Heybrook TT2 with an Alphason HRS100 MCS tonearm and external power supply . Compared it side by side with new TT s above 5k$ and it beat them hands down. Was still going fine since 1985 until I sold it recently. Talk about value for the money.

I have both and I really love vintage gear, the restoration process, the sound, the look, collecting etc. I can be very rewarding and expensive, like vintage automobiles. I have 3 vintage systems, and the one piece I could swap out and use in my main modern system is my McIntosh Mx110z. Although it doesn’t have the inputs and features of my C2300 preamp, the sound is amazing, and an FM tuner as a bonus. I realize this is not for everyone but it is a very enjoyable aspect of this hobby for me.

I've been in this hobby for more than fifty years and have owned quite a bit of Hi-Fi gear;  both solid state and tube.  Solid state gear has come along way from the late 1960's when its sound was one dimensional and flat.  Gone was the bloom of tube gear.  Today both technologies are well implemented.  As for vintage gear I have owned quite a bit over the years but have only kept a few pieces that I really enjoy.  My 1962 Macintosh MR65B was the first tube stereo tuner manufactured by the company and my Dad's old Dynakit Stereo 70 that he built with the help of my Mom back in 1961. Dad was color blind, so Mom organized all the color coded parts for him so he knew where they went during the assembly.  lol

There's nothing like a well sorted piece of tube vintage gear to bring out the enjoyment of your favorite music. 😊