Vintage HI Fi. Anyone else in to it?

[RhythMick]

my humble opinion ...

expensive transistor stuff may sound a little better than cheap transistor stuff, but it's a law of diminishing returns and just not worth the journey.

However - take out all the complex crap and put the simplest possible valve amp in and very few people would fail to hear the difference. What's more, it can be achieved cheaply and simply.

 

[fossyant]

We still have my JVC separates from 1986. Bought it with Tuner, Amp, double cassette and turntable, then added the CD player. Cost about £700 at the time. The CD player died about 10-15 years ago (wouldn't eject), and I added a 5 disc Technics changer. It's a big unit and sits in the lounge. The speakers sit in the conservatory, but we've got a couple of 'custom hand built' speaker units from my wife's parent's loudspeaker business (when they were trading). The JVC units have 'compulink' i.e. if you press play on one unit, it switches the amp over. All the buttons, including the tape deck are touch sensitive, which was 'unusual' in the mid 80's.

Managed to get another diamond stylus recently (good old ebay) for the turntable.

 

[Drago]

I have today acquired a Kenwood A82 amp, which I'm guessing marks from the first half of the 80's.

It works fine and is in excellent cosmetic order. I've rummaged in my loft and dug out some old Technics bookshelf speakers, and my elderly Technics TS R80R twin cassette deck and a handful of tapes.

Talk about a trip down memory lane! I'm going to install it in the man shed, and may try and get an old tuner and turntable to go with it.

 

[Salar]

@Drago

I've a couple of Kenwood amps, both perform really well. There's not much info out there on the early A-82, A-85 etc I think they were quite rare as opposed to the later amps.

Here's a spec sheet which I found

.

 

[Drago]

Thanks @Salar. Seems its a halfway decent bit of kit.

 

[Salar]

Do the large volume knobs have another thinner rotating knob to the rear which rotate separately?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Not sure if yet vintage, but I have seen absolutely no need to change my system assembled in 2000 as yet - apart from adding a streaming box to the Levinson CD player allowing it to operate as a DAC, which has transformed our listening habits no end. The Zingalis need a re-foam too, but I've shoved some other drivers in for now.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Dual 505...bit flimsey so not many about, but by god they sounded, er, average!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thirens TD160, SME series 2s
Audiolab 8000A
Rogers Studio 1A

Arcam Alpha 7SE
Nakamichi cassette
Denon TU 250 Tuner


The turntable is awaiting a refurb.
The Audiolab is getting graunchy
One driver in the Rogers has died and the internal sound proofing has disintergrated.

Plan is... new amp, possibly NAD or Cambridge, transmission-line speaker kit from IPL acoustics :-)

I looked at gwtting the Audiolab refurbed, but it’s a fair cost. It’s going on for nearly 30 years old.

 

[Drago]

Do the large volume knobs have another thinner rotating knob to the rear which rotate separately?

No buddy.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Thirens TD160, SME series 2s
Audiolab 8000A
Rogers Studio 1A

Arcam Alpha 7SE
Nakamichi cassette
Denon TU 250 Tuner


The turntable is awaiting a refurb.
The Audiolab is getting graunchy
One driver in the Rogers has died and the internal sound proofing has disintergrated.

Plan is... new amp, possibly NAD or Cambridge, transmission-line speaker kit from IPL acoustics :-)

I looked at gwtting the Audiolab refurbed, but it’s a fair cost. It’s going on for nearly 30 years old.

Of those I used to run an 8000a, also a Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2. I sold both for pretty good money when I upgraded and slimmed everything down to just cd, power amp and speakers. Good kit, but as you suggest the amp has a reputation for breaking rear connectors and dry joints.

 

[Drago]

I've got my eye on an 80's tuner, then I'll find a turntable. Its all for the Man Shed, so I don't want to blow big bucks, and I'm not averse to stripping, repairing and rebuilding a turntable. The only concession to modernity will be a DAB deck, eventually.

I'd also like a reel to reel and even and 8 track, but no hurry. They're just Man Cave toys.

 

[Daddy Pig]

Thirens TD160, SME series 2s
Audiolab 8000A
Rogers Studio 1A

Arcam Alpha 7SE
Nakamichi cassette
Denon TU 250 Tuner


The turntable is awaiting a refurb.
The Audiolab is getting graunchy
One driver in the Rogers has died and the internal sound proofing has disintergrated.

Plan is... new amp, possibly NAD or Cambridge, transmission-line speaker kit from IPL acoustics :-)

I looked at gwtting the Audiolab refurbed, but it’s a fair cost. It’s going on for nearly 30 years old.

Is it a Nakamichi dragon was it... I remember those from about 30 years ago... didn't they cost over w grand back then?

I went for Naim and dynaudio about 10 years ago and never looked back. Sometimes the simplistic of gear works best.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[QUOTE 5174160, member: 259"]I never really liked our Cambridge Audio amp, and it was quite an expensive Azur one. What makes me suspicious is they always get good reviews in What HiFi - the most laughable hifi rag on the planet.[/QUOTE]

If the newsagents is out of Viz it's always worth picking up for the lolz.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Is it a Nakamichi dragon was it... I remember those from about 30 years ago... didn't they cost over w grand back then?

I went for Naim and dynaudio about 10 years ago and never looked back. Sometimes the simplistic of gear works best.

Sadly not a Dragon...,