Awesome Vintage Stereo..

[FilterFunk]

Pioneer, Marantz, Kenwood...those names take me right back to the '70s...but I digress...

My brother had a pair of Radio Shack Optimus tower speakers that kicked major butt for many years. I don't recall the model number.

 

[BboogieXVII]

Powered speakers are the new way of doing it Hi-Fi but for a home system it's too bad the old systems aren't around. I mean who needs more than 200 watts for a home speaker? I sure don't.

 

[hbarcat]

For an affordable* receiver amp, it's tough to beat the Fisher Studio Standard RS-10x0 series. They sound beautiful and are built like tanks - all metal chassis with wood sides.

This is the model I have.
Fisher Studio Standard RS-1050

P.S. Stay away from the Fisher units with the black plastic cases. They are garbage.


*Edit: I just searched the 'Bay and I see that these babies are selling for 200-400 dollars. The secret is out!

 

[Aberdumbie]

Bose put out some big bottom end stuff in the late 70's. I hate that I sold all mine when I left the Army.

 

[Bob_Ross]

No more than turntables..what's legendary about a device that drags a piece of carbonized rock over a plastic surface surface to reproduce sound?
Yes indeed.....they make/made some very good turntables....but at the end of the day it's still a turntable.
There are some very good cd players out there...but they cost more than the cheapos.
Back in the day people were often prepared to fork out a lot of sheckles for the aforementioned rock/plastic friction device....but it seems that many balked at buying a really good cd player.

I think you missed the intent of my post: I am not denying that there are (and have been over the years) good CD players. Some of them very good.

I'm questioning the notion that in a thread about "vintage stereo" there can be any CD players. In the grand scheme of things the technology is too new; most of the other "legendary" components mentioned in this thread were manufactured a decade or two before CD players ever existed. Also, some of the turntables mentioned (AR, Thorens... and I would add Linn to that list) have an appeal that goes beyond their actual performance, based purely on history. That's a "legendary" component to my mind.

Although I suppose the argument could be made that the very first commercially-available CD player -- the Sony CDP-101 iirc? -- is "legendary". But I would also argue that it didn't sound particularly "good"

 

[old spice]

The Fisher 600 from about 1966.
I found it on the edge of a dumpster in Aspen. Sounds really good.

 

[Stewie26]

I used to have a 3440 and did lots of recording of original songs with it in the early '80s.

Same here. My first multi-track was a TEAC 3340 S with a Marantz blue light receiver. I wrote a lot of songs using that machine. This photo was taken sometime in the 80"s.

 

[Jim Nazium]

On vacation this summer, I snapped this pic of a German hi-fi shop (while waiting for a companion to fix his motorcycle). I don't know anything about this gear, but it sure looks cool:

 

[Dean N]

The old HK stuff, made in Germany, was pretty iconic.

Sony ES components. Sansui and Marantz analog tube receivers. Vandersteen speakers were outstanding Swiss Army knife floorstanding speakers.

I have an NAD 3020 integrated, probably considered the all-time classic budget integrated, and I just love it. Due to be recapped, though.

I want to get a Rega CD player.

I'd love to get McIntosh or Krell anything.

 

[Bob_Ross]

This photo was taken sometime in the 80"s.
View attachment 1025780

Did anyone ever tell you you look like Johnnie Holmes?

 

[Jeff Scott]

The old HK stuff, made in Germany, was pretty iconic.

HK, as in Harman Kardon? Made in Germany?

Sony ES components.

My CD player, a Sony CDP-302 is identical to the ES version, except for slightly different output caps.

I have a ES cassette recorder that produces pretty exceptional recordings for the cassette format, a Sony TCK-444esII.

I used to own one of these cool Sony TA E86 preamps.

 

[Dean N]

Am I wrong? I remember a friend had a Harmon Kardon system (before it was acquired by an Asian conglomerate, say, very early 80s), and I swear it was manufactured in Germany.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Harman Kardon is as American as it gets (until they sold out to Samsung, recently).

History - Harman Kardon

 

[GIBrat51]

Awesome vintage? The best I ever heard (and that ruined my listening experience with anything else for years);
- Altec Lansing Voice of the Theater speakers and a pair of Heil SS tweeters, connected to
- Pioneer 3-way external crossover, connected to
- Kit-built Dynaco Pre-amp/equalizer, controlling
- 3 Marantz Model 20 amps (one bass, one midrange, one treble), and
- Marantz Model 10, FM only tuner (the one that you tuned with an oscilloscope).

The turntable was a Thorens TD-125, with a Shure SME tone arm, and a Shure V-15 moving magnet cartridge. Tapedeck brand and model escapes me (Crown, maybe?), but it was a 2-track (recorded/played in one direction only - on 10" reels) pro recording model, as over-the top as everything else. The cost? In 1970 or '71 when I heard it - around $13,000, more or less.

I went into that store to find something I could afford, and as an E-3 making about $360/month, I couldn't afford much. I pleaded with the clerk not to play that set up, but he did anyway. He couldn't understand why I told him that everything he demo'ed after that sounded like crap, and I walked out without buying anything...

 

[Stewie26]

Did anyone ever tell you you look like Johnnie Holmes?

Only my wife.

 

[D M C]

Don't remember what I did with my old hi-fi equipment from back in the day, but I used to have a Pioneer receiver, a Duel turntable and JBL speakers. My current system is a Sony receiver and CD changer and BA speakers. It's about 25 years old though, so I suppose you could call it vintage. I've still got some vinyl but nothing to play it on.

 

[BasturdBlaster]

I still have some of my old home stereo. The Denon amp was a Xmas present when I was 15 back in 1986 and now my kids are rocking to it. Here's an old pic from when I used it for "practice"......

 

[ZenG]

I'm liking this...as soon as I looked at the pic, the hair on my chest started sprouting out uncontrollably...

 

[dangnewt]

My Yamaha NS-4 speakers are still alive and kicking.

 

[Oatis]

I recently got a new Rega turntable and it beats any CD player I have for fatigue-free listening. Marantz make CD players that get good reviews -$400-$1000. Wharfedale make a whooper of a tower speaker for $800/pr. with 2 8's,etc. Moniter Audio speakers are fine.