This joint needs some more vintage hifi

mhardy6647

Nice, and nice amplifier. Thanks for sharing a photo of it!

FWIW, only one Sansui amplifier here, and it's a pretty unprepossessing example of their genre.

001a by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

It'd be nice to have an AU-717...

mhardy6647

True enough -- the TU-717 doesn't impress me much sonically, though (which is why it's sittin' on the shelf). The AU-717 was/is a pretty darned good integrated amplifier.

machone

rednedtugent wrote: »

I loved my Koss until the air went out of one side

Koss has a lifetime guarantee.
They replaced my Pro 4AA's after 35 years.

agfrost

mhardy6647 wrote: »

FWIW, only one Sansui amplifier here, and it's a pretty unprepossessing example of their genre.

I thought you had a TA-500? Or did it move along? (I supposed choice C would be that I'm misremembering)

mhardy6647

Yes I do have a TA-500; that's a receiver, not an [integrated] amplifier
It's in the basement, I think.

I have a 1000 receiver, too, but that's another manner of beast altogether

DSC_9817 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

Oh, and a 5000A receiver, too -- come to think of it. Nice tuner section in that one (including the AM section):

Sansui 5000A front by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

mpitogo

So sad what has happened to RadioShack. They where great shops for those into electronics. I had my first summer job after freshman year at a RadioShack. I sold computers and VHS camcorders that summer. Now what was left over after the bankruptcy are finally closing.

mhardy6647 wrote: »

for anyone who (still) might not know of these two sites, but who might also pine for the days when Allied Radio & Radio Shack (yes) sold McIntosh & Marantz, here's something to do for the next few days

www.radioshackcatalogs.com
www.alliedcatalogs.com

Wardsweb

Marantz 5010

https://youtu.be/uzTx06ch0Bg

agfrost

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Yes I do have a TA-500; that's a receiver, not an [integrated] amplifier
It's in the basement, I think.

Methinks I overlooked the word "amplifier" in your post claiming one piece of Sansui. I just like to keep tabs on who also has a TA-500.

mhardy6647

I picked it up from the famous "Tentoze" @ AK (who has also been known to lurk and even post here -- although I don't know his moniker here!) some years back.

I was completely unaware of the TA-500 (and, its little sibling, model TA-300, if memory serves) in the days when it was a current model. I was (and am) struck by the novelty of its "Sansui separates" cosmetics applied to a receiver!

Truth be told, I didn't think too much about it for a long time -- until I had been given a pair of (don't laugh!) Radio Shack "Mach Two" loudspeakers by a coworker. I tried them on some vacuum tube amps and was (very) underwhelmed. Finally thought to myself "might as well try a soiled state power source for 'em" and - for whatever reason - tried the TA-500.

The pairing sounded quite good actually. Surprisingly good.
Indeed, if you have to use a pair of Radio Shack speakers, you could do far, far worse than a pair of Mach Twos

Mach Two on DIY Polkstand by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(sorry, I know I've posted this photo before -- probably earlier in this very thread!)

mhardy6647

apropos of noting -- I stumbled across a better photo of that mismatched pair of Sansui soiled state components that help make sure one of my shelves stays put in one spot without moving around too much

DSC_0328 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

mhardy6647

speaking of Sansui... as seen on eBAY.
Whoa. Just... whoa.

kharp1

mhardy6647 wrote: »

True enough -- the TU-717 doesn't impress me much sonically, though (which is why it's sittin' on the shelf). The AU-717 was/is a pretty darned good integrated amplifier.

I've had a couple of Sansui amps over the years and I wasn't impressed. I know some rave about them, maybe I just didn't have the right one.

tonyb

I've been keeping an eye out for an AU717-719 for like 2 years now, prices are stupid and rarely do you see them under 400.

mhardy6647

tonyb wrote: »

I've been keeping an eye out for an AU717-719 for like 2 years now, prices are stupid and rarely do you see them under 400.

Yup. Well built and attractive beasties they are, though.
Too rich for my blood (given that if I bought one, it would likely be a shelf queen).


The AR-3a pair above looks nice; everyone should at least spend some quality time listening to a pair of AR-3 or AR-3as, I would opine.

[Deleted User]

Even my 4's were fun to listen to. Vintage gear is crazy St$pid these days.
I'd like to get my hands on some Yamaha M1000 just because but forget it.

mhardy6647

hmm -- these popped up on another forum earlier today...
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/speaker-id-electro-acoustical-labs-new-york.791885/

mhardy6647

I've got nothin'. Reasonable quality Philips dome tweeters -- I mean, how bad could they be? (all depends on price, right?!)

kharp1

@tonyb Here's one in my area noticed a few days ago.

https://louisville.craigslist.org/ele/d/sansui-au719-tu719/6340103281.html

mhardy6647

way better than average stuff from its time; well worth the asking price in good working order.

pitdogg2

kharp1 wrote: »

@tonyb Here's one in my area noticed a few days ago.

https://louisville.craigslist.org/ele/d/sansui-au719-tu719/6340103281.html

That is the same tuner i use. I have had many tuners Carver tx11b, old & new yammies, Sony's but the Sansui's just smoke them all as far as reception and really close to the Carver in sound.

Tony M

kharp1 wrote: »

@tonyb Here's one in my area noticed a few days ago.

https://louisville.craigslist.org/ele/d/sansui-au719-tu719/6340103281.html

I used to own that set..well maybe the same #'s anyway. What a GREAT SET. I wish I hadn't had to sell it. I still remember how NICE the sound was ... BEAUTIFUL !

Tony M

mhardy6647 wrote: »

rednedtugent wrote: »

Sold off my KLH 32's as part of the downsizing but I'd love to
replace it 24 stereo music system!

The KLH 32 speakers were remarkably pleasant to listen to little speakers as well. The Harvard, MA town dump turned up a pair of those once, too

KLH 32s by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

These were my FIRST hi-quality speakers I ever heard. My mother brought them home from a yard sale 32 years ago. When I moved out I took them with me and used them in new home constructions as well, with a fisher receiver I think while I trimmed out those homes. Rock-in in the 70"s for sure !

Tony M

mpitogo wrote: »

So sad what has happened to RadioShack. They where great shops for those into electronics. I had my first summer job after freshman year at a RadioShack. I sold computers and VHS camcorders that summer. Now what was left over after the bankruptcy are finally closing.

mhardy6647 wrote: »

for anyone who (still) might not know of these two sites, but who might also pine for the days when Allied Radio & Radio Shack (yes) sold McIntosh & Marantz, here's something to do for the next few days

www.radioshackcatalogs.com
www.alliedcatalogs.com

I'll take 2 of each at those prices... WOW

soundfreak1

That was a whole lota money back then!

Tony M

Yea I know.... I remember an older co-worker telling me he bought his ranch brick house with a nice yard for 12,000.00 when he bought it. Now.. 170,000.00. Those were the good old days somewhat. But we all know what a loaf of bread and milk cost then too.

soundfreak1

Some of those old mac amps sell for 5k now also.

Polkaguy58

jdjohn wrote: »

Side system I've put together from gear in my dad's garage. Check it out...dual Duals! Top one is a 1228, bottom one is a 1215S. That's a Rotel RX-602 receiver; it has two phono inputs, so I just had to try playing two-at-once and toggle 1&2. Realistic Optimus T-100 floorstanders with JBL 2500 bookies on top. The tweeters in the Realistics aren't that great, but the little JBLs fill-out the top end nicely. I'm going to sell this to a long-time friend at work...but with only one of the turntables.

I wish I had those T-100's.
I once took a 50 dollar pair of those, braced the cabs, replaced the fiberglass packing with cotton batting (an old sleeping bag donor) added a high end cap at 3500 Hz. and replaced the stock tweeter with a KEF silk dome.
These speakers run twin 16 Ohm woofers wide open, with just a cap and Lpad on the tweeter, but after my mods, I swear, they were the best speakers that I'd ever had.
Like an idiot, I sold them off.
They cost 100 bucks to make and I wish I still had them.

Tony M

I've always had an ear for those old Realistic heavy cabinet speakers that had 3 of those tweeters or midranges above the woofer.

Some woofers had what looked like 60 grit sand paper around the cone in a 3" wide band. I swear they sounded right to me. I've a lot of pairs of them too. Never had a problem reselling them either.

Conradicles

I had a pair too. Oh the good memories!

aprazer402

Here's one you don't see everyday. No affil.