Remember way back...

2michaud

Do any of you older members remember when a/v components had wood parts/finishes?

I was snooping at my dad's 2 channel in our living room, and he has an ancient amplifier hooked up to two Audio Profiles. This amplifier had two pieces of real wood on both sides of the amp and actually looked quite nice.

Think maybe things will slowly shift back to that style?

Just making interesting conversation

GZ

I have a Pioneer 8100 integrated amp and a 7100 tuner, circa 1974, in my basement workroom. They both have wood on the sides with a brushed aluminum face. I love the retro look and they still work flawlessly.

avguytx

I have some older gear floating around, too. It sits idle at the moment until I get a rack and some other things ready for one of the spare bedrooms to put some goodies in. I have a Pioneer SX-650, 750 and 890 (black face), a couple of Concept receivers, a Technics and a few others. I keep coming across them at garage sales and estate sales and just can't let them sit there! I also have some older speakers including a pair of Fisher XP-7's, Dynaco A-25's and A-10's, Small Advent and a few others. They sound pretty good considering their age. I just like the old look of certain pieces. If I had the space, I'd have a bunch of them for the heck of it! My Carver amps still do main duty, though.

treitz3

Oh yeah, my dad had an old top of the line Onkyo that had wood sides. I remember distinctly because the fuse blew one day and I had the bright idea at the young age of ten+- to go ahead and replace the fuse with a piece of aluminum foil.

"Poof" and I was on restriction for the rest of my life. To this day, he gets a lot of my gear when I go to upgrade and I think I'll just continue the tradition because he took it gracefully (so to speak) and even though my butt was black and blue for some time, that was a nice amp. So nice, I wish I had it today running in my system.

Good lord, that's when I had an 8-track of Def Leppard and an album was considered a LP or record, not a CD. If memory serves, we had just gotten our first color TV a couple years prior that had a remote that had buttons you had to press with FORCE in order to activate. Pushbutton phones had only been on the market for less than a decade and the only "cell phone" was the size of a cinder block just for the phone. MTV was something that was "scary" to a lot of the parents in the neighborhood and the "handheld" [yeah, right....more like the size of a book] calculator had just come out six years prior.

Face

One of my amps has a wood case. I think it looks ok.. I'm not big on the woodgrain look, but at least it looks better than not having a case.

Systems

I have a Belles amp that has solid oak side panels and I quite like the look.

shack

I have a couple of Silver Face Pioneer Receivers with wood cabinets from the late '70s.

One is a SX-3700 and the other is a SX-450 (thanks again Doro!).

shack

Oh...remember them? I bought the SX-3700 brand new...back in the day.

snow

shack wrote: »

I have a couple of Silver Face Pioneer Receivers with wood cabinets from the late '70s.

One is a SX-3700 and the other is a SX-450 (thanks again Doro!).

Nice looking units.:)

As far as receivers go I think the older 70s models sound much better than most of the newer ones do, they have a warmer richer tone. the tuner sections were superb compared to most newer ones also.

REGARDS SNOW

Bill Ayotte

If I remember correctly, the first Pioneer Elite units had Rosewood sides.....Eh, showing my age....

Danny Tse

I would think components with wood sides were available up til the early 90s. Let me think....Pioneer Elite, Sony ES, Onkyo Integra, certain Yamaha and Denon, etc.

snow

Bill Ayotte wrote: »

If I remember correctly, the first Pioneer Elite units had Rosewood sides.....Eh, showing my age....

The elite series was introduced in 1985. Even though they appear to be rose wood side panels they are actually a highly polished simulated rosewood veneer over pressboard. I have the F-91 tuner and purchased the Dv-09 its currrently in never never land:(

REGARDS SNOW

ledhed

Here's my two: Pioneer SX-1280 (on top) and SX-1250



Though I don't remember them new...

F1nut

Blue Circle uses wood knobs on their pre amps, Dodd Audio uses wood face and side plates, Supratek uses wood chassis/faceplates and Joule uses wood on some of their amp chassis. I'm sure there are more.

hearingimpared

shack wrote: »

Oh...remember them? I bought the SX-3700 brand new...back in the day.

Me too! Do you have any suggestions on some good arthritis medication?:D

Seriously I had a 3700 back in the day too. I used to love Pioneer products back then.

hearingimpared

ledhed wrote: »

Here's my two: Pioneer SX-1280 (on top) and SX-1250



Though I don't remember them new...

I just got a woody! Nice stuff.

ledhed

hearingimpared wrote: »

I just got a woody! Nice stuff.

They are for sale if you wanna keep that feeling. Bring back the 70's Mid-Fi vibe with Ledhed's SX-1280 and HPM-150s! Original owner! Both pieces need work! That's the reason they are stacked on my dresser and not hooked up. That and the fact that they weigh 80 freaking tons and are about 10 years older than me.

hearingimpared

ledhed wrote: »

They are for sale if you wanna keep that feeling. Bring back the 70's Mid-Fi vibe with Ledhed's SX-1280 and HPM-150s! Original owner! Both pieces need work! That's the reason they are stacked on my dresser and not hooked up. That and the fact that they weigh 80 freaking tons and are about 10 years older than me.

You are cracking me up tonight.

Seriously there are some websites that specialize in such equipment. If they don't have any sentamental value to you, there may be a few bucks in it. I can't think of the websites off the top of my head but I think one of them has the word vintage gear in the url.

ledhed

Well, I definitely need to sell them. These things are worth a decent amount of money and are doing nothing here. I'll look around - I had no luck on Audiokarma, a post got out of hand and pretty much messed up any possible reputation there. Dad wants me to put it on e-bay but I'm afraid that they may not go for what they are worth.

Thanks though (Seriously, if you want them can make you a great deal - you can even pick them up on your way to the Polkfest - I live right on I-75 easy access )

hearingimpared

These are but a few. I think if you spend a little time doing some research you will get top dollar for those bad boys.

I would love to buy them but I really don't need them and all my dough is tied up in new gear and used tube gear I have my eye on.

Thanks for the offer though. I gotta get these old bones to sleep now. G'nite.

http://www.classicaudio.com/

http://www.ultraelectronicactive.com/Equipment-Index.html

http://www.bavodekker.com/begin.html

http://www.worldtubeaudio.com/directory/categories/kategorie_96.htm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vintage+audio+equipment&btnG=Search

danger boy

hearingimpared wrote: »

I just got a woody! Nice stuff.

me too, but for different reasons. :eek:












JK. i like the silver faced gear too

shack

hearingimpared wrote: »

Me too! Do you have any suggestions on some good arthritis medication?:D

Arthritis? NO WAY! I did have a knee that was cut open back in my college days (basketball injury unfortunately before arthroscopic surgery) that started bothering me a few years ago. Doc said it might be the onset of arthritis. Started walking when I play golf 3 or so times a week and the pain has never come back. 95° and 90% humidity tends to keep the joints limber (with this kind of weather I would swear I was back in Baton Rouge ).

I really like the Silver Pioneer gear...the looks and nostalgia are probably better that the actual SQ...but it is still pretty decent gear. The SX-3700 is 45 wpc and the SX-450 is a 15 wpc BEAST! Seriously, they will drive most any speaker to reasonable levels cause it is real, old school, high current power.

schwarcw

Here's a few pictures of some old wood. My vintage Marantz setup consists of a 150 tuner, 3800 preamp, 510M amp a 5025 tape plaer and a 6300 tuner. Beautiful looking and sounding equipment.

hearingimpared

Nice!!! You big tease!

Systems

That Marantz sure is sweet looking stuff.

schwarcw

OOOPS! I forgot the big Carvers. Beautiful oak finish.



This pic was taken at Ricardo's house.

Carl

AALEE

Thanks for the pic's. The images of Marantz in your pic's brings me back to the mid 70's gearing up to go to a concert in Lincoln and the sweet smell of weedy arena. AHHH, to be young again...But honestly, todays equipment is so sweet in it's own way, like junior growing up and making something of him/herself. Audio has progressed so nicely, can't wait for the future.

read-alot

Carl that is a sight for this old man's sore eyes.

Nice looking equipment that I'm sure sounds almost as good as it looks.

I have a poor mans Krell receiver and a couple old Carver Phase Linear amps for my old school hide out rig.

MSALLA

Hey, hey. I had a Yamaha and a HK with wood sides and I am NOT old. Slow your roll on that "you old guys" bit you young wipper snapper.

Face

As stated before, I'm not a big fan of woodgrain, but it looks better than a naked Mac.