This joint needs some more vintage hifi

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Comments

  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    Here's some nudie pics of my Lafayette LR 4000. Removed the covers the other day to clean out and work on the controls with deoxit. After going thru it, still has some issues with the back L channel (no sound) and I don't have anything quad capable to hook into the 4 ch inputs to test throughly. Tried a portable cd player but only got sound out of the right side using two of the four connections. Wish I hadn't sold my quad Reel to Reel so I could further test it.

    It sounds really nice with a great tuner and decent phono section. Only 40 WPC but seems to have some weight behind it.


    IMG_1911.jpg
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    IMG_1915.JPG
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    Think I have a few too many. It's time to thin out the heard a little. The SL1600 is staying, but I have a couple of SL23's a SL DL5, SL 5, SL J3, and a SL 1900 that I need to put on CL and find a new home.

    IMG_1895.jpg
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    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    TNHNDYMAN wrote: »
    Here's some nudie pics of my Lafayette LR 4000. Removed the covers the other day to clean out and work on the controls with deoxit. After going thru it, still has some issues with the back L channel (no sound) and I don't have anything quad capable to hook into the 4 ch inputs to test throughly. Tried a portable cd player but only got sound out of the right side using two of the four connections. Wish I hadn't sold my quad Reel to Reel so I could further test it.

    It sounds really nice with a great tuner and decent phono section. Only 40 WPC but seems to have some weight behind it.


    IMG_1911.jpg
    IMG_1914.jpg
    IMG_1915.JPG

    That's a very cool piece! Talk about a "below the radar" piece of hardware. :-)

    Did you know she was the 1973 cover girl for LRE?

    LRE0000.jpg

    LRE0001.jpg
  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited October 2012
    Check this out: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ele/3347739809.html

    Never heard of this model before, but then again I'm not a Sansui expert. 220 wpc separates (pre amp/tuner, PA). Must have been Sansui's top 'o the line.

    No affiliation, only a curious bystander :cool:
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    ^ That is one of the top 2 big boy Sansui pieces, but his price is way out of line. $1200-1500 depending on condition would be in the ballpark of reality. People are paying crazy money for them though, so maybe he'll get it.
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited October 2012
    That particular market is on the other side of sanity. Like the JVC boombox that went for $4000 a while back!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    Actually, if memory serves, there was a Sansui G-33000 which was even a notch above the G-22000.

    These Sansuis, the Technics SA-1000, the Marantz 2600, the Pioneer SA-1980, and a few other behemoths, were like the apatosaurs at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, lumbering across the landscape just before the asteroid (or economic downturn/decrease in value of the dollar relative to the yen, and other socioeconomic changes) hit :-)
  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    Don't have any of those moster receivers; however, I do have Kenwood's not too shabby KR9600- 160 WPC of sonic thunder. Picked up from my uncle last Christmas. All original, lights working, very little noise, and uncommon wood case. It did certainly make the JBL L100's dance :biggrin:


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    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited October 2012
    The 9600 is definitely considered Monster class, though not as big or heavy as the Sansui above. That was pretty much TOTL for Kenwood at one point. A very nice piece. I have a much lower KR 5400 I occasionally use with some old Wharfdale bookies to stream some Pandora, listen to the college FM station, etc. Those Kenwoods also have "nice" tuners in them.

    A nice match for classic JBLs. There are a "few" of us that appreciate that old JBL R&R sound, here.

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2012
    And there's a few of us that appreciate more listenable loudspeakers.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    more listenable than...?

    I actually prefer to listen to my loudspeakers, too... given the average cosmetic values of most of 'em around here, they fare much better aurally than visually!

    Here's a cogent example - ugly as sin but they sound really very good... 'specially for the 10 bucks the pair cost at a charity fleamarket in a nearby town...

    timewindow.jpg

    Gonna cosmetically rehab these someday...
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    another truly, deeply profoundly ugly pair of loudspeaker foundlings from my favorite local emporium... they sounded just fine, though.

    AR3twoRF.jpg
    AR3oneLF.jpg

    I literally couldn't give them away, and I got a nicer pair, so I actually ended up parting these out in (partial) barter for some ReVox reel to reel tape deck work to a fine, talented fellow who was, at the time, rebuilding a pair of Cello Amatis. A fitting fate for the fine drivers... but still kind of sad.
  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    And there's a few of us that appreciate more listenable loudspeakers.

    The JBL's were not my cup of tea either. I traded them to a guy near Knoxville for a couple hundred bucks and 2 older Pioneer turntables- a PL-15D and PL-A35.
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    Mr. H- ^

    I recognize the Time Window's. Was the other pair AR-3's? I had a pair of the KLH SIX's that were a little rough around the edges but sounded very nice to me. Sold those to romeo23 and then picked up a pair of KLH 23's in better shape.
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • ambiophonics
    ambiophonics Posts: 715
    edited October 2012
    My DQ's ... they've been in the closet for a while but I may have to pull them out again and take a listen
    PA180038.JPG
    PA180030.jpg


    edit - please ignore the large squash sitting atop my subwoofer...
    2 Channel - Polk SDA-2BTL, Carver TFM-35, Peachtree iDAC, Qobuz streamed via Episode Lynk using bubble UPnP server
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    TNHNDYMAN wrote: »
    The JBL's were not my cup of tea either. I traded them to a guy near Knoxville for a couple hundred bucks and 2 older Pioneer turntables- a PL-15D and PL-A35.

    I feel (FWIW) that many JBL loudspeakers, as well as most of the heritage Klipsch products, likely violate the Geneva Convention and might reasonably be considered as instruments of terror if misused.
    TNHNDYMAN wrote: »
    Mr. H- ^

    I recognize the Time Window's. Was the other pair AR-3's? I had a pair of the KLH SIX's that were a little rough around the edges but sounded very nice to me. Sold those to romeo23 and then picked up a pair of KLH 23's in better shape.


    Yup and yup, respectively.
    My KLH Sixes aren't quite as rough as the above, but I've never taken a photo of 'em AFAIK.

    Here's a single KLH Five that drifted through here a while back; nice speaker but having one is not particularly value-added (it's just not the kind of loudspeaker one would build an "audiophile" mono system around). I traded the KLH Five for a pair of EV Model Fours. The latter looked really nice but sounded disappointingly mediocre, so they're long gone.

    KLH5.jpg
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    My DQ's ... they've been in the closet for a while but I may have to pull them out again and take a listen
    PA180038.JPG
    PA180030.jpg


    edit - please ignore the large squash sitting atop my subwoofer...

    Two thoughts come to mind:

    1) perhaps the squash (I believe that's actually a baking pumpkin, isn't it?) adds critical damping to the subwoofer enclosure?

    2) if that's not its purpose - my reaction is more along the lines of "don't ask, don't tell" ;-)
  • ambiophonics
    ambiophonics Posts: 715
    edited October 2012
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Two thoughts come to mind:

    1) perhaps the squash (I believe that's actually a baking pumpkin, isn't it?) adds critical damping to the subwoofer enclosure?

    2) if that's not its purpose - my reaction is more along the lines of "don't ask, don't tell" ;-)


    I think you may be on to something with the critical damping idea... the bass used to sound very "squashed" and enemic, now it is much more grounded and smooth like "butter" :smile:

    The guy at the farmer's market said it was a butternut squash - the lady friend was going to make some soup with it!
    2 Channel - Polk SDA-2BTL, Carver TFM-35, Peachtree iDAC, Qobuz streamed via Episode Lynk using bubble UPnP server
  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited October 2012
    Boy those DQs (a nice speaker sound-wise) sure look fugly without their grills! Better keep those drivers hidden.

    I know JBLs are not big on this site, I'm aware of what George and Mark are alluding to above. And to be honest, my favorites are really various '80s monitor versions with the pure titanium dome tweeter which I do think was a tech. move forward for them. And I have a set of those. But other than running those on tubes, I mostly listen to my vintage speakers.

    I've never heard a set of KLH 5s but I have 4 Nova 8s (which I gather are imitation 5s sitting in the dinning room of a friend down south-will pick those up eventually, probably only need two, sorry to hear mhardy give the 5s a meh!).

    But I have hooked up a pair of Nova 7Bs today. And I'm fairly pleased with their sound. Some of these classic Realistic attempted reproduction of KLH aren't bad! If I had a better camera I'd put up some pics! So here is a stock photo:

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    I must have not been too clear. The KLH Five is an excellent speaker; very possibly the best all-around Henry Kloss KLH-era effort.
    Having ONE of them is kind of meh :-P

    The PAIR of EV Fours... those were meh. Very meh. A single one of those would be even meh-er.

    Clearer? ;-)
  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    meh be
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    For completeness, the EV Fours.

    EV4fronts.jpg
    In the interest of disclosure, one of the midrange horns was MIA as this cosmetically nice looking pair of speakers was received. Listening to the fully intact one was not all that impressive, so I ahem took the liberty of investing in a pair of really cheap "Gemsound" brand compression midranges ($5.99 a piece!) available on special from MCM at the time. They were drop in fits and (in all honesty) didn't sound much different than the rather uninspiring AlNiCo compression driver that EV put in the Fours originally.

    original EV MR driver/horn:

    EV4horn2.jpg

    Gemsound horn and driver (actually a fairly beefy compression driver, 'specially for six bucks):

    EV4innards.jpg

    (note that the EV woofer is a 'component woofer' version of the later cast basket EV SP12B/TRX12B drivers - sans the paint job)

    EV4sfrontandback.jpg

    I sold the Fours with the ghetto MRs as well as a single EV MR horn/driver for a pittance (and with no regrets).
  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited October 2012
    This appears to be somewhat vintage. Such a stylish curve on the tonearm.:wink:


    [video=youtube_share;DxqQxJt_LQI]http://youtu.be/DxqQxJt_LQI[/video]
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    It's a Maggotbox - and that's a Collaro changer.
    This one appears to be a soiled state, "Astro-Sonic" model... one of its vacuum tube forebears dwells in my basement.

    EL84PPstereoconsole.jpg

    (perhaps one will recognize the speakers being used with it in the photo)
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
  • crouse
    crouse Posts: 34
    edited October 2012
    I loved quad sound way back when. I vividly remember a friend playing the bells from "Dark Side of the Moon" on his car quad system. The sound was racing around the car and we were all in a, shall we say, very receptive state for sonic overload.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited October 2012
    it ain't all pretty...

    PA020004.jpg
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  • gmjungbluth
    gmjungbluth Posts: 232
    edited October 2012
    neat!

    I have a set of Realistic Nova 6B that I picked up with my new (to me) Pioneer SA-708 TX-608 combo.

    They look like a little set of Pioneer CS99s - nice walnut veneers, lattice grilles. They're heavy too. I polished them up and they look quite nice now. The 6bs are a two-way, 8" woofer and 3" tweeter. I have a set of recapped KLH Model 6s right now that I am meaning to do an A/B test with. My first impression of the Realistic speakers was that they were good in the mids and had some low end, but that perhaps the high end was a little muted. I also didn't get a clear soundstage from them I'm sure a recap would clear that up, and I read somewhere online that another Nova 6 owner found that one of his woofers was wired from the factory out of phase, which screwed up the soundstage. Since my speaker count has crept up as of late I'm not sure if I'll put the work into rewiring these - trying to sell them on right now. They would make a great basis for a frankenspeaker too - the cabinets are solid and you could probably find some interesting drivers to test out of the Parts Express catalog!
    cnh wrote: »
    Boy those DQs (a nice speaker sound-wise) sure look fugly without their grills! Better keep those drivers hidden.

    I know JBLs are not big on this site, I'm aware of what George and Mark are alluding to above. And to be honest, my favorites are really various '80s monitor versions with the pure titanium dome tweeter which I do think was a tech. move forward for them. And I have a set of those. But other than running those on tubes, I mostly listen to my vintage speakers.

    I've never heard a set of KLH 5s but I have 4 Nova 8s (which I gather are imitation 5s sitting in the dinning room of a friend down south-will pick those up eventually, probably only need two, sorry to hear mhardy give the 5s a meh!).

    But I have hooked up a pair of Nova 7Bs today. And I'm fairly pleased with their sound. Some of these classic Realistic attempted reproduction of KLH aren't bad! If I had a better camera I'd put up some pics! So here is a stock photo:

    cnh
    HT System:
    Marantz NR-1403
    Front: Klipsch CF-4
    Rear: Paradigm Atom V3
    Center: Boston Acoustic VR12
    Sub: Bowers & Wilkins ASW600

    2Ch:
    Restored Fisher 500C
    Yamaha P-500 Turntable

    Living Room:
    Harman Kardon 3380
    Restored Polk Monitor 7B

    Bedroom:
    Harman Kardon VR-3750
    Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble
    Polk PSW10

    In and out of rotation:
    KLH Model 6,
    Polk LSI7
    NAD 7100
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited October 2012
    I've done one of those pilots and had a Fisher like that on my bench last week(500c)
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited October 2012
    Have a Lafayette on the bench waiting for dexoit to come in.