I couldn't agree more.
If you can find a Marantz 2385B (or 2275), it's a good start. Beyond that, I'll let others make recommendations.
First Vintage System Recommendations
- Thread starter Zeego
- Start date
I couldn't agree more.
If you can find a Marantz 2385B (or 2275), it's a good start. Beyond that, I'll let others make recommendations.
frankxbe
Super Member
Reiterating JoeESP9's good advise who obviously knows of these things :
if Ur not capable of and equipped for repairing vintage gear at this point in it's time line usually a complete rebuild( by an increasingly hard to find competent technician with the experience and tribal knowledge to reliably service vintage gear ) rather than a gee it kinda works now refresh is the more likely outcome in a lot of cases and you can throw a lot of money at that or run into unobtanium world for some vintage parts or obtainable at more than the gear is worth .
Not to mention on vintage gear even after a bench service repairs are more frequent than not ,some re occurring . I have 3 vintage late 70's Pioneers ( not little ones either ) that have been like that in fact one just lost a channel well beyond Deoxit control cleaner .
You can get presumably reliable completely rebuilt as is practical vintage gear from the likes if NOS valves and some other members here but it won't be cheap !
Other than that...... Barter town right here lots good outcomes there but keep in mind vintage gear is like vintage cars that may at any time without warning have an affinity for repairs for example a decent frame off or rotisserie restoration on a vintage 70's car can top 100 G's and 50 Gs is on the low end for a
well kept barn or garage find .
if Ur not capable of and equipped for repairing vintage gear at this point in it's time line usually a complete rebuild( by an increasingly hard to find competent technician with the experience and tribal knowledge to reliably service vintage gear ) rather than a gee it kinda works now refresh is the more likely outcome in a lot of cases and you can throw a lot of money at that or run into unobtanium world for some vintage parts or obtainable at more than the gear is worth .
Not to mention on vintage gear even after a bench service repairs are more frequent than not ,some re occurring . I have 3 vintage late 70's Pioneers ( not little ones either ) that have been like that in fact one just lost a channel well beyond Deoxit control cleaner .
You can get presumably reliable completely rebuilt as is practical vintage gear from the likes if NOS valves and some other members here but it won't be cheap !
Other than that...... Barter town right here lots good outcomes there but keep in mind vintage gear is like vintage cars that may at any time without warning have an affinity for repairs for example a decent frame off or rotisserie restoration on a vintage 70's car can top 100 G's and 50 Gs is on the low end for a
well kept barn or garage find .
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sqlsavior
Lunatic Member
My repair experience with vintage has been mixed, with some old tube amps perhaps skewing the results unfavorably. An Apt-Holman preamp broke after being restored for $$$. OTOH, my old NAD 3020 integrated is still kicking, and I had (unrestored) a Hafler DH-110 preamp, a DH-220 power amp, and a Luxman C-1000 preamp deliver for years without any problems whatsoever, still going.
That Hafler pair might be worth consideration used - solves the phono preamp issue nicely too.
That Hafler pair might be worth consideration used - solves the phono preamp issue nicely too.
jhtstone
StarShine 10/23/2014
I'm a vintage lover with nothing newer than 15-20 years.
I too would be looking at the newer offerings. If you want to just turn on the system, perhaps use a remote, and enjoy the music with all the conveniences of modern technology, go new. You don't have to spend a ton of cash to get started and you can integrate so many different sources. You can always upgrade as time goes by.
My favorite units here are from the 60's-70's but not one of them is trouble free and without quirks. Nothing has been rebuilt which would require time and investment. I am in the vintage world because I do like the sound of what I have but I enjoy the interaction of the equipment. If you want something that does not stray your focus from just the music, start new.
Spent the time now to evaluate the condition of the record collection that you have acquired. If it is not in pristine condition and clean, you may be disappointed with investing to much from the start. Vinyl takes a commitment of time and money. It is worth it to those of us who enjoy the format.
I too would be looking at the newer offerings. If you want to just turn on the system, perhaps use a remote, and enjoy the music with all the conveniences of modern technology, go new. You don't have to spend a ton of cash to get started and you can integrate so many different sources. You can always upgrade as time goes by.
My favorite units here are from the 60's-70's but not one of them is trouble free and without quirks. Nothing has been rebuilt which would require time and investment. I am in the vintage world because I do like the sound of what I have but I enjoy the interaction of the equipment. If you want something that does not stray your focus from just the music, start new.
Spent the time now to evaluate the condition of the record collection that you have acquired. If it is not in pristine condition and clean, you may be disappointed with investing to much from the start. Vinyl takes a commitment of time and money. It is worth it to those of us who enjoy the format.
Brian
An Old Geezer
Everyone, please STOP. By knos if I were the OP I would go nuts. Tbink about your experience when you put together your first satisfying system. Throwing out names, model.#s, etc. Is really not helpful until he settles on what he wants in say of sound.
To the OP, figure out your total budget and features you want. If FM radio is important as well as phono, then yes a receiver may be right for you. If you do not care too much about fm then probably putting the money into an integrated amp is better. You can always buy a fm tuner later. Do not fixate on any amp or receiver other than think about which may be the better form for you.
Go around to the audio stores and listen to speakers of every make and type. If a sales person approaches, explain you are not buying anything, just looking. He will either walk away or bird dog you. If he bird dogs you, and gets in the way of listening, tell him to walk or the store may lose a sale.
Listen to bookshelf, floorstanding, desktop, dynamic drivers, electrostatics, emits, horns and anything else around. Do not worry or fixate on brands. What you are doing is educating yourself to the different types of voicing of speakers and what sounds good or bad.
You also, need.tl think about the environment you will be in. Next door neighbors? Maybe speakers that do not sound their best until they reach high volumes are likely a good choice. A 8,000 x 8,000 room likely will tKe a mini monitor off the list.
Over time you will, like most of us, will find several speakers you like, are in the budget, and fit the environment. Now, go listen to that type of speaker until you narrow the choice down to a couple. Now you are at point making the purchasing decision. Listen to each finalist, read reviews and listen even more. At some point one will win. If willing to buy used then visit friends and audition speakers for sale. There are a lot of great speakers made prior to today and if not abused with a set of new capacitors can last decades. I am currently looking at a set of used speakers, about the same age as some I have and kt looks like I will buy them. My "new" main speakers are some 50+ years old. I did crack them open and replaced the capacitors. Unless I do something stupid, I expect they are good for another 50. In a vintage system, the speakers can be the longest lasting component. While I might buy a new amp, I am much less likely to buy a new speaker.
With the speakers in hand, now is the time to think about the amp/receiver. You have some of the needed specs because you have the speakers. You also have a list of features you want do not want.
To the OP, figure out your total budget and features you want. If FM radio is important as well as phono, then yes a receiver may be right for you. If you do not care too much about fm then probably putting the money into an integrated amp is better. You can always buy a fm tuner later. Do not fixate on any amp or receiver other than think about which may be the better form for you.
Go around to the audio stores and listen to speakers of every make and type. If a sales person approaches, explain you are not buying anything, just looking. He will either walk away or bird dog you. If he bird dogs you, and gets in the way of listening, tell him to walk or the store may lose a sale.
Listen to bookshelf, floorstanding, desktop, dynamic drivers, electrostatics, emits, horns and anything else around. Do not worry or fixate on brands. What you are doing is educating yourself to the different types of voicing of speakers and what sounds good or bad.
You also, need.tl think about the environment you will be in. Next door neighbors? Maybe speakers that do not sound their best until they reach high volumes are likely a good choice. A 8,000 x 8,000 room likely will tKe a mini monitor off the list.
Over time you will, like most of us, will find several speakers you like, are in the budget, and fit the environment. Now, go listen to that type of speaker until you narrow the choice down to a couple. Now you are at point making the purchasing decision. Listen to each finalist, read reviews and listen even more. At some point one will win. If willing to buy used then visit friends and audition speakers for sale. There are a lot of great speakers made prior to today and if not abused with a set of new capacitors can last decades. I am currently looking at a set of used speakers, about the same age as some I have and kt looks like I will buy them. My "new" main speakers are some 50+ years old. I did crack them open and replaced the capacitors. Unless I do something stupid, I expect they are good for another 50. In a vintage system, the speakers can be the longest lasting component. While I might buy a new amp, I am much less likely to buy a new speaker.
With the speakers in hand, now is the time to think about the amp/receiver. You have some of the needed specs because you have the speakers. You also have a list of features you want do not want.
Reynolds531
Active Member
if i was going to get back into vinyl I would buy a U-Turn Orbit plus for $309. But i highly recommend that you play some of the albums you have on a decent system and see if you like the sound. If the albums have been played a lot, played when dirty, or played on a low end system you might be very disappointed with what you hear. Vinyl can sound great if albums are in pristine condition and if you are meticulous in keeping them that way. Old vinyl can, and usually does in my experience, sound much worse than CDs or high bit rate streaming.
but dont fret about it. you wont be out much if you buy a turntable, try it but don't like it, then sell the turntable.
ooba tooba
Super Member
I bought a Market 250 power amp, and 3300 preamp running with Dahlquist dq10's. My fellow bandmate says my system makes his new system sound like "poopy mud'. Go vintage, and separates. Using a Dual 1019 with a Shure cartidge
ooba tooba
Super Member
Marantz, not "Market"
TubeHiFiNut
Super Member
I do not automatically rebuild everything I purchase used and have not suffered any catastrophic failures.
I have purchases of used gear checked out by the local tech who I trust.
If there is an issue, we fix it. If not.....no need to fix it if it is not broken.
Seems to have worked for me for the last 40+ years or so.
YMMV.....
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crn3371
Well-Known Member
Hardly a fair comparison, unless your buddy has a comparable high end modern system. I had DQ-10's powered via Ampzilla back in the 70's and yes it sounded fantastic, but so do my modern RBH's powered by NAD. Nothing wrong with separates, but for a new user I'd recommend modern to avoid the headaches.
frankxbe
Super Member
Very good advise about Vynil it's whole different thing from CD and
ip streaming altogether and requires much more effort from the user well beyond pushing a CD onto a CDP .
Daunia 70
Lunatic Member
I'd go with a vintage integrated,something that sounds really incredible like a Pioneer SA-9900. This way you'll never feel the urge to upgrade as there just wouldn't be any point (unless you wanted to spend around 8K on a brand new hi-end integrated). Start of big and never look back!
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savatage1973
Addicted Member
IMHO, most (not ALL) modern gear has a much lower build quality than vintage gear--there is a reason that 40+ year old units are still around and commanding big $$$, and the flea markets and thrifts are loaded with relatively new AVR/HT receivers for $20.
Look around and listen to anything you can get your ears on--just remember that brand new audio gear depreciates faster than a new car leaving the parking lot.
Look around and listen to anything you can get your ears on--just remember that brand new audio gear depreciates faster than a new car leaving the parking lot.
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