Vintage Stereo Gear

**jackfish** · **01-18-07, 06:55 PM**

Ok, who is still seduced by vintage audio? There are quite a few followers of the 1970s classics. Double Large Advents anyone?

**Otto** · **01-18-07, 07:40 PM**

Well, I inherited my dad's Thorens turntable. Mom's gonna send it for my birthday, so I don't have it yet. Never been a vinyl guy, but looking forward to having some vintage around!

**geekwithfamily** · **01-18-07, 07:52 PM**

Wow, Otto, lucky turntable inheritance. I don't have any actual vintage gear, the closest I have is my Rogue Audio 99 Preamp, that has a "classic" tube sound according to reviews.

When I was a kid, my next door neighbor had an impressive system including a reel to reel tape machine.

**rcarlton** · **01-18-07, 08:33 PM**

Running a pair of McIntosh MC-250's and a MC-2100 downstairs. Upstairs I have a McIntosh MAC-1700 with valves a glowing running Cornwall's!

**reed.hannebaum** · **01-18-07, 10:37 PM**

jackfish,

Only single large Advents, 1978 vintage. Had the speakers refoamed a couple of years ago. They still sound great!

**01-18-07, 10:56 PM**

I'm still using a Hafler DH200 power amp for my two channel setup. I assembled several of these in the late 1970's and I even used one as a PA amp, and it was plenty tough enough to take it. The last Bryston I used made me wonder a little if it's time to move on, but I just haven't been able to give up the Hafler yet. I received this particular Hafler as a Christmas gift from my son Pupton a couple of years ago. Seems he remembered me spending all that time soldering on the kitchen table when he was a kid, and I didn't even think he noticed.

akitaboy

**F1 fan** · **01-18-07, 11:09 PM**

I was given a classic McIntosh MC240 several years ago but I ended up selling it.

**Sonnie** · **01-19-07, 12:06 AM**

I had the MC250, MC2505, and MX115 in my system back in 96.

http://www.snapbug.ws/sr1.htm

**jackfish** · **01-19-07, 02:10 PM**

The old Marantz, Sansui and Pioneer receivers were something to behold. My vintage system includes:
Dual 1245 turntable with an Shure M97xE cartridge
Harman Kardon TD4400 CD Transcription cassette deck
AKAI AT-2600 tuner
Oppo DV-970HD non-vintage for a digital source with an AudioDigit Tubalizer tube buffer stage between the Oppo and the preamp
Harman Kardon Citation 11 preamp - reconditioned
Two Phase Linear 400 Series I power amplifiers - reconditioned
Two pair U4 Large Advent stacked, each pair driven by one of the above amps

The Large Advents are the "new" version and have been refoamed and had component upgrades to the crossovers.

**reed.hannebaum** · **01-20-07, 09:31 PM**

Jackfish,

That sounds like a great vintage system. Show some pics if you have them. How do those stacked Advents sound? In the '70s I know they were the rage. When I bought my mine back then I could barely afford one pair let alone two. I also had a Pioneer SX-880 receiver (what a beauty that was) and a Technics SL-3350 turntable, and I thought I was in heaven. The receiver & turntable were lost in a divorce, but I still have the "new" Advents.

**F1 fan** · **01-21-07, 07:58 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

I had the MC250, MC2505, and MX115 in my system back in 96.

http://www.snapbug.ws/sr1.htm

Sonnie ,cool write up in Stereo Review.That was a serious HT system especially for the day.I bet 18" sub woofers were not very common although I think Snell produced one back then.The Snell B's,B minors and C's were all very good speakers.And of course the Mac stuff is built
to a very hi standard.

**BoomieMCT** · **01-22-07, 10:36 PM**

Add me to this list. I LOVE the heavy metal knobs and switches of vintage systems. I sadly had to retire my 1970's Kenwood reciever that I inherited from my father (not worth the expense of fixing). However, I still have some stuff going strong;

Adcom GFP-555 pre-amp and tuner
PsAudio number 2 amp
Advent 4002 "bookshelf" speakers (bookshelf - yeah right)

I may be picking up some Ess speakers of some sort from my brother shortly. I know nothing about them, or the brand for that matter.

**BoomieMCT** · **01-22-07, 10:39 PM**

Quote:

jackfish wrote:

Two pair U4 Large Advent stacked, each pair driven by one of the above amps

The Large Advents are the "new" version and have been refoamed and had component upgrades to the crossovers.

Aurgh! The Large Advents are the one Advent I'd rather have then my beloved 4002's! Feel my envy!

**Sonnie** · **01-22-07, 10:43 PM**

Thanks Fred... yeah... it was fun. Can you believe I had that sub crossed over at 35Hz? It only handled the extreme low end, but it literally shook the entire house. I never will forget moving that thing around underneath the house trying to get it in the right location so that it sounded best.

I actually miss my McIntosh gear. The Snell's were no doubt marvelous speakers too, although they did have some problems with their early models and surround rot only after a few years.

**Sonnie** · **01-22-07, 10:48 PM**

There are a lot of those Large Advents on ebay and I see some rebuild kits there as well...

**BoomieMCT** · **01-22-07, 10:51 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

There are a lot of those Large Advents on ebay and I see some rebuild kits there as well...

I'm too skeptical to buy them on ebay. Besides, shipping on ebay would probably kill me. The 4002's I have I got on Craigslist (so I was able to hear them / see them before buying). I always think it is funny how much I like my 4002's - yet I only paid $20 for the pair (reconditioned a year previous).

**jackfish** · **01-23-07, 02:47 PM**

For all things Advent: http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/d...topics&forum=5

For Large Advent replacement crossovers: http://www.classicloudspeakerservices.com/

The key to buying Large Advents on eBay is to ask alot of questions, particularly if they have been refoamed as if you buy them already competently refoamed you will save some money and hassle. Usually shipping could cost more than the speakers themselves, but if you can get refoamed New Advents in good condition for around $300 a pair (including shipping) it is probably worth it. I have five pairs and if I ever get a decent 5.1 preamp, there will be Large Advent surround!

**muse77** · **02-10-07, 09:31 PM**

I still have my Pioneer SX-950 with 85 watts of power. One channel doesn't like high frequencies. I also have Pioneer CS-711A speakers. I blew out the foam surrounds on the bass and replaced the tweeters so I'm not sure if these would count.

**jackfish** · **02-11-07, 08:48 PM**

Here is my system:

**tc-60guy** · **12-21-07, 09:33 PM**

Greetings all, I don't know if they are quite old enough to be classics yet,but my ten yr old Spica TC-60 speakers make sweet music. They have recently been given a kick in the pants with the addition of a SVS sb-12plus subwoofer! A nice combo indeed! I also have a 23 yr old Denon dp37 turntable which continues to serve me well.

**yourgrandma** · **12-22-07, 12:02 AM**

I don't own any, but I lust for some old Klipsch's. A budd has four Heresies and it's a sound I could get used to.

**rcarlton** · **12-22-07, 09:28 AM**

Quote:

yourgrandma wrote:

I don't own any, but I lust for some old Klipsch's. A budd has four Heresies and it's a sound I could get used to.

Klipsch are very addictive. Search Craigslist for local sales. Should find some nice examples. To blow away your buddy's Heresys try a pair of Cornwalls. You can pick them up for $500-800. Heresys would go for $300-500 depending on finish and condition.

**yourgrandma** · **12-22-07, 11:49 AM**

I have been scanning th 'list and I've seen a few pairs of heresies and one pair of cornwalls. I've never heard the Cornwalls, is it pretty much just MORE of that Klipsch sound, or what?

I've been contimplating a music only system in another room with some tube power and some way of receiving digital signal from my changer and SACD player.

Anyway, Ron, your setup is truly impressive, a Klipsch fan's dream. From what I've read, you have tha same speaker setup a a lot of movie theaters did until quite recently.

**Funkmonkey** · **01-29-08, 02:06 PM**

I have an old Marantz receiver still sitting in my parents basement, half way across the country. I saved it from going into the trash at a store that I used to work at when they switched to "muzak." They were going to chuck it because the FM tuner was starting to drift off channel. I think I was about 16yrs old when I grabbed it. I had it hooked up for a little while with my Dads old Advent speakers (not sure which model), and that sounded great. Kind of laid the foundation for my current obsession. Next time I drive back to my folks house (CA->MI) I am going to bring the Marantz and my old Technics turntable home with me, along with all the ELO, AC/DC, Van Halen, Doors, Clash, and Billy Idol LP's that reside with them....

**02-16-08, 04:44 PM**

Snell Acoustics Type A speakers.. the speakers that put Snell Acoustics on the map and designed by the late Peter Snell himself...

Just rebuilt them with new tweeter, midrange and woofers and recalibrated crossover networks.. Amazingly Snell Acoustics has replacement speakers for any system they have ever built and the speakers are all custom builds.

And to drive them a Crown DC-300A Power Amp

Vandersteen OL-1 moving coil head end preamp.. sounds great with a new Audio Research SP-17 just added to the system..

All the above are late '70s, early '80s vintage equipment, except the SP-17.

Advertisement