Were 'vintage 'components ever any good?

[purite audio]

He used a Monaco direct drive at this years CES, with Cessaro Alpha's rather than Avalon speakers.

[pure sound]

the speakers I can understand but I'm not surprised that he didn't bother shipping over the Nakamichi if a modern equivalent (of sorts) was already available to use in the US. It makes sense, provided you like it of course, to use stuff that can actually be bought when doing a show.

[purite audio]

I didn't hear the Monaco, Ralph said it was ok! Telefunken M15 is the way to go apparently!

[Marco]

Hi Marco,

The original Sp10 was not very good because of it's poorer speed regulation. The most popular is the SP10 MkII. As a complete turntable it is known as the Technics SL 1000 (Sp10 MkII, Obsidian plinth, SH 10B3 power supply, EPA 100 tonearm and separate wired remote control). In 1971 the Technics SL1000 cost the same as a Ford Granada Ghia, so you can surmise that would equate to between ten to fifteen grand of todays dosh.

My Sl1000 was a little bit bashed and had problems with the bearings in the EPA 100 tonearm, I still sold it three years ago for £700 and immediately regretted letting it go. I would like to get another one and found an excellent example here http://www.hificlassic.dk/?t=gallery&f=gallery&id=13 I would buy it in a heartbeat if I had 2999 euro to spare.

The best was the technics SP10 MkIII but they were only made for the Asian audio nutters in the eastern market and I have never seen one. Apparenly they still command nutty prices today.

And........ if you want to get super nutty in the Japanese completely OTT overengineering stakes check out the Nakamichi TX1000 self centering turntable which finds and corrects the absolute center of the record before playing it. See here http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/nakamichi_eng.html Released in the late seventies it cost over one million yen (no idea what that would be today but bloody expensive is a good assumption).

It is sad to think that we will never see dedication like this again in big companies like National Panasonic. Now they sell us Mp3 players? I worry about the future of music.

PS..... Did you ever do that writeup on the CX pre?

Regards, Matt.

Hi Matt,

Sorry I've just noticed this post! I'll reply in detail tomorrow. I've not done a full write-up yet but have mentioned the effect of the modifications in the thread "My session at the Toyster's".

Catch you later

Marco.

[MartinT]

As with many things, you have to pick and choose. For instance, the Leak Stereo 20 is a stunning amplifier that can hold its head up high in any company. The Leak preamps, on the other hand, are not worth bothering with. The same goes with the Radfords like the STA25.

Many of us are running Technics SL-1210 turntables. Can they now be classed as vintage?

[DSJR]

I'm not sure as they're still in production... SP10 possibly...

[Barry]

Have only just been made aware of the this thread (courtesy of TGW's 'From the Grave' service). 'Were vintage components any good?' Well I think so; my system is virtually 100% vintage:

Quad 57 electrostatic speakers,

Quad 33/303 and 44/405 amps (the latter modified) as well as some Quad 50E monoblocks,

EMT 930 deck with 929 arm and TSD15 cartridge
Thorens TD124/II decks fitted with any of the following arms:

SME 3009/S2, SME 3012/S2, SME 3009(Imp) fixed headshell, SME 3009(Imp)/S2,
Breuer Dynamic 5A arm,
Audio & Design M9BA mercury contact unipivot arm,
Decca ffss Mk I 'Super' arm,
Infinity 'Black Widow' arm.

Cartridges:
EMT XSD15, Ortofon SL15E and SL15 Mk II, ADC 25, 26 and 10E Mk IV, Decca Mk V (Blue) and Mk VI (Gold). The most recent is a Denon DL103, however the design for that dates back to 1962.

Tuners:
Leak 'Troughline' Mk III, Quad FM3 and FM4. Quad AM3 and AM1 (the latter design goes back to 1954).

Tape Decks:
Ferrograph 632, reel to reel (< 1968), Nagra IV-S (early sn. so probably ~ 1972).

So all of it at least 25 years old and some of it 40 years old. And I'm still on the look out for other vintage stuff: Radford and Lowther valve amplifiers and the early Electrocompaniet solid state amp, plus B&O and AKG cartridges!

Regards

[Marco]

Hi Martin,

As with many things, you have to pick and choose. For instance, the Leak Stereo 20 is a stunning amplifier that can hold its head up high in any company. The Leak preamps, on the other hand, are not worth bothering with.

I completely agree.

Preamps, in my experience, are one of the only areas of vintage hi-fi where one rarely finds something truly excellent without the need for carrying out major modifications - at least equipment intrinsically capable of outperforming its modern counterparts, like is the case for example with certain valve power amps you've mentioned, or speakers

Marco.

[DSJR]

Got to add the Spendor BC1's, which set long term standards for box speakers. Thank God Harbeth have taken the legacy forwards with ALL of their models, where it seems Spendor are keeping afloat with the classic models which haven't had a significant revamp in 20 years or more (tinkering doesn't count), and a new range which I understand is good but more profit laden than the previous SE series judging by the appearance...