Vintage Technics website

[Marco]

Have a look at all the goodies we largely missed in the UK, due to a ridiculous 'Jap crap' bias: http://www.vintagetechnics.co.uk/menu.htm

Loudspeakers especially! :eek:

Would love to have heard these: http://www.vintagetechnics.co.uk/loudspeakers/sb10000.htm and these: http://www.vintagetechnics.co.uk/loudspeakers/sb7000a.htm

But of course, none of it could 'play the tune', in comparison with a pair of Linn Kans......! :doh:

Marco.

[RobbieGong]

Gosh !! those speakers :stalks: . Imagine having the room, appropriate supporting kit and power to drive those properly :)

BTW - I love Japanese kit, maybe we should have an area dedicated to such gear - the best of it all Sansui, Sony, Technics, Pioneer, Kenwood/Trio, Yamaha and so on - some killer stuf amongst that lot ! Oh and piccies of members kit too - that would be great !

[walpurgis]

Some of the more obscure 'prestige' Japanese Hi-Fi from the seventies and eighties made its way here in very limited quantities. The same applies to 'High End' American gear from the time. Often, a word with the importer would result in specific items being shipped in as one offs. At a premium though! The real problem back then was getting stuff that was truly UK mains compatible. Obviously that does not apply to speakers and cartridges.

[Marco]

Some of the more obscure 'prestige' Japanese Hi-Fi from the seventies and eighties made its way here in very limited quantities.


That's the stuff I love, and yes you did see some of it, but not in anywhere near the proper quantities. The mags, back then, were so anti Japanese hi-fi that they succeeded in brainwashing British audiophiles against it.

It's the truly innovative (especially for then) speakers, amps and turntables I'd like to have seen stocked in more UK hi-fi shops, because I think that the best of it (not just from Technics) would've pissed all over much of the Brit-Fi and 'Flat Earth' bollocks, back then!

Pioneer PL-71 versus a Linn LP12, anyone? ;)

Marco.

[PaulStewart]

As someone who worked for a company making superb high end kit in the 70s and 80s, I can't tell you how soul destroying it was to know that the kit we had seen in Tokyo could not come here. Firstly we had the flat earth mentality of the UK high fi press. They thought it had to be wobbly TTs driven by elastic bands, and fairly underpowered amps driving heavy bextrene cones etc.

So if you shipped in the kit, got a reviewer to listen, they would damn with faint praise, say good but not Isobariks, no they weren't, they were way better. The first Japanese speaker used as a domestic reference in a UK studio was the Zero 5 from JVC, Roundhouse studios, which belonged to Bronze Records, asked to borrow a pair for a day to evaluate. When I went to pick them up they next day, they just handed me a cheque. Don't get me started on things like the EX66 DC studio monitors, the FB10 folded horns etc. Then the first example of everything you shipped in had to go to BEAB for safety certification, this would involve the destruction of the unit, even if it passed, the rule was it had to be destroyed. How many high end TT models can you bring over, when you know the first will be destroyed and you may only sell one or two, as it's not an LP12?

Pound for Pound the Japanese Hi-Fi industry put way more into the UK economy, than the home grown cottage industry level, made some superb products, and yet were killed of by the mags that they supported by advertising in them.

Sorry, rant over, touched a raw nerve

[RobbieGong]

As someone who worked fo a company making superb high end kit in the 70s and 80s, I can't tell you how soul destroying it was to know that the kit we had seen in Tokyo could not come here. Firstly we had the flat earth mentality of the UK high fi press. They thought it had to be wobbly TTs driven by elastic bands, and faily underpowered amps driving heavy be drene cones etc.

So if you shipped in the kit, got a reviewer to listen, they would damn with faint praise, say good but not Isobariks, no they wern't, they were way better. The first Jap soeaker used as a domestic reference in a UK studio was the Zero 5 from JVC, Roundhouse studios, which belonged to Bronze Records, asked to borrow a pair for a day to evaluate. When I went to pick them up they next day, they just handed me a cheque. Don't get me started on things like the EX66 DC studio monitors, the FB10 folded horns etc. Then the first example of everything you shipped in had to go to BEAB for saftey certification, this would invovle the destruction of the unit, even if it passed, the rule was it had to be destroyed. How msny high end tt models can you bring over, when you know the fisrt will be destroyed and you may only sell one or two, as it's not an LP12?

Pound for Pound the Jap hifi industry put way more into the UK economy, than the home grown cottage indutry level, made some duperb products, and yet were killed of by the mags that they supported by advertising in them.

Sorry, rant over, touched a raw nerve

Very insightful Paul - thanks.

[Marco]

As someone who worked fo a company making superb high end kit in the 70s and 80s, I can't tell you how soul destroying it was to know that the kit we had seen in Tokyo could not come here. Firstly we had the flat earth mentality of the UK high fi press. They thought it had to be wobbly TTs driven by elastic bands, and faily underpowered amps driving heavy be drene cones etc.

So if you shipped in the kit, got a reviewer to listen, they would damn with faint praise, say good but not Isobariks, no they wern't, they were way better. The first Jap soeaker used as a domestic reference in a UK studio was the Zero 5 from JVC, Roundhouse studios, which belonged to Bronze Records, asked to borrow a pair for a day to evaluate. When I went to pick them up they next day, they just handed me a cheque. Don't get me started on things like the EX66 DC studio monitors, the FB10 folded horns etc. Then the first example of everything you shipped in had to go to BEAB for saftey certification, this would invovle the destruction of the unit, even if it passed, the rule was it had to be destroyed. How msny high end tt models can you bring over, when you know the fisrt will be destroyed and you may only sell one or two, as it's not an LP12?

Pound for Pound the Jap hifi industry put way more into the UK economy, than the home grown cottage indutry level, made some duperb products, and yet were killed of by the mags that they supported by advertising in them.

Sorry, rant over, touched a raw nerve

Yup, mate, well said (even allowing for the typos! ;))

If only the Internet (and forums such as this) existed back then, things would've been very different indeed!! :trust:

Marco.

[PaulStewart]

Yup, mate, well said (even allowing for the typos! ;))

Fat fingers and an iPhone :lol:


If only the Internet (and forums such as this) existed back then, things would've been very different indeed!! :trust:

Marco.

Too true, I remember some of the great kit and the craftsmen who assembled it, and we could not give the stuff away, 'cos of the UK Hi-Fi press.

[PaulStewart]

Anyway, what typos :laugh:

[Marco]

Lol....


Too true, I remember some of the great kit and the craftsmen who assembled it, and we could not give the stuff away, 'cos of the UK Hi-Fi press.

Well, if AoS had been around, we'd have taken them on and shown up their blinkered bias for what it was! :exactly:

Marco.

[Stratmangler]

Anyway, what typos :laugh:

It was more comical with the typos :D

[tommy6206]

The speakers are on my wish list.Don't think I will ever be in a position to afford them tho.As for the other great kit from Technics top end pro range I got when epay prices were sensible. It looks and sounds superb.

[Saber]

Omg. I have a baby pair of the technics speakers the SB-3500 but those SB-7000A wow I would love to hear those.