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I'm guessing the rack mount end pieces come with the handle kit? Agreed, it wouldn't look as good without.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
By the way, I keep meaning to ask in case anyone knows - I'm on a few Facebook pages for audio gear, and it seems that Americans are a bit obsessed with vintage receivers like this + Marantz, Pioneer etc. from back in the day - it seems to be receivers specifically, hardly any real interest in standalone integrated amps. Was that always a thing in the US?
Yes - they liked their receivers (and their pre-powers) but not so much integrated amps. Maybe since they had so many AM and FM stations back in the day? Loads more than we did. And out there you could be living 250 miles from the nearest record shop so you needed a tuner for a bit of variety if nothing else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
Also which you probably know, they had The Receiver Wars which was a bit like The Clone Wars only with receivers. More here https://thevintagehifishack.com/the-...ars-1974-1979/
That makes sense - also, I guess backlit tuning scales, signal/alignment meters, plus VU meters and an awful lot of switches and knobs = hifi porn!
As a youngster I was always torn between the 'porno' Japanese hi-fi and the minimalist British kit. Liked the look of the former, but the mags all said that minimalist had better sound. Not that I could afford anything much of either I was reduced to whatever was on offer in the local paper's classifieds.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex_UK
Don't know which I would have gone for if I'd had the money back then. I mean, something like this is hard to resist:
https://i.ibb.co/FbWGgskt/5416556-fb...a-receiver.jpg
Yes, that’s a cracker, would have to be full on “Razzle” for me!
Nah - I always preferred the 'minimalist' look of the Quad Series 3 gear, or the sexy low-profile look of the Cambridge P series amplifiers and matching T55 tuner.
Canbridge P series appealed to me also.
Cambridge stuff above looks to 'industrial' for my taste.
Was never into receivers myself, always preferred separate tuners and amps.
Sony 'Precise' series, 1980:
https://i.ibb.co/twfKCZ1j/R-1.jpg
Retrospective review of the turntable here - https://www.hifinews.com/content/sony-ps-p7x-turntable
TL/DR - it's good.
I would find the lid of the turntable very annoying. Otherwise the rest of the kit is not bad looking, but I have no idea of the sound quality.
The whole lid lifts up not just that perspex bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
And your records would be grateful for that :) I think it looks great - but it would have to be the whole thing, just add some age-appropriate speakers and you're done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
I realise that, otherwise you wouldn't be able to place a record on the turntable. It's the partial plastic part of the lid that annoys me: why doesn't it extend to cover the whole of the lid? Just showing where on the record the pickup is not that helpful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
Anyway, I believe when playing records it is best to leave the lid up, or removed.
Yes I never left the lid on any deck I had. Only re-attach it if the deck's going into storage. But on that Sony it's part of the styling.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
Nikko Alpha III and Beta 30 pre-amp
https://i.ibb.co/HLfcYx9Z/2175616-be...eamplifier.jpg
Power output: 80 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.008%
Damping factor: 80
Year - 1977 to 1980
Nikko - now that is a name from the past. And from a period where most Japanese audio gear was silver in finish.
I like the look of the kit, but again I'm sure I would find those LED power level indicators 'dancing up and down' even more of a distraction than meters. :sofa:
Where are you getting your pics Martin? Ebay? And how come my Ebay pics don't show on your laptop? One of life's great mysteries, like UFO sightings, and Taylor Swift's popularity.
Mostly from Bing images.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Ah, right. Never tried that.
Found a review of this amp and its pre-amp in the 1987 'Hi-Fi Choice' buying guide:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macca
https://i.ibb.co/cKsMnBYg/Screenshot...-23-222426.png
Older readers will recall that, in those days, despite their superior build quality and measured performance compared to the British kit it was illegal for a UK hi-fi magazine to give a Japanese amp a clean bill of health - as we see from the listening notes:
https://i.ibb.co/zHJYSVcj/Screenshot...-23-222543.png
That looks like a proper beast, and those orange meters look proper 80s, good luck with your search. One question though: why not the 100V versions? I know I would be ignoring them, but I'm not sure why. Maybe I just wouldn't fancy add-on boxes to make the thing work.
Too much messing about just to get orange VUs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony
Got a feeling I saw that Sansui component series at a Hi-Fi show back then. I may even have the original manufacture brochure tucked away.
That would be nice - if it included a picture Martin could sellotape it to the front of his Krell. Upgrades don't come any cheaper than that. I'm sure Peter Belt will have tried that at some point.Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis