My brother was in the Navy in 1977 when he was in Japan he brought home a Pioneer stereo when he got back he traded that Pioneer receiver to a friend of his for a Triumph motorcycle my brother still has the Triumph motorcycle and his friends still has the Pioneer receiver after all these years
I bought a Pluto 2 phono preamp by U-Turn Audio for a little over $100. It's MM only and seems to be at the price point above the really cheap units and a good alternative to a Cambridge Audio. One selling point is that the Pluto 2 is designed and made in the USA. I don't really **need** a phono preamp as my 1970's receivers are each equipped internally, but it helps to simplify cables a little bit. I use RCA switches to connect 3 receivers with 2 pair of speakers and AUX inputs. Using a phono preamp turns the turntable into an AUX input instead of having it connected (and grounded) to only to one receiver. I have one RCA switch to select between 4 AUX inputs: 1streamer, phono, CD, or cassette, and another switch to choose which receiver AUX input to send to.
At this moment I'm listening to a 1965 "The Fisher" (definite article included) 500C tube receiver (a cousin of your beautiful gold-faced integrated), using a Soundsmith Otello (moving iron) cartridge in a new-ish Music Hall Classic turntable (nice vintage-looking wood veneer plinth) plugged into the receiver's built-in phono stage, which can handle low-output or high-output cartridges. If I remember correctly, it was built to accommodate ceramic cartridges, too, though I don't know what settings would have to be manually adjusted for that. I have another turntable (also new-ish but vintage-looking), a Fluance RT85, with a Hanna moving coil cartridge running through a Cambridge Audio duo phono preamp (I saw one among your insert photos), which you can easily switch for MM or MC cartridges and plug into the AUX or TUNER or TAPE inputs on vintage amps. They all sound swell. That "Mystery Photo" -- with the black faceplate, silver knobs, rectangular buttons and the white graphic boxes with round corners looks like it's trying to imitate the look of my McIntosh C28 pre-amp (1970-75). Compare and contrast!
I have an X-101-B I was given years ago. From first owners estate bought in 64. When I got it switches and pots needed cleaned but that was the extent of what I did to it before using in a second system with some decent little monitor speakers. Did not recap it, replace any tubes(tested OK), upgrade etc. Has a gorgeous midrange and imaging and thus is partial to some kinds of music more than others. Now it is in a closet. I thought of overhauling it but that is a big job and it is not in use right now.
It would have been a little ironic if you found a Sherwood unit. I very much like my X-101-B, it was fully recapped some time ago, but certainly worthy of the effort. A great winter project (hint, hint..).
This video was quite re-assuring to watch, as I have been doing very much the same thing. I have an Aikido Phono 1+ hooked up to my vintage gear. Even though, some of the early solid state amps can also handle MC, I appreciate the overall lower noise floor of a modern pre-amp, also for MM pickups.
Your accumulating quite the hoard of desirable pieces, nice! I just acquired a Music Hall pa2.2 phono pre, a pair of passive Jensen MC x-formers in a homebrew box and a small hoard of assorted carts ive yet to fully identify. I def saw two DL103's which is promising, but one needs a stylus. That Denon doesnt look like its a traditional style replacement however.
Just noticed the JVC TT, very very nice! Thats their top shelf Quartz lock DD if im not mistaken, that some claim to even rival the Denons of the period.
If you like mysteries, see if you can solve these; without looking it up. 1. What rock album did the absolute poorest in sales numbers % percentage wise, compared to the groups previous album with the same group name and same personnel. In other words, the most disappointing follow up album. The much better selling.album released right before it was not the groups debut album. 2. What group held the record for best seling guitar instrumental album for nearly 3 entire decades? They also did 2 Christmas albums (cds) & are two of my favorites around the holidays. Before cd came onto the scene, many preamps with phono stages had very advanced phono sections. Then phono became an afterthought, and the phono sections of preamps didn't have much effort or expense put into them usually; if they even gave you a phono section. Seperate box power supplies, circuit boards made of glass etc. were on the scene right before cd came out and stayed around a while; as cd players took a while to come down in price, and become popular with the masses. Phono is still a secondary consideration to most listeners; so who knows what quality you are going to get with a preamp's phono section nowadays. And not many stores set up, or in business where you can bring an lp in and find out either.
My brother was in the Navy in 1977 when he was in Japan he brought home a Pioneer stereo when he got back he traded that Pioneer receiver to a friend of his for a Triumph motorcycle my brother still has the Triumph motorcycle and his friends still has the Pioneer receiver after all these years
That Fisher tube amp is a beauty! Thanks for the great video Scott!
Thanks Aaron! She sounds as good as she looks! 🙂
Great video Scott. Love to see viewer systems also. So much fun. Take care
I bought a Pluto 2 phono preamp by U-Turn Audio for a little over $100. It's MM only and seems to be at the price point above the really cheap units and a good alternative to a Cambridge Audio. One selling point is that the Pluto 2 is designed and made in the USA. I don't really **need** a phono preamp as my 1970's receivers are each equipped internally, but it helps to simplify cables a little bit. I use RCA switches to connect 3 receivers with 2 pair of speakers and AUX inputs. Using a phono preamp turns the turntable into an AUX input instead of having it connected (and grounded) to only to one receiver. I have one RCA switch to select between 4 AUX inputs: 1streamer, phono, CD, or cassette, and another switch to choose which receiver AUX input to send to.
At this moment I'm listening to a 1965 "The Fisher" (definite article included) 500C tube receiver (a cousin of your beautiful gold-faced integrated), using a Soundsmith Otello (moving iron) cartridge in a new-ish Music Hall Classic turntable (nice vintage-looking wood veneer plinth) plugged into the receiver's built-in phono stage, which can handle low-output or high-output cartridges. If I remember correctly, it was built to accommodate ceramic cartridges, too, though I don't know what settings would have to be manually adjusted for that. I have another turntable (also new-ish but vintage-looking), a Fluance RT85, with a Hanna moving coil cartridge running through a Cambridge Audio duo phono preamp (I saw one among your insert photos), which you can easily switch for MM or MC cartridges and plug into the AUX or TUNER or TAPE inputs on vintage amps. They all sound swell.
That "Mystery Photo" -- with the black faceplate, silver knobs, rectangular buttons and the white graphic boxes with round corners looks like it's trying to imitate the look of my McIntosh C28 pre-amp (1970-75). Compare and contrast!
I have an X-101-B I was given years ago. From first owners estate bought in 64. When I got it switches and pots needed cleaned but that was the extent of what I did to it before using in a second system with some decent little monitor speakers. Did not recap it, replace any tubes(tested OK), upgrade etc. Has a gorgeous midrange and imaging and thus is partial to some kinds of music more than others. Now it is in a closet. I thought of overhauling it but that is a big job and it is not in use right now.
It would have been a little ironic if you found a Sherwood unit. I very much like my X-101-B, it was fully recapped some time ago, but certainly worthy of the effort. A great winter project (hint, hint..).
This video was quite re-assuring to watch, as I have been doing very much the same thing. I have an Aikido Phono 1+ hooked up to my vintage gear. Even though, some of the early solid state amps can also handle MC, I appreciate the overall lower noise floor of a modern pre-amp, also for MM pickups.
Your accumulating quite the hoard of desirable pieces, nice! I just acquired a Music Hall pa2.2 phono pre, a pair of passive Jensen MC x-formers in a homebrew box and a small hoard of assorted carts ive yet to fully identify. I def saw two DL103's which is promising, but one needs a stylus. That Denon doesnt look like its a traditional style replacement however.
Just noticed the JVC TT, very very nice! Thats their top shelf Quartz lock DD if im not mistaken, that some claim to even rival the Denons of the period.
If you like mysteries, see if you can solve these; without looking it up.
1. What rock album did the absolute poorest in sales numbers % percentage wise, compared to the groups previous album with the same group name and same personnel. In other words, the most disappointing follow up album. The much better selling.album released right before it was not the groups debut album.
2. What group held the record for best seling guitar instrumental album for nearly 3 entire decades? They also did 2 Christmas albums (cds) & are two of my favorites around the holidays.
Before cd came onto the scene, many preamps with phono stages had very advanced phono sections. Then phono became an afterthought, and the phono sections of preamps didn't have much effort or expense put into them usually; if they even gave you a phono section. Seperate box power supplies, circuit boards made of glass etc. were on the scene right before cd came out and stayed around a while; as cd players took a while to come down in price, and become popular with the masses. Phono is still a secondary consideration to most listeners; so who knows what quality you are going to get with a preamp's phono section nowadays. And not many stores set up, or in business where you can bring an lp in and find out either.