Vintage High end vs. modern
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2017
- How do the audio products of the 60s, 70s, and 80s stack up against high-end audio products of today? And check out our newest TH-cam channel / @octaverecordsanddsdst... Octave Records.
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I absolutely love my vintage stereo equipment I've bought in 1980. Sansui 9000, Nakamichi 660zx, Dual 606 turntable and wharfedale E90 speakers. Luckily I kept them all stored in my basement as I have switched to home theater system with some of the newest digital equipment few years back. Recently I hooked up my old vintage equipment as I wanted to convert the basement into a music room. I couldn't believe how good the old system sounds compare to my home theater system. There's no doubt the vintage stuff sounds so good in comparison to new digital stuff. I am so happy I kept them. Love listening to them!
I always say that an old television doesn't hold up or computers that are a few years old can't compete with new computers, but a good sounding stereo will always sound good.
You always say that? Like.. even during sex?
I would argue the point regarding the TV. The TV we had as a kid was a floor model that sat in the living room for over 25 years. It had been my Grandmothers before we got it. The next TV was a Zenith that was bought in the mid 80's and got replaced somewhere around 2010-2012. The Samsung that replaced it farted out about a year ago. I personally think the newer stuff is built to be disposable.
@@mrdeedles69 That is called "planned obsolescence".
MeatPopsycle 2
@@CarAudioInc You win this comment section.
Still running my 1978 stereo rig. JBL L100 speakers, Sansui receiver, Phillips 212 turntable, Stanton EEE+ cartridge, Akai 7" reel to reel.
Had a pair of L100's the originals and not the Japanese ones and I can say, they were amazing...I still remember going as a kid listening to the all the Big JBL systems and being wowed by their sound. Ironically their home systems became smaller as their production got taken over by Asian markets. The original US production ended up becoming their pro linup and used in studios instead of by the average home user sadly. I guess, the cost of living took its toll for some.
Used to have that good o' EEE cart years ago, sweet.
I am also still running my stereo of 1978: Sony TA-2650 amplifier, Sony ST-2950F tuner, Philips Electronic 312 belt-drive turntable, National Panasonic SB-39 speakers. Akai GX-630D tape deck was once the main source, but it's replaced with a laptop running foobar2000 to play flac files from a NAS.
Hi Audiophiles,
I am from Pakistan and my system consist of Marantz Pm-94 (Beast of it’s time and 145 watts per channel still worth it with mosfets) with JBL XPL 200 connected with marantz CD-5200 with Marantz power amp SG-7.
And you know what? I am more than happy and satified with my system as it sounds far more great than today’s little bookshelvs. I am not a big fan of bookshelf as I grew up with the japanease companies like Kenwood, Sansui (Marantz of it’s time), Technics, Denon, Harmon kardon, Sony etc.
I also have SONY TA-f777 esa and it sounds fantastic.
Now what I have learned over the time that vintage speakers and moderen amplification has lethal combination if setup properly.
Thanks!
I very much appreciate the way you answer the questons. Great Vlog.. I always enjoy to watch them
Love the sound and smell of vintage tube amps
Still loving my 30 year-old Krell Class A amps with magneplanar electrostatic speakers
I doubt there is anything out there that would show a significant improvement today other than the source could be a PC now and the DAC can be transparent for very little cost.
Obviously you could get better efficiency but seriously, who cares 😆
I bet it sounds fantastic!
Magneplanar electrostatic ? There are no such speakers.
Paul.....you are one man with one opinion. Having said that, you are one of the MOST informative and interesting persons to listen to about Stereo equipment, etc. You explain a multitude of subjects so well, with such openly subjective points of view, yet , informed and non judgmental. Thank you for this TH-cam channel...keep up the great work. ( p.s. love PS Audio products, even though they are way above my price range.) I still love and use my vintage equipment (ESS AMT1A's, and a Hafler DH-500 Amp)
Perception of music isn't only determined by fidelity. Even having a physical product instead of a digital file can make it feel special as can the process of handling or caring for the medium. The imperfections can sometimes add to the organic feel to the music. Too much science can lead to sterility.
One of the most notable differences I see between now and then is the quality of the components. For example many 1980 audio electronics used top of the line switches and controls, which were smooth, solid, precise and provided an unforgettable tactile feedback unmatched by todays plastic world.
Additional note of interest would be comparing modern turntables to those sold at the height of the vinyl era. With the exception of a few very high priced units, very little today has the quality or accuracy of a 1980s (~$500) TT. What once was a massively competitive market with deep R&D pockets, has give way to a niche few struggling for a modest profit.
A 500 dollar TT in the 80s would be like a 2 grand deck today and today's decks and cartridges are much better. I like vintage gear too and have 4 different setups but I dont kid myself about which rig is superior however what people enjoy to listen to is completely subjective and personal so to each their own.
I was lucky enough to turn a dedicated hobby (audiophile) into a business for 13 years. I loved owning and being able to select some of the very best brands available in the 70's and 80's. I was one of the first Acoustat dealers (Paul also owned the 2+2 Acoustat electrostatic speakers), and my first purchase from them were the Acoustat Monitor 4 speakers. It was at first with the direct drive amps, and then upgraded to the MK121 interfaces (then highly modified later by former Acoustat engineers). I still own these speakers, never a problem and they are still remarkable. I still read most underground mags, and still listen to other high end products, but still believe that for the money back then, very few products can hold a candle to my speakers. I have a bi-amped system, with a kind of current Bascom King amp (Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000 tube front end, with MOSFET outputs, running the electrostatic panels, with a ARC D150 running twin subs, with a highly modified Dahlquist electronic crossover. My current preamp is tube, and my CD player is also tube output. I also listen to many vinyl albums, and love my system. My thought is that current semi/hi end products require very high technology and investment, but cannot understand how today's products can demand hundreds of thousands of dollars just for the speakers or even the turntable/tonearm/cartridge combo. If you know music, I feel that if you know the great products of those times, you can purchase an amazing musical system for a significant savings over just one of the state of the art products of today. I have owned many ARC products, and as mentioned was able to sell and evaluate many of those products from that time, and still feel that a pair of say Acoustat or Dahlquist DQ10's or quads can match the musical enjoyment of some of the most expensive products of today audiophile world. Love Pauls sight, and as fellow audiophiles, we love the sound and enjoy the experience more when we find that product that proves the test of time. Just like any of the PS Audio products along with many great products over these past 40 years. Thanks Paul for this sight, keep up the great work.
I`ve a 25 year old Linn LP12 playing through Tannoy speakers..20 years old and amplified through an Audiolab 8000A pre and power amp, about 30 years old. combined age, just past 100 years and it all sounds as sweet, neutral and clear as when I first put the system together. Of course various items have been cleaned and serviced...especially the Linn deck but I see no reason to doubt that with another combined 100 years it`ll still sound much the same. Quality engineering is an important part of HI Fi.
I have a pair of Tannoys I use and even my son who listens to a lot of music, says, wow, they sure seem to bring more life to the sound no matter what music we play on it. I do run sub with them as I do not want to work them to hard. I have an old 60's Garrard 301 transcription turntable and my SME tonearm II I plan to restore as well. Both the speakers and turntable I inherited from my dad. I can honestly say some things were just built right even back then.
20 years is yesterday
That's really a fantastic answer, and undoubtedly honest. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I so wish I could afford your products. Tony in Sweden
Still love my Epicure EPI 200C speakers. Only reason I upgraded my receiver/amp was for HDMI. But the Kenwood amp even at 28 years old was just as good as the new one. Value is buying quality once instead of junk repeatedly.
That was a great non-answer. Love this series of answering questions.
Boulder...what a beautiful city. I love your videos but my favorite part is the closing music with the shots from atop your building lookin g toward the mountains.
JBL 4430, Klipschorns, QuickSilver preamp, and Crown K
never fail me
I wouldn't say my system high end but i just added a QUAD 606 power amp, it's old as the hills and it has made me do nothing but smile at its sheer ability to deliver the music i listen to, very very well :)
It seems that most of the technology was much simpler back then, they used large transformers, and point to point wiring inside their amps. Today many use the same technology but they've added circuit boards etc... Less is more in my book.
Thanks for the video, Paul, very informative. I love those IRS V's. I think the Infinity technology is timeless, some of the greatest speakers ever made.
I have just bought an Exposure XV made in 1991 and I love it, because its very musical.If your listening to your hifi your not listening to the music.
I could listen to this guy all day
Better does not make "good" bad.
???
I have one of those Rabco SL-8E tone arms installed on a Thorens TD-125 turntable. My system is 1970s Marantz Preamp, Power amp and Tuner. Revox A-77 Tape Recorder with external Advent 100A Dolby unit. Acoustic Research AR-3a speakers. One of the newer units is a Sony CD player from 1985. Everything still works great.
Equipment has gotten a lot more reliable!! I can't tell you how many expensive components I got tired of repairing.
YES, they do! My father left me a vintage FISHER 500C tubed receiver/amp, circa 1964. Still has the original Telefunken tubes too. I hooked it up to my vintage Polk Audio Monitor 10B's and my Magnepan MG/12QR's, and I was blown away!
I totally agree with you~ Circa 1964 800-C (near mint from a console / MMG-lll
Totally agree with your view on musical satisfaction as I found myself totally pleased with the sound of my old equipments being a vintage sound aficionado enjoying Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, Luxman, Macintosh...receivers. Their sound if I'm not in the mood for purity and detail and want to spend an afternoon listening to good music and reading a book for instance it's perfect. On the other hand if I want to be focused on listening the most accurate sound and image as if I'd be in the studio with the musicians, being able to distinguish the different instruments, scales and tempos, I certainly must make use of the most recent beauties, that's at least how I feel about it. Thanks for the video.
An LP Album in 1974, was a precious thing. $4.99 was a lot to spend. My parents, in 1973 at age 14 bought me a Panasonic combo stereo with turntable, integrated amp system, FM/AM tuner and the “pièce de résistance”...an 8-Track Tape Player (little known fact - the 8-Track tape system was invented/developed/popularized by William Lear of Lear Jet Fame).My mother, who was very supportive of me as a musician...Piano, Trumpet, Organ and Voice...was also a poor child of the Great Depression. She used to tell me not to waste my meager earnings on music albums. That was always a bit of cognitive dissonance for me. I could buy maybe one or two a month ($2/hour minimum wage). At that rate, I didn’t just buy whatever Album was the hottest thing that week. I planned what I would buy, and certainly appreciated it more. But I loved listening to music on that system. I saved my money and bought a Marantz, JBL, Technics system when I went off to college in 1976. That was it until 1988, when I got a real job. Spent more money on much better amps and shittier speakers. Live and learn.
As far as the beauty of imperfection. I’ve always tried to show it to people by playing “Zorba the Greek” by Herb Alpert and the TJB. One of my Dad’s records from 1965. 6-7 years old for me. Later, my Dad couldn’t understand why I didn’t want to play drums. Look at the cover of “Whipped Cream and Other Delights” 1965. “South of the Border” 1964 and “What Now My Love” 1966. And tell me you wouldn’t want to play Trumpet instead of drums. Sidetracked again. Sorry. In “Zorba the Greek” there are difficult triple tongued Trumpet melodies, percussion and bass. A huge break where the song is started over very, very, slowly and gradually sped up. The timing amongst the Trumpets, Percussion and Bass is Way Off. But that IS the reason the song is incredibly wonderful and charming to listen to. It sounds like real life. It’s Hi-Fi for 1965 which is saying a lot because Stereo hadn’t been around commonly for that long. Playing the Trumpet (and Piano) were the greatest things for my Grade School through College Years. Instant friends no matter were we moved. And we moved a lot.
I still have my pair of modified New York Audio Labs Moscode 300 hybrid amps running active bi amped into my Linn KANS with my Audio Research LS-2 preamp. Love it.
At this very moment I'm doing some refreshing of the two sets of Infinity RSIIIa's from the mid 80's I've owned for decades. New grills and foam around the mids and Emits, new ribbons for the Emits, new pots for the crossovers. Have had a lot of equipment over the years. I even have a rack stereo in my garage that's used as a garage (man can you pick up some nice older stuff cheap on eBay these days). Nothing can fill a room with sound like them. The real issue is you have to give them room to breath. Up to tight against them and they tone zone out (high, mids or bass overwhelm depending on how high your ears are).
Hey good one, Paul. I just spun Cheap Trick at Budokan cd last night. It sounded nasty on my regular avr settings. In desperation, I switched on my concert filter and that cleaned the sound right up. Like the filter knew what to damp down: audience noise etc and what to bring up to make the recording shine. I will try it now on all my live in concert cds and see if I get the same effect. It's nice to have that option. So that seems like an improvement from the old days.
my neighbor had the IRS 5 with a ARC SP 10 and Amplifiers. all analog playback. best system i heard in 1986
AMAZING!
Still loving my mix of 1st and 2nd Gen Infinity Modulus 90 satellites from the early 90s. Wish I still had my Krell KSA-100S.
I have a pair of Tannoys I use and even my son who listens to a lot of music, says, wow, they sure seem to bring more life to the sound no matter what music we play on it. I do run sub with them as I do not want to work them to hard. I have an old 60's Garrard 301 transcription turntable and my SME tonearm II I plan to restore as well. Both the speakers and turntable I inherited from my dad. I can honestly say some things were just built right even back then.
Late 1970's to early 1990's is when the best stereo equipment was made.
Solid and industrial built, made to last a lifetime!
I still have my 1990 Technics and love it
Simply put - music enjoyment is a human emotion, and therefore can't be blindly assigned to components. I fell in love with music as a young kid. I had a mono record player that was in a fold out case (speaker in the lid). My memories of listening on that box are one of wonder, and pure enjoyment. From an equipment perspective, there was nothing good to say about it.
Honesty is a virtue. Here's a man that is at the professor PHd level of knowledge and owns his own audio company and he says what he did about another companies speakers. Honesty and he is very humble.
I think speaker wise, there has been progress in specific types of drivers, and cabinet design that has allowed us to get a bigger sound out of a smaller package. Now I am a poor man Audiophile. Right now Micca MB45's are my reference. But I have pilfered some drivers from an aged pair of Athena's. And am hoping to build a furniture quality set of towers that sound as good as they look. As long as my hands can make what I envision.
I think where things have progressed tremendously is in amplification. Although you pay for good amplifiers. I have an entry-mid level Yamaha Advantage receiver that has really impressed me. Although I am partial to old Technics receivers, my old SAGX290 couldn't touch this.
I think though, the music industry as a whole has stopped producing high quality products in order to make high profits. Case in point. A guitar used to be played through an amp at a studio, recorded with a microphone. The colored sound was thinned out (compressed) and mixed with other live recordings to create a track. Now, the guitar is played into a board, which compresses an uncolored signal that to me sounds dead, makes the track play harsh at about 2.5k htz. Then they take the CD quality recording and compress it almost 4 times smaller and call hi-def.
In other words they sold us shit on a stick. MP3 was the death of rock & roll.
Take my old equipment anyday. But we all hear music differently so long as we enjoy good music fck it , let's jam ! Love you Paul.
good video. Satisfaction? My amp and speakers from 1967 england and I love the sound and look Speakers from the rubbish tip!! Kef Concertos.
your perspective i find interesting. i'm running old equipment from the 90's (power amplifiers) that is not on the same level as what you are talking about, but they still sound good to me. my speakers aren't the latest incarnation of the klipsch heritage line, but again they still sound great to me. from an affordability position i'm pretty much priced out of the latest and greatest, but the equipment i have is still light years above what i consider the "consumer level" which i define as was BEST BUY would carry on their shelf. even magnolia at best buy would have to special order anything coming close what i have as its a notch or 2 above what they try to sell to the general public.
i went to a very high end audio shop recently and talked to the sales rep. he said everything i have is "OLD" and outdated. i responded that it still sounds good to me. they actually had speakers that were $75 grand a pair LOL. wow! in that store you could easily spend over half a million dollars on a high end sound system and that wouldn't even cover the installation. with few exceptions i think that among the people who can actually afford the newest HIFI, very few can actually appreciate it for what it is. in my view all these exotic sound systems are more works of art than anything else. yes they are absolutely beautiful and yes they sound amazing, but are they practical in a real life setting for the average middle class american? NO! those big infinity speakers you show in this video as your reference - who has room for that in their house? only the rich. those speakers the way you have them positioned would be located where most people's couches are sitting in their living rooms.
there's a very similar thing i see at the ford dealer. the SHELBY CLUB. its for the rich. those GT 500's literally break the beads off the rims of their tires. that's how they get flats LOL!
COMPROMISE is something most people have no choice to accept and the main reason i believe this is not only the cost of the latest and greatest (which is way out of reach for the average american), but also the actual living places most people inhabit. there's simply not enough room in most american's houses for such systems.
i appreciate the fact that HIFI is still a thing and that effort is still going into it. nowadays you go into someone's apartment or house and all they have is a single bluetooth speaker and they call that their stereo system LOL. its like the age of the stereo system has come and gone. i miss it. also with the advent of home owner associations and all their strict rules you can't crank it up in most places like you used to especially with housing that's been densified like it has. geez the new houses don't even have walls dividing the property lines anymore as they are built so close together.
i'm currently building a system that could go either way when it comes to sound quality. i'm hoping to meet someone locally who is an authority on this stuff to demo my system and maybe use some equipment to test it. its all older equipment that can be upgraded anytime, but its a custom installation. a flush mounted system inside a zero resonance baffle wall is what i'm trying to build. the sound so far is amazing and its not finished yet. i absolutely do believe speaker placement is a huge part of the equation. i suppose the only way to tell how good my build compares to the hi end is to listen to them both back to back. yes i'm limited in that i can't TOE IN / TOE OUT nor can i adjust the height of my speakers, but i don't feel i need to. at 10 feet away there's just no need for it in my opinion.
they did demo a very expensive sound system for me at that high end audio shop. it sounded good, but i still like the way mine sounded better. i could actually feel in my body every drum beat when i play mine. also, my sound system has a very "effortless" type feel when you hear the guitars play and any type of symphony play is natural as if you were right there when they recorded it. klipsch cornwall 3's with a hersy 3 center channel built into a concrete enclosure just has this effortless way of filling a room with crystal clear amazing sound. at 10 feet away you can't tell which direction its coming from. it all blends so nicely. maybe i'm missing something. maybe i don't know what real HIFI is and i probably don't.
my compromise is money and space in my home. my installation is where i make up for lack of money and space to get the best quality sound i can out of the limited money and space i have to work with. the system is only part of the equation. the venue (house) is the other part of the equation and unless you have a dedicated custom made sound room that's big enough to support HI FI it really is a rich man's hobby only.
Great explanation and I agree with you. The technology from the 70's and today's is a difference. With those components they had then they did the best. I myself have a vintage hifi system that I love. Pure analog system. All you have to do is change capacitors after 40 years. But I have not done that and it still sounds phenomenal. The price was crucial to me. A high end system from the 70's for relatively cheap money gives me so much music enjoyment. Should I buy the Modern High End, I would have to sell the house.
High-end gear in the 70's was also expensive. Average equipment most households could afford then sounded horrible compared to consumer grade stuff sold today. Sure, if you can buy that high-end vintage equipment at a good price it can be a bargain. I do wish I had taken advantage of buying all the high-end components I could just a decade or two at thrift stores and garage sales when they were available for peanuts. There was a store here in San Francisco 20 years ago that had 70's and 80's gear stacked from floor to ceiling. I don't think anything was listed for over $100. At today's prices, I bet their inventory is worth millions ;)
I love the sound of most older amps. I have both Pioneer Urushi and Advance Acoustic
Hi Paul
Did you ever compare your PS Audio IV Preamp (which I owned) to the SP3?
If so, what were the sonic differences you noted?
Fascinating comments. What this conversation does not account for is the increase in our ability to listen critical and accurately over time. In other words, the more we listen critically to various sources of sound, the more we gain the ability to discern the differences between them and hence, we are better able to determine what we like and what the provides that "musical satisfaction." If this was not the case, there would be no need for different equipment and we could all listen to the same thing and find it wonderful. As a result, many of us are in constant search of equipment that better suits are needs as we are continually learning to listen more accurately and we are being taught to do so by better and better equipment..
There is no doubt, as someone who sold high end audio gear in there 70s and 80s, there was some very good gear at the time and Paul's IRS 5s are a good example of that. I would never the less observe that the real advances have been made in electronics and no speakers. The Klipsch La Scala were wonderful 25 years ago and they are wonderful today but I think they are made to sound even better by todays modern amplification. Would I take a 35 year old Sansui BA/CA 3000 over some of todays equipment of comparatively the same standard. As much as I loved that combo, I think most of us would take the modern gear to drive a high quality speaker of any era providing higher quality , more accurate sound.
In the 70's , despite having a modest income, I could afford closer to state of the art than today. State of the art is pretty unattainable for most people in 2020. The relevant question is for $2000 can someone have a better sounding system buying vintage or new ? I suspect a good used vintage system will be hard to beat. The construction quality of good vintage gear is very good and it is repairable, much of the new surface mount circuit boards are hard to repair. I will stick with my vintage system thank you.
I must be an audio nerd. Love these Questions. I have all pre 2000 audio gear. The Bic America 1000 subwoofer i just picked up not sure, but was manufactured in the ❤🇺🇲❤
Musical satisfaction ! It has to be remembered that is what it is all about... I still love my music collection from 60's to 80's ,I have a reasonable system with a heavy pair of AR 91 speakers which I bought In 1973, I'm 80% as happy listening to the music I like on a kitchen player, 90% happy on my present system but the massive cost of going that last 5% is only a dream, you will never get to that 100% satisfied, except on those IRS speakers .. ! The moral is that it is your MUSIC you love which is the most important thing, it will sound great on anything you play it on 😊
I still have a set of DCM Time Windows and Advent Classic and a older Sub-Woofer
I have a marantz 2223B and some quasar three ways I've owned since the mid 70's and it sounds excellent. I'm plenty satisfied.
goofyfoot2001 1978 Marantz is awesome
I have a 1978 Marantz and I love it more than life itself! I bought a used Lexicon MC-8 processor that sold new for $6k, for $250! 1996 Snell C/V speakers with Snell center and side speakers and Velodyne Sub with Audio Research amps. Also, a Sony 300 disc CD player, I'm in Heaven. Buy 20 year old high end stuff and save a ton of cash!
What model of Marantz you have?I own a Sansui
I’m super happy with my vintage equipment, the sound is very warm and pleasing with good soundstage. I use B&k amplifier and infinity kappas 7.1 speakers
Thank you sir!
My pleasure. Have a great holiday.
I think the term satisfaction can be looked at in any number of ways. I still use a Sansui CA3000 preamp along with the BA5000 power amp , and I absolutely love the warmth of the sound. Along with that sound , I love the 70's look of the equipment , lots of knobs , the lit up meters and the black machined faceplates. Having said that , could I go out and buy some new equipment that would ultimately give me a better sound , without a doubt , as Paul said , we have come a long ways since the 70's. I don't dispute that at all , but when I look at my stereo , I love all of it as I said , so yes , I am totally satisfied. Each person will have their own level of satisfaction. I have found mine
Paul Klipsch and Amar Bose meet at a show. Bose cups his hands around his mouth and shouts "Hello Paul, how are you?"
PWK turns his back to Bose and mumbles "Fine Amar, how are you?"
I still have my JBL Century L100's....love them
Now I haven’t heard the high end speaker you’ve mentioned. But my question is if what I’m asking makes sense. I recall playing music from my youth on the system I bought during my time in the navy. So now with a current stereo system I’ve love what I own now, but I feel there’s a sound or tone quality that I’m missing. Is that an actual thing? The tone quality of how a track sounds with the current audio gear versus those made in the 70s. I’m more than satisfied with the way my system sounds and the separation, however, there is an audio quality I can tell is lacking that I used to hear. So the emotional attachment I had when listening to certain tracks is absent. Could it be the materials being used now for the subwoofers as opposed to what was used back then? I keep asking myself does it really matter? I want it to be like the scent of perfume creating exactly what I had experienced when I heard those tracks originally. I hope I’ve made sense with my query.
I really enjoy your videos and I'm sure your companies equipment is top-notch but unfortunately I can't afford any of it. I definitely get more "satisfaction" out of HiFi equipment I can afford to buy (vintage) over equipment I can only look at lol.
Very well said. But to be fair, you can get kinda new HiFi stuff for a low price. I just picked up a Marantz PM6005 stereo amp vor about 160 euro's. You just got to research and search second hand markets like I did.
His sprout is almost affordable
Meyer sound did some wonderful things with live music reinforcement in the 70s/80s.. The UPA is incredible.
Our advancements have been in multichannel sound.
However, I've achieved "realism" in playback with
a 7.1 full range surround system in my livingroom
that was unattainable by budget standards by way
of comparison to say the 1980's.
Like many Hi-Fi & surround enthusiasts, I use a
reference audio track to calibrate to achieve the
authentic playback realism in my home.
Down to the sound of the musicians foot falls
on the wooden stage to the tactile bass....
my modest system today, plays back that track
in a manner that's so convincing, one would
think I spent many 1000's of dollars to build
my setup.
Not so.
Calibrations are 1/2 the battle.
Calibrate Calibrate Calibrate!
I use only one, 12 inch, 450 watt sub-woofer,
aligned with 7 speakers of different design,
to achieve the audio nirvana I sought.
It doesn't take a fortune nor exotic makes
to reach the sonic realism we seek to reproduce
in our homes.
As Paul says,
"personal tastes often dictate what sounds good."
I'll add,
"realism & a 3D sound stage is everything!"
If you can build a system that once calibrated
performs in those parameters?
Kismet!
Just to make a point that recording technology improved a lot not to mention the artists who had formal music educations and coaches.
I just noticed on your infinity speakers you are missing a dust cap, would that deteriorate the quality? I don’t think it would but just wondering. Really love your videos great information and entertaining
No, its only for aesthetics. Behind the cap is the woofers accelerometer.
I own 80s era spectrum analyzers and amps made in japan, Love em!
My Revox cassette deck B215 plays like a violin and sounds awesome..It records in a true dynamic range .
Question to Paul: Is it safe/add power to connect my left/right output channels from my stereo amplifier to make me a 'monoblock' of 250w at 8 ohms ?? I have 2 such amplifiers because my prior Vandersteen speakers were each bi-amped.
It’s funny - when I listen to a system that is inferior or a friend says, “What would you do different to mine” I always find something positive about their system even if there are some negatives (if they put some time or effort into their system) And those positives I find can often be really cool building blocks for them to grow on or maybe for me to make some small tweaks to my system.
As we get older, our hearing deteriorates. So one has to wonder how much we can audibly appreciate new technology since we may not be able to hear them.
I own near mint OLA's, Dynaco A35's, A/D/S 700's, and little DLK 1/4's all made in the early to mid 70's. They all sound amazing. Full disclosure; I own new FOCAL 726 Towers too. They are sublime, but my collection of 70's speakers brings me so much musical enjoyment. Nostalgia too!!
it all boils down to personal taste! i got a mix of vintage and modern, my receiver is a Denon avr 1802 , with a kenwood M1 200 watt amp, with a optimus 10 band graphic eq with spectrum display and 2 vintage infinity floor speakers modified with upgraded crossovers and replaced the woofers with 500 watt 10 inch car subs and a set of bose surrounds and another set 12inch woofer floor speakers !! my god does it sound good and clean with no distortion!! my baby it is!
My dad still has his Kef 104.2 speakers going strong since the 80's
One thing I noticed about nowadays is that most people don’t listen to loud music like they used to. Most people had stereo systems with giant speakers. But not too many people even have stereos anymore. They use AirPods or Alexa smart speakers. Only audio improvement I notice is that small smart speakers do sound sonically pretty good but they can’t even come close to the clear and loud volumes of 60s-70s stereos
Still running my Nakamichi RE-2 with B&W and Warfdales
Have you tried the Dutch & Dutch 8c?
As pro audio company in the 80's I standardized around Bryston amps. Bryston during this period was the mainstay standard for many world class studios. 40 years later the 5 I kept are still going strong. A couple of years ago while picking up a unit for servicing I asked the head tech there if the new amps were any better-- He said, "well the numbers and specs are better and some people say they are a little bit smoother but, you'd be hard pressed to tell any difference."
One of the best systems I ever heard was about 10 years ago. A pair of built-in horn speakers (I don't know more than that) with a 12w Sugden class A amp from the 70's and a B&O parallel track turntable also from the 70's. It was phenomenal in every way. Another best was a massive Acoustic Research-Martin Logan-megabuck turntable combo from the early 2000's, Also phenomenal. The cost difference was also phenomenal. So, I guess, I wouldn't like to try and answer the question you so eloquently did here.
Paul, perhaps I missed it, but I've never heard you say a word about ATC active speakers, which I think are some of the best out there. Have you ever heard the 100 or 150 actives? They are extremely dynamic & detailed, & they image fantastically well. BTW, I have your BHK Signature Preamp paired with my ATC actives, & I've never heard better sound.
My favorite amps are the Trans-Nova by Jim Fosgate.
The sound from those amplifiers gives me chills and I can't stop listening.
Wow I forgot about Rockford Fosgate. Nice throwback
Paul, thanks for doing these discussions. Much appreciated. I pretty well remember my audio journey. About 40 years worth. I still have access to some vintage stuff, and have checked in to sample bits from time to time. Much overall, everything is much better today than it's ever been. Great sonic performance is better than ever and at more affordable prices, in more convenient forms, and more accessible with more choices than ever. It's a golden, or new golden age, of audio.
Anytime, I can fire up a Dynaco tubed system with AR-2AX speakers, a Rek-O-Kut turntable with a Rek-O-Kut tonearm, and a Sure M3D cartridge. Satisfying? Well? I think it sounds pretty awful. It's thick, slow, muddy, no imaging, no soundstage, etc., etc., and on, and on. I had the C-J PV-2A and MV-75A-1 I bought as a kid until just recently. Lovely pieces, once darlings of the high-end press, especially the MV-75, but not up to the best of the entry edge of the high end today. I had the MV-75 updated by it's co-designer, Bill Thalmann. Wonderful guy. He did some basic stuff to it which made it much better, and it was good sounding piece in this form, but it still wasn't up to a C-J Premier 11A or 12.
I have mucked about with some vintage amplification, tuned up, and it can be quite good. Dynaco and H-K tubed amps with modern parts and couple of simple tweaks which leave them mostly with their stock circuits, can be very good today. I've picked up some old ARC gear, which I listened to a lot back when, and had a few pieces, can be "good".
Turntables, tonearms, cartridges? My old 'table with a well set up Grace arm and Grado cartridge still sounds pretty good when played through a good phono stage and a modern system. Ever vinyl playback technology has come a long way. And digital has finally gotten excellent at reasonable prices in the last handful of years.
Speakers? An Infinity IRS system still excellent? No surprise there. Especially with speakers, this technology has come A LONG way. I feel there are few speakers than can stand up well today. There are a few, but very few. Some of the Infinity systems, Quads, perhaps some of the Magnepans. I still like some of the Snell models and I love the Spica TC-50.
How can you make the modern vs vintage comparison and use dynaco kits and budget turntables like the ROK as examples?
Sifting thur’ your videos, I could not find any info on when and why the DIN 4500 quality seal of approval for very decent high fidelity cease to exist.
I bought my Hi Fi in the glorious days of real music in the 70s with the aim of achieving pure musical satisfaction. Sadly, after more than 40 years Today in this digital age I am confused by what is considered as high a quality audio system.
The home cinema came along and took over from stack systems where I live. I even invested in a high end Bose home cinema but with a deside to go back to that real anological sound that we grew up with...
Any brand recommendations that will not break the bank.
I was a Cambridge audio, Nad, Whafdale, Teac, Yamaha, JBL , Cerwin Vega, Thorens, Linn, type of guy with hifi in three rooms once upon a time.
Your videos take me back to a time when listen to vinyl was nearly as good as seeing them live..!
Regards.
How do you feel about jmlab utopias alto BE?
Paul, I got rid of all of my albums and tapes back when CD's became popular, and now I own a vast CD collection. What combination of stereo receiver, and CD player, can I run with a quad system, in today's audio world?
Paul is such a cool guy. Would love to call over but I'm in Ireland haha.
Running Infinity Kappa 8 with an Accuphase e305 amp - works brilliantly. Side note, I’m 19. :)
there has been tremendous progress in price too!
Hifi is a big merry go around. Just a fancy marketing and change in style as the time moves on. Knowing all that I am still riding it and not sure if I will get off anytime soon.
Old school sounds WARM , and new stuff sounds TRUE.... Gotta love them both... i do.
I know. All the old school recordings sound like they were done in a nightclub. I love them both too.
I still have and use my VAC PA 100 100 tube amp ( weights 70lbs) and ARC LS15 tube pre amp that I bough in 1995 both are very well made and has never given me any issues to this day. I also own a Spectron musical MK lll D class amp ( weights 54lbs) designed by John Ulrich and I'm amazed how this amp makes my Maggie's come alive!! If any of my equipment dies, I'll have to do a lot of research to replace any of them! But I'll start with PS audio of coarse
I must state that I enjoyed both vintage equipment as well as late model equipment. To each have their differences. It's kind of like wearing an old pair of shoes. They are comfortable they are well-known they are broke in. The new equipment is exciting like a new pair of shoes I knew feel a new comfortable experience.
The newest thing I listen to on my stereo is at least 40 years old, other than the cartridge on the turntable. This includes the albums. Everyone is always blown away by the sound.
Wow. So wise words
Great video. Was Marantz ever consider high end back in the 1970's? All of a studded, I've been on a kick for a late 1970's Marantz 2270 series receiver.
Oh, goodness, yes. Marantz was a high end brand for many years when Saul Marantz owned it. Once it got sold it became the commodity brand it is today.
I used refreshed (Bass chassis) 90‘s Loudspeakers Infinity Kappa 90 with Japanese 90‘s Amp Yamaha 870 ; its nearly Perfect combination (1070/1090 could be best combination for the speakers).
I used first a modern Marantz SR6007 or so (Bi-Amp Mode).. Three Times Overheating Shutdown and by third Time Exodus. And yet the Japanese Amp no overheating ... Old Speakers with old Amplifier is Best Combination for the Money ( Both under 1300€ ). Both Made for Centuries using built.
Someone should do an AB double blind test between vintage high-end versus the modern audiophile equipment. I think the results would be surprising considering the average age of an audiophile.
I don't think they would be that surprising. I've been in rooms where we've done comparisons and the differences weren't subtle AT ALL. We all still, those of us in those rooms, collect vintage audio but it's not purely from a sound quality perspective. Except sometimes we are specifically after that vintage sound. I personally have gear from the 1950s and every decade after. I have racks and racks of gear. Some of it is interchangeable sonically, a lot of it isn't. You'll put some things in place of others and immediately want to change back, and its often the newer thing you want back in.
How would you comment phase compatibility of multi tweeter systems? Up to simple calculations we have wave lenght of about 6 cm at 5 kHz. It means that already 1 cm difference in position of two parallel tweeters is changing characteristic of each providing not defined linear distortions . Why is such standard in modern speaker systems to use those vertical lines. In my practice I am able to align maximum two speakers only in a very narrow range.
hats off..
Hi! Question, why not make all your products multi-voltage? It seems like there could be a market for those of us who travel a lot and do business internationally.
My first system was Gale 401 chrome ends caps / Lecson pre and power amp. Then I changed to Sony Esprit system with the APM 6 speakers and Tan pre and power amps. My final system was Apogee Duetta Signatures with Audio research pre and
Krell mono blocks. Nothing ever came close to that system , would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Cant describe how good that system was. But alas it all had to go, especially the speakers when we had children, The Apogees could easily be damaged by prying little fingers. I miss that system . I did keep the Luxman PD300 vacuum turntable .Now they are all grown up I should get a new system.
Ive had a couple new Amps decent ones, not expensive ones, ones arouind 1000. and I have a Sansui 717 and an au 20 000. and they both blow all the side by sides ive done. ( includes old amps too. ) The bryston gives it a good run for the money though, but by that point is a matter of mix and matching to ones own preference. I also have a mac from the late 90s ( 7106, and Ya i know itsmore of a theatre amp ) . and I like the sansui au 20 000 the best. of everyhting ive heard. at least paird with my current speakers. there decent but nothing speicail. but a very satisfying sound. to me anyway. It captures rythems and tones and frequencies and stuff. and the clarity is up the yang, yet not hard on the ears, yet still full of life in the highs, lows, and all in between
I'm so happy with my Vintage SX1050 PIONEER BEING PUSHED WITH ONKYO M-504 AMPLIFIER WITH A PAIR OF HPM100 PIONEER SPEAKERS AND SET OF EPICURE SERIES 2 SPEAKERS AND IT DOES JOB FOR ME,BUT OH IN TIME I WILL GET SOMETHING BETTER BUT FOR NOW IM SO HAPPY FOR WHAT I HAVE🙂🙂👍🏻
I have Tannoy Cantabury 15 speakers from 1991.sound excellent. With proceed pre n amp.your comments please?
the thing is, the high end of yesterday is STILL high end today..Take for example, a serviced Naim 'chrome bumper' amp, and it will not be humiliated in 95% of company, and it will obviously blow all of the mass produced (far eastern) stuff out of the water.
I Prefer the old naim to the new naim amps and so do many others think that says everything and I have owned both
simon lloyd amps sound more or less the same in most real life applications, if you need to feel special by all means get a high end one, a rare one, a vintage one, whatever. But you won’t be able to identify it in an a/b test.
I just bought a 1995 Rotel RB-985 5-channel amp for my multi-channel system I've been building for a few months. My goal has been to assemble the best possible hi-fi system on a budget, so gambled on this 23 year old amp and was astounded by how well this thing has held up. Very musical with SACDs, offers a robust 2-channel experience, and delivers significant dynamic punch for your buck. Is it state of the art? Definitely not. Could a modern Parasound equivalent knock it out of the park? I would think so. But I'm happy with this amp for however long it lasts - hopefully for a few more years at least!
EmperorDrax You're smart
1995 wasn't that long ago. Rotel built beefy equipment in those years. Few systems need anything better than that.