We Used To Love Them! What Changed?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- This week, we’re diving into some vintage stereo pieces that we once adored but might want to rethink today.
In a world filled with disposable electronics, finding someone to repair your cherished gear can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Have you considered the challenges you might face with these nostalgic relics?
In this video, we’ll cover some pitfalls that could change your perspective on those vintage pieces. Whether you’re eager to relive your childhood memories or curious about that cool thing you’ve always wanted to try, we’ve got insights that might surprise you!
What’s changed in the world of vintage audio? Tune in and find out!
We’d love to hear from you in the comments: have you faced any struggles with these classic music makers? Is there a particular piece we missed?
Enjoy!
Do you have questions about stereo equipment? Need repair advice? Join our Discord. It's free! / discord
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Put a smile to my face seeing DAD walk in and look at the familiar surroundings. Its no fun being hospitalized 🙏🏼
Glad to see DAD is back !!!
Thank you!
Your Dad is an inspiration. Futzing with these old pieces of history just gets in you blood and I'm glad to see he's back at the bench!
Thank you, me too!
In 1971 I was apprenticing with an Electronic Technician's Guild member. Cambridge MA had a customer base that you would expect and is comprised of many walk up older buildings with limited parking. I grimace, even now, thinking of the number of Consoles we loaded/unloaded into the International Harvester and many included 25 inch CRT color sets along with different audio quality levels built in. Glad to see the voice of experience has returned!
Kevin, I'm so happy to your dad back. Enjoy every moment! WELCOME BACK DAD 😊
Thank you!!
DAD'S BACK! THAT MADE ME HAPPY.
Thank you, me too!
I am happy to say that this old man has avoided owning every single item on your list.
Welcome back, DAD!
Thanks
Great to see your Father back. God Bless Him.
Thanks!
Expected all that were on your list. Congrats on your Dad being back and healthy.
Thank you!
Good to See Dad Back & Smiling. Us older tube radio guys call the consoles Aircraft Carriers lol Huge enough to land a plane on.
lol, true!
Excellent to see dad! So valuable, I took my dad to work once, turns out this was short before his passing and I have such fond memories of that. I wish you many great years with yours, cherish every moment!
I appreciate your take on the don'ts in vintage hiifi. Have said this I do like the more private repair guys that "keep them running", be it consols, be it r2r, quad stuff, turntables etc. It's all such a nice heritage to conserve where possible.
Nowadays you can get many quad recordings in 4-channel digital format and just play them out via a multichannel DAC, perhaps using 2 amps and 4 speakers, just to enjoy those great (usually Pink Floyd) recordings
Thanks!
Your Dad being Back just made My Day!!!!!!
Woohoo! Go dad! Still helping his boy : ) Continued prayers for growing strength in all areas!
Thank you!
I own a linear tracking TT. The Revox B-790 I purchased in the summer of 1978. "Tone arm", is 1.75 inches long and the beast still works.
We lost our dad in 2016 and it still isn’t the same. Awesome to see you dad is healthy and back to doing what he likes! ❤️🤗🙏
Best part of this vid is seeing your dad back in the shop. Thanks for posting, Kevin.
Thanks you!
So good to see your dad back.....I miss mine as he lives a long way from where I do, and I don't get back much.
And...your Dad coming back is awesome!
Very happy to see your dad in the shop again. You're lucky to have such a relationship with him. I'm sure there's a few viewers out there, like myself, that wish we had that with our own fathers. 😊
Great to have Pops back working with you there.
Thank you
When I owned a small business I learned that there were some customers that I could not afford. I learned it the hard way.
Hooray! Dad is back in the store! ❤
And being aroud his age, great to see your dad doing well!
Glad to hear dad is back!
I’ve rescued a few RTRs from our community recycling center. Got them home but always had issues beyond my amateur repair tech skills. Plus I stream most of my music (Bluesound Node) the rest of my stack is eye candy. They were decent decks from Akai, Sony, and Teac. Took them to a shop I frequent thinking, Oh Boy he’s gonna love this. Got there and saw the shelves stacked with RTR’s.
Happy to see your dad back home😃
Thanks!
Dad looks happy to be back! So glad he is doing well :) Thanks for the video!
Thank you!
I'm so glad you're dad is back that is fantastic
Thanks!
I totally get all of those. I think the thing people are missing out on is the old low end reel to reel game. Some friends and I have reliable and easy to service akai gx decks and have found tubs of old tapes that play well and have had so much fun making recordings for each other and mix tapes. They are so much less difficult to get right than cassette (and I have done a ton of great decks) and are so tactile and fun. Really a great way for us to share recording of our records. I even use them for parties.
Glad your dad is back ❤
Thank you!
I recall that back in the ‘80’s while serving overseas, most guys were all excited about the Bose 901’s. I did not like the sound, but mostly as an electronics guy, I read the specs and realized that a whole lot of power would be needed to properly drive them. Instead I went with Klipsch Heresy and never regretted it..
Same situation with me overseas with the AF. I went with Klipsch over 901's in the 80's. Still have and use my stereo components.
I've finally reconstituted my quad system. I have a component system with Carver power and a Sunfire control amp. From the old days, I have an SQ decoder, and CD-4 demodulator, a Russound QT-1 quad patchbay, TEAC 3440 open reel, and lots of quad vinyl. I have Altec speakers that I scored from employee sales when I worked there in the late 70s. As a tribute to my lean days as an audio enthusiast, the whole setup is on cinderblocks with boards just as it was when my wife could barely put up with it all. You're right, Quad receivers were underpowered so they never interested me. After experiencing the sound of a Phase Linear system I was hooked. Power became the holy grail. It's great looking back on all this stuff. BTW, I'm looking for a working Sony SQD-2020. I have a service manual. : )
Kevin, I felt that you were talking straight to me when you were going over the equipment on your list.. LOL. I own several items from your categories. I had purchased these items all brand new back in the day,(Kenwood K-5070, Dual 1019 automatic turntables, Yamaha PX3 linear tracking turntable, TEAC reel to reel) but I have been lucky that everything is still working at least for now, but I’m sure they are on borrowed time. Anything mechanical is bound to wear out someday.
Loved the video, but the icing on the cake is having Dad back. Fantastic!
Thank you!
Owned ReVox, Akai, Teac, but the coolest looking and most fun was the Pioneer RT-701 you featured. Nothing showed off your hi-fi like an open reel deck, but the happiest day in my life was the day I walked away from the format. Funny story--around the mid '80s, I called (long distance land line) Studer-Revox in Nashville, inquiring about factory service on a B77. No one locally wanted to look at it. For an 'overhaul' to meet specs I was quoted almost half of what a new one cost. And that didn't include heads--those were extra, depending upon their condition. And without original packing, you had to buy their special shipping box, which was another fifty dollars. Turn around time was about two months, as I recall. I could see where the format was taking me, and sold everything the next weekend.
My grandpa we called “pops” would go to estate sales, garage sales, auctions and would buy vintage audio. He would fix them and give them away to people that wanted or needed a stereo. He gave me my first unit which was a magnavox all in one. Receiver, 8 track and turntable. Thank goodness it had rca inputs so I could connect my cassette player to it. It had almost no power but still annoyed the crap out of my dad. Thanks pops for getting me into audio at age 9!
Rca plugs been around for like 100 years
@@stevieg2755 and what is your point?
I agree 100% with all these choices, life is too short to be spending time working on these. Welcome back Dad, good to see you on this side of the grass.
Thanks Craig!
Nope, I'm not surprised at any of those items on your list and totally understand.
It's so great to see your dad back🎉
Thank you, Kara. Glad he is back :)
Welcome back to your Dad. Great news! On the other hand, I am a why-did-I-do-that? owner of a pair of Bose 901s from 1974. Ya live and ya learn. Another great video (despite being drugged up). Thanks!
Thank you! Hopefully that wont happen again ;)
So glad to see that your dad is back!! I'm happy for both of you to be able to continue working together and helping keep this hobby going forward. Oh yeah.....I agree with your list of equipment you no longer service especially the linear tracking tables. Thanks again and it's great knowing your dad is well and working!!
Thanks!
Good to know dad is back!
Thank you!
Love your videos, this one included. The best part of this one is the news about your Dad! So Good!!!❤
Thank you!
Glad you're dad is doing better and back at it!
Thanks! Me too!
Glad to hear your Dad is back at the shop!
Me too! Thanks!
Yay!! Dad is back!!🎉 Been praying for him!! This is awesome news!! And hope you don't get any ill affects from taking Moo's meds!! 🤭 Have a great day!
You too! Thanks!
Before 1971 my dad bought an all in one stereo. It was like the GE slimline. Only heavier wood cabinet. Within a few months my dad wanted something different. He went into a local stereo shop in 1971. The sales guy said you do not always want all the same brand. One brand may make a great receiver, but not the table or speakers. He left with the Pioneer receiver, Dual turntable, DWD speakers. The guy was right. I still have my dads stuff. Great system. This is why consoles don't make it.
I serviced a Sony tc reel player . Bought it for 70$ belts costed about 40$ and lots of effort to service. Sold it for 350$. The person who bought it was very happy with the sound and service. He asked me if I can service more of those as he had about 3!to 4 of them. I simply denied. That was my 2nd deck and I serviced and restored it to experience the sound quality.
Great information on the various stereo equipment. Semi-automatic turntable has been the sweet spot for me, less moving parts than full automatic table. Semi-Auto gives you the much needed end of play lift of the tonearm with shut off. My semi-auto 1985 Thoren's TD 320 purchased new..bullet proof.
Even Vintage gets too Vintage. It’s sad, but the rising costs of repairing/refurbishing it, and the extortionate prices of even mid-quality vintage gear scares many people away.
Hi Kevin,
So happy your dad is back!!!
If you want a jukebox, buy a Seeburg made between 1951 to about 1971. There are plenty of parts available.
Thanks, but I'm good :)
Great news about your Dad! I own two of the no go items. I have a Magnovox Console for nostalgic reasons. It reminds me of my Dad's Maggie. It sounds and works fine. If it bellys up, I won't repair it. That beast weighs a ton. I also own a Teac Reel to Reel that I bought recently. It wasn't expensive and after a little cleaning and fiddling, it's working good for a machine from 1972. If it craps out, I'm fine with ditching it. It was a curiosity that has been satisfied. It's fun to use and sounds really good hooked up to my system.
Wow, a real memory lane post. Our family owned smaller Magnavox consoles. They just played records-no radio. My SX 424 Pioneer receiver has A+B speaker settings, but was just before the Quad debacle. I never had an all in one setup, but I thought the same thing you did. Use it and then throw away when it doesn't work. My first personal stereo was in 1967, a Montgomery Ward Airline "Flip Out" stereo with an all plastic case, speakers that clipped to the sides in their own "cabinets", a turntable that folded up into the case with a handle on top and the solid state amp was built in under the turntable. All this for the price of $52. I can't imaging even wanting to try and repair this thing! It hit the trash can during my college years as the laughing from my dorm roommate was too much to take.
I had one of those flip-up turntables in high school days, except the speakers were built-in to the package. Can't remember the brand. I couldn't guess how many thousands of hours my brother and I spent listening to it.
That list really narrows down what a lot of shops are willing to work on. Unfortunately I have a reel to reel, and two jukeboxes. My jukeboxes are in the basement, but I do have a jukebox tech that makes house calls. I would love to be able to work on these myself but find them to intricate for my patient level. And I am so happy your dad is back to work and feeling good.
Thank you!
Love my Marantz 4300 quad reciever. Still original and works great. Happy to see your dad is back and doing well
Thank you!
Everything on your list was exactly what I was expecting. Grasshopper is wise to punt on them😊
So glad to see your dad back in the shop!
Thanks! It is.
Thanks!
Glad to see your dad back!
Thank you!
Ken is back! Right on! I'm not surprised with the list. Those consoles you guys did were super cool!!!
Thank you!
Agreed about reel to reel- the recordings are very costly. And fabulous that dad is back
Thank you!
I'm glad your Dad is back!
Thank you!
I agree with all the electronics that just can’t realistically be saved it was heartbreaking! However nice play saving the arrival of your Dad till the end that was uplifting and fantastic!
You are blessed to have him back, As Joni said "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone". This is a great video.
😊 thank you
The consoles you designed look beautiful... You have gift for design.
Great video!!! Wonderful to see your dad back in action, I wonder what is on HIS list of no-no equipment. I agree with your list but would add the fluoroscan pioneers. Don't know why but every 7-10 yrs I will pick up something on my no-no list, repair/rebuild it, cuss a lot, then sell it only to renew the promise of never touching another.... So that explains why I'm in the middle of an sx3800, a pioneer 707 R2R, and a Nakamichi cassette deck. Thank you all for keeping my Sunday's full of all things musical !!
Thank you, appreciate it
Only thing that surprises me on this list is the "automatic turntables" entry. I know 75% of these are really cheap however, there are a few great ones such as Technics 1600mk2, Marantz 6300, and Pioneer PL 518 for starters. I own 2 1600mk2's and after i replaced the belts, i have had zero issues. Great to hear about your father!
Thanks!
Really happy your Dad is back and well!
I so enjoy all 3 of my Reel to Reel decks and agree with you on sound 😊
😢 Sadly I know once any of them stop or have issues I may have to just throw it away.
The nearest place that might possibly work on them is 3-400 miles away.
Good calls I think. Gotta think diminishing returns..nailed it. Two thumbs up on reel to reel,had a Sansui years ago, the sound was amazing.
Wasn’t expecting the quads and reel to reel
Congrats on Pops being back in house. ;)
Thanks!!
it was a great pleasure seeing your dad walk back into the store.... Yup my biggest disappointments were automatic turntables and reel to reel...
Thank you!
Regarding all in one systems, I think Denon had the right idea. Small units, a receiver that you could add cassette player, minidisc recorder, etc as you desired. You could even choose your own speakers. Great to see your dad back . Shame I live in the UK. Would love to visit your store.
Thank you!
Great news to hear that your father is back!
Thank you!
I concur with you on a lot of this. In over forty years of repairing this stuff. I've changed my tune on a lot of what I try to tackle and accept for for repair. The only thing I still do on your list is RR decks. But I rarely accept them on a customer basis. I just restore repairable decks I come across now and then. Plus I just specialize on TEAC and a few high end brands I'm set up to tackle. Watch out for cassette decks too. Some can be a real pain.
Great video, Kevin, and I'm not too surprised about various audio gear being on your list due to their complexities, rarity of parts, time consumed to repair them with no guarantees possible a year or two after the repairs that other issues won't arise, etc.
As part of my own audio gear collection, I have a closet full of examples of items not fully functioning while I realized how costly they would be to repair (certain cassette decks, reel-to-reel decks, 8-track players, linear tracking turntables, etc.) and I also avoided buying stereo consoles due their size, weight, and multiple possible issues.
Thanks for the very thorough video to warn others, especially any of the newbies out there just entering the hobby, of the various pitfalls.
Yes I have console stereo stories from back in the day. But not mine. A close friend was a field service tech for Electrohome, a major name in them back in the day. Often sold door to door like vacuum cleaners. Cheap crap at high prices on a sales contract that included in home repair. He did the in home repair. A couple dozen different boards to swap no matter the model. The perhaps more interesting Penthouse Mail Bag type story. Yes lots of young women seemed to buy them! And yes more than a couple really "appreciated" his visits. As did he.
I can't say I'm surprised, but I do have a soft spot for open reel machines. Funny thing is whenever I come across one they always say the same thing, It worked great last time (my father, my uncle, my husband) used it. When I ask when it was last used it's generally about 20 years ago. I have had several that just needed a good cleaning and re-lubrication maybe a few parts to get them going. They are a blast to listen to and fun to record stuff on.
By the way I have one of those RCA Annapolis consoles in my basement, it is awesome.
Those Annapolis consoles are my favorite
I've had it for years. The furniture is excellent but unfortunately needs new electronics.
No surprise with your list. Except the automatic turntables. Great to see your dad up and around!
Thanks
I have Bose 901 Series IV speakers and and a AKAI 4000 DS MKII Reel to Reel Tape Deck. I totally agree with everything you said about both of them. I was fortunate enough to only have to replace 1 driver after re-foaming. Also I was able to find someone to service my Tape Deck but it took nearly 6 months and $350...
I have a Marantz SLT-12 linear turntable that I'm beginning to work on also. Again, I totally agree with your comments on that subject also. If I had a business I would not touch that stuff.
Really like you videos!
Happy to see your dad back at it!
That is awesome news about your dad ❤
Thanks!
SO Glad the see that your Dad is back…..!
It will do him good being there….
Thank again…..
Thank you! I agree, its good for his mind and soul. Mine too
@@skylabsaudio absolutely…
So glad your father is back and doing well. This is a great video. You confirmed my suspicions about all of these types/pieces of equipment. I have always doubted the practicality of such items. The keep it simple stupid is a good philosophy.
💯
My parents had one just like the last console stereo you showed. It had 8-track, record player and receiver with Guitar plug-in. Theirs came from Sears I think.
Great that you have your dad back! I agree that R2R are more close to a nightmare, although I still have my Tandberg! Cheers Kevin!
Thanks!
Awesome seeing your Dad back in the store. What a blessing. Great video as always!
Yes, thank you
Thanks for the info on the Bose 901’s…didn’t realize the issues they could have.
I own a 1969 Motorola with turntable , 8 track and am fm radio as u said an real paper speakers 10 woofers if u can call um that an 3 mids spread atop those , it still plays well , an I bought it for 25 bucks , I got lucky an cabnet is in nice shape as well , the best news I have heard all day was when u said dads back , I am so happy for him an you an family to his friends , pray for my dad he may be getting a pace maker for his Afib heart condition, he’s 84 soon , say a prayer for us , thanks for all the hard work ya do to produce a great video an channel ❤
Thank you!
Great news about Dad!
Fascinating video. I came very, very close to buying a Dual 1229 from FixMyDual, which I'm sure would have operated perfectly for many years, but was concerned about the finicky design I'd have to deal with when replacing or updating cartridges, and what seemed to be a more limited range of carts I could consider without getting too inventive. I ended up getting a new Dual CS529w, which is a fully automatic table and exceptionally handsome in walnut. Compared to the 1229, other than nostalgia (which I'm 100% in favor of!) it lacks only the spindle to stack records, but I decided I could live without that. Now, I'm loving hearing vinyl again on a regular basis.
Yep I'm a throwback, there was no way I was going to buy a quality turntable without fully automatic operation, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. But man do I get its not being worth servicing scores of different types of vintage automatics.
Thanks!
Glad your father is back doing what he loves. Everything on your list is on mine. Sometimes I will see a reel to reel at a thrift store and the visual allure is almost enough to make me bite but no. I guess if there was one little surprise it was automatic turntables especially since you had a Dual specialist on your channel about a year or more ago. Both of my turntables are completely manual.
Dad is back, now the shop feels a little more like home.
Thanks, it does :)
Everything on that list I can understand. So good to see your dad back!
Yes! Thank you!
I was really into Teac r2r's for several years and loved the sound but the house was filling up with machines that were waiting for parts or unfixable. Sold them all to a collector and moved on with collecting vinyl. Awesome video!
Sad isn't it? Thanks for sharing!
Our console was, I think, a Zenith. Got it in '64 or so. My dad had it till he died in '88 and I was fortunate enough to give the thing away. No way was I putting it in my house. By that time I had my NAD/Advent-based system, and wasn't going back.
It's the best on sound , reel to reel.
No surprises really on the List, from a service standpoint. Remembering that you recently bought a commercially recorded reel, I know YOU would still put YOUR deck on the bench. When we had the Estate Sale at Mom and Dad's house, one of the first things that sold, was their old console stereo. Best part of this installment however, is hearing that your Dad is BACK !! Tell him I said HI.....
Thanks, Rip. Will do!
When I was a kid a long, long time ago my mom hired a British guy to build and awesome console with fine cabinetry and a Garrard turntable. It was her pride and joy, until she came home from work one night and it was gone. My father who had a huge gambling problem had pawned it to place a ''sure thing'' bet on the ponies. We never saw it again and my mom who divorced shortly after never really got over it.
Man, that is one sad story. Sorry- what a bummer
This video brought back a lot of memories thru the evolution of my stereo electronics equipment beginning in the 1960's vintage era. Wearing my Slylabs Audio logo t-shirt today! Great quality! Be well Kevin!
Very cool! Thanks!
I heard one and it sounded good. Back when it came out.
I agree (and expected) everything on this list. I was kinda surprised that DAT decks (the consumer versions) wasn't on the list. I remember buying a DAT deck when they started hitting the consumer market, thinking pre-recorded DAT tapes were just around the corner. I paid way too much for a format that didn't take off, so I can't see stereo shops wanting anything to do with them these days.
Great to know your dad is back in action! The smile on his face says it all. The best medicine is on the bench in front of him! Good video. As far as turntables go, most of mine are auto-lift, but that's a simple mechanism compared to full auto. I recall hearing properly set up quad which sounded great, but for how long? The receivers did look cool, however. My few quad LPs sound fine in stereo!
Great to hear your dad has recovered and is back to work!
Thank you!
Hi kev,from across the pond really enjoy your videos, I guess I'm not far off your dad's age it's so nice to see farther and son enjoy the same hobby It would be good to hear pop go down memory lane,ps the best tunes I can remember was the rolling stones in mono,/ on a big old grundig radiogram blue spot all tubes obviously heaven
Thanks 👍