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Yeah if the price isn't bothersome get the technics. Way, way better.
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Jul 8, 2010 16:51
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I have a little vintage audio project I've been working on for the past couple of months. I had a 1980's Sony integrated amp that I bought from eBay a while back to use with my PC, but found a better amp in a Goodwill store. Over time I managed to pick up a Technics radio tuner, a Pioneer 7-band equalizer, and a pair of EPI 100V speakers. The EPI speakers are the best find, 1970's vintage and seem to be pretty popular with vintage audio enthusiasts. They were in excellent shape although the foam surrounds on the woofers were almost completely gone. A couple days ago I did a refoam job myself, and it was pretty easy and made a huge difference in midrange and bass response. I'm in love with vintage audio gear now, the EPI speakers really bring out things in music I've never heard before, and now all of my other speakers sound limited and bland. The solid wood cabinets look really nice and make for some striking bass response. Now I'm just waiting for a nice turntable to show up locally. Click here for the full 791x525 image. I love the quirky 1980's look of the Sony amp. The weirdest feature is that the volume is digitally controlled with an IC and huge buttons rather than a potentiometer. Also, it has composite video switching which is really rare for such old gear.  Click here for the full 791x525 image. Looking pretty good after refoaming. Lucky for me the tweeters were in perfect shape.  Click here for the full 791x525 image. The grilles were also pristine, complete with the gold EPI badges. The speakers were a really lucky find. Somebody on eBay was selling the grilles alone for $20, and I picked up the pair of speakers for $4. SentinelXS fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Jul 10, 2010 |
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Jul 10, 2010 20:39
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I found this pair of Vivid loudspeakers at a thrift store just now. They were only $8 for the pair, but I grabbed them because the label on the back said Suggested Retail: $379.95. If they ended up being great, awesome, otherwise I'd only be out $8. Brought them home and they sound pretty good. The cones are undamaged, but the grills need to be replaced and wood has a lot of heavy scratches. Not a big deal to me since I plan to refinish them anyway. Label says: Vivid Loudspeakers - Eagle Series EM320 Woofer: 10" Mid Range: 5" Ferro Fluid Tweeter: 2.5" Power: 55W RMS Freq. Response: 30-22,000 hz Crossover Freq: 2000 & 5000 hz System: Acoustic Suspension/A Air Made in Canada So does anyone know anything about this brand? Did I do good?
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Jul 10, 2010 22:48
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Just the fact that a label would mention specs that specific means they're probably pretty decent.
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Jul 11, 2010 01:00
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If I remember right, that brand wasn't really any good. They were the type that had all this fancy "technical" info on them but they weren't actually made well. I want to say that they were really generic speakers made to sound really, really fancy, kinda like DiVinci speakers. The fact they mention a suggested price on them screams this to me as well. No good speaker will have a price actually on the speaker. For example, these have prices all over them, saying that they are thousand dollar speakers, when they really aren't. The price is for show more than anything else; to say that you bought expensive speakers. Also, they sold for much lower than that price on them because that way salespeople would tell you that you got a deal, when they're really like $50 speakers with a $300 price tag on them. That said, if you like how they sound, don't feel bad. HKR posted:Look up white van scam and get those off your system before they catch on fire. Exactly. MichiganCubbie fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Jul 11, 2010 |
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Jul 11, 2010 01:55
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Look up white van scam and get those off your system before they catch on fire.
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Jul 11, 2010 01:58
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Welp, I guess that settles it. It should have been obvious that a MSRP on the speaker itself suggested something fishy. The funny thing is they actually do sound better than my previous set of Technics which had a torn tweeter. 
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Jul 11, 2010 02:20
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iamthejeff posted:Welp, I guess that settles it. It should have been obvious that a MSRP on the speaker itself suggested something fishy. You know, if they sound better, then they're worth the 8 bucks. What matters is that they work for you. 
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Jul 11, 2010 02:25
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MichiganCubbie posted:You know, if they sound better, then they're worth the 8 bucks. What matters is that they work for you. I bought a pair of pioneer bookshelf speakers because they let me test them at the thrift store and they wound up having an msrp of $350. I bought them just because they sounded good to me though. That's really all that matters.
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Jul 11, 2010 02:31
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White van speakers tend to be poorly wired and some have reported they cause damage to equipment and may catch fire.
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Jul 11, 2010 02:35
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HKR posted:White van speakers tend to be poorly wired and some have reported they cause damage to equipment and may catch fire. This concerns me, but mine look pretty old. The label on the back is yellowed and the boxes have a lot of wear. If they've lasted this long, I'm sure they'll last a little longer. At least until I can afford a proper pair.
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Jul 11, 2010 02:42
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iamthejeff posted:This concerns me, but mine look pretty old. The label on the back is yellowed and the boxes have a lot of wear. A quick google search suggests that the speakers probably won't blow up. It seems that the brand was at least alright back in the day.
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Jul 11, 2010 02:50
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:A quick google search suggests that the speakers probably won't blow up. It seems that the brand was at least alright back in the day. what did you find on google? I tried but all I found was another guy basically asking the same thing as me.
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Jul 11, 2010 03:07
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:I bought a pair of pioneer bookshelf speakers because they let me test them at the thrift store and they wound up having an msrp of $350. I bought them just because they sounded good to me though. That's really all that matters. well, having an msrp of 350 and having the msrp printed on the speaker are two different things. Pioneer is generally well-made. They aren't white van speakers.
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Jul 11, 2010 03:17
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iamthejeff posted:what did you find on google? I tried but all I found was another guy basically asking the same thing as me. There's a number of classified listings for them, most asking about $100 for a pair of Vivid's from Canada (not necessarily your model though), and a total lack of "holy poo poo these things loving blew up in my house."
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Jul 11, 2010 03:30
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More light shed on those weird Vivid loudspeakers. I got an email today that I received a new private message on canuckaudiomart.com I open it up to read: quote:Jeff..I designed those puppies 20 years ago. They were good bang for the buck and intended for entry level use. Glad you like them. It also turns out that they were the in-house brand of speakers from The Brick, a Canadian retail store.
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Jul 14, 2010 20:05
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iamthejeff posted:More light shed on those weird Vivid loudspeakers. I got an email today that I received a new private message on canuckaudiomart.com Did you get that message from a Canuckaudiomart member? That's pretty cool to hear from the designer like that...
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Jul 14, 2010 20:21
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Doc Spratley posted:Did you get that message from a Canuckaudiomart member? That's pretty cool to hear from the designer like that... Yep, I did. I would have replied too, but my account needed special privileges or something.
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Jul 14, 2010 20:44
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iamthejeff posted:More light shed on those weird Vivid loudspeakers. I got an email today that I received a new private message on canuckaudiomart.com That's awesome! I'm glad they aren't cheapo speakers. The price on the back is still weird, but it's great to get confirmation like that.
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Jul 14, 2010 20:58
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Hey everybody thanks to this thread I have been sucked into vintage audio and what not and I love it. Here is my current set up Nothing Special but I like it. Click here for the full 1024x768 image. its a numark tt 1625 going to a Phillips 920 then into some big ol Fishers. I also have a crap ton of speakers now including some custom ones from the late 60s a set of Jensens from the late 60's early 70's and a set of so so Phillips that came with the receiver. I hope to upgrade the receiver to a Marantz and get a nicer turntable as soon as I come into some money as well as get a preamp of some sort.
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Jul 14, 2010 22:29
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Gunbus posted:Hey everybody thanks to this thread I have been sucked into vintage audio and what not and I love it. Here is my current set up Nothing Special but I like it. If it's vintage Philips I would consider keeping it. Over the years Philips has made almost every appliance known to man, and they pretty much nailed every single one. The quality dropped in the 80's and never recovered. Philips made everything from shavers, to the best cinema projector ever, the DP-70. The only projector to win an academy award. Ron Burgundy fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Jul 16, 2010 |
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Jul 16, 2010 02:30
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http://lincoln.craigslist.org/ele/1853696334.html This receiver's been relisted constantly for the last month or so at $150, and he's dropped the asking price to $100. Is it worth looking into?
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Jul 21, 2010 08:52
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Found this posted on AudioKarma message boards, its an old radio shack unit listed in the 60's: Lots of hits on google for manuals etc. I don't know anything about it though. Do you really want a receiver though?
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Jul 21, 2010 14:28
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b0bx13 posted:http://lincoln.craigslist.org/ele/1853696334.html Personally, I wouldn't buy it at that price. I'd offer $30 and see if he takes it.
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Jul 21, 2010 16:35
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So I finally got a new cartridge for my Technics SL-D30 turntable, and it's been awesome. Entry-level A/T stylus, but not a huge deal since I only spent $20 on it. It's going through my older JVC receiver into a pair of Yamaha NS-4's. I really need to hit up a record store and find some good albums though, any suggestions on the "classics"?
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Jul 27, 2010 20:33
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CanOfMDAmp posted:So I finally got a new cartridge for my Technics SL-D30 turntable, and it's been awesome. Entry-level A/T stylus, but not a huge deal since I only spent $20 on it. It's going through my older JVC receiver into a pair of Yamaha NS-4's. I really need to hit up a record store and find some good albums though, any suggestions on the "classics"? what era do you like? I don't want to turn this into a PYF type place, but I've been picking up LPs for the past few months, and have a lot of 70s/80s stuff, including a mint "1999" double for $1 
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Jul 27, 2010 21:38
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I'm definitely a huge fan of The WHO, and I stopped by a local place today and got a first press copy of Hendrix's Axis: Bold As Love. Cover is pretty bad, but the album itself is great. I really just need to get out to the record stores in the area more and pick up what I can. I'm super excited to listen to a copy of Quadrophenia that my dad found. The only thing that could really bring this whole kit together is a different receiver, I'd really like to get something with that vintage look, with the analog VU meter and everything. CanOfMDAmp fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Jul 28, 2010 |
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Jul 28, 2010 02:00
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CanOfMDAmp posted:I'm definitely a huge fan of The WHO, and I stopped by a local place today and got a first press copy of Hendrix's Axis: Bold As Love. Cover is pretty bad, but the album itself is great. I really just need to get out to the record stores in the area more and pick up what I can. I'm super excited to listen to a copy of Quadrophenia that my dad found. I picked up a Pioneer Sx-626 from ebay and total shipped was only like $40. Works great. Definitely pick up a vintage receiver when you can.
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Jul 28, 2010 03:11
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I just scored Yamaha NS-1000Ms. Paid an ebay price, but they are in decent shape. The veneers might require some fixing and waxing. I am going to hook them up to my Pioneer SA-708. Or perhaps Pioneer SA-7300. All I need now is: - Pioneer TX-708 tuner - Decent cd-player to go with the fluoroscopic display pioneer look. I just had to tell someone. No one else understands 
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Aug 5, 2010 10:57
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Does anybody have any info or opinions on the JVC QL-F4? I gathered some minor positive anecdotal references, but that's about it. I found one on CL for $50 and I'm not sure if I should go for it. What do you guys think?
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Aug 20, 2010 21:57
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just stepped up to a technics sl-q2 (direct-drive, quartz timed & heavy) from my lightweight, unstable technics sl-23. now I can hear how dirty my records are! so, a much better tt for $50, I can reuse the old needle+headshell, AND I can recycle the bearing+platter into this nerdy monstrosity. *posting here cuz my gf just rolllllled her eyes.
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Aug 23, 2010 18:35
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Does anyone have opinion of the Pioneer elite series from 80s and 90s? Looks like these things go pretty cheap compared to real vintage stuff from 70s, which are really, really expensive.
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Aug 24, 2010 10:22
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captain_g posted:Does anyone have opinion of the Pioneer elite series from 80s and 90s? That's because that's when Pioneer started to turn to poo poo. There are some gems but the best stuff is from that 60s-70s period.
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Aug 24, 2010 15:44
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Got a near free PE 5050 turntable with an m93e shure cart and hi track stylus. Need a regular or service manual if anyone knows where to find em online?
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Aug 25, 2010 01:33
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HKR posted:That's because that's when Pioneer started to turn to poo poo. Prices have really inflated, which is a shame. Paying 150-350 for a 30-50w bottom barrel amp, which needs a ton of interior work done isn't really my cup of tea. I've been looking at amps with dual mono build like the A-757. It seems like all manufacturers seem to have almost identical lineups. Perhaps I'll wait for a cheap Pioneer/Sony/Technics/Akai/Sansui to show up and check it out. I am trying to find something with a darker sound to complement my Yamaha NS-1000ms.
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Aug 25, 2010 06:44
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captain_g posted:Prices have really inflated, which is a shame. Paying 150-350 for a 30-50w bottom barrel amp, which needs a ton of interior work done isn't really my cup of tea. Paying collector prices for a vintage receiver is not the way to do it (Unless you go for a very specific model you know you want, like I did with the Concept 16.5). The best way to get vintage stuff is garage sales, estate sales, and the surprise goodwill find. Also remember wattage back then was different. I have a 15w Pioneer SX 525 that got louder then a 300w Pioneer receiver I had brand new in the late 90s.
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Aug 25, 2010 06:56
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HKR posted:Paying collector prices for a vintage receiver is not the way to do it (Unless you go for a very specific model you know you want, like I did with the Concept 16.5). The best way to get vintage stuff is garage sales, estate sales, and the surprise goodwill find. I don't exactly agree with the 70s watt != +80s watt statement. However, I do agree that 80s muscle amps are not of the nicest build and are a bad comparison to the 70s units. But i think it is fair to compare them to decent units like NAD from 80s and 90s. I was just wondering IF there are any gems in the 80s muscle amp section. I have multiple 20-30w 70s units and compared to modern age designs I find them lacking. Especially compared against my NAD 3240. I've tried to scavenge garage sales and goodwills, but it seems that top of the line units are either extremely rare and when seldom found for cheap they are in such a bad condition that they are really unattractive. I'd really love to put my hands on one of the high end pioneer / sansui / technics / yamaha models in good condition, but these things are really expensive and when they come around, you are rarely the only purchaser.
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Aug 25, 2010 07:26
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HKR posted:The best way to get vintage stuff is garage sales, estate sales, and the surprise goodwill find. check out buy/sell/trade places like cash converters too, especially for old receivers. they're usually priced to move, clean & come with like a 3-month warranty.
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Aug 25, 2010 16:03
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Planning to start garage sailing for a cassette deck. What should I be on the lookout for? Good brand names? Good vintages? Common problems? Things to try before I buy? I'm handy with a screwdriver and a soldering iron so paying $5 for a high quality but ostensibly broken piece of equipment is right up my alley.
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Aug 26, 2010 15:58
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InsomniakV posted:Planning to start garage sailing for a cassette deck. What should I be on the lookout for? Good brand names? Good vintages? Common problems? Things to try before I buy? screw cassette and go reel to reel.
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Aug 26, 2010 17:08
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