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pzy posted:After some unscientific A/B testing, I feel the Nakamichi sounds best, but for some reason mine is playing tapes a little bit slow. Pop it open and check the mechanicals. It's a ~26 year old player so it's the first place I'd look. Belts age and crack/stretch/turn to goop, dirt and dust can get stuck in machinery, and grease can dry out or get chunky. If it's playing consistently but slow, my money's on lubrication being the issue. 
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May 22, 2017 05:06
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The perfect post to follow up to! I picked up this Onkyo TA-201 for free, with a horrible screeching noise coming from the transport during playback.  One drop of oil in the capstan motor later, it plays like new. The belt seemed fine, so it stays put. Too bad the picture can't convey just how awesome the brightness and color of that green display is!
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May 22, 2017 19:18
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I did some research, and apparently lack of lube and belt dryness is a common cause for slow playback, and also a common ailment amongst that generation of Nakamichi decks. The Cassette Deck 2 is apparently also one of the most highly regarded tape decks of all time... so that's cool. The "ultimate" one is the $1000+ Dragon. It even looks expensive. I've gotten a few quotes to get my deck completely refurbished, and it runs from $350 to $800... yikes. Good thing this is a thrift store special. There's a local place I'm going to check out this week that hopefully can do the same job for less money, and less of a wait. The guy I found online is a prolific and well-known "Nakamichi guy", but has a 4-6 month waiting list!
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May 23, 2017 03:23
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Now I know that this is the TWO channel thread, but I think we can make an exception!   I just did a 15 second wipedown of the front. Early impressions with just some compact Sony speakers are that it pushes a lot of power, and that I think I saw the streetlights outside flicker when I fired it up. It's gonna need some love in both woodworking and electronics to be 100%, but it was $20! For the record, it's a QX949.
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May 25, 2017 15:50
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How the hell do I post images via Imgur or such. I too wanna share. Can someone explain it to me like I'm 5 years old, cause whenever I post the link I just post...the link.
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May 25, 2017 16:06
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Put the link in [img] brackets
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May 25, 2017 16:16
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BigFactory posted:Put the link in [img] brackets Note: if it's from imgur, be sure to use the .jpg link. They like to give you a gallery page link by default. And if it's a large image, use [timg] tags.
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May 25, 2017 16:52
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Like so? After a year of waiting and watching, this beauty finally showed up. iSimian fucked around with this message at 16:55 on May 25, 2017 |
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May 25, 2017 16:52
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iSimian posted:Like so? Just add .jpg to it and you're fine. (Assuming it's a valid imgur link) Try linking http://i.imgur.com/OFEc3PW.jpg instead I got that by right clicking on your imgur picture and selecting Copy Image Address. m.hache fucked around with this message at 16:55 on May 25, 2017 |
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May 25, 2017 16:53
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m.hache posted:Try linking http://i.imgur.com/OFEc3PW.jpg instead Thank you both!
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May 25, 2017 16:55
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iSimian posted:Like so? Is that the one from Clockwork Orange? I hate to even look up how much that goes for.
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May 25, 2017 16:59
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wa27 posted:Is that the one from Clockwork Orange? I hate to even look up how much that goes for. That's the one. The Transcriptor Hydraulic Refererence. I believe this one is from 1964. In in working condition, being formerly cared for by an enthusiast.
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May 25, 2017 17:07
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Met a guy last night with some insanely awesome equipment, and he uttered the magic phrase "My wife really wants me to get rid of this stuff" We totally bonded over music nerdery, and also mockery of how crazy high-end audio could get, especially back in the day. I drooled over his mint Yamaha CR-3020, which he isn't selling. He does however want to sell the following: Nakamichi Dragon (Been sitting unused for a decade, probably needs refurbishing) Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers with original stands (Refurbished in the early 2000s, look super fiddly but also really cool) B&K PT-3 pre-amp + B&K Reference 2220 amp He also has a wall of CDs he wants to replace with a vinyl display, and a giant 4:3 Trinitron CRT that a retro gamer might like. I mentioned in previous posts I was looking for a Dragon, which is why I contacted him. The other stuff could help me fund the refurbishment of the Dragon, or I could fall in love and keep all this enormous equipment for myself. Any opinions on quality/value? The speakers are weird. They are pretty highly regarded, but are power hungry beasts, and probably require expensive tweaking every decade or so. I'd guess they're worth maybe $400 as they sit. The B&K stuff is a little more straightforward, they're still pretty popular. My guess for the pre-amp + amp is something like $600 The Dragon.... oh lord the Dragon. Such a crazy range for value, mostly because it's recommended if you buy one used, you ship it directly to one of the few Nakamichi nerds left in the country for a refurbishment, which can approach the cost of the unit itself. $500? $1000? Who knows! If I get it cheap enough to refurb it, capture my tape, then resell it... that could be ok.
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May 25, 2017 17:15
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evobatman posted:The perfect post to follow up to! Nice! A few months ago I bought a Denon 720R from my friend for  and it has the same green dynamic display. I love it (especially since it's in a rack now).
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May 25, 2017 17:57
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evobatman posted:Now I know that this is the TWO channel thread, but I think we can make an exception! omg that Pioneer is loving perfect. Quadraphonics4LYFE
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May 25, 2017 18:52
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I have a Yamaha RX-V1000 receiver for my vinyl/tape/cd, with Yamaha NS-6390 speakers. However I acquired a Vector Research VR-7000 receiver. Wondering if it would be worthwhile to swap them. Asking here first, because its going to be over a half hour of work moving poo poo around to do that. I don't need the modern features like sound modeling, or modern connections that the Yamaha has, so its purely for sound quality. Amount of power isnt so much a factor either since I live in an apartment and cant crank it too loud anyways.
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May 28, 2017 00:15
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Anyone know what this thing actually is? A friend is selling it and I kind of want to get it and try to restore it this summer, there's some damage to the wood on one of the edges and the speakers don't amplify properly. I'm trying to determine the value of it as I live 2 hours away and would need to make arrangements to get it to my house. Googling the model number turned up nothing.  
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May 29, 2017 18:04
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I wouldn't pay anything for it
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May 29, 2017 19:03
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It's worth absolutely nothing and there is no way I would drive 2 hours for that. Potentially nice looking piece of furniture once it's restored? Perhaps. But as far as a stereo goes it's the 70s equivalent of a bad boom box.
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May 29, 2017 23:55
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DariusLikewise posted:Anyone know what this thing actually is? A friend is selling it and I kind of want to get it and try to restore it this summer, there's some damage to the wood on one of the edges and the speakers don't amplify properly. I'm trying to determine the value of it as I live 2 hours away and would need to make arrangements to get it to my house. Googling the model number turned up nothing. Did a little digging, would need better clarification photos to really cast the net wider. Seems like a cobbled together Canada only stereogram. I'd estimate 1969/70. Turntable looks like a Philips 22GC047/22M or a very close relative. Whatever it is/was, it's a rare survivor. Probably only a handful extant in the entire world (and all in Canada). Actual value? Think of it like a shoddy piano - less than the cost of moving it.. As a unusual piece of Canadian audio manufacture, maybe it has some curiosity value to somebody but probably not.
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May 30, 2017 00:38
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You can find built-in turntable cabinets at Goodwill pretty regularly.
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May 30, 2017 02:33
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Generally console HiFis are very lovely electronics built into a cheap buffet cabinet. I have seen quite a few restorations where they scrapped the internals and built in a modern mp3 player and minibar etc. That is about all they are good for. They do shop up at thrift shops and estate sales for cheap.
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May 30, 2017 07:52
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Unfortunately it was in way worse shape on the inside than on the outside, so I sold it on to a local hobbyist repair guy. It was fun while it lasted.
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May 30, 2017 16:08
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Double post for some better news: I picked up this Onkyo FR-435 for free, because I wanted a stationary minidisc player. I wasn't even thinking of the possibility that it was a complete compact stereo system! Turns out it's Onkyos top of the line compact stereo from the early 2000s. It has CD, Minidisc, FM radio and a whole heap of connections:  When I first got it, I discovered the minidisc module was all dead, so I messed around with it for a while but got nowhere. I put it up for sale yesterday, but when I tried it today for shits and giggles, the minidisc player was working! It can be used as a DAC, ADC, preamp, you can copy a CD to MD with a single button press, and it does 35W*2 in 8 ohm, with dual power supplies. This thing is a technological monster, and must have been crazy expensive when it was new. Edit: And it hooks up to my tape deck posted earlier, so I can control that with the remote control for this.
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May 30, 2017 20:03
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Jeza posted:Did a little digging, would need better clarification photos to really cast the net wider. Seems like a cobbled together Canada only stereogram. I'd estimate 1969/70. Turntable looks like a Philips 22GC047/22M or a very close relative. Whatever it is/was, it's a rare survivor. Probably only a handful extant in the entire world (and all in Canada). Actual value? Think of it like a shoddy piano - less than the cost of moving it.. As a unusual piece of Canadian audio manufacture, maybe it has some curiosity value to somebody but probably not. drat, I was hoping it was something rare and valuable, just rare isn't really worth me lugging it across the province, good to know though, thank you. I'll just keep scouring local thift shops.
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May 30, 2017 20:45
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Those console stereos turn up all the time on Craigslist and I'm sure it's the same with whatever the Canadian equivalent is. IMO the 60s era Magnavox consoles, especially the tube driven ones are the better kind as far as consoles go. The cabinets are actually nice and sturdy and sound OK (for a console). The amp inside those kinds go for a couple hundred bucks if you pull and restore them to standalone units.
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May 30, 2017 22:40
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a dingus posted:Those console stereos turn up all the time on Craigslist and I'm sure it's the same with whatever the Canadian equivalent is. IMO the 60s era Magnavox consoles, especially the tube driven ones are the better kind as far as consoles go. The cabinets are actually nice and sturdy and sound OK (for a console). The amp inside those kinds go for a couple hundred bucks if you pull and restore them to standalone units. Fishers also sound decent overall, have good amplifiers (great if you luck into a higher-end model), and have the advantage of having almost all of their service manuals online. I inherited a Custom Futura V from my grandparents, and intend to keep it for life.
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May 30, 2017 22:54
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ChocNitty posted:I have a Yamaha RX-V1000 receiver for my vinyl/tape/cd, with Yamaha NS-6390 speakers. Post a pic! VR gear is super rare and has a reputation of being quite good. Not super high-end stuff, but competitive with a lot of the nice Japanese equipment of the day. Information on the company is pretty spotty, but their MO was half boutique hi-fi operation, half house brand for a few regional US electronics retailers. Their design group was based in California but they had manufacturing contracts with various Asian companies including Crown Radio, Kyocera, and the manufacturer of NAD and Rotel receivers/amps. The quality of their equipment seems to have dropped sharply in the latter half of the '80s and they folded sometime soon after that. Vector Research stuff- particularly receivers- seems to fetch a pretty solid price from collectors if you decide not to keep it. I have a VT-250 direct drive turntable that was my dad's. It's really nice. As for your question: It seems like your other receiver is a 5.1 surround unit. If you don't have any rears or sub plugged in, I'd deffo swap in the VR. At the very least, it'll look a lot more interesting than that nondescript Yammy. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 05:10 on May 31, 2017 |
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May 31, 2017 05:07
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a dingus posted:Those console stereos turn up all the time on Craigslist and I'm sure it's the same with whatever the Canadian equivalent is. IMO the 60s era Magnavox consoles, especially the tube driven ones are the better kind as far as consoles go. The cabinets are actually nice and sturdy and sound OK (for a console). The amp inside those kinds go for a couple hundred bucks if you pull and restore them to standalone units. Anything tube driven is usually worth something. Sadly early solid state, like that one, is not desirable.
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May 31, 2017 18:38
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Okay, here's a weird question, because it's unlike anything I've come across before: I picked up a Yamaha RX-V1700 and a Harman Kardon HK3480. Both of these are supposed monster receivers with 120 watts per channel. I tried them on my Beovox Redline speakers, and both of them play really LOW! I have to turn them up to somewhere between -30 and -20 dB for them to play something that can be interpreted as loud. I tried the same speakers on the FR-435 I posted earlier, and it blew the other receivers out of the water on lower and mid volumes, although it did run out of breath when it got very loud. The sound quality from both the new receivers seems fine, which is the weird part. They play back with consistent detail just like they should, I just have to crank and crank the volume to get anywhere. I did a factory reset on the Yamaha, that didn't help. I've never come across or even heard of a failure mode before where volume is just low, with no other signs of problem. Am I doing something wrong here, or is it possible just to wear out the power amplifiers on these monster amps to where they aren't lound anymore?
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Jun 1, 2017 19:35
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The actual continuous power output on those modern receivers is probably much lower than advertised.
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Jun 1, 2017 19:43
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evobatman posted:Okay, here's a weird question, because it's unlike anything I've come across before: I picked up a Yamaha RX-V1700 and a Harman Kardon HK3480. Both of these are supposed monster receivers with 120 watts per channel. I tried them on my Beovox Redline speakers, and both of them play really LOW! I have to turn them up to somewhere between -30 and -20 dB for them to play something that can be interpreted as loud. I tried the same speakers on the FR-435 I posted earlier, and it blew the other receivers out of the water on lower and mid volumes, although it did run out of breath when it got very loud. What sound mode are you in on the Yamaha and HK? Stereo?
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Jun 1, 2017 19:49
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I know, but it's way, way past where that should matter. My home theatre amp is a $200 Sony STR-DH520, which DEFINITIVELY is overrated in every way when it comes to power and supposedly does 80w*2 out of a 240w power supply. It sounds amazing, and I haven't managed to push it to where it runs out of power. The Yamaha is a $1200 receiver with a 500 watt power supply, playing it in two channel mode should get me some angry neighbors! I did run it through all the playback modes to test, with no significant difference in power. The HK is a stereo receiver to begin with, and doesn't really have any other modes except some fake surround thing. evobatman fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Jun 1, 2017 |
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Jun 1, 2017 19:50
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Maybe the gain is simply lower, compared to the old amp. I have a crappy old 2x25W (optimistically) JVC stereo receiver, and I can't use more than the first 1/4th of the volume slider, before it gets deafeningly loud. But it's still a low-power amp, so it'll run out of steam quickly. The gain is simply too high, when using a modern 2Vrms signal to feed it.
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Jun 1, 2017 19:51
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I hooked up my Chromecast Audio via SPDIF to the Yamaha right now to eliminate analogue stuff as a source of error. That did seem to make some difference. I still have to turn it up towards -20dB, but the sound is extremely clear, and isn't close to running out of steam on the Redlines. The speakers seem to be more the limit now when it comes to power and clarity, and I almost started worrying about damaging them. Maybe the problem is that I'm not used to having amps with this kind of power? I'll have to try them on my Tannoy V4is this weekend and see how they sound on those.
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Jun 1, 2017 20:26
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One thing to note is that a slightly distorted signal sounds louder than a clean signal. So a higher-powered amp can sound not as loud as a lower-powered amp, because it's not distorting at the same output level. Not saying that's what's going on here, but it does happen.
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Jun 1, 2017 21:40
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Well, I'm gonna go for that the receivers are working as designed, and I'm just an idiot I hooked them up to my Tannoys, and used my Sony ES CD player via RCA and SPDIF with my homemade music test CD to make sure that I had the best source possible. Now instead of sounding too loud or getting the sound of amplifier or speaker hitting their limit, it's crystal clear all the way up in volume until my ears feel like they are oversaturated. It's first after I turn the volume down that I feel that my ears actually did hurt. I think I maybe came close to the limit of the speakers, but the receivers still sounded like they had lots of power to go on. 
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Jun 2, 2017 17:28
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I have a yahama amp (I think a RX-V1047) and when I hooked it up I noticed I had to get around -20db on vinyl to sound "loud" but spotify was great at -50db. I had no issue with sound quality at either level. I'm used to it now but I remember thinking it was considerable more quiet then my Kenwood amp I replaced with it.
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Jun 2, 2017 21:07
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Did it have a preamp for the vinyl?
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Jun 2, 2017 22:37
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I have a vintage pioneer receiver from the 70's and my girlfriend wants to connect it to bluetooth speakers throughout the house. I'm thinking that this is a terrible idea and a waste of money but, if I wanted to do something like this, how would I go about it? Would a bluetooth package like Sonos be the way to go? Or are there bluetooth transmitters/receivers that work better for cheaper? Sorry for the stupid question, my google attempts are getting foiled by a million websites about bluetooth receivers for playing music from a phone and not much about connecting speakers via bluetooth to an analog receiver.
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Jun 6, 2017 00:44
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