derrickdj1 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I recently brought two well kept vintage amps and a great price. The Yamaha M 70, I use them for 2 channel audio and extended HT listening. The clarity of these old amps is great. No his or buzz which I have heard about on this forum about other amps. No ground loop problems. I just turned the gain all the way up and ran the avr's autocalibration program to set the levels and adjust for room correction. I know there are a great number of good amps and each have there own fans. I was wondering what experiences others had, or having using some older equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornfedksboy Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I know this isn't quite the same, but I'm using a Marantz 2238B as an integrated 2-Channel with DAC for digital music. Little 38 wpc amps sound beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 I took a look at the Marantz, very cool looking. Reminds me of college when looking at the lights and meters were a part of the musical experience back in the late 70's. Many of these vintage pieces are still going strong. Production was focused on quality and not so much on cost. The old stuff was made with high quality parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bracurrie Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I got onto Adcom 535 SS amps that date back a decade or I think. You can buy them on EBAY for around a hundred bucks and they have been a very cost effective way to drive good speakers. The review that got me onto these is here. http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/adcom_gfa-535_power_amplifier/index.html The 535L version has gain pads for each channel. I use two of these in a bi-amp configuration. For a set of Heresys I use a HH Scott 222c. Its a great heater and sounds good to boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Many of these vintage pieces are still going strong. Not everything from the 70's was built with quality in-mind. If you'll recall, that was back when pretty much everything sold at domestic K-Mart stores, for example, (Kame-apart) was in fact from Japan or worse yet Taiwan and well, let's just say didn't last long at all. Anyone remember the "blue light specials"?[] I remember my Dad contemplating buying a TV, and he was frustrated in knowing that he had either plunk down some serious coin for a Zenith or the like because if he didn't, whatever else (like Audiovox) was simply a waste of our time. Regardless, it was when a few choice manufacturers were starting to really make a name for themselves by rising above all that noise. I cut my chops on my grandfather's JVC VR before I got my own place. Heavy old chunk...could really pull in distant radio stations well and had on-board EQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davis419b Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Dont forget about Sansui ! In my opinion they are the best of the old receivers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplatel5000 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 A nice old Technics served me very well for a number of years before I upgraded to McIntosh separates(also vintage, and also sounding great) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Dont forget about Sansui ! In my opinion they are the best of the old receivers !I would agree with that statement... I've got two Sansui recieivers that I'm very pleased with. I also have about 8 pair of (various) model Sansui speakers from the 70's and 80's. All of them are outstanding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Ah, the nostalgia!!! [Y] A well maintained vintage amp from the late 60's - 70's is a beauty to behold. Unfortunately, parts and service techs who actually know how to work on them are becoming like hen's teeth..... rare.... If not for that fact, I would still have my AU-111, 11000's, etc. Alas, but the Mac's have the same sound and certainly a superb quality build (made in USA) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingman Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I recently found a small AV electronics repair shop - get this - just outside the small Iowa town of Knoxville. I've stopped in and talked with the owner, a guy with longish hair but showing his years with a balding top. He can talk about vintage gear all day long, has stacks and stacks of tech documentation and apparently has been doing this for quite a few years. I felt comfortable enough that I just took him my Marantz 250 with a blown channel. I'm betting (and hoping) he does a good job with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted January 14, 2012 Author Share Posted January 14, 2012 Yes, the repair and parts has be a problem. That was the first thing I did before purcashing my M 70 amps, make sure there was a Yamaha repair shop in the area that could fix it with original part and fine tune it back to factory specs. One is in the shop for a tune-up, just to make sure it back at factory specs, replace any caps, clean the inside, ect. It will cost about $150. tomorrow I will try and post a pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Finding the right tech is KEY to your quality vintage amp experience. If you can find the right tech, vintage amps can not only be a good way to sonic bliss, they often can be THE BEST choice in many systems. One of the reasons I like vintage tube gear is that those gears usually are more simplified, making it easier to not just find parts......but to find the best SOUNDING parts as well. Not to mention the quality of available techs in that specialty, which make owning cherished vintage tube gears not only viable, but top performers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Oddly enough, and not actually surprising, is the vintage tubes amp phenomenon. Given the ready availability of tubes, and the technology level is not dependent on proprietary chips and PCB's snd odd, one of a kind switches, etc., vintage tube amps will always hold a good niche in the audio market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpampt Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Hey Davis. Is that a QRX 9001? Nice. I've lately been using an Outlaw Audio Pre/pro with a variety of vintage amps. Hafler from the 80's, Sony from the early 70's and Magnavox restored console amp from the 60's. I'm not one to say the vintage gear outperforms the modern gear, but for the price, you will have to spend a whole lot more for something modern to get the same or better performance you'll get from the vintage gear. That's if the vintage gear has been properly cared for (caps, brought to spec, etc). Good techs are hard to find, indeed! My Sony amp has 2 pairs of inputs, so I can use 2 separate preamps and switch back and forth. For HT, run the Outlaw Pre/pro through and use it as my front channel. For phono, stereo listening etc, I can use my vintage stereo preamp and just use the front main speakers. I've found the quality vintage gear seems to perform beyond it's rated power specs. As mentioned by others, there are vintage duds out there to. Be selective. Seems like the 80's brought in more of the lower quality mass market stuff. But quality equipment could still be found. The Pre/Pro with the remotes sure does spoil you though[]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Here is a pic of some of my gear, the amp is on the bottom right (Yamaha M 70, 200 watts per channel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Better pic. Normally I have better wire management, but I was working around the gear and moving things. I know I need a bigger TV console, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davis419b Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Hey Davis. Is that a QRX 9001? Nice. I've lately been using an Outlaw Audio Pre/pro with a variety of vintage amps. Hafler from the 80's, Sony from the early 70's and Magnavox restored console amp from the 60's. I'm not one to say the vintage gear outperforms the modern gear, but for the price, you will have to spend a whole lot more for something modern to get the same or better performance you'll get from the vintage gear. That's if the vintage gear has been properly cared for (caps, brought to spec, etc). Good techs are hard to find, indeed! My Sony amp has 2 pairs of inputs, so I can use 2 separate preamps and switch back and forth. For HT, run the Outlaw Pre/pro through and use it as my front channel. For phono, stereo listening etc, I can use my vintage stereo preamp and just use the front main speakers. I've found the quality vintage gear seems to perform beyond it's rated power specs. As mentioned by others, there are vintage duds out there to. Be selective. Seems like the 80's brought in more of the lower quality mass market stuff. But quality equipment could still be found. The Pre/Pro with the remotes sure does spoil you though. Yes it is ! Its the only quad I have in my Sansui collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpampt Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 In Indiana the right is on the other side. Course if you are standing behind the TV... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpampt Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 To me it was a similar sound to the 9090, but less power. Even without a quad source, some stereo recordings can sound pretty darn cool when using some of the matrix settings. I had replaced the lights with LED's and it really made the display a beautiful blue. They are known for cold solder joints and going south when using it in the 120 wpc mode. Mine did the 120 wpc ok, but the cold solder joints got me. I sold it to someone who was able to fully restore it. And then sold it for silly $$$. Beautiful man, beautiful! Can be used for a vintage surround sound too! What's not to like. Of course, they take up a lot of space. they are huge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Find a good Tech and have your stereos gone through before all the good techs are gone. I have Marantz, Sansui, Fisher, Mcintosh and a Laufette that have either been gone through, or in line for a trip to the shop. None of the old receivers or amps are newer then the 70's. More then I need or use but safer then getting intoxicated and chasing women. Wife has her own Broom with laser sights and might sweep me out into the streets. [] I love my vintage gear. Not interested in the new stuff that has to have whole board replaced and special test leads that factory uses. None of that throw away stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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