Three years ago I bought my first vintage speakers, Dynaco's A25XL, from a 72 year-old lady living by herself in a farm house. She mentioned she used to have the "amp that went with them, an ST-35" back in the 70s when she bought them new, and in the summer she would put the speakers outside on the back porch and her now-deceased husband could hear the music all the way to the barn. My eyes got bigger: "Do you still have the amp??" Unfortunately she did not, she said the amp 'crapped out' at some point and she got rid of it, but had kept the speakers until now, but never played them again since. We had this long talk of when she was in her 20's during the 70's, not a lot of girls where into stereo and amps! I fully restored the A25 cabinets and sent her pictures, she was grateful I was giving her beloved speakers a 2nd life and appreciate them. They are a nice match to my Pioneer SX-720 but I hope one day I'll be able to afford an ST-35.
As a veteran of the stereo wars of the 70's, I feel qualified to share my stereo journey. My first system was a Kenwood receiver and small Wharfdale speakers. I then moved up to a Harmon-Kardon 930 with EPi 400 speakers. loved that system! After years of enjoyment it was time to move up to separates. I chose a Crown DC-300A/IC-150 with ESS AMT-Rock Monitor 3's. It indeed rocked! Many bands chose DC-300A's including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Rush and Triumph! You can clearly see banks of DC-300A's on stage with Triumph at the US festival! My friends had Phase Linear and Marantz separates, but I can tell you Crown took a back seat to no one! I may not have won the stereo war, but I took no prisoners! John from 🇨🇦
The way you narrated the Dynaco portion, just not me... Just bringing that history to a home, reverberates with the nostalgia of vintage audio; it makes me look at my units and think one day they will be going somewhere... Great videos...
As a teen separates meant a receiver, with a separate turntable and separate tape deck. It was a step up from the “compact” all in ones that featured the electronics and turntable in the same unit.
I'm a huge Harman Kardon fan boy, but if you need a kidney, I will trade you for that McIntosh system. LOL I can see why you would never sell them, some things just become family. My 1936 Silvertone radio belonged to my grandparents. I used to play with it in the early 60s when I was a kid. It's definitely family.
I’ve never been into McIntosh gear. Nothing against it at all, in fact I’ve never heard any, it’s just visually they never really “did it” for me. But seeing those 2 pieces in your video…? WOAH! Those are freakin GORGEOUS!
I think there's a lot of truth with what you say, but when one gets to a certain age, thoughts of simplicity start to crowd out the idea of hiqh-quality separates costing thousands with something that still sounds pretty good and that the grandkids can mess with (without you worrying about it). I guess it's different strokes for different folks. Great video, as usual.
Could not have said it better. I moved away from vintage separates for the same reasons. Fixing them up was more fun than living with them. Got a Yamaha network receiver now and am very pleased.
My parents always had nice stereo equipment, starting with a huge console, and 2 or 3 different stereo systems over the years. This lit the fire with me, and one Christmas, I got my own stereo, a Hitachi all in one, and that was it! Since then, I've gone through a few stereo setups, but I have finally ended up with separates. Magnum Dynalab MD90 tuner, NAD C352 integrated amp, Marantz CD6000OSE CD, Theta DAC, etc. Its built for the sound I like, and I can't imagine changing anytime soon! I wish I could afford Mcintosh gear!
I've had that Dynaco pairing for 50 years. My friend bypassed the tone controls for me sometime in the seventies. Still going strong in the living room.
Silk screened bias voltages on the chassis, in 45 yrs I've never seen this. Built for serviceablity. I think you're right, I recently thrifted a PAS-2 for $4, posting an image on discord now. I love these Sunday coffee time show and tell videos.Thanks Skylabs.
Love your channel and catch every review. Have the Kenwood 700m and 700c. I am the original owner (sold them and got them back 30 plus years later. Incredible sound and awesome to look at. 😊
I worked in the stereo business in the 70's. Having connections helped me buy/trade/swap for what back then was nearly my perfect system. Separates were always my goal, and after 4-5 years of trading up, I ended up with: Quad 33 preamp with a pair of Luxman A3000 mono tube amps, a Thorens TD-16 turntable with a black widow tone arm and a Dynavector ruby cartridge. For the few times I listened to the radio, I got a Luxman T33 tuner. The one thing I never quite got was my dream speakers, Magnapan Tympani 1A's. I settled for M&K Satellite II's and an M&K Goliath II subwoofer. I loved that system and really wish I could get it back without taking out a 2nd mortgage.
Lol, when i was 12 I was given by my parents who didn’t use it, a Hi-Fi turntable, cheap ceramic cartridge only, but the speakers separated and could be moved apart, loved it with my Led Zep II and Iron Butterfly albums, then moved up to a all in one from Sears, from parents at Christmas, then to a Sansui 2 series receiver and Dynaco A10’s and BIC 960 turntable at 17 , never good enough compared to the rest of what was in the store, but surely moving up each time and by then I may have had 10 albums. That receiver was my first loan from a credit union. Now I’m nearly 69 and still going, into tubes where I’ll be the rest of my life…thanks for the entertaining and educational videos
Kevin, I love your videos on vintage audio. I started my audio journey in 1991 and have owned at least 100 different components since my journey began. In 2007 I declared my search and upgrading and reach a point of good enough and have bought anything since. I am still very happy with my system. McIntosh MC40’s, Conrad Johnson PV10A preamp, Altec 604-8G Model 17 speakers with custom crossovers, Technics SP25 TT with a Denon 103R and a step up transformer designed for my cartridge. Now it’s all about the music. Thank you for all you do.
Many budding audiophiles in their youth, when they couldn't afford separates, aspire to someday buying them. I started out in 1971 with a JVC 5550 receiver. Finally, in 1978, with more income, I purchased a Nakamichi 410 preamp and Quad 405 power amp. I still have this pair driving ADS 1230 speakers (1983). They work so well (both have been serviced; the Quad was upgraded) that I don't have much desire for something else. If I could afford McIntosh (either vintage or modern), I might purchase an amp or two, just for the bling alone. We all know that McIntosh owners don't own them for the sound alone.
I never had any of that gear in the 70`s or 80`s, just a Pioneer SX450 with some tower speakers that I don`t recall the brand but they sounded good. I am however a new fan of Harman Kardon with a $50 Facebook marketplace receiver that I bought, the AVR-130 from 2003 and although it`s not old old school, the rich refined sound that it pumped out blew me away especially at only 40 watts a channel. I am amazed at all the decent audio out there that flies under the radar once you get past the early 80`s. Love the channel and thanks for all you do.
Kevin, you've taken out your big toys for this video..Lovin' it! Absolutely beautiful components..They couldn't have ended up in better hands. Thanks for sharing and enjoy what's left of your Sunday!
I have been into separates ever since I got the Carver M500t power amp back in the 80s. At one time I did own what would be considered vintage equipment now. But you know how it is, equipment comes and goes. Nowadays my system includes the Schiit Freya+ tube preamp, the Jeff Rowland 125 power amp, and a Schiit phono preamp. I'm happy with my system and at the age of 69 I don't see myself purchasing any more equipment. Time to kick back and chill. Thanks for the video.
Back in the early days of my audio journey, I owned that very Harman/Kardon pair and was pleased by the sound. I also had a Dynaco ST70 and PAT-4A preamp. The combo were driving a pair of Quad ESL57s, and doing it well. Great video.
I've got to say the Mac 2105 is the best amp I've ever owned and I've owned a lot of valve and solid state vintage amps ... it looks fantastic ... it sounds fantastic .... and it's beautifully built .... personally I think old Mac amps are better than the new ones
This was a great watch. My brother-in-law just gave me his McIntosh C26, MC 2505, a MR71, and a Rek-o-kut L37 turntable, he said enjoy it before I die. His father bought them brand new in 1970. Currently I have them connected to a pair of Dahlquist 905’s, but always on the look out for other speakers (suggestions welcome). My new favorite past time is to sip an adult beverage and stare at the meters.
The McIntosh Separates you showed are the only Separates I really want. I'd sell a receiver if I could replace it with those McIntosh Separates you showed. They are powerful yet simple. They look good. I'd have to part with my Pioneer SX-950 but it would be a fond farewell. I might consider Pioneer separates if they generated monster power watts per channel. I like the clean look of Pioneer silver faced equipment.
Great Video Kevin, early last year I purchased from the Original owner a near mint McIntosh MC-2125; love it and will never sell it and paired with a newer Parasound preamp. Also have a Pioneer SX-850 and Marantz 2252 receivers; both are near mint and have super sound. I feel Mid -1970s gear is the peak for audio equipment
That Dyna preamp is the PAS-3, not the PAS-2. The PAS-3 and PAS-2 are essentially the same preamp. But the PAS-3 was unable to drive solid state power amps due to an impedence mismatch. The PAS-3X included an adaption to enable them to drive solid state amps. Most of the PAS-3 you see on the market will actually be a PAS-3X. The Dyna products were engineered to be easy enough to build for home builders, and being a budget product, were offered with lower cost parts as well as circuit boards. They worked just fine for what they were, but they were never in the same class as their contemporaries from McIntosh, Fisher or Marantz. There have been many mod kits over the years for the PAS-3X, and they werenʻt just mods. They were wholesale circuit replacements to the point where the only thing that remained the same was the faceplate.
My first all in one was a hand me down. I was 9 in 1971. A 1968 GE. Pull down turntable with swinging door speakers. It was ok, but I bought my 1st separate system The Realistic SA1001. I built the speakers from one of their kits. I first bought their LAB49 turntable. I loved it. Loved it better with the Dual 1216 I bought used in 1980. Kept it the speakers and amp tell 1987. With some used speaker cabinets from the swap meet. I installed pyle guts and bought the new STA2700 receiver. The Dual, STA2700, and speakers still going strong. They never have let me down. I had never stopped playing them
Funny. In late 70's, as young teen, I got hand me down hifi components from my older brothers. Then in 1977 bought an SX-450 receiver new. Over the years, and buying various hifi in the military, I ended up with various separates, ...... preamps, amps, equalizers, reverbs, phono preamps, tape decks, etc. Now, getting much older, I am back to alternating between a classic but simple Kenwood KR-4070, and a Vector Research VR-5000 receiver. And also a Pioneer PL41 & Thorens TD160 turntable. Oh, and some1958-era KLH 6's. Still love the older components, just fewer of them in the chain now.
I had the Dynaco PAT 4 solid state preamp in the early 1970's. I built it myself and bought my first soldering pencil to do it. I had built a lot of model cars as a kid and figured I could do this kit. Dynaco made it easy to do with great instructions and although it took longer than a model car, it worked great. I'm sure it sounded different than a tube version, but who knew?
Again nice equiptment. And great video. Love my magnavox setup. Just need to tweek it a bit and find the background noise. Once that's done it'll be excellent sounding movie watcher ontop of music player.
I started with an all-in-one reel-to-reel machine, a Sony TC-630. Cool machine, had some friends who had a band and I helped them tape some songs. Went to college and discovered that the speakers that came with it were nothing compared to what was available on the market, and that buying music on reel-to-reel tapes was expensive and not the best option as far as availability goes. Sold the machine and bought a HK 930, Advents, and a Thorens TD-160 turntable with a Shure V15 Type III cartridge. Tried a Phase Linear 700 on the system for a while but sold it. Eventually bought a pair of speakers that were on my short list of ideal speakers, Polk SDA 1A's. Upgraded to a better receiver from HK that had a digital tuner (the 930 had a slight tendency to drift higher over time) and it could handle the lower impedance of the speakers a bit better at high volume due to the higher current capacity. I lusted after separates for a while through all of that, but hit the barrier of, "when's enough?" Having grown up with tubes in consoles, I liked the fact that solid state electronics didn't degrade over time like tubes did. I started college studying electrical engineering and realized that heat was the enemy of solid state electronics, so I steered away from wood cabinets since a metal cabinet could radiate heat a bit better (wood is more of an insulator) and most of the wood cabinets I saw had less ventilation. I will readily admit that wood cabinets look better, but there's something cool about the black cabinet on a HK930 that wood just can't reproduce. Out of all the things I bought, the Polks were the best value, half price on a model closeout. Sometimes you just stumble into a bargain by sheer luck. I imagine that the modern version of that is hitting an estate sale.
I own the same mcintosh setup as you, in 2020 i bought them from the original owner, condition wise they look pristine like yours, they of course needed to be serviced. They sound amazing, and I had owned many vintage hi-fi setups, and modern rogue audio tube amp, the mac are it for me now. The guy i bought them from had the original boxes, manuals and receipts.
The Dyna ST-70 & Pas 2 were my gateway drug into this hobby. When I build a high efficiency single driver TL speaker I will build a modern kit interpretation of the ST-70. The Pas 2 I used had the tone control delete. I've owned at least 2 St-70s. Yes, they don't have the best control over drivers but they sound warm, lush and musical. I also owned a Conrad-Johnson version that was lovely and a bit tighter.
McIntosh to me is like a Ferrari, nothing like it. One more college tuition and then I will be tuition free and time to treat myself to a Mc, separates or integrated, new or vintage? Not sure yet but a Mc for sure! As usual, great video!
The stereo shop I worked at in Oregon installing car stereos after High School, had a setup with the Citation 11 with the Citation 16 power amp, in a rack.
Great video Kevin! I remember seeing all the McIntosh ads in Stereo Review, High Fidelity & Audio magazines. Definitely a premium product. As a starving college student, I just didn't have that kind of cash. I didn't fully understand the long-term value then, but now I see now why they were so much more expensive than the NAD gear of that era.
My main system is a Yamaha C-60 and M-60. Not quite 70s vintage but close. I found the M-60 at Goodwill for $20 in beautiful shape. The C-60 had been dropped and had issues but was $10. Spent another $50 on parts and it is good to go.
Receivers etc have their place, but separates do seem to have the top tier most of the time. I've had Soundcraftsmen separates in the past, and finally wound up with Laboratory Reference Series (LRS) from Luxman, vintage 1978 or so. I started with the 5T10 analog tuner, 5C50 preamp, and 5M21 power amp with meters. I then added the 5G12 graphic EQ. The "official matching" 5T50 cassette deck is rarer than hen's teeth, and even in seriously non-working condition they can bring a high price. I find my like-new-in-box K12 deck to be suitable-looking, and I have the wired remote for it too. 1978 was before CD of course, but the DZ-03 CD player with vacuum tubes in the final output, is also reasonably-similar looking. I also have Mitsubishi separates, DA-C20 preamp/tuner, DA-A10DC power amp with DA-M10 meters add-on. In fact I have more than one set of those. After moving from Phoenix about 4 years ago, most of my collection remained boxed up. But I did just tonight decide to go through some of those, and unboxed two Scott R376 receiver, top-of-the-line from that time; also 3 JVC KD-75 cassette decks, and I know there's at least one more back there, in the original box. Plus a KD-95, which I also have a couple more of somewhere, again one in the original box. And lots more that I haven't gotten to yet. I need to buy a lot more shelving units.
My first "separates" were Dynaco PAT-4 and 120 Power amp. I used those two components all through college...along with a pair of KLH-fives'. Our house (in Mad-Town WI) always had "company". Gee what a shocker. A lot of that was due to our "varied" record collection. And the fact that a working jazz bass player lived with us. One visitor (from Austrailia) once said: "If I listen to more jazz...I'll go mad.."
Kevin, you brought a tear to my eye with your description of the McIntosh C 26 and MC 2105. Those are my main units. Not for sale. But, I would like to upgrade to some units that have a shine like yours. The transformers do make the difference. Otherwise, I don't think we would really like the vintage stuff. We would all be listening to Class D amps. I thought of you when I picked up a Marantz SR620CX Receiver at a Ham Radio flea market here in Georgia just yesterday. It's not a flat bolt-on faceplate (and it has built in digital "noise generator"), but it has some charm. It reminds me of my first receiver, a Marantz 2216.
I put together an Onkyo Integra 506rs full rack. I have more fun listening to a rotation of different amps and receivers. They all sound unique. Set up some RCA/Minimus7 I upgraded and cheap perfection! It's all good always!!
I was just given a sweet sweet Hafler 9505 that got its faceplate smacked in under the care of UPS. I made a mostly successful attempt at bending er back to shape, my god do not underestimate the rigidity of 1/8 inch solid aluminum! I had to romp on that thing so hard it needed smoothing and new paint, and of course now silk screening after. I'm investigating having some reverse peel off custom decals made instead.
In the 70’s the biggest discotheque in town had 6 HK citation 16 ! They strongly shook the entire building. They where clearly visible as they where embedded in the wall just above the DJ booth. It was not common to see led meters at that time, specially in diagonal. It was the first time i saw HK amplifiers and they spelled power.
That Dynaco ST-70 and its little brother ST-35 are tops for Jazz, Folk, Early Rock & Classic Country. On my must have list. The ST-35 using EL84 tubes is yummy to my ears, but really efficient speakers are a must. The Skylabs RCA cables came and are in use. I like them enough I'll be ordering more in the future. Thanks!
The Citation 11 is my experimental system master preamplifier of choice. In the old days of vintage high fidelity components a preamplifier was also a control center. Not anymore. Modern preamplifiers on the theory that less is more have stripped away all control functions. In the Stereophile review the insert bypass test the preamp performed with flying colors, no difference. There was some slight criticism of a little graininess in the phono preamp. In mine the 1000 mfd 100 volt power supply capacitor failed after many years. I used what I had to make repairs, two 4800 mfd 75 volt capacitors in series. They fit nicely inside the wooden cabinet. The five band graphic equalizer was the strongest selling point. In the experimental system it is critical that the tonal balance back to the recording microphones be flat audibly. I know what live instruments sound like. This is so critical in this system that even a half a db error is multiplied by the rest of the system. All recordings are different. Each one needs to be adjusted for individually. I only paid $50 for it at a store that sold used equipment. The similar Citation 17 is also acceptable. Where they are not available a disco mixer manufactured by Pyramid and sold under many brand names like Radio Shack and Newmark are a good substitute. They have dual 7 band graphic equalizers, several inputs including a one or more phono inputs, and are inexpensive usually well under 100 dollars. They also have LED meters to show you that signal is present. Like the Citation preamplifier they introduce no noise or distortion and perform their function satisfactorily. It is ironic that this unique sound system uses a Citation 11 preamplifier and two of these disco mixers. It's quite complex using three DSPs with at least 14 time delay circuits, 16 equalization circuits, 18 speaker systems, and much more. BTW, I'm an electrical engineer, not an audiophile so that BS has no influence on me. The speaker wires are 16 gauge generic and the interconnects are the inexpensive vanilla that audiophiles turn their noses up at. The system has a US patent now expired.
I love your videos Kevin! This is my take on it. I love vintage receivers for their looks. Most have very good tuners. What l like to do because l listen to a lot of FM is place a digital tuner on top under the cd player or cassette deck. I have a few favorites! You get the best of everything that way! IMHO.
The best kept secret in the universe? My latest combination. A Vector Research vr-7000 and a Hiitachi FT-8000 tuner. Totally absolutely unbeatable (so far) with my NHT 1.5's. I could name the other stuff, but that would give it all away! The 8000 anyway if you can find one is the best tuner ever. Silver and wicked sensitive. You run my favorite channel on Utube!
The background on the 8000 is as dark as the darkest night and the bass deeper than any well. The 7000 is just ergonomically perfect. The NHT's rock just where they should! I'm listening now! Loving it in the dark with the time change! Ok...the cassette deck is a Denon DRM-800A. The coolest display ever and three heads! I switch out turntables.
great video, the st70 and the st35 are absolutely stunning amps, no question about it! if they had a different name o them they would be 3 times the price! no disrespect against an other brand.my two cents.
Great video Kevin! I have had a few Dynaco set-ups back in the day with ST70s, PAS3s and FM3s, some of which I've modified with great results. I agree that the pre is the weaker unit, it sounds rather rolled off in the extremes in stock form. I moved on fairly early to Audible Illusions and Audio Research tube pre amps. I'm still using my 80s vintage SP-8 and love it! I'm also curious on your opinion of the early Accuphase 100 series gear. I have a mint P-300 power amp, which looks and sounds great, as well a a T-101 FM tuner, which is one of the best I have used out of many, and am using still. I think these first gen Accuphase products were some of the best gear out there in the mid 70's, and the build quality and longevity speaks for itself. Cheers from the right coast of Canada!
We all started out small. I still love stereo especially vintage. My dream now is to own JBL L 100 or the 4311. But new is out of question. Like to hear a pair of the Wharfdale Lintons and purchase a pair. I still have after 44 years my Cerwin-Vega U-351. One thing I'll say back in the day there was plenty of choices. They were made to last.
My first job was Discount records.. separates were still out of my budget ..I did buy integrated amp and tuner… the top of the line Yamaha separates didn’t come along until retirement . 70s and early 80s really had it going on..silver face or black..
Super great video! Such cool stuff. I got a used C26 and a used MC2505 back in high school and I just hit retirement age. I always kind of thought back in the day most people paired the C26/MC2505 and C28/MC2105? But, my journey didn't end back then if you could see all the other stuff I got since high school and have around the house, ha, ha.
Hi Kevin, great videos; I watch for new videos every week. I've been looking all over the internet for info on speakers' ohms setting and amp power. What are your thoughts, can a Marantz 2015 drive EPICURE M202 speakers set to 4 ohms without damage to the amp?
When I was a teen I had just a portable radio then my mom got me an all in one system and it was okay then I was able to get a stereo receiver that my sister had and then I got a cd player as a gift and as the years gone on I got a new stereo reciever for christmas and then I got a 10 band EQ as another gift.lol then I went out and bought a vcr and 4 speakers and since my new stereo had a a/b switch for the speakers and the hifi vcr and with the eq and the vcr and stereo I was able to switch both speakers on and I had surround sound for movies and it sounded great. I still have the receiver eq and the cd player to this day and I've also bought a record player a couple of years ago. so this is the equipment I've had for the last 35 years and the only thing I upgraded was the receiver and that was over 30 years ago and it still works great and sounds great.
Hi Kevin. Wondering if you could maybe do more videos maybe featuring you and Joe, to talk more about repairs and specifically walk us idiots through the various stages of the signal path and what each component actually does and where it passes to another component. Like, are all signals sent through the preamp or just the phono signal, then where does it go? Things like that would be very helpful. I can't find anything online or on youtube that explains these things. There are some great youtubers doing repairs but I think they expect the viewer to be already experienced with exactly how these things actually work. Thanks Kevin, have a great day. Peace and Love.
I jusy picked up an ST-70 thats all original. Just use a Wiim Pro plus as the input/preamp volume control it instantly sounds amazing. Obviously my goal to hook it up to a tube preamp but for now its mind bending in how good it sounds. My speakers are mostly Energy 6 ohm from 1996 and they go deep for bookshelf speakers so I get nice bass.
Harman International moved out of Elkhart, Indiana, for Mexico about 7 years ago. They also took with them their previous acquisition of Crown Audio. I was lucky enough to locate one of their techs who restored an HH Scott 299c amplifier and Bell Carillon 6060. Both of which I later sold in favor of a much smoother sounding Pioneer SX-950.
Bypassing the tone controls on Dynaco pre-amps was indeed common. To the point where, when David Hafler left Dynaco and set up his own company, he included a button so you could engage or bypass the tone controls on his DH-101 pre-amp. I bought the kit version of one in the very late 1970s, to pair with a harman/kardon Citation sixteen power amplifier that a friend was selling. The two remain the core of my system to this day, despite a matching Citation eleven becoming available locally. The DH-101 and Citation sixteen pairing just sounded better to me. One thing that has always puzzled me about harman/kardon was why they eschewed capitalization of the company name. Also, with the Citation series, they spelled out the model number, rather than using numbers, again all in the lower case. The only capital is the lead "C" in Citation. Was this some subliminal attempt to enhance the prestige of the Citation series?
Harmon Kardon have the best looking cabinets IMHO. I have a a Citation 14 Drum green lit tuner that I use with my C-26 & 2205 Simply Gorgeous. Best of Both Worlds. I have restored & sold 3 Dynaco preamps with 3 more to go. Lot of hobbies to keep me busy lol
Love your channel you have the same tastes as I do And I remember Dynaco kits back.in the day..and just l8ke those budding audiophiles I clamored for McIntosh..but out of my price range..but that's the way it is !
I started watching your videos a few weeks ago. I went to the barn to unpack the home-built Dynaco PAT 5 (modded in the 90s by Jensen Stereo in Minnesota) and the Phase Linear 400 (refurbished at Circle Stereo in TX in the early 2000s). I'm looking for info on how to start these up after 10+ years of storage. Any help from the community is appreciated! It's time to find some vintage Cerwin Vega's, I think. I really appreciate the channel!
When I seen you spinning the Harman around on your tabletop I thought “That was just scratched up”Then you addressed it later. Make yourself a lazy Susan. I have 2 for when I’m working on speakers and receivers
@ I did that to my kitchen table with a heavy Marantz missing feet. After getting a broom to my head, I Had to sand the whole table down and refinish it
Journey ends with McIntosh. I have had tons of vintage and new audio gear and 50 years I always come back to McIntosh and English speakers B&W 801's, Warfendale or KEF. ( 70's Marantz separates and NAD get honorable mentions. )
I've got the McIntosh combo for my home office and the dynaco combo for the "man cave" (cycled in from time-to-time). I will confess that I was not a big fan on the C26 sound, it did vinyl okay, but I knew I could do better with tubes. So... I gutted the SS stuff out of the C26 and built a very simple, clean tube phono and line stage for it. The C26 transformer was perfectly okay using a bridge rectifier.
great video. Even today a person can take that ST-70 and mate it with a more modern tube preamp (such as the Quicksilver or Marantz 7 clone from China) and get some wonderful sounds. Not sure if you ever see them but a 4th pair to add to this would be the C22 and MC275 or MC240.
I don't have any separates yet, maybe eventually. What catches my eye as beautiful and elegant are certain of the Heathkit units, and the styling I'm referring to carried over from tube to solid state. Also attractive to me are Heath Company's Benton Harbor neighbors, Voice of Music. VM didn't have a lot of models but again, most of them are styled elegantly. Since VM was known for their record changers I don't know if they designed their own stereo components or subcontracted them out. I suspect Heath Co. had something to do with them behind the scenes, or at least some employees went from one to the other.
The different color speaker terminals suggest that the amplification there doesn't have a common ground for left and right. Which would mean, not being able to fully use speakers such as the Polk SDS systems, which depend on/require a common left/right ground.
I was about to make a comment about wine snobs then you said it. LOL.. When I was 16 I had a pioneer system and turntable but I didn't have it long because I went to cali state prison for 2 years. Yes, state prison at 16. I really got in some trouble. When I got out it was all about work work work and then the military military military and then I got out and it was college college college and then after that it was family family family... So I never got another system. I have from time to time found a tuner here or there, usually broken. I would like something for my shop but I'm not going to spend tons of money doing it. Maybe if my business takes off I can get into something vintage. On the tube stuff.... Yeah I remember how eager everyone was to get away from tube and go solid state. Now, everyone wants tube.... Hmmm... 👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣
I remember the anti-tube craze and everyone screaming how great solid state is, no more burned out tubes, how great it sounds yadda yadda yadda.. Now everyone want's tubes in everything. Ya just can't make people happy.
Been there, done that. Older I get, I find I am a bit easier to please. It's always been about being powerful enough, with acceptably low enough 'audible' THD. It's also always been about the speakers for me. Finding adequate power has always been relatively easy and it didn't really matter the brand or type as long as we were in the same performance league as the speakers. Within the last 20 years, I scored some legacy gear and separates and I discovered I'm a bit of an audio commando, after having spent a lifetime of tweaking lesser gear to perform better than it was designed to. These days, give me an old AVR, a pair of subs and a pair of my best speakers and I will really never look back. I have a pair of Paul Carmody "Speedsters" DIY speakers hooked up to a simple Fosi BT30D Pro in my bedroom and it keeps me in bed 2 hrs longer than I should have stayed there just streaming via Bluetooth from my phone. Budget gear is so much better now than the budget stuff in the '60s thru '80s. Some of the budget stuff now, exceeds the performance capabilities of many of the flagship models back in the day. I just don't want to mess with analog pots on older gear for what it brings to the table, compared to new. Separates just isn't necessary. Besides, almost nobody else cares about my vintage aspirations. Only thing anyone really sees when they walk into my home is the speakers and my listening console/seat arrangement up in between them.
Three years ago I bought my first vintage speakers, Dynaco's A25XL, from a 72 year-old lady living by herself in a farm house. She mentioned she used to have the "amp that went with them, an ST-35" back in the 70s when she bought them new, and in the summer she would put the speakers outside on the back porch and her now-deceased husband could hear the music all the way to the barn. My eyes got bigger: "Do you still have the amp??" Unfortunately she did not, she said the amp 'crapped out' at some point and she got rid of it, but had kept the speakers until now, but never played them again since. We had this long talk of when she was in her 20's during the 70's, not a lot of girls where into stereo and amps! I fully restored the A25 cabinets and sent her pictures, she was grateful I was giving her beloved speakers a 2nd life and appreciate them. They are a nice match to my Pioneer SX-720 but I hope one day I'll be able to afford an ST-35.
My first speakers were Dynaco A10’s which was all I could afford but were real audio. I aspired to A25’s 😊
Kevin you're lucky to have experience so many vintage products that we all have drooled over in are early years !!! 👍👍👍
Yes I am!
Thanks again Kevin… so many memories as a 1955 vintage myself…
As a veteran of the stereo wars of the 70's, I feel qualified to share my stereo journey.
My first system was a Kenwood receiver and small Wharfdale speakers.
I then moved up to a Harmon-Kardon 930 with EPi 400 speakers. loved that system!
After years of enjoyment it was time to move up to separates.
I chose a Crown DC-300A/IC-150 with ESS AMT-Rock Monitor 3's. It indeed rocked!
Many bands chose DC-300A's including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Rush and Triumph!
You can clearly see banks of DC-300A's on stage with Triumph at the US festival!
My friends had Phase Linear and Marantz separates, but I can tell you Crown took a back seat to no one!
I may not have won the stereo war, but I took no prisoners!
John from 🇨🇦
The way you narrated the Dynaco portion, just not me... Just bringing that history to a home, reverberates with the nostalgia of vintage audio; it makes me look at my units and think one day they will be going somewhere... Great videos...
Glad you enjoyed it!
When you reported on the silk screened voltages inside, I let out a "woow" without thinking. I am a certified nerd. Born that way, will die that way.
Me too! Those details make it!
As a teen separates meant a receiver, with a separate turntable and separate tape deck. It was a step up from the “compact” all in ones that featured the electronics and turntable in the same unit.
I’m so with you on McIntosh! I have the C26 with a MC2155. They work wonderfully together and look fabulous. I also have a MX115 with a MC2002.
I'm a huge Harman Kardon fan boy, but if you need a kidney, I will trade you for that McIntosh system. LOL I can see why you would never sell them, some things just become family. My 1936 Silvertone radio belonged to my grandparents. I used to play with it in the early 60s when I was a kid. It's definitely family.
I’ve never been into McIntosh gear. Nothing against it at all, in fact I’ve never heard any, it’s just visually they never really “did it” for me. But seeing those 2 pieces in your video…? WOAH! Those are freakin GORGEOUS!
Fantastic video, Kevin.
Thank you for regularly sharing your vintage audio knowledge.
Great video my friend. Great memories. I am swooning over that HK. You know I love me some HK. Great memories. Thanks.
I'm gonna get you one! Thanks, Ed!
@@skylabsaudio Thank you. I am not sure I need any more gear. I am running out of room. Lol.
I think there's a lot of truth with what you say, but when one gets to a certain age, thoughts of simplicity start to crowd out the idea of hiqh-quality separates costing thousands with something that still sounds pretty good and that the grandkids can mess with (without you worrying about it).
I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
Great video, as usual.
Could not have said it better. I moved away from vintage separates for the same reasons. Fixing them up was more fun than living with them. Got a Yamaha network receiver now and am very pleased.
My parents always had nice stereo equipment, starting with a huge console, and 2 or 3 different stereo systems over the years. This lit the fire with me, and one Christmas, I got my own stereo, a Hitachi all in one, and that was it! Since then, I've gone through a few stereo setups, but I have finally ended up with separates. Magnum Dynalab MD90 tuner, NAD C352 integrated amp, Marantz CD6000OSE CD, Theta DAC, etc. Its built for the sound I like, and I can't imagine changing anytime soon! I wish I could afford Mcintosh gear!
I've had that Dynaco pairing for 50 years. My friend bypassed the tone controls for me sometime in the seventies. Still going strong in the living room.
Silk screened bias voltages on the chassis, in 45 yrs I've never seen this. Built for serviceablity. I think you're right, I recently thrifted a PAS-2 for $4, posting an image on discord now. I love these Sunday coffee time show and tell videos.Thanks Skylabs.
Thank you, Craig!
Love your channel and catch every review. Have the Kenwood 700m and 700c. I am the original owner (sold them and got them back 30 plus years later. Incredible sound and awesome to look at. 😊
I worked in the stereo business in the 70's. Having connections helped me buy/trade/swap for what back then was nearly my perfect system. Separates were always my goal, and after 4-5 years of trading up, I ended up with: Quad 33 preamp with a pair of Luxman A3000 mono tube amps, a Thorens TD-16 turntable with a black widow tone arm and a Dynavector ruby cartridge. For the few times I listened to the radio, I got a Luxman T33 tuner. The one thing I never quite got was my dream speakers, Magnapan Tympani 1A's. I settled for M&K Satellite II's and an M&K Goliath II subwoofer. I loved that system and really wish I could get it back without taking out a 2nd mortgage.
Lol, when i was 12 I was given by my parents who didn’t use it, a Hi-Fi turntable, cheap ceramic cartridge only, but the speakers separated and could be moved apart, loved it with my Led Zep II and Iron Butterfly albums, then moved up to a all in one from Sears, from parents at Christmas, then to a Sansui 2 series receiver and Dynaco A10’s and BIC 960 turntable at 17 , never good enough compared to the rest of what was in the store, but surely moving up each time and by then I may have had 10 albums. That receiver was my first loan from a credit union. Now I’m nearly 69 and still going, into tubes where I’ll be the rest of my life…thanks for the entertaining and educational videos
Kevin, I love your videos on vintage audio. I started my audio journey in 1991 and have owned at least 100 different components since my journey began. In 2007 I declared my search and upgrading and reach a point of good enough and have bought anything since. I am still very happy with my system. McIntosh MC40’s, Conrad Johnson PV10A preamp, Altec 604-8G Model 17 speakers with custom crossovers, Technics SP25 TT with a Denon 103R and a step up transformer designed for my cartridge. Now it’s all about the music. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks!
Many budding audiophiles in their youth, when they couldn't afford separates, aspire to someday buying them. I started out in 1971 with a JVC 5550 receiver. Finally, in 1978, with more income, I purchased a Nakamichi 410 preamp and Quad 405 power amp. I still have this pair driving ADS 1230 speakers (1983). They work so well (both have been serviced; the Quad was upgraded) that I don't have much desire for something else. If I could afford McIntosh (either vintage or modern), I might purchase an amp or two, just for the bling alone. We all know that McIntosh owners don't own them for the sound alone.
I never had any of that gear in the 70`s or 80`s, just a Pioneer SX450 with some tower speakers that I don`t recall the brand but they sounded good. I am however a new fan of Harman Kardon with a $50 Facebook marketplace receiver that I bought, the AVR-130 from 2003 and although it`s not old old school, the rich refined sound that it pumped out blew me away especially at only 40 watts a channel. I am amazed at all the decent audio out there that flies under the radar once you get past the early 80`s. Love the channel and thanks for all you do.
You hit the nail on the head with paying extra for McIntosh. Build quality, serviceability, resale value, and factory support.
Kevin, you've taken out your big toys for this video..Lovin' it!
Absolutely beautiful components..They couldn't have ended up in better hands.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy what's left of your Sunday!
Thanks 👍
Always look forward to your videos. Fwiw I’m listening to my Sansui AU&TU 999 as i watch this 👍
I have been into separates ever since I got the Carver M500t power amp back in the 80s. At one time I did own what would be considered vintage equipment now. But you know how it is, equipment comes and goes. Nowadays my system includes the Schiit Freya+ tube preamp, the Jeff Rowland 125 power amp, and a Schiit phono preamp. I'm happy with my system and at the age of 69 I don't see myself purchasing any more equipment. Time to kick back and chill. Thanks for the video.
Back in the early days of my audio journey, I owned that very Harman/Kardon pair and was pleased by the sound. I also had a Dynaco ST70 and PAT-4A preamp. The combo were driving a pair of Quad ESL57s, and doing it well. Great video.
Oooh Quad ESL57 ❤️
I've got to say the Mac 2105 is the best amp I've ever owned and I've owned a lot of valve and solid state vintage amps ... it looks fantastic ... it sounds fantastic .... and it's beautifully built .... personally I think old Mac amps are better than the new ones
When you switched the McIntosh on, I immediately clicked that like button 😂
This was a great watch. My brother-in-law just gave me his McIntosh C26, MC 2505, a MR71, and a Rek-o-kut L37 turntable, he said enjoy it before I die. His father bought them brand new in 1970. Currently I have them connected to a pair of Dahlquist 905’s, but always on the look out for other speakers (suggestions welcome). My new favorite past time is to sip an adult beverage and stare at the meters.
The McIntosh Separates you showed are the only Separates I really want. I'd sell a receiver if I could replace it with those McIntosh Separates you showed. They are powerful yet simple. They look good. I'd have to part with my Pioneer SX-950 but it would be a fond farewell. I might consider Pioneer separates if they generated monster power watts per channel. I like the clean look of Pioneer silver faced equipment.
Great Video Kevin, early last year I purchased from the Original owner a near mint McIntosh MC-2125; love it and will never sell it and paired with a newer Parasound preamp. Also have a Pioneer SX-850 and Marantz 2252 receivers; both are near mint and have super sound. I feel Mid -1970s gear is the peak for audio equipment
I love those soft blue lights on the Mcintosh
Wow! I have all three of these systems in my collection. I must have been paying attention for the last five years. Nice video!
Very cool!
That Dyna preamp is the PAS-3, not the PAS-2. The PAS-3 and PAS-2 are essentially the same preamp. But the PAS-3 was unable to drive solid state power amps due to an impedence mismatch. The PAS-3X included an adaption to enable them to drive solid state amps. Most of the PAS-3 you see on the market will actually be a PAS-3X. The Dyna products were engineered to be easy enough to build for home builders, and being a budget product, were offered with lower cost parts as well as circuit boards. They worked just fine for what they were, but they were never in the same class as their contemporaries from McIntosh, Fisher or Marantz. There have been many mod kits over the years for the PAS-3X, and they werenʻt just mods. They were wholesale circuit replacements to the point where the only thing that remained the same was the faceplate.
My first all in one was a hand me down. I was 9 in 1971. A 1968 GE. Pull down turntable with swinging door speakers. It was ok, but I bought my 1st separate system The Realistic SA1001. I built the speakers from one of their kits. I first bought their LAB49 turntable. I loved it. Loved it better with the Dual 1216 I bought used in 1980. Kept it the speakers and amp tell 1987. With some used speaker cabinets from the swap meet. I installed pyle guts and bought the new STA2700 receiver. The Dual, STA2700, and speakers still going strong. They never have let me down. I had never stopped playing them
Love the look of that Mcintosh set. I think I found a new phrase to use- wine snob. Great video.
Funny. In late 70's, as young teen, I got hand me down hifi components from my older brothers. Then in 1977 bought an SX-450 receiver new. Over the years, and buying various hifi in the military, I ended up with various separates, ...... preamps, amps, equalizers, reverbs, phono preamps, tape decks, etc. Now, getting much older, I am back to alternating between a classic but simple Kenwood KR-4070, and a Vector Research VR-5000 receiver. And also a Pioneer PL41 & Thorens TD160 turntable. Oh, and some1958-era KLH 6's. Still love the older components, just fewer of them in the chain now.
I had the Dynaco PAT 4 solid state preamp in the early 1970's. I built it myself and bought my first soldering pencil to do it. I had built a lot of model cars as a kid and figured I could do this kit. Dynaco made it easy to do with great instructions and although it took longer than a model car, it worked great. I'm sure it sounded different than a tube version, but who knew?
Those HK wood cases are beautiful. They remind me of ADS speakers.
Agree, with the rolled edges
I love the 1971 Cuda, sorry but I would so buy one before any McIntosh new or vintage. Great information Kevin.
Again nice equiptment. And great video. Love my magnavox setup. Just need to tweek it a bit and find the background noise. Once that's done it'll be excellent sounding movie watcher ontop of music player.
I started with an all-in-one reel-to-reel machine, a Sony TC-630. Cool machine, had some friends who had a band and I helped them tape some songs. Went to college and discovered that the speakers that came with it were nothing compared to what was available on the market, and that buying music on reel-to-reel tapes was expensive and not the best option as far as availability goes.
Sold the machine and bought a HK 930, Advents, and a Thorens TD-160 turntable with a Shure V15 Type III cartridge. Tried a Phase Linear 700 on the system for a while but sold it. Eventually bought a pair of speakers that were on my short list of ideal speakers, Polk SDA 1A's. Upgraded to a better receiver from HK that had a digital tuner (the 930 had a slight tendency to drift higher over time) and it could handle the lower impedance of the speakers a bit better at high volume due to the higher current capacity.
I lusted after separates for a while through all of that, but hit the barrier of, "when's enough?"
Having grown up with tubes in consoles, I liked the fact that solid state electronics didn't degrade over time like tubes did. I started college studying electrical engineering and realized that heat was the enemy of solid state electronics, so I steered away from wood cabinets since a metal cabinet could radiate heat a bit better (wood is more of an insulator) and most of the wood cabinets I saw had less ventilation. I will readily admit that wood cabinets look better, but there's something cool about the black cabinet on a HK930 that wood just can't reproduce.
Out of all the things I bought, the Polks were the best value, half price on a model closeout. Sometimes you just stumble into a bargain by sheer luck. I imagine that the modern version of that is hitting an estate sale.
I own the same mcintosh setup as you, in 2020 i bought them from the original owner, condition wise they look pristine like yours, they of course needed to be serviced. They sound amazing, and I had owned many vintage hi-fi setups, and modern rogue audio tube amp, the mac are it for me now. The guy i bought them from had the original boxes, manuals and receipts.
The Dyna ST-70 & Pas 2 were my gateway drug into this hobby. When I build a high efficiency single driver TL speaker I will build a modern kit interpretation of the ST-70. The Pas 2 I used had the tone control delete. I've owned at least 2 St-70s. Yes, they don't have the best control over drivers but they sound warm, lush and musical. I also owned a Conrad-Johnson version that was lovely and a bit tighter.
McIntosh to me is like a Ferrari, nothing like it. One more college tuition and then I will be tuition free and time to treat myself to a Mc, separates or integrated, new or vintage? Not sure yet but a Mc for sure! As usual, great video!
The stereo shop I worked at in Oregon installing car stereos after High School, had a setup with the Citation 11 with the Citation 16 power amp, in a rack.
Those are really clean Macintosh pieces. I would love to have them in my collection
Great video Kevin! I remember seeing all the McIntosh ads in Stereo Review, High Fidelity & Audio magazines. Definitely a premium product. As a starving college student, I just didn't have that kind of cash. I didn't fully understand the long-term value then, but now I see now why they were so much more expensive than the NAD gear of that era.
Glad you enjoyed it!
My main system is a Yamaha C-60 and M-60. Not quite 70s vintage but close. I found the M-60 at Goodwill for $20 in beautiful shape. The C-60 had been dropped and had issues but was $10. Spent another $50 on parts and it is good to go.
I have a Nikko Alpha 130 and Beta II separates system, restored and honestly sounds much better than my fully restored 2270.
Receivers etc have their place, but separates do seem to have the top tier most of the time. I've had Soundcraftsmen separates in the past, and finally wound up with Laboratory Reference Series (LRS) from Luxman, vintage 1978 or so. I started with the 5T10 analog tuner, 5C50 preamp, and 5M21 power amp with meters. I then added the 5G12 graphic EQ. The "official matching" 5T50 cassette deck is rarer than hen's teeth, and even in seriously non-working condition they can bring a high price. I find my like-new-in-box K12 deck to be suitable-looking, and I have the wired remote for it too. 1978 was before CD of course, but the DZ-03 CD player with vacuum tubes in the final output, is also reasonably-similar looking.
I also have Mitsubishi separates, DA-C20 preamp/tuner, DA-A10DC power amp with DA-M10 meters add-on. In fact I have more than one set of those.
After moving from Phoenix about 4 years ago, most of my collection remained boxed up. But I did just tonight decide to go through some of those, and unboxed two Scott R376 receiver, top-of-the-line from that time; also 3 JVC KD-75 cassette decks, and I know there's at least one more back there, in the original box. Plus a KD-95, which I also have a couple more of somewhere, again one in the original box. And lots more that I haven't gotten to yet. I need to buy a lot more shelving units.
My first "separates" were Dynaco PAT-4 and 120 Power amp.
I used those two components all through college...along with a pair of KLH-fives'.
Our house (in Mad-Town WI) always had "company". Gee what a shocker.
A lot of that was due to our "varied" record collection.
And the fact that a working jazz bass player lived with us.
One visitor (from Austrailia) once said: "If I listen to more jazz...I'll go mad.."
Kevin, you brought a tear to my eye with your description of the McIntosh C 26 and MC 2105. Those are my main units. Not for sale. But, I would like to upgrade to some units that have a shine like yours. The transformers do make the difference. Otherwise, I don't think we would really like the vintage stuff. We would all be listening to Class D amps.
I thought of you when I picked up a Marantz SR620CX Receiver at a Ham Radio flea market here in Georgia just yesterday. It's not a flat bolt-on faceplate (and it has built in digital "noise generator"), but it has some charm. It reminds me of my first receiver, a Marantz 2216.
I like how you made a comparison to the muscle cars of the day 👍
Wish I could afford a Ford Pantera...
I put together an Onkyo Integra 506rs full rack. I have more fun listening to a rotation of different amps and receivers. They all sound unique. Set up some RCA/Minimus7 I upgraded and cheap perfection! It's all good always!!
Thanks Kevin, I enjoy these videos.
Glad you like them!
I was just given a sweet sweet Hafler 9505 that got its faceplate smacked in under the care of UPS. I made a mostly successful attempt at bending er back to shape, my god do not underestimate the rigidity of 1/8 inch solid aluminum! I had to romp on that thing so hard it needed smoothing and new paint, and of course now silk screening after. I'm investigating having some reverse peel off custom decals made instead.
Nice video, Kevin
Are skylabs table covers on the horizon! 😊😊😊
In the 70’s the biggest discotheque in town had 6 HK citation 16 ! They strongly shook the entire building. They where clearly visible as they where embedded in the wall just above the DJ booth. It was not common to see led meters at that time, specially in diagonal. It was the first time i saw HK amplifiers and they spelled power.
That Dynaco ST-70 and its little brother ST-35 are tops for Jazz, Folk, Early Rock & Classic Country. On my must have list. The ST-35 using EL84 tubes is yummy to my ears, but really efficient speakers are a must. The Skylabs RCA cables came and are in use. I like them enough I'll be ordering more in the future. Thanks!
Appreciate it!
The Citation 11 is my experimental system master preamplifier of choice. In the old days of vintage high fidelity components a preamplifier was also a control center. Not anymore. Modern preamplifiers on the theory that less is more have stripped away all control functions. In the Stereophile review the insert bypass test the preamp performed with flying colors, no difference. There was some slight criticism of a little graininess in the phono preamp. In mine the 1000 mfd 100 volt power supply capacitor failed after many years. I used what I had to make repairs, two 4800 mfd 75 volt capacitors in series. They fit nicely inside the wooden cabinet. The five band graphic equalizer was the strongest selling point. In the experimental system it is critical that the tonal balance back to the recording microphones be flat audibly. I know what live instruments sound like. This is so critical in this system that even a half a db error is multiplied by the rest of the system. All recordings are different. Each one needs to be adjusted for individually. I only paid $50 for it at a store that sold used equipment. The similar Citation 17 is also acceptable.
Where they are not available a disco mixer manufactured by Pyramid and sold under many brand names like Radio Shack and Newmark are a good substitute. They have dual 7 band graphic equalizers, several inputs including a one or more phono inputs, and are inexpensive usually well under 100 dollars. They also have LED meters to show you that signal is present. Like the Citation preamplifier they introduce no noise or distortion and perform their function satisfactorily. It is ironic that this unique sound system uses a Citation 11 preamplifier and two of these disco mixers. It's quite complex using three DSPs with at least 14 time delay circuits, 16 equalization circuits, 18 speaker systems, and much more. BTW, I'm an electrical engineer, not an audiophile so that BS has no influence on me. The speaker wires are 16 gauge generic and the interconnects are the inexpensive vanilla that audiophiles turn their noses up at. The system has a US patent now expired.
I love your videos Kevin! This is my take on it. I love vintage receivers for their looks. Most have very good tuners. What l like to do because l listen to a lot of FM is place a digital tuner on top under the cd player or cassette deck. I have a few favorites! You get the best of everything that way! IMHO.
The best kept secret in the universe? My latest combination. A Vector Research vr-7000 and a Hiitachi FT-8000 tuner. Totally absolutely unbeatable (so far) with my NHT 1.5's. I could name the other stuff, but that would give it all away! The 8000 anyway if you can find one is the best tuner ever. Silver and wicked sensitive. You run my favorite channel on Utube!
The background on the 8000 is as dark as the darkest night and the bass deeper than any well. The 7000 is just ergonomically perfect. The NHT's rock just where they should! I'm listening now! Loving it in the dark with the time change! Ok...the cassette deck is a Denon DRM-800A. The coolest display ever and three heads! I switch out turntables.
A Magnavox CBD-582. Nothing special to look at or even operate but...bullet proof and absolutely crystal clear.
I really enjoy these videos. I hope you are soon able to ship your merchandise to Canada.
great video, the st70 and the st35 are absolutely stunning amps, no question about it! if they had a different name o them they would be 3 times the price! no disrespect against an other brand.my two cents.
Great video Kevin! I have had a few Dynaco set-ups back in the day with ST70s, PAS3s and FM3s, some of which I've modified with great results. I agree that the pre is the weaker unit, it sounds rather rolled off in the extremes in stock form. I moved on fairly early to Audible Illusions and Audio Research tube pre amps. I'm still using my 80s vintage SP-8 and love it! I'm also curious on your opinion of the early Accuphase 100 series gear. I have a mint P-300 power amp, which looks and sounds great, as well a a T-101 FM tuner, which is one of the best I have used out of many, and am using still. I think these first gen Accuphase products were some of the best gear out there in the mid 70's, and the build quality and longevity speaks for itself. Cheers from the right coast of Canada!
Spec 1 and Spec 4 really should have made the list!
We need a Kenwood shirt! Like a Nine G, Eleven, or 9600! We need some Kenwood love.
Put together a Dynaco integrated amp back in the 70s. Nice little piece of equipment.
We all started out small. I still love stereo especially vintage. My dream now is to own JBL L 100 or the 4311. But new is out of question. Like to hear a pair of the Wharfdale Lintons and purchase a pair. I still have after 44 years my Cerwin-Vega U-351. One thing I'll say back in the day there was plenty of choices. They were made to last.
My first job was Discount records.. separates were still out of my budget ..I did buy integrated amp and tuner… the top of the line Yamaha separates didn’t come along until retirement . 70s and early 80s really had it going on..silver face or black..
Super great video! Such cool stuff. I got a used C26 and a used MC2505 back in high school and I just hit retirement age. I always kind of thought back in the day most people paired the C26/MC2505 and C28/MC2105? But, my journey didn't end back then if you could see all the other stuff I got since high school and have around the house, ha, ha.
Very cool!
Hi Kevin, great videos; I watch for new videos every week. I've been looking all over the internet for info on speakers' ohms setting and amp power. What are your thoughts, can a Marantz 2015 drive EPICURE M202 speakers set to 4 ohms without damage to the amp?
Sweet vintage👍I even remember the sound of tubes from the 50s and 60s
So good
Almost any drug store had a tube tester and the popular ones in stock.
When I was a teen I had just a portable radio then my mom got me an all in one system and it was okay then I was able to get a stereo receiver that my sister had and then I got a cd player as a gift and as the years gone on I got a new stereo reciever for christmas and then I got a 10 band EQ as another gift.lol then I went out and bought a vcr and 4 speakers and since my new stereo had a a/b switch for the speakers and the hifi vcr and with the eq and the vcr and stereo I was able to switch both speakers on and I had surround sound for movies and it sounded great. I still have the receiver eq and the cd player to this day and I've also bought a record player a couple of years ago. so this is the equipment I've had for the last 35 years and the only thing I upgraded was the receiver and that was over 30 years ago and it still works great and sounds great.
Hi Kevin. Wondering if you could maybe do more videos maybe featuring you and Joe, to talk more about repairs and specifically walk us idiots through the various stages of the signal path and what each component actually does and where it passes to another component. Like, are all signals sent through the preamp or just the phono signal, then where does it go? Things like that would be very helpful. I can't find anything online or on youtube that explains these things. There are some great youtubers doing repairs but I think they expect the viewer to be already experienced with exactly how these things actually work. Thanks Kevin, have a great day. Peace and Love.
I jusy picked up an ST-70 thats all original. Just use a Wiim Pro plus as the input/preamp volume control it instantly sounds amazing. Obviously my goal to hook it up to a tube preamp but for now its mind bending in how good it sounds. My speakers are mostly Energy 6 ohm from 1996 and they go deep for bookshelf speakers so I get nice bass.
I love that Mcintosh look, but for now I will do with the Marantz 7t and model 16
Harman International moved out of Elkhart, Indiana, for Mexico about 7 years ago. They also took with them their previous acquisition of Crown Audio.
I was lucky enough to locate one of their techs who restored an HH Scott 299c amplifier and Bell Carillon 6060. Both of which I later sold in favor of a much smoother sounding Pioneer SX-950.
Bypassing the tone controls on Dynaco pre-amps was indeed common. To the point where, when David Hafler left Dynaco and set up his own company, he included a button so you could engage or bypass the tone controls on his DH-101 pre-amp. I bought the kit version of one in the very late 1970s, to pair with a harman/kardon Citation sixteen power amplifier that a friend was selling. The two remain the core of my system to this day, despite a matching Citation eleven becoming available locally. The DH-101 and Citation sixteen pairing just sounded better to me.
One thing that has always puzzled me about harman/kardon was why they eschewed capitalization of the company name. Also, with the Citation series, they spelled out the model number, rather than using numbers, again all in the lower case. The only capital is the lead "C" in Citation. Was this some subliminal attempt to enhance the prestige of the Citation series?
Harmon Kardon have the best looking cabinets IMHO. I have a a Citation 14 Drum green lit tuner that I use with my C-26 & 2205 Simply Gorgeous. Best of Both Worlds. I have restored & sold 3 Dynaco preamps with 3 more to go. Lot of hobbies to keep me busy lol
Very cool!
Mine has. Years ago. Both for the music room and the home theater.
Love your channel you have the same tastes as I do And I remember Dynaco kits back.in the day..and just l8ke those budding audiophiles I clamored for McIntosh..but out of my price range..but that's the way it is !
I started watching your videos a few weeks ago. I went to the barn to unpack the home-built Dynaco PAT 5 (modded in the 90s by Jensen Stereo in Minnesota) and the Phase Linear 400 (refurbished at Circle Stereo in TX in the early 2000s). I'm looking for info on how to start these up after 10+ years of storage. Any help from the community is appreciated! It's time to find some vintage Cerwin Vega's, I think. I really appreciate the channel!
"Only a $40 upgrade" in the '70s is similar to around $250 today.
Crazy huh.
When I seen you spinning the Harman around on your tabletop I thought “That was just scratched up”Then you addressed it later. Make yourself a lazy Susan. I have 2 for when I’m working on speakers and receivers
lol, Yeah. Sometimes I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed.
@ I did that to my kitchen table with a heavy Marantz missing feet. After getting a broom to my head, I Had to sand the whole table down and refinish it
Love to hear your opinion of Revox...A and B series
This weekend I just pickup up my first phase linear components. We will see if they are better than my receiver
Wont be too many more years till the fantastic Adcom GFA 555 amp and GFP 565 preamp become highly collectable classics
Journey ends with McIntosh. I have had tons of vintage and new audio gear and 50 years I always come back to McIntosh and English speakers B&W 801's, Warfendale or KEF. ( 70's Marantz separates and NAD get honorable mentions. )
I've got the McIntosh combo for my home office and the dynaco combo for the "man cave" (cycled in from time-to-time). I will confess that I was not a big fan on the C26 sound, it did vinyl okay, but I knew I could do better with tubes. So... I gutted the SS stuff out of the C26 and built a very simple, clean tube phono and line stage for it. The C26 transformer was perfectly okay using a bridge rectifier.
great video. Even today a person can take that ST-70 and mate it with a more modern tube preamp (such as the Quicksilver or Marantz 7 clone from China) and get some wonderful sounds. Not sure if you ever see them but a 4th pair to add to this would be the C22 and MC275 or MC240.
I enjoyed this, a bunch. I Want McIntosh Separates !! ;Nuff said....
I don't have any separates yet, maybe eventually. What catches my eye as beautiful and elegant are certain of the Heathkit units, and the styling I'm referring to carried over from tube to solid state. Also attractive to me are Heath Company's Benton Harbor neighbors, Voice of Music. VM didn't have a lot of models but again, most of them are styled elegantly. Since VM was known for their record changers I don't know if they designed their own stereo components or subcontracted them out. I suspect Heath Co. had something to do with them behind the scenes, or at least some employees went from one to the other.
The different color speaker terminals suggest that the amplification there doesn't have a common ground for left and right. Which would mean, not being able to fully use speakers such as the Polk SDS systems, which depend on/require a common left/right ground.
Greetings from Ankeny. Great video today! I’m going to have to get on your website and buy one of those new hoodies.
They are ridiculously comfortable. Wearing one on my couch now, lol
Kevin knows his vintage HIFI and US muscle.
I was about to make a comment about wine snobs then you said it. LOL.. When I was 16 I had a pioneer system and turntable but I didn't have it long because I went to cali state prison for 2 years. Yes, state prison at 16. I really got in some trouble. When I got out it was all about work work work and then the military military military and then I got out and it was college college college and then after that it was family family family... So I never got another system. I have from time to time found a tuner here or there, usually broken.
I would like something for my shop but I'm not going to spend tons of money doing it. Maybe if my business takes off I can get into something vintage. On the tube stuff.... Yeah I remember how eager everyone was to get away from tube and go solid state. Now, everyone wants tube.... Hmmm... 👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣
I remember the anti-tube craze and everyone screaming how great solid state is, no more burned out tubes, how great it sounds yadda yadda yadda.. Now everyone want's tubes in everything. Ya just can't make people happy.
Started out with recievers. Moved to separates and never looked back.
Been there, done that. Older I get, I find I am a bit easier to please. It's always been about being powerful enough, with acceptably low enough 'audible' THD. It's also always been about the speakers for me. Finding adequate power has always been relatively easy and it didn't really matter the brand or type as long as we were in the same performance league as the speakers. Within the last 20 years, I scored some legacy gear and separates and I discovered I'm a bit of an audio commando, after having spent a lifetime of tweaking lesser gear to perform better than it was designed to. These days, give me an old AVR, a pair of subs and a pair of my best speakers and I will really never look back.
I have a pair of Paul Carmody "Speedsters" DIY speakers hooked up to a simple Fosi BT30D Pro in my bedroom and it keeps me in bed 2 hrs longer than I should have stayed there just streaming via Bluetooth from my phone. Budget gear is so much better now than the budget stuff in the '60s thru '80s. Some of the budget stuff now, exceeds the performance capabilities of many of the flagship models back in the day.
I just don't want to mess with analog pots on older gear for what it brings to the table, compared to new. Separates just isn't necessary. Besides, almost nobody else cares about my vintage aspirations. Only thing anyone really sees when they walk into my home is the speakers and my listening console/seat arrangement up in between them.