I have a couple of dynaco pre amps and hafler amps. I enjoy them when I use them. Unfortunately my dh500 is broken. Parts are sometimes hard to source. But I still like them.
Yeah David Hafler and Herbert Keroes but Ali Bin Mohammed's Alaik Bel Afiah, is one of Dubai's greatest Audio tracks, and it still sounds great today. It's the Audiophiliac System Of The Day sound.
@@gtrguyinaz Hey man I agree 💯% Back in 87' I was a young Black man just out of college and trade school, the Hafler 120 was my first high end piece and I still have it. It is a glorious sounding little power house. I never had any issues with it and bi-amp my speakers with it during the spring and summer, to give my Conrad-Johnson a break. I use the Conrad Johnson only in fall and winter. The smallest of the Hafler amps at the time, it has the sound of tubes in spades. Because of its power mosfets and dynamic head room it had no problem powering all the speakers I ever owned regardless of empedance or sensitivity. I'll never get rid of it and have had a lot of good years and memorable listening with it.🎶👍👍
@@gtrguyinaz Here, HEAR! from the mighty XL-600, to the Stratospheric Trans-Nova 9505! The man’s formulas were just Phantasmagorically A M A Z I N G !💎🌹🌷☀️✨
Steve, with Dynaco you came right up my street. That was the core of my first stereo system. Earlier in college some friends began putting together stereo systems with separate components. That was new to me since all I'd heard had been ubiquitous consoles. So after an interruption for a few years in the Navy, when I came home to finish school I had a couple of summer months to kill and a bit of savings, so ordered my own separate components; Dynakit ST 70, PAS 3, and FM 3. To finish the system were AR-4s, a Dual 1009 and Empire cartridge. I must admit that system seems to have implanted something in my audio memory. Admittedly not the greatest resolution, but a real connectivity with the musical performances. I've taken some mis-steps over the decades since but that remains my standard for system enjoyment. I get a similar sense in your reviewing comments which is why I enjoy them too.
The PAS 3 is known to not play well with solid state amps due to output impedance. The Pas-3X fixed this problem. If I'm not mistaken, there are simple mods to the PAS-3 which allow this. I believe I found this in the ST-150 manual explaining how to use the amp with the PAS-3.
For me, it pairs better with my Parasound a23+ than my Schiit Saga+. The Saga+ has matched output stepped "volume" attenuation that makes matching the input impedance of the a23 more difficult.
Well you know there's a horn we can buy for our smartphones and it amplifies them up to pretty good sound, so after that a 2 inch woofer is easily made to satisfy the small room buyer. City hired rooms are small and lonely.
I’ve restored a few Dynaco PAS, and one thing to keep in mind is there is no cathode follower on that preamp which requires the input impedance of the amp to correctly matched. Most solid state amps have too low of an input impedance to correctly match to the PAS
The difference between the PAS 2/3 and the 3x is there is a tone control defeat when in the neutral position. It is somewhat better, but overall the tone circuits in these are very crude. I don’t recommend these units other than for the fun of getting them working again
@@jamesdoranto9013 I'm not saying tone controls are bad in general. I'm saying the execution in the PAS is crude, and frankly doesn't work unless paired with a tube amp with the correct input impedance.
I should say to Steve you know that 'tube rolling' ... not to rain on your parade but, the tubes have a +/- 20% manufactured tolerance and what you're doing is going further from or nearer to the equally wide tolerance values of the elements hidden under the chassis. Ideally you know, we get an expert tech to fit the tubes and we don't do 'tube rolling'. It's a thing that's done by buyers who're not academic we might say. So if your Dynaco sounds a little off, your tubes are probably not the best matched to the elements soldered to the tube bases.
@1:38 - I love the old picture of Steve in front of the NAD 7000 series receiver and the 5600 cartridge CD changer.... those were still around when I started selling NAD after graduating high school and starting college. this was just after Clarion Car Audio bought McIntosh (1990) so that was something we talked about regularly when asked why we were not a McIntosh dealer anymore.
Vintage 70`s Sansui go amazingly well with moden gear and high end cables especially the pre amp section of their integrateds. Such as the 555A and 900 series. Something very special with these old capacitor coupled amps, their unique transistors, and unique simple circuits!
@@analoglooney No ... not just tuners, two of the leading late 1970s U.S. exports were the H.H. Scott P.S.17A record reproducer (replaced by Thorens) and the H.H. Scott 176B speakers that are on You Tube compared with Yamaha NS-451.
I do enjoy you features on vintage gear.. Here in the UK I remember coveting Krell power amps. At the time I had a Quad 33/303 pre power combo which I loved. Despite the power limitations it was capable of driving many speakers and Quad have now resurrected a new version.
I have the VAC PA 100 100 tube amp and the input circuitry was designed back in 1947 I bought it back in 1995 Still going strong and sounds pretty magical to me
I too am fascinated with Vintage Audio Gear. I am currently trying to track down a mid 1960 AR 60 watt Amplifier and where it passed off to after the original owner passed away. I saw it last in the early 1980s stored on a shelf in a warehouse. If I could find it that would be a real treasure.
Nicely done Steve….appreciate your honest evaluation of vintage gear and the intricacies of setup. Have a Kenwood 700m amp and 700c pre-amp in a system and really enjoy my vintage setup from the 70s…….and you’re right ….it looks awesome….sent you pics once.
Re: those separate left and right channel tone controls. This preamp was produced during the transition from mono to stereo and many listeners did not have matched left and right speakers. The separate controls allowed a degree of matching to the voicing of the disparate speakers. I built a PAS 3X kit which became a crash course in electronics for me. It sounded dull and wooly. I then modified it based on articles in the Audio Amateur that closely mimicked the Audio Research SP3 which used similar circuit and tubes but much higher voltages and better parts, especially capacitors. The result was a night to day transformation, especially the phono stage which I used for many years adding a switch to switch the line stage in or out. The line stage never liked the low input impedance of solid state amps.
I own and use some vintage gear in the mix with relatively contemporary equipment in three different systems in my home. I do this not for the look but for the sound quality that they bring and the synergy to my systems. Some examples are a modified Goldring Lenco GL75 turntable, Vacuum State Pre-amplifier and JBL L100 Century speaker. I also have a Nakamichi 610 Preamplifier and 600 tape deck in use - partly for looks but also for performance. I would also note that all of this vintage equipment I have had since new except for the Lenco turntable. I do have newer more revealing speakers that help me better assess what I have. I too am also vintage and have heard many different systems over time and am very happy with the systems that I have. I am still enjoying the music I have as well as new music that I’m discovering.
The Dynaco PAS-3 X started out as a Monaural called PAM-1. Then came a little Dynaco box to Integrate Two PAM-1 in tandem working as a Stereo setup. THEN came the PAS-3 stereo Preamp with the same basic innards, and the added Stereo capability. Later on, came the PAS-3X with modified parts values to mate with their new transistorized "Stereo 120" amplifier.
AND the Pas3 X came with modified Tone Controls which switched Out Of The Circuit in their Center rotational travel. This feature was popping noisy when swishing the knobs past the "center-off" position.
Bose used to sell through dealers. I remember drooling over a Tech HiFi booklet (I got from their store in RI) that had all the products they sold, and Bose was very prominently represented. As was Ohm speakers, EPI, Advent, and many other great Northeast based audio companies. Man I wish I still had that piece of advertising! ✌️
. I worked (kinda', lol) at the Tech Hifi Salem NH store in 82-83ish. It was great. The Washington's Birthday sales were nutz. They'd back-up a tractor-trailer full of affordable gear & we'd empty it. Thanks for the memory, ☮ Acid Jazz Funk & Brass🔈🔉🔊
@@TriAmpMyFi Me, and my older brother lived for those sales. We would save all our money all year, Christmas money, birthday money, anything we earned etc. And spend it all on that day. Everything was on sale. Even blank cassette tapes. We would stock up on them, and grab a receiver, cassette deck, turntable, or pair of speakers. And over the years we both built nice little systems. All of my friends were in awe of them. So much fun, and so many great memories. And it wasn’t just Tech HiFi either. We would go to Student Discount Center (a local hifi shop) in Providence RI, it was right next to Tech HiFi on Angell St. And a place in Warwick RI. I think it was called Sounds Great. Tweeter sometimes too. But they were usually more expensive. But unfortunately big box stores, like Circuit City, and Lechmere moved in. And the small stores went away. There is a guy who’s on the Audiokarma forums who opened a new Tech HiFi in Hanson Ma. His site is techhifi dot com. Check it out sometime. And thank you for the memories also. ✌️
The less than stellar sound of the Dynaco preamp is definitely not cured by other tubes. Typical of that era: tube power amps you can find gems that are still relevant in these days, pre-amps much less so.
The revolutions of audio are in the semi conductor industry So Absolete are the things we can't resist..yup lookin' gd systems was an old time nostalgics..kewl old timer..Peace!
nostalgia isn't as cheap as it used to be. The only interest I have in turning back time is with old records, not electronic gear, or speakers. I subscribe to the line of thought that a good audiophile design will remain valid for about 25 years, with some few exceptions, of course. For instance, I am using a Michell gyro record player that basically came out in 1968, but is still competitive in the modern market place.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the vintage. The Krell was really cool looking, with those unusual looking monoblocks. I love the Switchcraft cable XLR's on the back. I personally wouldn't mind seeing more vintage reviews, like Hafler, or ADCOM's GFA-555! And Electro-Voice maybe?
@@JK-rt2jj I WILL Never part with my 1987 02Series pre and power amp!* This garbage they proffer out here today is an insult. (I’ve been telling folks in the market, go vintage when, and if they can).
Great video Steve! Regarding the PAM-1 gain... I experimented with the DIP switches and configured it for the lowest gain option. My only thought is that perhaps the Krell power amps of that era had a lower input sensitivity than their competitors, and the PAM-1 was designed to interface specifically with those products? Just guessing :)
My old friends are using Dynaco power amps, and they always drive a DIY preamps, and I asked once, why not the Dynaco preamps? They said it is not good…
i traded a silver dollar coin for a rusty dynaco 70 and it was my second tube amp my first was a monoblock from a vintage radio. both were insanely loud.
And the only thing McIntosh needs to be telling Bose: “our return to our core principles involves only one thing: making powerful, xss-breaking amplifiers that yawn in home settings, and nightclubs, and send folks into a frenzy at stadiums, and open-air concerts! And nothing less. Only that will return this company’s Grand Status.🌹✨
The Dynaco ST-70 is such a sweet piece. Mine is a slightly modded one, but the sound is pure Dynaco bliss. It's too bad the Dynaco preamp doesn't seem to get the same level of praise.
Well the problem with the pre-amp is that ... Maybe I shouldn't say? The U.S. market is very sensitive to anybody affecting sales. So maybe just leave you hobbyists to enjoy yourselves.
The Dynaco preamps were never as good as their power amplifiers. I still have my father's PAS-2, ST-70, and FM-3. I've used this gear off and on over the years, though the last time was a long time ago now. I had a PAT-5 BiFET, which went with my ST-416, and my brother has a late production PAT-4 that he still uses with a ST-150 (with blue meters and wood side panels) and an FM-5 tuner. The ST-70 can be a lovely thing, even to this day. And the Dynaco transistor amps were good. The FM-3, while not the most technically capable thing, can sound excellent, though FM is not a high quality medium. The preamps, at least in stock form, weren't Dynaco's best offerings.
FM isn't a high quality medium? Well ... if you're in the city high rise, there is a Technics indoor aerial, the SH-F101 and Radio Shack had a good one, if you're living in Brooklyn or a built up place. Otherwise you need a roof aerial for FM and if you have an aluminum roof, you need a 10 ft pole and we also need very high quality roof signal cable, very pricey and you can't use a signal splitter, it has to be just direct coupled to the one tuner set, not the Home Theater in one room and other rooms. But FM is awesome if you have a good tuner set and these are scarce. There are two main types of FM set, City and Fringe Area.
In Canada, across in Alberta and Oregon in the U.S., there's no air service and your FM comes via cable that means very low quality but it can be improved by amplifiers but that does sounds awesome, but service techs say it destroys quality. FM is a superb medium but not for everyone for a whole host of reasons.
None of these names relate to the names that were established way back in the day. They used to be actual separate little companies, Marantz, Pioneer, McIntosh, JBL, .... the names have been bought and sold many times since then. Just like Masimo Corporation, which bought Sound United, is talking about closing that division down after the purchase did not provide anywhere near the ROI they expected. They own: Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics. Maybe some other company will by some of those names. But then at this point what does a name mean?
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac dang can't lie, I am disappointed to hear about this! acquisitions are historically bad for the consumer. Nothing but a money maker. Look at the state of Parasound in 2024, very sad
@@jamesdoranto9013 You know uh ... when Clarion of Japan acquired the New York, Binghampton McIntosh Labs back in 1990, they let it be but since then it was bought and sold for Fool's Gold, over and over, it went to Italy and back to N.Y. and all the time it picked up a whole load of other corporate concerns, connections with icon brands you know Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Jeep motors then finally bought out by Bose. McIntosh are connected with the late Steve Jobs of McIntosh computers and you know, not just a little New York backstreet builder of stereo systems as maybe Steve reckoned. But not maybe not what Glenn reckoned neither.
Buy them more for their looks? My older brother was an ace with a soldering pencil. With his help, I got a PAS 2, the even earlier version for its looks. He updated the inside to PAS 3X specs. That was long ago. I could just report that my stereo, with Dynaco speakers, compared favorably to what I heard at Stereo stores.
Regarding that Krell preamp, it looks cool but the separate left and right volume controls would be a deal breaker for me. Absolutely no way I'd put up with that level of aggravation. Steve, I hope you can find some spare 7199 tubes for your Stereo 70 amp, because they've been out of production for a long time. Best grab whatever you can find.
My Hafler 9505 was getting noisy on the right channel & began to pass pops to the speakers when I turned it on the last couple of times. That in turn blew my Tannoy XT8F on the right side. I can't find OEM replacement drivers.
I feel for your loss. Lack of speaker protection is a real issue with vintage power amps. They can be updated with speaker protection modules very easily. Have you tried contacting Tannoy directly for replacements?
@@adambrown8867 There's the brand new pair from Hong Kong $240 but OEM, you know ... these take years to run-in. Have you read the News recently? Have you got years left to live? You just buy an old used pair of XT8F speakers and change over your best parts. Used buys always need some other parts fitted and you've got a spare pair. Then get rid of the extra stuff. sell it on.
It may be good for McIntosh that it is now owned by BOSE. Highlander Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm, is the prior owner that sold McIntosh to BOSE (according to Wikipedia on 11-25-2024).
@@carminedesanto6746 I know because your input stuff was the wrong input stuff. Bryston you know, it's a cult and it has that awful ... American cult Bryston sound but hey, you know horses for courses and all that. If you have a H U G E room, Bryston is a good choice.
Aw man! I don't own any McIntosh gear but I hope this doesn't happen to my precious Rogue Audio, Conrad-Johnson and Adcom brands who's equipment I do own! This is from a Black man O.G and music loving audiophile. When I heard of this acquisition I said "Aw naw!". What is going on with high end audio!?? With the rumored possible disappearance of other well known high end brands, this has left me feeling kinda worried about the future of high end audio. I wrote on another channel that when a brand goes under and a brick and mortar high end audio dealer closes iits doors I become somewhat depressed. I'm a seasoned 64 year old music lover and want American High End audio to survive!
@@richardelliott8352 I can see that to a certain extent. The mid-fi of today,(some I think I can live with) would have been the high end I think back in the 80's. However I am still bummed out about the McIntosh acquisition, although I don't own any of their gear. In addition to the brands in my earlier statement I also have Magnepan, Audio quest,Vandersteen, Sota Furman, and Grado. These American brands are the bulk of my system and don't want to see them sold off. .
Let us hope that Bose understands that what gives Mcintosh it's street cred is the fact that it is made in Binghampton NY as it always has been. If they shut it down and make it abroad or just use the brand name for lifestyle rubbish then it is finished and it will go the way of the dodo like Shure and Stanton.
@@HxThomison I agree. The green leds look cheap and tacky. They should re-introduce the monobloc valve amps like the mc30, mc40. They seem to have lost their way abit these days making things that nobody wants or likes the look of.
@@HxThomisonEXACTLY! They failed as a company building way too much shxt, and NOT ADHERING TO CORE construction principles! Those power levels would be better controlled also! Flagship Monoblocks: 1300 Two Stereo Amps: 700, and 300. One Integrated Amp:450 And one Stereo Receiver:200 One Flagship Tube Preamp, a Second Tier transistor model, and a final home theater processing model. And an FM TUNER. (electronics only) No speakers, Disc players, or turntables, or car audio of any kind! Its back to the basics!
Lovely old gear, would love to hear them-but what did you play?!? OK, missed the music selections, but I'm not missing the irony of Bose buying up two audiophile giants. Since I've discovered the Y-Tube audio world in my retirement I sure have heard a lot of Bose bashing. Hopefully the products won't suffer for it.
The ST 70 is a nice charming little amp, The Dynco preamp was dull, both Dayton wright SPL and Hollomans ATP Preamps blew them out of the water back in the late 70s. I am not sure how these older units would fair to Modern units. 😊 . note, I remember the Krell preamp as full and musical, that was a decades ago, so who knows.
I think Steve said it right... Bose is barely an audio company (in my eyes also) but millions are using their headphones and Bluetooth speakers. In buying McIntosh they waltz right into high end without any of the work.
You claim the Dynaco PAS was restored, uhh why are all of the capacitors and resistors original? That's not restored. I'm glad you screwed this review up so the prices don't go up like they did when you used an actually restored ST-70, the prices have gone up 100% thanks Steve lol
I noticed this as well ! The "original" unmodded PAS I own is fitted with the same John E Fast hardware. Made me scratch my noggin. Steve care to elaborate? Need more info!!
@ 8:24 , pretty sure the filament capacitors are the only "upgrade". The tranformer may not be oem either but this is not a fully restored unit by any means. No offense but your verbiage conflicts with what I am seeing.
The multisection cap looks stock too. So... 60 year old electrolytics delivering the power? And you are saying it didn't sound good lol what were you thinking Steve? Mail it to me and I'll restore it properly.
The PAS 3X is mine, and was restored by George Ronnenkamp at Pacific Audio Regenesis. He went extraordinary lengths to keep it stock looking, including restuffing the vintage caps with new internals to keep the original look. The only place where he completely changed the look is the rear panel, where he created a new silk screened PVC label to replace the paper original. The preamp came with a thick spiral bound book with measurements, and an accounting of the restoration.
Pretty sure the reason Bose purchased McIntosh is simply to acquire the brand name so they can introduce and sell a McIntosh branded automobile sound system to luxury audio makers. Bose doesn't have the same cachet as Mark Levinson but McIntosh...
People bought McIntosh because they trusted that it was so well built that it was an heirloom product. McIntosh promised to support their products indefinitely. Anyone who had a Mac could send it back to McIntosh and for $500 that company would clean it up and bring it back to spec. But the prestige that the build quality and support system created is now in jeopardy. The public's trust could very well be broken, in which case sales will decline, in which case Bose will cheapen the product line, in which case sales to go down more, and that downward spiral will never be able to be stopped. It's over for Mac, unless Bose wakes up and gets rid of the line.
No ... the New York uh ... Binghampton Laboratory were owned by others since 1990 when bought over by Clarion Car Radio of Japan, and I used to get their radios out of Mazda cars as they had these big 'Class A' TO-3 metal envelope transistors bolted to the steel top plate with which we could make a great stereo amplifier for Realistic Minimus-7 but with very short cables, 'Class A' isn't for long runs of speaker cable. Wow, none on that internet auction site today, so don't bother looking! 😄
Back in the day, maybe still… VanAlstine did a PAS rebuild. Steve did you get a new camera or something? Your audio sounds weird and the image is poor.
Just my option and personal experiences here: I believe Bose will prove to be excellent stewards of McIntosh and SonusFarber. They understand audio quality and brand strength built over years of releasing and supporting high quality products is something they want and need. This is a very good sign. Bose is a company of engineers and has very few commercial business employees. Several of the people I’ve met from Bose are music fanatics, audiophiles, musicians or mad scientists…and many have all those qualities. Bose underwent a structural business change several years ago to ensure they could continue. Now they are healthy and hungry and thinking outside of the box, as Dr. Bose always did.
the classic HiFi market is in big trouble.What you hear about the situation of Marantz Denon Polk Audio it's bad .Can they make it through 2025 ? So I think the Bose deal with McIntosh Sonus Faber is a good one.
I think it’s the best for McIntosh.McIntosh is a small Company I think much to small to exist in the future successfully . In Europe the so called High End market ist drastically shrinking.That’s a problem for a lot of companies in the classical Audio business
High End was never heard in the olden days and you know, folks like yourself just dreamed that it would be the best and gave them a lot of undeserved respect, but once everybody heard high end, well they're thinking show me the low end! It's like that Twilight Zone movie where the guy dies and goes to Hell, he wins everything and is soon so sick of winning all the time, he demands to be sent to the other place, you know and like Woody Allen, Stardust Memories, they're all headed for the same end.
Your problems with the Dynaco are mystifying; I've been using a Pas-3 I bought off ebay for many years, paired with two Dyna 400 amps, 4 DQ10's, 2 Velodyne subwoofers, and a Technics SL-M3 turntable with a Grado Gold cartridge. Everyone who has heard the system has had their socks knocked off. A good recording will generate goosebumps, every time. My all-in cost for the whole system? ( All purchased from ebay sellers, including shipping ) $4400 in 2012 dollars. A system of equal quality using new overhyped elite 'audiophile' equipment? Much, much more. $25,000?
If Bose had bought MacIntosh 50 years ago, it would have made sense. Hopefully, they will not turn MacIntosh into another lifestyle company. With Bose coming out with a new version of the 901s, maybe it will be the other way around. We shall see. .
If you are having a vintage piece completely restored, how do you know the original sound signature will not be lost? Seems like there is a big risk of laying out cash for a huge disappointment.
I’m 40 and bought a recapped McIntosh amp from the 70s, it sounds wonderful, nice, warm and rich. That said how can I know if it’s changed from the original as I wasn’t even alive to hear it then lol
@@mikeg2491 Well that amplifier will have a matching McIntosh speaker and if you hook it up and it sounds real bad (which it will) you'll know your input equipment is not the right thing. It's like Steve in the above video says his gain is too high, well his input stuff you know, is the wrong input stuff. But we can't tell people, some can't see the wood for the trees, as they say in England.
The Bose remakes look very wrong for two reasons that I can see. The extreme rounded edges look wrong. Maybe a 1/8-1/4 round would look much sharper and go with the overall design. The stands look like two things from Home Depot put together. I think a redesign could really improve the basic original shape.
Bose being a company with more on-hand capital than many small to mid-size banks could be good other than the fact they seem to think they know so much about audio. All I think about when I see or hear Bose stuff is how good they are at selling sub-par home audio products with ridiculous prices. There is a reason they didn't show at the Hi-Fi shows which is they knew they'd be embarrassed, plus they couldn't really woo those discerning buyers choosing instead selling only the big boxes and direct sales way. Bose, please keep your cost and design departments away from McIntosh. I guess it isn't the first time MAC has gone down this road, didn't Sparkomatic own them for a bit somewhere along the way?
It is shocking that Bose acquired McIntosh. Their 70’s stuff was nice but just somewhat okay. Some stuff looked great and others looked cheap. After they went commercial in the malls across America they became a joke to the real audio community as they were never for audiophiles any way. The 80’s & 90’s were their demise as their business model went to crap. I don’t think the McIntosh build quality will be compromised in any way. I’m sure all staff will remain and their integrity and principles will remain. That being said, something dies in this brand with this acquisition. To purchase a new McIntosh the sticker on the amp will now say “A Bose Company” or “Distributed by Bose LLC” shocking to say the least. Your prized niche American made McIntosh is now run by the corporate channels and the Board of Bose Canada. I own a 1979 MA-6200 and proud that it’s a vintage genuine product from the then iconic McIntosh. I just hope they continue to service their vintage gear and they don’t stray from their principles of standing behind their products. Usually a new company steps in then cheapens the brand for profit. I truly hope this is not the case.
Yeah, QUAD tried that with the service department back in the 90's and Stan Curtis of Cambridge fame fought the then Verity group and convinced them that the legendary service was QUADs hallmark. He won. Let's hope the same applies to Mac.
Well ... McIntosh you know always used their own custom built speakers and unless you were a millionaire and could buy a whole set on one day, well you didn't even look at McIntosh. As I remember Bose were pricey, anyhow. Realistic Minimus-7 were good enough.
@ Good. I tell myself this is beyond some retentive fault in my personality. Right or wrong, seeing clocked screws is a signal to me that those that built or repaired the item also took care in the rest of their work.
Wow ... screws in the Krell nameplates not being clocked! You know when they are clocked and you take them out, they don't go back in again clocked! How is that? Couldn't be so much wear so you make paint mark on them to ensure you put them back in the right holes and even so, they don't go back clocked. I got this new pair of speakers and they had a 3D sound stage, great big 'Live' in your face acoustic, so I fell asleep and in the middle of the night, woke up and its a 2D sound! Wow! Makes you wonder what actually makes that 3D sound. Strange!
1. I forgot that our ears and brains need a technological upgrade to consume audio better than trained people loved to consume it in past times. 2. what is vintage? >10yrs? 20, 40, 60? With some people that‘s already >5yrs. Vintage to me is clearly >50yrs, Antique>75, Classic >25, old >5. 3. what is an original dynaco? With caps replaced you get already a new vibe. And as there‘s no reference, thanks to the DIY-Kits sold, what is it? And so, yes, I hear on Vintage, Classic, old equipment, just one new, not antique, but partially antique architecture. And it sounds good, in fact so good that Salesman on- or offline can sell me new gear that‘s not actually an outstandingly performing piece of a multiple higher category, or if a alternative wonderful sound-characteristic overall can be presented with an uncommon architecture. And with age, fun becomes even more relevant than a klingeling of neutrality at the 3rd bush deep in the right corner that you can‘t hear, but see on the visualization of iZotope or similar. It‘s like cooking, having fresh tasty ingredients, no need to fuzz around, just don‘t break it.
Where has analog recording gone? The freedom to go out and record anything the way it is, analog? Out, like in the field, on events, parties, …, private Kammermusik/Rock/Quartetts or the like?
Bose bought Mc? Wow. Ok, Marketmanagement and Brand-Rescueing going on - Suits business. I wonder if they continue to service the old MCs, let‘s wait for the next story on them in 12-24 months. Who needs quality and sound, right, if shine, stance, presence is enough.
Bose is a $1 billion entity and Macintosh was probably in financial difficulty. Wise financial investment to expand their offerings. Personally I don’t think they will tamper with the Macintosh product.
One of the greatest audio engineers was David Hafler… his designs still sound great today….
I have a couple of dynaco pre amps and hafler amps. I enjoy them when I use them. Unfortunately my dh500 is broken. Parts are sometimes hard to source. But I still like them.
Yeah David Hafler and Herbert Keroes but Ali Bin Mohammed's Alaik Bel Afiah, is one of Dubai's greatest Audio tracks, and it still sounds great today. It's the Audiophiliac System Of The Day sound.
@@gtrguyinaz Hey man I agree 💯% Back in 87' I was a young Black man just out of college and trade school, the Hafler 120 was my first high end piece and I still have it. It is a glorious sounding little power house. I never had any issues with it and bi-amp my speakers with it during the spring and summer, to give my Conrad-Johnson a break. I use the Conrad Johnson only in fall and winter. The smallest of the Hafler amps at the time, it has the sound of tubes in spades. Because of its power mosfets and dynamic head room it had no problem powering all the speakers I ever owned regardless of empedance or sensitivity. I'll never get rid of it and have had a lot of good years and memorable listening with it.🎶👍👍
@gtrguyinaz have to agree, I own a SE-100, and it sounds a lot like my Dyna Pat-4
@@gtrguyinaz Here, HEAR! from the mighty XL-600, to the Stratospheric Trans-Nova 9505! The man’s formulas were just Phantasmagorically
A M A Z I N G !💎🌹🌷☀️✨
Steve, with Dynaco you came right up my street. That was the core of my first stereo system.
Earlier in college some friends began putting together stereo systems with separate components. That was new to me since all I'd heard had been ubiquitous consoles. So after an interruption for a few years in the Navy, when I came home to finish school I had a couple of summer months to kill and a bit of savings, so ordered my own separate components; Dynakit ST 70, PAS 3, and FM 3. To finish the system were AR-4s, a Dual 1009 and Empire cartridge.
I must admit that system seems to have implanted something in my audio memory. Admittedly not the greatest resolution, but a real connectivity with the musical performances. I've taken some mis-steps over the decades since but that remains my standard for system enjoyment. I get a similar sense in your reviewing comments which is why I enjoy them too.
I just purchased a refurbished ‘65 HH Scott integrated and this video is right up my alley. 👍🏻
The PAS 3 is known to not play well with solid state amps due to output impedance. The Pas-3X fixed this problem. If I'm not mistaken, there are simple mods to the PAS-3 which allow this. I believe I found this in the ST-150 manual explaining how to use the amp with the PAS-3.
For me, it pairs better with my Parasound a23+ than my Schiit Saga+. The Saga+ has matched output stepped "volume" attenuation that makes matching the input impedance of the a23 more difficult.
Bose owning Sonus Faber and McIntosh. Ugh. Waiting to hear about the launch of the McIntosh Wave Radio which contains 2-inch Sonus Faber speakers.
Can only hope the lower end products they’ll produce will allow them to fund and keep making the high end stuff
"McIntosh Wave Radio" lol, that's pretty funny👍
Acid Jazz Funk & Brass🔈🔉🔊
😂
😂🤪😳🥹😭
Well you know there's a horn we can buy for our smartphones and it amplifies them up to pretty good sound, so after that a 2 inch woofer is easily made to satisfy the small room buyer. City hired rooms are small and lonely.
You are correct, Sir. Vintage audio is my passion!
I’ve restored a few Dynaco PAS, and one thing to keep in mind is there is no cathode follower on that preamp which requires the input impedance of the amp to correctly matched. Most solid state amps have too low of an input impedance to correctly match to the PAS
The difference between the PAS 2/3 and the 3x is there is a tone control defeat when in the neutral position. It is somewhat better, but overall the tone circuits in these are very crude. I don’t recommend these units other than for the fun of getting them working again
@@cathodebias sheesh, I personally love the tone control. It's not a parametric eq but is very fun to play with.
@@jamesdoranto9013 I'm not saying tone controls are bad in general. I'm saying the execution in the PAS is crude, and frankly doesn't work unless paired with a tube amp with the correct input impedance.
I think you should do regular reports on vintage gear, the stuff we ( well, many of us anyway ) grew up with. Some of it is still awesome today.
I should say to Steve you know that 'tube rolling' ... not to rain on your parade but, the tubes have a +/- 20% manufactured tolerance and what you're doing is going further from or nearer to the equally wide tolerance values of the elements hidden under the chassis. Ideally you know, we get an expert tech to fit the tubes and we don't do 'tube rolling'. It's a thing that's done by buyers who're not academic we might say. So if your Dynaco sounds a little off, your tubes are probably not the best matched to the elements soldered to the tube bases.
I love the look of the Krell Power Supplies, the science fiction look. Very Cool..
@1:38 - I love the old picture of Steve in front of the NAD 7000 series receiver and the 5600 cartridge CD changer.... those were still around when I started selling NAD after graduating high school and starting college. this was just after Clarion Car Audio bought McIntosh (1990) so that was something we talked about regularly when asked why we were not a McIntosh dealer anymore.
Vintage 70`s Sansui go amazingly well with moden gear and high end cables especially the pre amp section of their integrateds. Such as the 555A and 900 series. Something very special with these old capacitor coupled amps, their unique transistors, and unique simple circuits!
i had a Pam 3 back in 85 traded it towards a ARC SP11, both where beautifully engineered
Such a great video. Love love love your perspective on vintage gear!!
Thanks!
I love old H.H. Scott vintage gear.
Me too!
Me three. 😁
Especially Scott tuners.
@@analoglooney No ... not just tuners, two of the leading late 1970s U.S. exports were the H.H. Scott P.S.17A record reproducer (replaced by Thorens) and the H.H. Scott 176B speakers that are on You Tube compared with Yamaha NS-451.
@@keplermission I didn't say 'just' tuners, I said especially tuners.
I do enjoy you features on vintage gear.. Here in the UK I remember coveting Krell power amps. At the time I had a Quad 33/303 pre power combo which I loved. Despite the power limitations it was capable of driving many speakers and Quad have now resurrected a new version.
I enjoy a mix of gear including the original Coda FET 01 Preamp - a killer product. Thx for the episode.
I have the VAC PA 100 100 tube amp and the input circuitry was designed back in 1947 I bought it back in 1995 Still going strong and sounds pretty magical to me
I too am fascinated with Vintage Audio Gear. I am currently trying to track down a mid 1960 AR 60 watt Amplifier and where it passed off to after the original owner passed away. I saw it last in the early 1980s stored on a shelf in a warehouse. If I could find it that would be a real treasure.
I had three favorite preamps. Spectral DMC-6A. Threshold FET 2. Crown Professional Straightline Two.
Nicely done Steve….appreciate your honest evaluation of vintage gear and the intricacies of setup. Have a Kenwood 700m amp and 700c pre-amp in a system and really enjoy my vintage setup from the 70s…….and you’re right ….it looks awesome….sent you pics once.
Re: those separate left and right channel tone controls. This preamp was produced during the transition from mono to stereo and many listeners did not have matched left and right speakers. The separate controls allowed a degree of matching to the voicing of the disparate speakers. I built a PAS 3X kit which became a crash course in electronics for me. It sounded dull and wooly. I then modified it based on articles in the Audio Amateur that closely mimicked the Audio Research SP3 which used similar circuit and tubes but much higher voltages and better parts, especially capacitors. The result was a night to day transformation, especially the phono stage which I used for many years adding a switch to switch the line stage in or out. The line stage never liked the low input impedance of solid state amps.
I own and use some vintage gear in the mix with relatively contemporary equipment in three different systems in my home. I do this not for the look but for the sound quality that they bring and the synergy to my systems.
Some examples are a modified Goldring Lenco GL75 turntable, Vacuum State Pre-amplifier and JBL L100 Century speaker. I also have a Nakamichi 610 Preamplifier and 600 tape deck in use - partly for looks but also for performance. I would also note that all of this vintage equipment I have had since new except for the Lenco turntable. I do have newer more revealing speakers that help me better assess what I have. I too am also vintage and have heard many different systems over time and am very happy with the systems that I have. I am still enjoying the music I have as well as new music that I’m discovering.
The Dynaco PAS-3 X started out as a Monaural called PAM-1. Then came a little Dynaco box to Integrate Two PAM-1 in tandem working as a Stereo setup. THEN came the PAS-3 stereo Preamp with the same basic innards, and the added Stereo capability. Later on, came the PAS-3X with modified parts values to mate with their new transistorized "Stereo 120" amplifier.
AND the Pas3 X came with modified Tone Controls which switched Out Of The Circuit in their Center rotational travel. This feature was popping noisy when swishing the knobs past the "center-off" position.
I remember when you could buy a Dynaco amp kit self assembly
Bose used to sell through dealers. I remember drooling over a Tech HiFi booklet (I got from their store in RI) that had all the products they sold, and Bose was very prominently represented.
As was Ohm speakers, EPI, Advent, and many other great Northeast based audio companies. Man I wish I still had that piece of advertising! ✌️
. I worked (kinda', lol) at the Tech Hifi Salem NH store in 82-83ish. It was great. The Washington's Birthday sales were nutz. They'd back-up a tractor-trailer full of affordable gear & we'd empty it. Thanks for the memory, ☮
Acid Jazz Funk & Brass🔈🔉🔊
@@TriAmpMyFi Me, and my older brother lived for those sales. We would save all our money all year, Christmas money, birthday money, anything we earned etc. And spend it all on that day.
Everything was on sale. Even blank cassette tapes. We would stock up on them, and grab a receiver, cassette deck, turntable, or pair of speakers. And over the years we both built nice little systems.
All of my friends were in awe of them. So much fun, and so many great memories. And it wasn’t just Tech HiFi either. We would go to Student Discount Center (a local hifi shop) in Providence RI, it was right next to Tech HiFi on Angell St. And a place in Warwick RI. I think it was called Sounds Great. Tweeter sometimes too. But they were usually more expensive.
But unfortunately big box stores, like Circuit City, and Lechmere moved in. And the small stores went away. There is a guy who’s on the Audiokarma forums who opened a new Tech HiFi in Hanson Ma. His site is techhifi dot com. Check it out sometime.
And thank you for the memories also. ✌️
The less than stellar sound of the Dynaco preamp is definitely not cured by other tubes. Typical of that era: tube power amps you can find gems that are still relevant in these days, pre-amps much less so.
Totally agree based on my own experience
The revolutions of audio are in the semi conductor industry So Absolete are the things we can't resist..yup lookin' gd systems was an old time nostalgics..kewl old timer..Peace!
Happy new Year. I'm happy with my small Creek UK amp despite it needs schematic diagram.
nostalgia isn't as cheap as it used to be. The only interest I have in turning back time is with old records, not electronic gear, or speakers. I subscribe to the line of thought that a good audiophile design will remain valid for about 25 years, with some few exceptions, of course.
For instance, I am using a Michell gyro record player that basically came out in 1968, but is still competitive in the modern market place.
Speaking of vintage pieces, I own a Harmon Kardan Citation A Pre-Amp. A Stuart Hegeman design 1962.
Looking to get a Dynaco PAS-3 from Kenny Russell. He just built me a beautiful ST-70. Sounds like pure silk…
Loved my SpeakerLab Super 7’s and Dynaco amps…
I still have a Dynakit PAS-2 in the garage. Got it used in 1976. It might work, but the caps are probably long gone.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the vintage. The Krell was really cool looking, with those unusual looking monoblocks. I love the Switchcraft cable XLR's on the back. I personally wouldn't mind seeing more vintage reviews, like Hafler, or ADCOM's GFA-555! And Electro-Voice maybe?
If any Dynaco owner wondering what vintage year it is, look at the bottom of the bias pot the year is stamped there.
nice
Mostly vintage HK here, including the citation 25 pre amp. Bought it new, so I am now vintage 😂
Just waiting for the McIntosh acoustimas😂
Early Luxman solid state still is being underrated.
Well, then it's more affordable to buy!
@ It is, yes! And the looks are very good too.
I have a Luxman integrated from the late 70s, sounds wonderful!
@@JK-rt2jj I WILL Never part with my 1987 02Series pre and power amp!*
This garbage they proffer out here today is an insult.
(I’ve been telling folks in the market, go vintage when, and if they can).
Great video Steve! Regarding the PAM-1 gain... I experimented with the DIP switches and configured it for the lowest gain option. My only thought is that perhaps the Krell power amps of that era had a lower input sensitivity than their competitors, and the PAM-1 was designed to interface specifically with those products? Just guessing :)
My old friends are using Dynaco power amps, and they always drive a DIY preamps, and I asked once, why not the Dynaco preamps? They said it is not good…
I second that
Ohh I need a pair of kma 100s and that pre amp! 😮😊
❤ you, Steve!
Looks are definitely part of the equation in the audio hobby. Just ask McIntosh and Marantz owners.
i traded a silver dollar coin for a rusty dynaco 70 and it was my second tube amp my first was a monoblock from a vintage radio. both were insanely loud.
Hi Steve.. You might be surprised on how good a pairing is the ST70 + the ARC SP-3 preamp..
I gutted out my pas3 and installed the van alstine super pas3x circuit years ago.
You can bet your mortgage payment that going forward, Macintosh will soon be made in Jina.
If it isn't already
And the only thing McIntosh needs to be telling Bose: “our return to our core principles involves only one thing: making powerful, xss-breaking amplifiers that yawn in home settings, and nightclubs, and send folks into a frenzy at stadiums, and open-air concerts! And nothing less. Only that will return this company’s Grand Status.🌹✨
The Dynaco ST-70 is such a sweet piece. Mine is a slightly modded one, but the sound is pure Dynaco bliss. It's too bad the Dynaco preamp doesn't seem to get the same level of praise.
Well the problem with the pre-amp is that ... Maybe I shouldn't say? The U.S. market is very sensitive to anybody affecting sales. So maybe just leave you hobbyists to enjoy yourselves.
Those new 901s look like they’re from a Bluey play set
The Dynaco preamps were never as good as their power amplifiers. I still have my father's PAS-2, ST-70, and FM-3. I've used this gear off and on over the years, though the last time was a long time ago now. I had a PAT-5 BiFET, which went with my ST-416, and my brother has a late production PAT-4 that he still uses with a ST-150 (with blue meters and wood side panels) and an FM-5 tuner. The ST-70 can be a lovely thing, even to this day. And the Dynaco transistor amps were good. The FM-3, while not the most technically capable thing, can sound excellent, though FM is not a high quality medium. The preamps, at least in stock form, weren't Dynaco's best offerings.
I really enjoy their eq section. maybe i'm alone in this haha
FM isn't a high quality medium? Well ... if you're in the city high rise, there is a Technics indoor aerial, the SH-F101 and Radio Shack had a good one, if you're living in Brooklyn or a built up place. Otherwise you need a roof aerial for FM and if you have an aluminum roof, you need a 10 ft pole and we also need very high quality roof signal cable, very pricey and you can't use a signal splitter, it has to be just direct coupled to the one tuner set, not the Home Theater in one room and other rooms. But FM is awesome if you have a good tuner set and these are scarce. There are two main types of FM set, City and Fringe Area.
In Canada, across in Alberta and Oregon in the U.S., there's no air service and your FM comes via cable that means very low quality but it can be improved by amplifiers but that does sounds awesome, but service techs say it destroys quality. FM is a superb medium but not for everyone for a whole host of reasons.
None of these names relate to the names that were established way back in the day. They used to be actual separate little companies, Marantz, Pioneer, McIntosh, JBL, .... the names have been bought and sold many times since then. Just like Masimo Corporation, which bought Sound United, is talking about closing that division down after the purchase did not provide anywhere near the ROI they expected. They own: Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics. Maybe some other company will by some of those names. But then at this point what does a name mean?
McIntosh is very real company, still building some of their stuff in Binghamton New York, same as ever.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac dang can't lie, I am disappointed to hear about this! acquisitions are historically bad for the consumer. Nothing but a money maker. Look at the state of Parasound in 2024, very sad
@@jamesdoranto9013 You know uh ... when Clarion of Japan acquired the New York, Binghampton McIntosh Labs back in 1990, they let it be but since then it was bought and sold for Fool's Gold, over and over, it went to Italy and back to N.Y. and all the time it picked up a whole load of other corporate concerns, connections with icon brands you know Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Jeep motors then finally bought out by Bose. McIntosh are connected with the late Steve Jobs of McIntosh computers and you know, not just a little New York backstreet builder of stereo systems as maybe Steve reckoned. But not maybe not what Glenn reckoned neither.
Buy them more for their looks?
My older brother was an ace with a soldering pencil. With his help, I got a PAS 2, the even earlier version for its looks.
He updated the inside to PAS 3X specs.
That was long ago. I could just report that my stereo, with Dynaco speakers, compared favorably to what I heard at Stereo stores.
I wonder if you tried one of your high end power cables unless you’re stuck with theirs.
What year did Clarion buy Macintosh? Were they the sellers?
Regarding that Krell preamp, it looks cool but the separate left and right volume controls would be a deal breaker for me. Absolutely no way I'd put up with that level of aggravation.
Steve, I hope you can find some spare 7199 tubes for your Stereo 70 amp, because they've been out of production for a long time. Best grab whatever you can find.
isn't Bose motto better sound through research why haven't they added a tweeter to the 901
Survey says... .
The masses listen to crap recordings that sound better without so much treble energy
You can't reheat an old souffle'. My wife objects to the term "knob feel" coming up during our intimate moments.
It makes me sick to think that Bose garbage purchased McIntosh.
My Hafler 9505 was getting noisy on the right channel & began to pass pops to the speakers when I turned it on the last couple of times. That in turn blew my Tannoy XT8F on the right side. I can't find OEM replacement drivers.
I feel for your loss. Lack of speaker protection is a real issue with vintage power amps. They can be updated with speaker protection modules very easily. Have you tried contacting Tannoy directly for replacements?
@peterlarkin762 I talked to Upscale Audio where I got the speakers. They said they didn't know of any available OEM replacement drivers.
@@adambrown8867 There's the brand new pair from Hong Kong $240 but OEM, you know ... these take years to run-in. Have you read the News recently? Have you got years left to live? You just buy an old used pair of XT8F speakers and change over your best parts. Used buys always need some other parts fitted and you've got a spare pair. Then get rid of the extra stuff. sell it on.
It may be good for McIntosh that it is now owned by BOSE.
Highlander Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm, is the prior owner that sold McIntosh to BOSE (according to Wikipedia on 11-25-2024).
Good afternoon ☕️🍩
I had that Krell pre amp 😱
Fantastic, what are you using instead?
@ is t funny ..I went from Bryston to Krell to Classe’ and back to Bryston 🤣
@@carminedesanto6746 I know because your input stuff was the wrong input stuff. Bryston you know, it's a cult and it has that awful ... American cult Bryston sound but hey, you know horses for courses and all that. If you have a H U G E room, Bryston is a good choice.
The Bose acquisition has directly reflected the market for products like McIntosh, yathink?
But we didn’t hear if you tried the Dynaco preamp and Pass Amplifier with shorter interconnect cables 🤷🏽♂️
Love your characterization of Dan D. I had to deal with him back in the 80s. Not fun at all
The Pam 1 has four inputs. You forgot "tape monitor."
True! Thanks.
Aw man! I don't own any McIntosh gear but I hope this doesn't happen to my precious Rogue Audio, Conrad-Johnson and Adcom brands who's equipment I do own! This is from a Black man O.G and music loving audiophile. When I heard of this acquisition I said "Aw naw!". What is going on with high end audio!?? With the rumored possible disappearance of other well known high end brands, this has left me feeling kinda worried about the future of high end audio. I wrote on another channel that when a brand goes under and a brick and mortar high end audio dealer closes iits doors I become somewhat depressed. I'm a seasoned 64 year old music lover and want American High End audio to survive!
mid fi is better than ever, and suffices for most people with a primary home theatre interest. Time marches on, markets change.
@@richardelliott8352 I can see that to a certain extent. The mid-fi of today,(some I think I can live with) would have been the high end I think back in the 80's. However I am still bummed out about the McIntosh acquisition, although I don't own any of their gear. In addition to the brands in my earlier statement I also have Magnepan, Audio quest,Vandersteen, Sota Furman, and Grado. These American brands are the bulk of my system and don't want to see them sold off.
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Let us hope that Bose understands that what gives Mcintosh it's street cred is the fact that it is made in Binghampton NY as it always has been. If they shut it down and make it abroad or just use the brand name for lifestyle rubbish then it is finished and it will go the way of the dodo like Shure and Stanton.
Mac is dead to me ever since they started with the tacky green LEDs, and pooped out that lifestyle miniature crap.
@@HxThomison I agree. The green leds look cheap and tacky. They should re-introduce the monobloc valve amps like the mc30, mc40. They seem to have lost their way abit these days making things that nobody wants or likes the look of.
@@HxThomisonEXACTLY! They failed as a company building way too much shxt, and NOT ADHERING TO CORE construction principles! Those power levels would be better controlled also!
Flagship Monoblocks: 1300
Two Stereo Amps: 700, and 300.
One Integrated Amp:450
And one Stereo Receiver:200
One Flagship Tube Preamp, a Second Tier transistor model, and a final home theater processing model.
And an FM TUNER.
(electronics only)
No speakers, Disc players, or turntables, or car audio of any kind! Its back to the basics!
Lovely old gear, would love to hear them-but what did you play?!? OK, missed the music selections, but I'm not missing the irony of Bose buying up two audiophile giants. Since I've discovered the Y-Tube audio world in my retirement I sure have heard a lot of Bose bashing. Hopefully the products won't suffer for it.
What did you listen to? That's half the reason I subscribe to your channel!
What barbarian fastened the screws on the brass placks /-\ |
Stevie Wonder.
The ST 70 is a nice charming little amp, The Dynco preamp was dull, both Dayton wright SPL and Hollomans ATP Preamps blew them out of the water back in the late 70s. I am not sure how these older units would fair to Modern units. 😊 . note, I remember the Krell preamp as full and musical, that was a decades ago, so who knows.
What the whole world has been screaming for - another Bose 901. How long before we can buy a Trabant or Yugo car?
I guess they hope the memories of the old one are gone
Were new Bose 901's inspired by the Barbie movie?
You're right!
Come on Steve…I know you lusted over the Bose 1801 power amplifier
I think Steve said it right... Bose is barely an audio company (in my eyes also) but millions are using their headphones and Bluetooth speakers. In buying McIntosh they waltz right into high end without any of the work.
You claim the Dynaco PAS was restored, uhh why are all of the capacitors and resistors original? That's not restored. I'm glad you screwed this review up so the prices don't go up like they did when you used an actually restored ST-70, the prices have gone up 100% thanks Steve lol
I noticed this as well ! The "original" unmodded PAS I own is fitted with the same John E Fast hardware. Made me scratch my noggin. Steve care to elaborate? Need more info!!
@ 8:24 , pretty sure the filament capacitors are the only "upgrade". The tranformer may not be oem either but this is not a fully restored unit by any means. No offense but your verbiage conflicts with what I am seeing.
Lmao this is funny
The multisection cap looks stock too. So... 60 year old electrolytics delivering the power? And you are saying it didn't sound good lol what were you thinking Steve? Mail it to me and I'll restore it properly.
The PAS 3X is mine, and was restored by George Ronnenkamp at Pacific Audio Regenesis. He went extraordinary lengths to keep it stock looking, including restuffing the vintage caps with new internals to keep the original look. The only place where he completely changed the look is the rear panel, where he created a new silk screened PVC label to replace the paper original. The preamp came with a thick spiral bound book with measurements, and an accounting of the restoration.
Pretty sure the reason Bose purchased McIntosh is simply to acquire the brand name so they can introduce and sell a McIntosh branded automobile sound system to luxury audio makers. Bose doesn't have the same cachet as Mark Levinson but McIntosh...
People bought McIntosh because they trusted that it was so well built that it was an heirloom product. McIntosh promised to support their products indefinitely. Anyone who had a Mac could send it back to McIntosh and for $500 that company would clean it up and bring it back to spec. But the prestige that the build quality and support system created is now in jeopardy. The public's trust could very well be broken, in which case sales will decline, in which case Bose will cheapen the product line, in which case sales to go down more, and that downward spiral will never be able to be stopped. It's over for Mac, unless Bose wakes up and gets rid of the line.
No ... the New York uh ... Binghampton Laboratory were owned by others since 1990 when bought over by Clarion Car Radio of Japan, and I used to get their radios out of Mazda cars as they had these big 'Class A' TO-3 metal envelope transistors bolted to the steel top plate with which we could make a great stereo amplifier for Realistic Minimus-7 but with very short cables, 'Class A' isn't for long runs of speaker cable. Wow, none on that internet auction site today, so don't bother looking! 😄
@@keplermission That was a completely incoherent response.
Back in the day, maybe still… VanAlstine did a PAS rebuild. Steve did you get a new camera or something? Your audio sounds weird and the image is poor.
Now! There’s a fine company! AvA still makes fine stereo hardware!
Just my option and personal experiences here: I believe Bose will prove to be excellent stewards of McIntosh and SonusFarber. They understand audio quality and brand strength built over years of releasing and supporting high quality products is something they want and need. This is a very good sign. Bose is a company of engineers and has very few commercial business employees. Several of the people I’ve met from Bose are music fanatics, audiophiles, musicians or mad scientists…and many have all those qualities. Bose underwent a structural business change several years ago to ensure they could continue. Now they are healthy and hungry and thinking outside of the box, as Dr. Bose always did.
the classic HiFi market is in big trouble.What you hear about the situation of Marantz Denon Polk Audio it's bad .Can they make it through 2025 ? So I think the Bose deal with McIntosh Sonus Faber is a good one.
Bose is a better owner than some entity from China that would ship McIntosh and Sonus Faber factory equipment to built there.
You could afford to pay more with "made in the USA" for the same item, product and quality? How are the others ?
I think it’s the best for McIntosh.McIntosh is a small Company I think much to small to exist in the future successfully . In Europe the so called High End market ist drastically shrinking.That’s a problem for a lot of companies in the classical Audio business
High End was never heard in the olden days and you know, folks like yourself just dreamed that it would be the best and gave them a lot of undeserved respect, but once everybody heard high end, well they're thinking show me the low end! It's like that Twilight Zone movie where the guy dies and goes to Hell, he wins everything and is soon so sick of winning all the time, he demands to be sent to the other place, you know and like Woody Allen, Stardust Memories, they're all headed for the same end.
when you were sellers...about many many " hair" ago 😄
The Dynaco is a PAS-3X, and it was restored by George Ronnenkamp of Pacific Audio Regenisis.
You got ripped off.
I can see somebody wanting a stock MC240 or 8B, but a stock ST70 needs help, as in a lot of help.
The new BOSE speakers look like a toilet...Just add a paper holder !
They probably sound like one too. They take the slush outa the flush and the hiss outa the p*ss. 😆
Your problems with the Dynaco are mystifying; I've been using a Pas-3 I bought off ebay for many years, paired with two Dyna 400 amps, 4 DQ10's, 2 Velodyne subwoofers, and a Technics SL-M3 turntable with a Grado Gold cartridge. Everyone who has heard the system has had their socks knocked off. A good recording will generate goosebumps, every time. My all-in cost for the whole system? ( All purchased from ebay sellers, including shipping ) $4400 in 2012 dollars. A system of equal quality using new overhyped elite 'audiophile' equipment? Much, much more. $25,000?
If Bose had bought MacIntosh 50 years ago, it would have made sense. Hopefully, they will not turn MacIntosh into another lifestyle company. With Bose coming out with a new version of the 901s, maybe it will be the other way around. We shall see.
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I think the new design of the 901 looks like bad 1970's furniture!
Only the 901 speakers from Bose was very good. Afterwards here in the Netherlands no one took Bose seriiously.
If you are having a vintage piece completely restored, how do you know the original sound signature will not be lost? Seems like there is a big risk of laying out cash for a huge disappointment.
Ya, some components will be changed hence sound would alter.
I’m 40 and bought a recapped McIntosh amp from the 70s, it sounds wonderful, nice, warm and rich. That said how can I know if it’s changed from the original as I wasn’t even alive to hear it then lol
@@mikeg2491 Well that amplifier will have a matching McIntosh speaker and if you hook it up and it sounds real bad (which it will) you'll know your input equipment is not the right thing. It's like Steve in the above video says his gain is too high, well his input stuff you know, is the wrong input stuff. But we can't tell people, some can't see the wood for the trees, as they say in England.
The original sound signature is already lost. None of those old parts are performing anywhere near where they should.
The Bose remakes look very wrong for two reasons that I can see. The extreme rounded edges look wrong. Maybe a 1/8-1/4 round would look much sharper and go with the overall design. The stands look like two things from Home Depot put together. I think a redesign could really improve the basic original shape.
Bose being a company with more on-hand capital than many small to mid-size banks could be good other than the fact they seem to think they know so much about audio. All I think about when I see or hear Bose stuff is how good they are at selling sub-par home audio products with ridiculous prices. There is a reason they didn't show at the Hi-Fi shows which is they knew they'd be embarrassed, plus they couldn't really woo those discerning buyers choosing instead selling only the big boxes and direct sales way. Bose, please keep your cost and design departments away from McIntosh. I guess it isn't the first time MAC has gone down this road, didn't Sparkomatic own them for a bit somewhere along the way?
Mac hasnt been the mac in 20+ years
thank you
It is shocking that Bose acquired McIntosh. Their 70’s stuff was nice but just somewhat okay. Some stuff looked great and others looked cheap. After they went commercial in the malls across America they became a joke to the real audio community as they were never for audiophiles any way. The 80’s & 90’s were their demise as their business model went to crap. I don’t think the McIntosh build quality will be compromised in any way. I’m sure all staff will remain and their integrity and principles will remain. That being said, something dies in this brand with this acquisition. To purchase a new McIntosh the sticker on the amp will now say “A Bose Company” or “Distributed by Bose LLC” shocking to say the least. Your prized niche American made McIntosh is now run by the corporate channels and the Board of Bose Canada. I own a 1979 MA-6200 and proud that it’s a vintage genuine product from the then iconic McIntosh. I just hope they continue to service their vintage gear and they don’t stray from their principles of standing behind their products. Usually a new company steps in then cheapens the brand for profit. I truly hope this is not the case.
I second that!
Yeah, QUAD tried that with the service department back in the 90's and Stan Curtis of Cambridge fame fought the then Verity group and convinced them that the legendary service was QUADs hallmark. He won. Let's hope the same applies to Mac.
Well ... McIntosh you know always used their own custom built speakers and unless you were a millionaire and could buy a whole set on one day, well you didn't even look at McIntosh. As I remember Bose were pricey, anyhow. Realistic Minimus-7 were good enough.
@@keplermission Good enough for what? The bathroom?
@@analoglooney the car....
Anyone else here bothered by the screws on the Krell name plates not being clocked?
Yes! It drives me mad. How that was never corrected is beyond me.
@ Good. I tell myself this is beyond some retentive fault in my personality. Right or wrong, seeing clocked screws is a signal to me that those that built or repaired the item also took care in the rest of their work.
Wow ... screws in the Krell nameplates not being clocked! You know when they are clocked and you take them out, they don't go back in again clocked! How is that? Couldn't be so much wear so you make paint mark on them to ensure you put them back in the right holes and even so, they don't go back clocked. I got this new pair of speakers and they had a 3D sound stage, great big 'Live' in your face acoustic, so I fell asleep and in the middle of the night, woke up and its a 2D sound! Wow! Makes you wonder what actually makes that 3D sound. Strange!
1. I forgot that our ears and brains need a technological upgrade to consume audio better than trained people loved to consume it in past times.
2. what is vintage? >10yrs? 20, 40, 60? With some people that‘s already >5yrs. Vintage to me is clearly >50yrs, Antique>75, Classic >25, old >5.
3. what is an original dynaco? With caps replaced you get already a new vibe. And as there‘s no reference, thanks to the DIY-Kits sold, what is it?
And so, yes, I hear on Vintage, Classic, old equipment, just one new, not antique, but partially antique architecture. And it sounds good, in fact so good that Salesman on- or offline can sell me new gear that‘s not actually an outstandingly performing piece of a multiple higher category, or if a alternative wonderful sound-characteristic overall can be presented with an uncommon architecture. And with age, fun becomes even more relevant than a klingeling of neutrality at the 3rd bush deep in the right corner that you can‘t hear, but see on the visualization of iZotope or similar. It‘s like cooking, having fresh tasty ingredients, no need to fuzz around, just don‘t break it.
Where has analog recording gone? The freedom to go out and record anything the way it is, analog? Out, like in the field, on events, parties, …, private Kammermusik/Rock/Quartetts or the like?
Dang, I didn't know most of my system is already old 😂
oh no! they should have showed the customers before going with the revamped 901. It looks so funny. I don't get it.
Bose bought Mc? Wow. Ok, Marketmanagement and Brand-Rescueing going on - Suits business. I wonder if they continue to service the old MCs, let‘s wait for the next story on them in 12-24 months. Who needs quality and sound, right, if shine, stance, presence is enough.
Have you been hiding under a rock? It's been all over UA-cam and Instagram. Every reviewer had to make a statement
Bose is a $1 billion entity and Macintosh was probably in financial difficulty. Wise financial investment to expand their offerings. Personally I don’t think they will tamper with the Macintosh product.
Mac was owned by a PE firm, the entire goal of the PE firm is to flip companies. No surprise they sold Mac.
McIntosh was not in financial difficulty. Bose wants the higher margin product without the work.
@@FelixtheMetalcat Bose = Winner, McIntosh = Loser. Old Scottish name, buyers all dead and dying. The brand is out of date, time for a new name.