I got a fully functional Pioneer SX-1050 for 80 bucks just three months ago, and picked up a pair of Polk Audio RTA 12C for $100 last weekend. Now I am in market for a Marantz turntable with my 5 bucks (cash) in hand lol
I found a Pioneer SX-535 in a bag at the end of someone's driveway with a note that said Free-works! The pots needed cleaning, however, it was clean on the inside. Worked perfect! I had no trouble flipping it. ;)'
Its important on Ebay to consider shipping charges, as its somewhat uncommon to find someone who's actually close enough to drive to (unless thats all you look for) who will allow pickups for all these items. These items are large-ish, and shipping won't be cheap, with the potential for shipping damage, especially turntables. Returns also will cost money. I found a great source of vintage gear in my area, and thats pawn shops. One close to me has loads of stereo equipment.
I put together a vintage system for my sister-in-law last Christmas, SX 580, PL112d and KLH 17s. All 3 pieces cost me $100 CAD, obviously handyman specials. After re-capping and sealing the speakers I could not believe how great everything sounded. I was JEALOUS! Used an AT95e cartridge that I had moved on from as well. Spent most my efforts refurbishing the speaker cabinets but it was well worth it.
Thank you for your videos. This is now my go to channel. I think you eliminate all the noise around hifi and cater for the music enthusiast as opposed to the sound critiques. I love good sound quality don’t get me wrong and the nostalgia of vintage gear but don’t get lost in the metrics and small nuances. I prefer to feel what the composer intended rather than hear all the technical detail if that makes sense. If it feels right and looks good, then job done.
Kevin, You are such a valuable ( and interesting) source of Vintage Stereo information. Your coverage of individual components and complete sets is an excellent guideline for beginners and those of us who love this era of musical replay equipment. Your ‘Skylabs’ videos are a regular part of my internet viewing. I always learn something and enjoy your commentary. Continued success. You fill a much needed position as this field continues to grow. Rich in Charlotte
Kevin, got you beat. I got a Realistic STA-2600 receiver, a Scott R=306 receiver, and a pair of ADS L400 speakers(older ones in the larger cabinets) for $0. People just clean house some times and will give things away.or throw them in the trash. All worked great, just needed a cleaning.
Great video, Kevin! I put together a great system for probably $800 for my daughter, which included a good pair of Polk, audio tower speakers, Yamaha, YPD4 turntable and a 100 W per channel vintage Kenwood that the lights are green. It looks beautiful and sounds great! The biggest thing is the YPD4 didn’t have a cartridge so I put a Grado Blue on it and it sounds great! She’s so happy with it and she’s had it for over a year and keeps buying more and more vinyl! I think I did my best Indoctrination for her into the hobby! I didn’t want to go too nuts as she will be getting all of my stuff down the road 😂
Totally amazing - it's great to know that maybe for a system in a smaller space or a second system, you don't have to break the bank to get something that sounds rewarding. Thanks for the video, Kevin!
I am a vintage stereo collector. I recently restored a Pioneer sx-535; I rescued it from an attic after 30 years of disuse. Cosmetically it was absolutely perfect looking other than being dirty. But it had DC on the speaker terminals. There was a note with it that said it blows up speakers. Yes those black legged transistors were certainly the culprite. After the restoration, I am blown away by this little guy. Build quality is amazing for something that is entry level. I have much bigger units and honestly I can't agree more with such a great value for the money. For now its the dinning room system at my house. ;-) I enjoy just looking at it.
It is very possible. In the last week, I have purchased: Sansui 800 $103 Pioneer HPM 40s $100 JVC SEA-V7E $79 Pioneer PL1200A $210 Sure, each needs a few minor things(light, needle, cleaning), but I think I did pretty good for my first attempt at a vintage system. A lot of people think these old products are just old junk. Their loss.
HPM 40's are sleepers. I have had 60's, and 100's. I to this day, think the 40's sounded better. I did try refreshing crossovers when I thought it was warranted.
When my wife and I (me?) were dating in early1980's I got her a hifi system for Christmas. Strictly budget. Consisting of a Technics SA-80 receiver, Akai deck CSm01a and Synergistics S12B speakers for well under $500. I added a swell pair of phones from Tech Hifi, the AKG K-40's for $18. No TT as her records were in poor condition so I taped them all for her as cassettes were easier to handle than ploppin' discs on a platter and lowering the tonearm. I use a pair of A-40's in my 900+ cu/ft kitchen system driven by an SX-434 and Nakamichi BX-1 deck. Got the S12B's hooked to the SX-434 too.
Yep, definitely doable,. There's so many different vintage Brands and models to choose from which most all of them would be a good choice. And Kevin, I just wanted to say that I did receive my LP record and thank you so much for the gift! That was a nice surprise. Very happy with my purchase.🥂
I think this is easily doable. My main receiver in my living room is a Sansui 7070. But I have three Pioneer SX 535s. I have a set up in my bedroom with the pioneer and another one in my family room with the pioneer. And I keep one for a back up. I like to add an equalizer to my stereos, it seems to give it a great kick. They don’t cost that much if your thrifty. Speakers are so personal. Everyone hears things differently. I have Sansui speakers with my Sansui receiver, and man do they sound great. I have a pair of SX 2000’s and a pair of SX 2500’s. For my bedroom set up, I was fortunate to find a pair of Pioneer CS-M551’s in perfect condition at a yard sale for… $2 for the pair. Incredible. So yes it can be done. With the best deals I’ve ever gotten at yard sales, and on eBay, I could probably do this for under $100. It was a great topic. Enjoyed it. Thank you so much.
Sweet receiver. I picked up my fully working Sansui 7070 in 2015 for $25. Selling prices around here these days are $600-$800. Mine has gone into the collection.
Picked up 1983 Yamaha R70- $15, 1975 Sansui LM-330's- $50, and Yamaha digital HD audio Bluetooth into a DAC- - $30, since I'm not really using my turntable right now. Feel like I killed it!
So still binge watching your videos. Just spent about 10 minutes going back and putting likes on all the vids I watched. Also, I am a subscriber!!! This price point video was the first to grab my attention. Enjoying others as well. Keep going!!!’
I love all the videos! Here's what I just picked up for my starter vintage system (no turntable). Pioneer SX 1000 TD with wood cabinet in super good shape for $100 plus $37 shipping off Ebay and a pair of NHT model 1.5 speakers from about 1995 for $60 locally. These were $600 when new and sound great. Thanks!
Loved the look of the AKAI AP 206, really interesting combinations and really terrific that you can put these together for $600. Thank you for such an interesting video.
Got the S-45 for some 20 years and still love them as a good natured horse to carry you around in every direction, ready to change into Big Country's Old Thunder instantly when more punch is needed. They're all I ever need and I like the pure understatement of design with the alu rim and very slighty tilted upper front. The rosewood finish is very easy to keep in good condition also. Maybe I'm lucky and get two of the nice but rare floor stands sometime.
Back in the late-90's, it dawned on me after drooling over expensive stereo systems in retail stores to instead piece together cool mix-and-match vintage systems by using eBay to buy great equipment at a fraction of their original retail prices, even when considering shipping costs to my address (which ranged from $50 to $100 at that time depending on the weight and size of the packages). So, I acquired many great pieces (i.e. turntables, receivers, amps, cd players, cassette decks, reel-to-reel decks, graphic equalizers, speakers, etc.) by Bang & Olufsen, Harman/Kardon, Pioneer, Tascam, Akai, Denon, Sony, etc. and much later, some great Marantz receivers for a third to half of what those units are selling for now. It's a great hobby and is not only a way to enjoy one's music collection, but is also a way to appreciate fantastic industrial design, engineering, and craftsmanship of vintage units. :)
I knew you were going to say it and you haven't let us down yet! I picked up an absolutely mint Sansui 5050 for 75 bucks a few years ago, so it is possible.
I was bidding on a Pioneer originally, but so was half the world; I knew it was gonna go out of my range. So glad ! I discovered old Onkyo's, and no one was bidding against me. The specs were way better than the Pioneer, to boot. 1978 Onkyo TX 4500 - 319.00 plus freight. A monster with 3 aux ins and two phono ins. And very cool glass. I did the blue led's. My spare Onkyo TX -2500 MKII (30 bucks) has the old golden lights and they're beautiful, so I don't feel so bad about putting the blue lights in the big boy.
After the 2023 Axpona show, (my first audiophile show ever, I'm 72), I put together 2 used, 2010 and 2013 systems for a small listening room. All thrift and estate sale buys. Both include identical 200w subwoofer amps from Snell, 7.2 channel receivers, a minimum of 4 sets of speakers, blue ray, and speaker selectors. One system includes 2 b&k st1400 amps. Speakers are various brands. B&W, Klipsch, Polk, Q Acoustics, Pioneer, and Yamaha. Total cost for all, $800.00. It can be done. And the hunt is the best part.
I've been listening to a pair of A40 MkII with a Polk PSW10 sub on my SX-737 for 10 years. This combination is heaven sent. I hear details out of music I've known for 50+ years that I hadn't heard before. Imaging and stage are amazing - "they are here" vs "you are there." They should pair well with any mid 70s to early 80s receiver/amp rated at least 20wpc RMS.
I am so glad to see the SL-D2 on this list. I got a servied one for just $50 a few years ago and it has been nothing but wonderful. Dial in the speed and let it rip!
I love my SL-D2. I bought it for $25 bucks years ago before the vinyl resurgence. Only needed a headshell/cart and the counter weight. I've been curious about upgrading to a higher end table, but my SL-D2 works so well.
@@laidback93 right there with you. Mine isn’t cosmetically perfect but it tracks almost exact 33.3 and works without a hitch. I think throwing a quality cartridge on it is plenty
that was a fun exercise. did something like it for my home office a few years ago. found a Marantz 2225 receiver at a local record shop for $250, had a Dual 704 turntable with shure v15 III as a thrift shop find-$30. did go modern on the speakers with elac debut 6.2's. in a small room this system sounds almost as good, though different than my main system.
There are good deals on Kenwood, Yamaha and Harman/Kardon receivers on that site. It goes overlooked largely due to the popularity of vintage audio from Pioneer, Sansui and Marantz.
What an amazing video, sir. This proves that "serious" vintage audio systems start at the beginning. Bit by bit you can swap out pieces when finances allow. This is a top presentation my friend. Thank you ☺️
I just recently bought a Harmon/Kardon 330C on eBay for $135 to use with my Duel 1228 turntable. I was using an old Sony AV receiver and never liked the way I sounded. I always thought it was the speakers but when you said the AV receivers sound like crap I thought what the heck I give it a try. Well you were right what a difference the 330C receiver made it sounds great I love it. I’m running it through a pair of Sony SS-U3030 speakers that I re foamed. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of $ on this system since it’s my basement unit. Thanks for all your advice. Love the videos.
Nice and realistic video. Earlier this fall my friend and I have put together a nice little sound system for a young niece who is a student: Pioneer SX-580: $75 + Sanyo Direct Drive TT + AT cartridge $50 + Mission 760i Speakers $50 = $175 total. All is missing is used decent Streamer. All of these found in local classifieds and in great shape ;-)
At 58 I wanted to revisit my teenage years. I got a yamaha cr 640 for 160.00. Speakers are kenwood kd888 for 250.00 and a realistic turntable for 100.00. Very happy with the yamaha but would like to upgrade the speakers and turntable. Love your channel!!!!
Just bought a pair of Grado SR 80X phones,...I agree with your opinion, they sound great and are light. And it is impressive that they are still family-made in Brooklyn! I still love my 80s vintage AKG K141s...I have lost the "elastic" suspension, but I've sized them to my head, so no big deal. And I enjoy the many studio scenes with them in use, they are true classics.
Pioneer SX-720 "blue line" 30 wpc receiver, $175 Dynaco A25XL $175 + about $25 to refinish them including new grille cloth. I'm not into vinyl and already had CD payer, audio streamer and DAC. Total for amp and speakers 375 canadian $$, they sound so nice and look real good!
I have the Pioneer. It was refurbished when I purchased 12 years ago for $100 CAD, but now showing some bleeding or shorting between source selectors and speaker selectors. Very deep warm beautiful sound!
I put together a vintage system for around $300 CAD. A Lloyd's 8-track receiver, a pair of Technics SB-X3 and a Hitachi HT-320 turntable give that super laid back sound that gives huge bass. But I always upgrade the phono preamp regardless of vintage unit as I prefer the power output if new. A cheap preamp fits right in with that type of lumpy system, perfect for listening to your old, beat-up records. My Lloyd's with the $20 preamp I listen to almost as much as my hifi system as I don't give it the white glove treatment. It's a fun hobby, even on a budget, just need a lot of space!
I put my office system together using Craigslist and eBay. Grabbed Sansui B- 55 amp 120.00 (eBay) ADCOM GTP 500 Preamp 75.00 (eBay). Polk 7As 100.0 for pair (Craigslist) Technics SL 230 100.00 (Craigslist)
I spent a few thousand at eBay for rcvrs sx850,sx950 sx750 and 2 sx 780's and 2 Kenwood6600. Every rcvr need a small amount of work and now all are in great shape. Be courteous to the seller, ask what works and what does not. I told the seller, tell me what does and does not work.Then I can find out from my tek guy. If he can fix it then I try to work out a price that is good for both buyer and seller. If I did not do so well I would not have Bought 7 receivers a few Eq's and a tape deck.
When I consider eBay purchases i DO include shipping. After all, if you have to fit a budget, the Total cost Matters! Yesterday at an estate sale I bought a VERY dusty HK 330A receiver for $20. Don't yet know what it will need other than a thorough cleanup, but I'm happy to have found it at a no-risk price.
Hi Kevin, you made some solid choices (obviously). My tip, be patient and look frequently. Also, study the subject matter. My Pick: I just bought a Sansui 800 receiver in mint condition, literally 10/10 cosmetically, for about $150,- (i did not need it but I could not leave it) On my watch list is a pair Tandberg TL1610 speakers with new surrounds for about $140,-. They have real wood veneer, are cosmetically perfect and have KEF drivers. I don't know them but if I needed some vintage speakers right now, I would have no issues rolling the dice on them. For the turntable I would match this with a Dual 1219 or 1209, I live in Europe after all. They are plenty full and $200,- would buy you a cosmetically good one with a vintage Shure M44 or M75 cartridge. You would have to replace the stylus. So that would bring the total to $490,- But here are the caveats: The Sansui 800 normally fetches about the double the price, so I was very lucky. I have no issues servicing or repairing Dual turntables, but my experience is they all need servicing without exception, so I would not recommend them to somebody who has no experience with them.
Another great video. I've pieced together may systems for friends and family who want to up their listening in their homes. My girlfriend got a little SX-450 and some minimus 7s I painted for her as a surprise system I pieced together for her. Totally smashes any system from best buy. I also had an old classmate of mine contact me saying he wants a system to listen to his records on. I set him up with a 330C, realistic Lab 500, Minimus 7Ws. Delivered and installed for his budget. And thats the beauty of vintage audio. You dont really have to spend alot of money to get solid sound.
Cool that the HK 330c and Akai AP-206 are selected. This was my first TT and I still own it. Works as well as my Technics SL-1600. I also picked up an HK 430 Twin Power last summer and use it daily. Keep coming with these videos.
Hell yeah, it's possible. I frequent every goodwill in the city here in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, I have a pioneer SA 8800, SG 9500, a pair of Scott 197B, a pair of infinity sm120, a pair of MB quart qlc 404, and a pair of EPI a 300s. A 300s. Total cost of purchase, approximately $400. $400. Oh yeah, a sunfire 15-in sub that cost me $40 off of craigslist. So, yeah, it's possible. You just have to look.
Yes! The Pioneer SX-535 is my 1st receiver since getting into Vintage Audio ealier this year. Followed by a Pioneer SX-880. KLH Speakers here. Nice video Kevin.
Great and fun video for this, I ve recently helped my buddy at his record store put a vintage system together for young lady. It consisted of JVC R x11 receiver 30wpc ($35), Boston CR9 2 way 8 inch bookshelf speakers (free) 1994-95, and early- mid 70’s hitachi turntable don’t remember the model, but was definitely a CEC based and built model 50bucks with decent Audio technica lower line Signet cartridge in it!
Pioneer SX-780 (175 USD), DIATONE DS-35BmkII (130 USD), Pioneer PL-1200 (140 USD). This is my own system. Ordered all online inc. shipping. I live in Asia so the market prices are very different then the US.
New Subscriber and back in 1979 I was stationed in Germany and they had a sound shop on post that sold all of the classic stereo equipment of that Era. I bought the Kenwood system which consisted of the Receiver plus an Amp and double cassette player turn table and two huge speakers. I don't remember any of the numbers and I sold it to another Army guy before I returned to the States in 1982. I wish I still had it but now I'm looking simply for a decent receiver and some big speakers for my shop that is in my 2 car garage. I don't need it to be completely flawless in appearance as I'm just looking for some good sound in my shop. In 1986 I believe my cousin had one with a CD player in his system and I would like that as well. I believe CD players started around 1982
Buy a 2nd hand JVC class A amp 40$ (the volume button was moving like broken but finally ok), an Akai GXC-760D 200$ (the belt running the counter was cut so nothing was moving, I repaired with elastic band), a free pair of Scott S71 speakers and an AKAI AP-206 direct drive turntable found in the street (not same street). Then I buy a cartridge for the turntable (Ortofon) like 100$, so all under 500$. Happy hunting my friends !
I couldn’t believe how easy it was to find decent vintage stereo equipment in my area (Sacramento). It only took me 3 days to piece together a great sounding system and I only spent about $350.
The Harmon Kardon was my first receiver. Mom brought it home in 197? Something. I can’t remember the speakers, but it served me well for years. A few years later I replaced the speakers with a pair of ARs.
If you like garage sales, FB marketplace, or thrift stores, you can get a system for under $100. I got a set of KLH speakers for $20, Technics turntable for $2, and a receiver for $8. I did need a new cartridge and belt. So I am all in way under $100. .
quick vote on the receiver end of things - the rotel rx-400a. not a lot of them out there, and i found none on ebay at the moment, but inside this thing is essentially the harman/kardon 330 (rotel built the first couple of variants for h/k, at least the 330a and possibly some quantity of the 330b) but with a wood cabinet and a more old-school look. i do love the look of the 330c better, but when the rotels come up they tend to be about $75-100 cheaper.
I often put together "complete" vintage systems together at my store. I occasionally get individual components, on the cheap, that I can spend a bit of time or money cleaning, fixing or improving. I can bundle a low wattage receiver, bookshelf speakers, turntable and necessary cabling for as little as $300-$400 and still make a decent profit.
Fantastic video! Great job Kevin, of finding all the components, matching them up & staying within the $600 budget. Anyone should be happy with any of the 3 matchups. Happy Yuletide to Everyone 🎄!
KG 2.2 $200, Pioneer SX-3700 $200, JVC KD A5 $35, Technics SL-5 $75, new P-mount cartridge $39 from Amazon, Sony CD 5 disc changer $25 I had a pair of KG 4.2 but sold it, got them for $200 and sold them for $350. Also a Marantz SR-1000 for $100 and spend another $110 to recap it and $10 to upgrade the rectifier diodes. They are scattered at the moment in different setup but can go back together. Oh forget to mentioned my ugly duckling the Denon DP-7F for $75. Did put in a OM Pmount cartridge with OM 20 stylus, but the performance is awesome.
10yrs ago this would have been so easy at thrift stores for under $200 even. Picked up a Technics SL1200 Mk2 for $60, a Pioneer RT701 for $30, grabbed a tube Magnovox console which I converted the tube amp to stand alone service for $20, even my DCM TF600s in mint condition for $20, an old Eico tube FM tuner was $10 and an old horizontal Technics cassette deck for $5. Granted they all required at least a good cleaning and some servicing (which I did myself). Now not so much as vintage gear prices have soared though a correction may be in the near future. In particular good quality receivers and turntables have really almost evaporated from the thrifts. But there are dealers where you may pay a bit more but will get a component that has been gone through completely and even has a guarantee.
If you are on a budget and want good sound, you can break the rules of this video and easily find more selection. There is tons of good black face Yamaha from the late 80s-90s with really nice sound and built well. Lots of good bookshelf speakers if you have a smaller room, $100 or less. If you don't want to mess around with an older turntable that may need work, Fluance makes some really good budget tables under $300.
I bought & sold vintage equipment on eBay for over 20 years until I finally found my dream system. The main thing I always checked first was if the seller sold mostly only vintage equipment & had close to 100% feedback on their products & packaging. A side note... To "anyone" who considers buying a turntable & having it shipped, make damn sure the seller knows how to pack one correctly or you may find yourself in a world of major shit when your package arrives. BTW... That Akai TT is sweet! Don't believe I've ever seen one. My main TT is a Sansui SR-838, but I also a Thoren's 160 & many others. It "was" an addiction I finally got over with still a room full of un-used stuff.
All great recommendations. Compare to what you coulld but new, and there''s no comparison. It would be interesting to make this a series at $1000, $1500 and $2000.
Grado headphones are awesome! I have RS 2's and SR125's. The sound of my RS 2's reminds me of my BA 400's and the SR's make music sound like it did when I was younger.
Yes. Easily. Locally those HK amps are $75 to 150 CAD....so .74 to 1 USD. Nice little deal. Entry level Turntable PL-15D is a great unit. Akai often need a recap....have done a lot of them. It is a great TT. Id go system 2 all day long and it isnt even close in my opinion.
Loving the video again but.. What I would say is with anyone starting out with Vintage Hi Fi systems maybe they would be better not to go for the Receiver !! as these days radio is not really worth having in your system.. but spending that little extra on your other equipment is the best thing to do like Turntable .. Amplifier.. CD player & Speakers. But each to their own .
I have Baby Advents and two pairs of the Boston A40s right now. Definitely think that the A40s are a step up and they can handle more power. But the Advents are still surprising. Some guys down the hall in my college dorm, back in the mid late 90s, gave me a Pioneer SX-535 that they said wasn't working anymore. I honestly think they were drunk one night and left the tape selector on or something because I plugged it in and it was fine for years. Can't remember whatever happened to it though. Probably hiding in my parent's garage. I have to add that the Infinity RS-10b would be a good choice if the price is right. I have 2 pairs of them now too.
Maybe a save thing. You just bought your speakers, receiver an turntable. And you didnt hear the receiver/amp play with the buy. Before you hook your speakers on. Test your speaker outputs on the receiver with a multimeter for dc output.
Got a Fisher Ca-120 amp (big meters), tuner and tape deck for 200 dollars. Speakers Klipsch RP-160 speakers 200 dollars. Dac, wires, and eq had around. Swap for a Sansui 661,551,331,221 and tube preamp just for the heck of it. All under 600. Oh Advent bookshelf speakers 60 bucks
in hifi and home audio, its not just the age. vintage hifi is pre-digital & cd and pre-BPC. for example, the last run of pioneer vintagae receivers is the run that includes sx-3700
So I ended up picking up some interesting stuff at a garage sale about four doors down the street, I Sherwood integrated and it had a newer Harman kardon tuner with it for 75 bucks, and they had a pair of Polk model 7s and an AR turntable for another $125. So I had recently sold extra car having five of them I just decided I was tired of paying insurance and sold a couple of them, so I had some play money in my pocket and decided I was going to head over to the flea market and see what else I could find speakers wise. I came home with some ar-18s that had been resurounded, and a pair of Bic Venturi two ways with an 8 inch woofer, and another pair of Polks, but these were the monitor fours so they had a port not a passive and actually sound really good, somebody had removed the square peerless Tweeter and put in a silver coil so that was a definite upgrade hundred bucks for each pair. Well I got to thinking that was three pair and I needed one more pair, so with that in my mind I called a bunch of friends and found one guy who said sure I'll sell a pair of mine I don't need them. I drove over to his place and handed him a hundred bucks and carried out a pair of EPI 100s.
Dang it I wasn't done but I accidentally hit post and on this phone I can't edit. So to finish up and make a short story really really long, I listen to all four speakers and I liked the bass on some better and the highs on some better in the mid-range on some of the epis and the ARs were probably the nicest overall and then I got this crazy idea put the biggest ones on the bottom and stack them and put them in series parallel I ended up with a 6.8 ohm load and a wall of sound about 3 in shy of touching the ceiling and man I don't know what to say except wow I've got no more into this system then those that you were talking about including shipping and I've got a wall of sound that will knock you over and it sounds so incredible that sure would is freaking musical magic! All right sorry to take up so much bandwidth LOL
I find a need in multiple inputs. While all the inputs would take you above the $600.00. Once you get use to Analog you want more. A lot of people I know have many tables. I own 10 turntables and three receivers. My StA2700 Realistic I use the phono input, 2 Aux's, CD, and both tape inputs. Of coarse I use 4 pre amps. One of the tape in puts goes to a TV. There is nothing not used. Another STA 2700 has 3 tables. My DADs SX-626 has two tables that go into the two phono inputs.
All in the last year: OnkyoTX 2500 mkII (40w/ch) $125, Pioneer PL400 $120 DD auto w/ a Grade cartridge) , and JBL L20t $103 All in $350. Surprised how really good the L20t's sound.
Had 2 questions for your live chat. But, I came in too late. So, maybe you could use them on your Q&A video. 1 Sensitivity: Everyone says Lower take more power to push. Would they have a better sound? 2 Along that same line. 8 ohm vs 4 ohm. How much more, say percent, would it take to push 4 ohms. I've never heard the advantages of either.
Love this vid. Keep them coming! I was able to put together a similar system from local shops this year: h/k 330c, Advent /2s, and Technics SL-3200 for under $600, and all had been cleaned/serviced in some way. Definitely possible to get a good sound from less expensive vintage.
Im broke but I have a budget setup: HK 330b and JVC A-S5 (different flavours for different days), Pioneer CS-E421. Only vinyl player is not vintage, it is Pro-ject Primary E with Pro-jects Phono Box RIAA. But the player could also be some vintage one and still be under 600€. Also I do run a Mirage FRX-S8 as a sub, which is close to vintage.
🎉 These are all pretty slick Kevin and for a little chump change you could easily add WiiM Streamer and a DAC and have an even more killer almost Vintage / Modern System. ❤ And 😂 I still have both my Grado's and my Electrostatic Stax headphones. Though I've worn out 3 sets of Sony, I think MD-35's, they were my last vintage phones. Now I have the cheapest Mezz head phones and they are an excellent inexpensive very comfortable Headphone. They aren't the Elites or anywhere near and I prefer them to my Sony XlWH1000x3 which aren't as comfortable and you have to hassle with getting their proprietary control software which totally put me off. I'll be offing them worn all of about 8 hrs total 3-4 yrs ago.
The biggest factor influencing price here is the fact we're dealing with Ebay. Nothing wrong with using that criteria, but with some knowledge, time, and diligence - you can put together a good sound system (not necessarily vintage, but still sounding really good) for under $100. I've done it.
Great program. I've always dug "scrounging" for hifi! If it was me I'd go for a Yamaha, Boston, Technics combo. I've always liked those brands and the level of performance they afforded. Although I'd love to take a listen to your reccommended HK, BO, Technics combo. Thanks again.
Another great video…love the Bucs tee! I just watched another @cheapaudioman video featuring you Maxell t shirt. I’m still loving my garage sale Pioneer PL-518 thirty plus years later. I plan to upgrade it via ortofon 2M Blue soon. Making a trip home to the WDM in January so hope to see you in the shop then!
An excellent and informative installment. Enjoyed the Live Stream last Sunday, and glad that you are less "funky". Really nice T-Shirt -- looks just like mine.
This is easily possible. So many people think old stereos are garbage. I Picked up a full stereo the other day for $100!! It sounds incredible.
mine was fifty bucks it was a stack system
I got a fully functional Pioneer SX-1050 for 80 bucks just three months ago, and picked up a pair of Polk Audio RTA 12C for $100 last weekend. Now I am in market for a Marantz turntable with my 5 bucks (cash) in hand lol
You are so right about how some people have no real idea about the vintaged value of the real prices of those various stereo brands & components!
I found a Pioneer SX-535 in a bag at the end of someone's driveway with a note that said Free-works! The pots needed cleaning, however, it was clean on the inside. Worked perfect! I had no trouble flipping it. ;)'
Its important on Ebay to consider shipping charges, as its somewhat uncommon to find someone who's actually close enough to drive to (unless thats all you look for) who will allow pickups for all these items. These items are large-ish, and shipping won't be cheap, with the potential for shipping damage, especially turntables. Returns also will cost money. I found a great source of vintage gear in my area, and thats pawn shops. One close to me has loads of stereo equipment.
I put together a vintage system for my sister-in-law last Christmas, SX 580, PL112d and KLH 17s. All 3 pieces cost me $100 CAD, obviously handyman specials. After re-capping and sealing the speakers I could not believe how great everything sounded. I was JEALOUS! Used an AT95e cartridge that I had moved on from as well. Spent most my efforts refurbishing the speaker cabinets but it was well worth it.
My advice is to look for a ebay seller with at least a 99% rating, even then, read feedback. Good video, new sub...
Thank you for your videos. This is now my go to channel. I think you eliminate all the noise around hifi and cater for the music enthusiast as opposed to the sound critiques. I love good sound quality don’t get me wrong and the nostalgia of vintage gear but don’t get lost in the metrics and small nuances. I prefer to feel what the composer intended rather than hear all the technical detail if that makes sense. If it feels right and looks good, then job done.
I think this is my new favorite Skylabs video. What a fun one indeed.
Thanks Craig! Appreciate your ongoing support!
Kevin, You are such a valuable ( and interesting) source of Vintage Stereo information. Your coverage of individual components and complete sets is an excellent guideline for beginners and those of us who love this era of musical replay equipment.
Your ‘Skylabs’ videos are a regular part of my internet viewing. I always learn something and enjoy your commentary.
Continued success. You fill a much needed position as this field continues to grow.
Rich in Charlotte
Kevin, got you beat. I got a Realistic STA-2600 receiver, a Scott R=306 receiver, and a pair of ADS L400 speakers(older ones in the larger cabinets) for $0. People just clean house some times and will give things away.or throw them in the trash. All worked great, just needed a cleaning.
Great video, Kevin! I put together a great system for probably $800 for my daughter, which included a good pair of Polk, audio tower speakers, Yamaha, YPD4 turntable and a 100 W per channel vintage Kenwood that the lights are green. It looks beautiful and sounds great! The biggest thing is the YPD4 didn’t have a cartridge so I put a Grado Blue on it and it sounds great! She’s so happy with it and she’s had it for over a year and keeps buying more and more vinyl! I think I did my best Indoctrination for her into the hobby! I didn’t want to go too nuts as she will be getting all of my stuff down the road 😂
In 1974 My Father and I bought a Pioneer SX-434 and SX-737 for $420 CAD new. Still sound great.
Totally amazing - it's great to know that maybe for a system in a smaller space or a second system, you don't have to break the bank to get something that sounds rewarding. Thanks for the video, Kevin!
I am a vintage stereo collector. I recently restored a Pioneer sx-535; I rescued it from an attic after 30 years of disuse. Cosmetically it was absolutely perfect looking other than being dirty. But it had DC on the speaker terminals. There was a note with it that said it blows up speakers. Yes those black legged transistors were certainly the culprite. After the restoration, I am blown away by this little guy. Build quality is amazing for something that is entry level. I have much bigger units and honestly I can't agree more with such a great value for the money. For now its the dinning room system at my house. ;-) I enjoy just looking at it.
It is very possible. In the last week, I have purchased:
Sansui 800 $103
Pioneer HPM 40s $100
JVC SEA-V7E $79
Pioneer PL1200A $210
Sure, each needs a few minor things(light, needle, cleaning), but I think I did pretty good for my first attempt at a vintage system. A lot of people think these old products are just old junk. Their loss.
HPM 40's are sleepers. I have had 60's, and 100's. I to this day, think the 40's sounded better. I did try refreshing crossovers when I thought it was warranted.
When my wife and I (me?) were dating in early1980's I got her a hifi system for Christmas. Strictly budget. Consisting of a Technics SA-80 receiver, Akai deck CSm01a and Synergistics S12B speakers for well under $500. I added a swell pair of phones from Tech Hifi, the AKG K-40's for $18. No TT as her records were in poor condition so I taped them all for her as cassettes were easier to handle than ploppin' discs on a platter and lowering the tonearm. I use a pair of A-40's in my 900+ cu/ft kitchen system driven by an SX-434 and Nakamichi BX-1 deck. Got the S12B's hooked to the SX-434 too.
Yep, definitely doable,. There's so many different vintage Brands and models to choose from which most all of them would be a good choice.
And Kevin, I just wanted to say that I did receive my LP record and thank you so much for the gift! That was a nice surprise. Very happy with my purchase.🥂
I think this is easily doable. My main receiver in my living room is a Sansui 7070. But I have three Pioneer SX 535s. I have a set up in my bedroom with the pioneer and another one in my family room with the pioneer. And I keep one for a back up. I like to add an equalizer to my stereos, it seems to give it a great kick. They don’t cost that much if your thrifty. Speakers are so personal. Everyone hears things differently. I have Sansui speakers with my Sansui receiver, and man do they sound great. I have a pair of SX 2000’s and a pair of SX 2500’s. For my bedroom set up, I was fortunate to find a pair of Pioneer CS-M551’s in perfect condition at a yard sale for… $2 for the pair. Incredible. So yes it can be done. With the best deals I’ve ever gotten at yard sales, and on eBay, I could probably do this for under $100. It was a great topic. Enjoyed it. Thank you so much.
Sweet receiver. I picked up my fully working Sansui 7070 in 2015 for $25. Selling prices around here these days are $600-$800. Mine has gone into the collection.
Picked up 1983 Yamaha R70- $15, 1975 Sansui LM-330's- $50, and Yamaha digital HD audio Bluetooth into a DAC- - $30, since I'm not really using my turntable right now. Feel like I killed it!
So still binge watching your videos. Just spent about 10 minutes going back and putting likes on all the vids I watched. Also, I am a subscriber!!!
This price point video was the first to grab my attention. Enjoying others as well. Keep going!!!’
Thank you
This is great content. Why I watch. Keep it up.
I love all the videos! Here's what I just picked up for my starter vintage system (no turntable). Pioneer SX 1000 TD with wood cabinet in super good shape for $100 plus $37 shipping off Ebay and a pair of NHT model 1.5 speakers from about 1995 for $60 locally. These were $600 when new and sound great. Thanks!
Loved the look of the AKAI AP 206, really interesting combinations and really terrific that you can put these together for $600. Thank you for such an interesting video.
Got the S-45 for some 20 years and still love them as a good natured horse to carry you around in every direction, ready to change into Big Country's Old Thunder instantly when more punch is needed. They're all I ever need and I like the pure understatement of design with the alu rim and very slighty tilted upper front. The rosewood finish is very easy to keep in good condition also. Maybe I'm lucky and get two of the nice but rare floor stands sometime.
Back in the late-90's, it dawned on me after drooling over expensive stereo systems in retail stores to instead piece together cool mix-and-match vintage systems by using eBay to buy great equipment at a fraction of their original retail prices, even when considering shipping costs to my address (which ranged from $50 to $100 at that time depending on the weight and size of the packages).
So, I acquired many great pieces (i.e. turntables, receivers, amps, cd players, cassette decks, reel-to-reel decks, graphic equalizers, speakers, etc.) by Bang & Olufsen, Harman/Kardon, Pioneer, Tascam, Akai, Denon, Sony, etc. and much later, some great Marantz receivers for a third to half of what those units are selling for now.
It's a great hobby and is not only a way to enjoy one's music collection, but is also a way to appreciate fantastic industrial design, engineering, and craftsmanship of vintage units. :)
I knew you were going to say it and you haven't let us down yet! I picked up an absolutely mint Sansui 5050 for 75 bucks a few years ago, so it is possible.
I was bidding on a Pioneer originally, but so was half the world; I knew it was gonna go out of my range. So glad ! I discovered old Onkyo's, and no one was bidding against me. The specs were way better than the Pioneer, to boot. 1978 Onkyo TX 4500 - 319.00 plus freight. A monster with 3 aux ins and two phono ins. And very cool glass. I did the blue led's. My spare Onkyo TX -2500 MKII (30 bucks) has the old golden lights and they're beautiful, so I don't feel so bad about putting the blue lights in the big boy.
After the 2023 Axpona show, (my first audiophile show ever, I'm 72), I put together 2 used, 2010 and 2013 systems for a small listening room. All thrift and estate sale buys. Both include identical 200w subwoofer amps from Snell, 7.2 channel receivers, a minimum of 4 sets of speakers, blue ray, and speaker selectors. One system includes 2 b&k st1400 amps. Speakers are various brands. B&W, Klipsch, Polk, Q Acoustics, Pioneer, and Yamaha. Total cost for all, $800.00. It can be done. And the hunt is the best part.
I've been listening to a pair of A40 MkII with a Polk PSW10 sub on my SX-737 for 10 years. This combination is heaven sent. I hear details out of music I've known for 50+ years that I hadn't heard before. Imaging and stage are amazing - "they are here" vs "you are there." They should pair well with any mid 70s to early 80s receiver/amp rated at least 20wpc RMS.
I am so glad to see the SL-D2 on this list. I got a servied one for just $50 a few years ago and it has been nothing but wonderful. Dial in the speed and let it rip!
I love my SL-D2. I bought it for $25 bucks years ago before the vinyl resurgence. Only needed a headshell/cart and the counter weight. I've been curious about upgrading to a higher end table, but my SL-D2 works so well.
@@laidback93 right there with you. Mine isn’t cosmetically perfect but it tracks almost exact 33.3 and works without a hitch. I think throwing a quality cartridge on it is plenty
that was a fun exercise. did something like it for my home office a few years ago. found a Marantz 2225 receiver at a local record shop for $250, had a Dual 704 turntable with shure v15 III as a thrift shop find-$30. did go modern on the speakers with elac debut 6.2's. in a small room this system sounds almost as good, though different than my main system.
There are good deals on Kenwood, Yamaha and Harman/Kardon receivers on that site. It goes overlooked largely due to the popularity of vintage audio from Pioneer, Sansui and Marantz.
Agree
What an amazing video, sir. This proves that "serious" vintage audio systems start at the beginning. Bit by bit you can swap out pieces when finances allow. This is a top presentation my friend. Thank you ☺️
I just recently bought a Harmon/Kardon 330C on eBay for $135 to use with my Duel 1228 turntable. I was using an old Sony AV receiver and never liked the way I sounded. I always thought it was the speakers but when you said the AV receivers sound like crap I thought what the heck I give it a try. Well you were right what a difference the 330C receiver made it sounds great I love it. I’m running it through a pair of Sony SS-U3030 speakers that I re foamed. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of $ on this system since it’s my basement unit. Thanks for all your advice. Love the videos.
I bought a late 60s pioneer sx-34b (tube) for 330$. Got a schiit modi+ DAC (129$) and klipsch rb 61 ii's. Sounds amazing.
Pioneer SX-636 450 plus new led lighting kit$70, Advent Legacy from garage sale plus refoam kit $70. Looks and sounds great.
Nice and realistic video. Earlier this fall my friend and I have put together a nice little sound system for a young niece who is a student: Pioneer SX-580: $75 + Sanyo Direct Drive TT + AT cartridge $50 + Mission 760i Speakers $50 = $175 total. All is missing is used decent Streamer. All of these found in local classifieds and in great shape ;-)
At 58 I wanted to revisit my teenage years. I got a yamaha cr 640 for 160.00. Speakers are kenwood kd888 for 250.00 and a realistic turntable for 100.00. Very happy with the yamaha but would like to upgrade the speakers and turntable. Love your channel!!!!
Just bought a pair of Grado SR 80X phones,...I agree with your opinion, they sound great and are light. And it is impressive that they are still family-made in Brooklyn! I still love my 80s vintage AKG K141s...I have lost the "elastic" suspension, but I've sized them to my head, so no big deal. And I enjoy the many studio scenes with them in use, they are true classics.
Pioneer SX-720 "blue line" 30 wpc receiver, $175
Dynaco A25XL $175 + about $25 to refinish them including new grille cloth.
I'm not into vinyl and already had CD payer, audio streamer and DAC.
Total for amp and speakers 375 canadian $$, they sound so nice and look real good!
I have the Pioneer. It was refurbished when I purchased 12 years ago for $100 CAD, but now showing some bleeding or shorting between source selectors and speaker selectors. Very deep warm beautiful sound!
I put together a vintage system for around $300 CAD. A Lloyd's 8-track receiver, a pair of Technics SB-X3 and a Hitachi HT-320 turntable give that super laid back sound that gives huge bass.
But I always upgrade the phono preamp regardless of vintage unit as I prefer the power output if new. A cheap preamp fits right in with that type of lumpy system, perfect for listening to your old, beat-up records.
My Lloyd's with the $20 preamp I listen to almost as much as my hifi system as I don't give it the white glove treatment.
It's a fun hobby, even on a budget, just need a lot of space!
People used to make fun of people that bought suff second hand.
Great suggestions for vintage systems. I wish you were around 15 years ago when I started my journey. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate that!
I put my office system together using Craigslist and eBay. Grabbed Sansui B- 55 amp 120.00 (eBay) ADCOM GTP 500 Preamp 75.00 (eBay). Polk 7As 100.0 for pair (Craigslist) Technics SL 230 100.00 (Craigslist)
I spent a few thousand at eBay
for rcvrs sx850,sx950 sx750 and 2 sx 780's and 2 Kenwood6600. Every rcvr need a small amount of work and now all are in great shape.
Be courteous to the seller, ask what works and what does not.
I told the seller, tell me what does and does not work.Then I can find out from my tek guy. If he can fix it then I try to work out a price that is good for both buyer and seller. If I did not do so well I would not have
Bought 7 receivers a few Eq's and a tape deck.
Grew up with a Pioneer PL 15-D ,that my dad bought in the early seventies. 🙂
When I consider eBay purchases i DO include shipping. After all, if you have to fit a budget, the Total cost Matters!
Yesterday at an estate sale I bought a VERY dusty HK 330A receiver for $20. Don't yet know what it will need
other than a thorough cleanup, but I'm happy to have found it at a no-risk price.
Hi Kevin, you made some solid choices (obviously). My tip, be patient and look frequently. Also, study the subject matter. My Pick: I just bought a Sansui 800 receiver in mint condition, literally 10/10 cosmetically, for about $150,- (i did not need it but I could not leave it) On my watch list is a pair Tandberg TL1610 speakers with new surrounds for about $140,-. They have real wood veneer, are cosmetically perfect and have KEF drivers. I don't know them but if I needed some vintage speakers right now, I would have no issues rolling the dice on them. For the turntable I would match this with a Dual 1219 or 1209, I live in Europe after all. They are plenty full and $200,- would buy you a cosmetically good one with a vintage Shure M44 or M75 cartridge. You would have to replace the stylus. So that would bring the total to $490,- But here are the caveats: The Sansui 800 normally fetches about the double the price, so I was very lucky. I have no issues servicing or repairing Dual turntables, but my experience is they all need servicing without exception, so I would not recommend them to somebody who has no experience with them.
Another great video. I've pieced together may systems for friends and family who want to up their listening in their homes. My girlfriend got a little SX-450 and some minimus 7s I painted for her as a surprise system I pieced together for her. Totally smashes any system from best buy. I also had an old classmate of mine contact me saying he wants a system to listen to his records on. I set him up with a 330C, realistic Lab 500, Minimus 7Ws. Delivered and installed for his budget. And thats the beauty of vintage audio. You dont really have to spend alot of money to get solid sound.
Cool that the HK 330c and Akai AP-206 are selected. This was my first TT and I still own it. Works as well as my Technics SL-1600. I also picked up an HK 430 Twin Power last summer and use it daily. Keep coming with these videos.
Great content! More like this at different price points would be amazing.
Will, do. It was fun to put together. Ebay window shopping is just fun, period
Hell yeah, it's possible. I frequent every goodwill in the city here in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, I have a pioneer SA 8800, SG 9500, a pair of Scott 197B, a pair of infinity sm120, a pair of MB quart qlc 404, and a pair of EPI a 300s. A 300s. Total cost of purchase, approximately $400. $400. Oh yeah, a sunfire 15-in sub that cost me $40 off of craigslist.
So, yeah, it's possible. You just have to look.
Agree!
Yes! The Pioneer SX-535 is my 1st receiver since getting into Vintage Audio ealier this year. Followed by a Pioneer SX-880. KLH Speakers here. Nice video Kevin.
This was a fun and engaging video. Loved every second of it. 👍
Great and fun video for this, I ve recently helped my buddy at his record store put a vintage system together for young lady. It consisted of JVC R x11 receiver 30wpc ($35), Boston CR9 2 way 8 inch bookshelf speakers (free) 1994-95, and early- mid 70’s hitachi turntable don’t remember the model, but was definitely a CEC based and built model 50bucks with decent Audio technica lower line Signet cartridge in it!
How timely, I just picked up a Pioneer SX-535 last night and I am loving it!!
Pioneer SX-780 (175 USD), DIATONE DS-35BmkII (130 USD), Pioneer PL-1200 (140 USD). This is my own system. Ordered all online inc. shipping. I live in Asia so the market prices are very different then the US.
New Subscriber and back in 1979 I was stationed in Germany and they had a sound shop on post that sold all of the classic stereo equipment of that Era. I bought the Kenwood system which consisted of the Receiver plus an Amp and double cassette player turn table and two huge speakers. I don't remember any of the numbers and I sold it to another Army guy before I returned to the States in 1982. I wish I still had it but now I'm looking simply for a decent receiver and some big speakers for my shop that is in my 2 car garage. I don't need it to be completely flawless in appearance as I'm just looking for some good sound in my shop. In 1986 I believe my cousin had one with a CD player in his system and I would like that as well. I believe CD players started around 1982
Buy a 2nd hand JVC class A amp 40$ (the volume button was moving like broken but finally ok), an Akai GXC-760D 200$ (the belt running the counter was cut so nothing was moving, I repaired with elastic band), a free pair of Scott S71 speakers and an AKAI AP-206 direct drive turntable found in the street (not same street). Then I buy a cartridge for the turntable (Ortofon) like 100$, so all under 500$. Happy hunting my friends !
I couldn’t believe how easy it was to find decent vintage stereo equipment in my area (Sacramento). It only took me 3 days to piece together a great sounding system and I only spent about $350.
The Harmon Kardon was my first receiver. Mom brought it home in 197? Something. I can’t remember the speakers, but it served me well for years. A few years later I replaced the speakers with a pair of ARs.
I bought an SX 650 and it got me into collecting vintage Pioneer rcvrs.
It definitely was a fun one! Thanks Kevin, love the videos!
If you like garage sales, FB marketplace, or thrift stores, you can get a system for under $100. I got a set of KLH speakers for $20, Technics turntable for $2, and a receiver for $8. I did need a new cartridge and belt. So I am all in way under $100. .
I suspect those units shown will be sold shortly. lol great video.
quick vote on the receiver end of things - the rotel rx-400a. not a lot of them out there, and i found none on ebay at the moment, but inside this thing is essentially the harman/kardon 330 (rotel built the first couple of variants for h/k, at least the 330a and possibly some quantity of the 330b) but with a wood cabinet and a more old-school look. i do love the look of the 330c better, but when the rotels come up they tend to be about $75-100 cheaper.
I often put together "complete" vintage systems together at my store. I occasionally get individual components, on the cheap, that I can spend a bit of time or money cleaning, fixing or improving. I can bundle a low wattage receiver, bookshelf speakers, turntable and necessary cabling for as little as $300-$400 and still make a decent profit.
but of course, I'm buying locally, so no shipping charges
Fantastic video! Great job Kevin, of finding all the components, matching them up & staying within the $600 budget. Anyone should be happy with any of the 3 matchups.
Happy Yuletide to Everyone 🎄!
KG 2.2 $200, Pioneer SX-3700 $200, JVC KD A5 $35, Technics SL-5 $75, new P-mount cartridge $39 from Amazon, Sony CD 5 disc changer $25
I had a pair of KG 4.2 but sold it, got them for $200 and sold them for $350. Also a Marantz SR-1000 for $100 and spend another $110 to recap it and $10 to upgrade the rectifier diodes. They are scattered at the moment in different setup but can go back together. Oh forget to mentioned my ugly duckling the Denon DP-7F for $75. Did put in a OM Pmount cartridge with OM 20 stylus, but the performance is awesome.
10yrs ago this would have been so easy at thrift stores for under $200 even. Picked up a Technics SL1200 Mk2 for $60, a Pioneer RT701 for $30, grabbed a tube Magnovox console which I converted the tube amp to stand alone service for $20, even my DCM TF600s in mint condition for $20, an old Eico tube FM tuner was $10 and an old horizontal Technics cassette deck for $5. Granted they all required at least a good cleaning and some servicing (which I did myself). Now not so much as vintage gear prices have soared though a correction may be in the near future. In particular good quality receivers and turntables have really almost evaporated from the thrifts. But there are dealers where you may pay a bit more but will get a component that has been gone through completely and even has a guarantee.
If you are on a budget and want good sound, you can break the rules of this video and easily find more selection. There is tons of good black face Yamaha from the late 80s-90s with really nice sound and built well. Lots of good bookshelf speakers if you have a smaller room, $100 or less. If you don't want to mess around with an older turntable that may need work, Fluance makes some really good budget tables under $300.
I bought & sold vintage equipment on eBay for over 20 years until I finally found my dream system. The main thing I always checked first was if the seller sold mostly only vintage equipment & had close to 100% feedback on their products & packaging. A side note... To "anyone" who considers buying a turntable & having it shipped, make damn sure the seller knows how to pack one correctly or you may find yourself in a world of major shit when your package arrives. BTW... That Akai TT is sweet! Don't believe I've ever seen one. My main TT is a Sansui SR-838, but I also a Thoren's 160 & many others. It "was" an addiction I finally got over with still a room full of un-used stuff.
I'd buy a vintage AR18 and pair it with a Wiim Amp, with it's parametric EQ and streamer. About $450, and the best of both worlds.
Mine was a grand in 1978. And it was great to me , considered middle of the road back then so i dont see how
All great recommendations. Compare to what you coulld but new, and there''s no comparison. It would be interesting to make this a series at $1000, $1500 and $2000.
Grado headphones are awesome! I have RS 2's and SR125's. The sound of my RS 2's reminds me of my BA 400's and the SR's make music sound like it did when I was younger.
Yes. Easily. Locally those HK amps are $75 to 150 CAD....so .74 to 1 USD. Nice little deal. Entry level Turntable PL-15D is a great unit. Akai often need a recap....have done a lot of them. It is a great TT. Id go system 2 all day long and it isnt even close in my opinion.
Just by looks alone. That yamaha is beautiful
Man I love my Akai AP-207 . These tables really are very overlooked
Great video as always
Appreciate that
Loving the video again but.. What I would say is with anyone starting out with Vintage Hi Fi systems maybe they would be better not to go for the Receiver !! as these days radio is not really worth having in your system.. but spending that little extra on your other equipment is the best thing to do like Turntable .. Amplifier.. CD player & Speakers. But each to their own .
I have Baby Advents and two pairs of the Boston A40s right now. Definitely think that the A40s are a step up and they can handle more power. But the Advents are still surprising. Some guys down the hall in my college dorm, back in the mid late 90s, gave me a Pioneer SX-535 that they said wasn't working anymore. I honestly think they were drunk one night and left the tape selector on or something because I plugged it in and it was fine for years. Can't remember whatever happened to it though. Probably hiding in my parent's garage. I have to add that the Infinity RS-10b would be a good choice if the price is right. I have 2 pairs of them now too.
Maybe a save thing. You just bought your speakers, receiver an turntable. And you didnt hear the receiver/amp play with the buy. Before you hook your speakers on. Test your speaker outputs on the receiver with a multimeter for dc output.
Got a Fisher Ca-120 amp (big meters), tuner and tape deck for 200 dollars. Speakers Klipsch RP-160 speakers 200 dollars. Dac, wires, and eq had around. Swap for a Sansui 661,551,331,221 and tube preamp just for the heck of it. All under 600. Oh Advent bookshelf speakers 60 bucks
in hifi and home audio, its not just the age. vintage hifi is pre-digital & cd and pre-BPC. for example, the last run of pioneer vintagae receivers is the run that includes sx-3700
So I ended up picking up some interesting stuff at a garage sale about four doors down the street, I Sherwood integrated and it had a newer Harman kardon tuner with it for 75 bucks, and they had a pair of Polk model 7s and an AR turntable for another $125.
So I had recently sold extra car having five of them I just decided I was tired of paying insurance and sold a couple of them, so I had some play money in my pocket and decided I was going to head over to the flea market and see what else I could find speakers wise. I came home with some ar-18s that had been resurounded, and a pair of Bic Venturi two ways with an 8 inch woofer, and another pair of Polks, but these were the monitor fours so they had a port not a passive and actually sound really good, somebody had removed the square peerless Tweeter and put in a silver coil so that was a definite upgrade hundred bucks for each pair.
Well I got to thinking that was three pair and I needed one more pair, so with that in my mind I called a bunch of friends and found one guy who said sure I'll sell a pair of mine I don't need them. I drove over to his place and handed him a hundred bucks and carried out a pair of EPI 100s.
Dang it I wasn't done but I accidentally hit post and on this phone I can't edit. So to finish up and make a short story really really long, I listen to all four speakers and I liked the bass on some better and the highs on some better in the mid-range on some of the epis and the ARs were probably the nicest overall and then I got this crazy idea put the biggest ones on the bottom and stack them and put them in series parallel I ended up with a 6.8 ohm load and a wall of sound about 3 in shy of touching the ceiling and man I don't know what to say except wow I've got no more into this system then those that you were talking about including shipping and I've got a wall of sound that will knock you over and it sounds so incredible that sure would is freaking musical magic! All right sorry to take up so much bandwidth LOL
So I should mention that I put the smaller pair of Polks in the bedroom with a 40-in TV monitor I picked up.
I find a need in multiple inputs. While all the inputs would take you above the $600.00. Once you get use to Analog you want more. A lot of people I know have many tables. I own 10 turntables and three receivers. My StA2700 Realistic I use the phono input, 2 Aux's, CD, and both tape inputs. Of coarse I use 4 pre amps. One of the tape in puts goes to a TV. There is nothing not used. Another STA 2700 has 3 tables. My DADs SX-626 has two tables that go into the two phono inputs.
All in the last year: OnkyoTX 2500 mkII (40w/ch) $125, Pioneer PL400 $120 DD auto w/ a Grade cartridge) , and JBL L20t $103 All in $350. Surprised how really good the L20t's sound.
The TX-2500 is one beautiful looking machine!
I would add an inexpensive powered subwoofer especially with some controls- just wire into speaker B
I’ve found them for under 100.00
Had 2 questions for your live chat. But, I came in too late. So, maybe you could use them on your Q&A video. 1 Sensitivity: Everyone says Lower take more power to push. Would they have a better sound? 2 Along that same line. 8 ohm vs 4 ohm. How much more, say percent, would it take to push 4 ohms. I've never heard the advantages of either.
Love this vid. Keep them coming! I was able to put together a similar system from local shops this year: h/k 330c, Advent /2s, and Technics SL-3200 for under $600, and all had been cleaned/serviced in some way. Definitely possible to get a good sound from less expensive vintage.
Thanks for sharing!
Im broke but I have a budget setup:
HK 330b and JVC A-S5 (different flavours for different days), Pioneer CS-E421. Only vinyl player is not vintage, it is Pro-ject Primary E with Pro-jects Phono Box RIAA. But the player could also be some vintage one and still be under 600€. Also I do run a Mirage FRX-S8 as a sub, which is close to vintage.
Enjoyed the video. The shirt is da bomb! How can we get some Skylabs Decals???
🎉 These are all pretty slick Kevin and for a little chump change you could easily add WiiM Streamer and a DAC and have an even more killer almost Vintage / Modern System. ❤ And 😂 I still have both my Grado's and my Electrostatic Stax headphones. Though I've worn out 3 sets of Sony, I think MD-35's, they were my last vintage phones. Now I have the cheapest Mezz head phones and they are an excellent inexpensive very comfortable Headphone. They aren't the Elites or anywhere near and I prefer them to my Sony XlWH1000x3 which aren't as comfortable and you have to hassle with getting their proprietary control software which totally put me off. I'll be offing them worn all of about 8 hrs total 3-4 yrs ago.
Watching this in May 2024, the B&O speakers that fit your criteria were all over $300. Maybe I’ll wait for Black Friday and check, again.
The biggest factor influencing price here is the fact we're dealing with Ebay. Nothing wrong with using that criteria, but with some knowledge, time, and diligence - you can put together a good sound system (not necessarily vintage, but still sounding really good) for under $100. I've done it.
Great program. I've always dug "scrounging" for hifi! If it was me I'd go for a Yamaha, Boston, Technics combo. I've always liked those brands and the level of performance they afforded. Although I'd love to take a listen to your reccommended HK, BO, Technics combo. Thanks again.
Another great video…love the Bucs tee! I just watched another @cheapaudioman video featuring you Maxell t shirt.
I’m still loving my garage sale Pioneer PL-518 thirty plus years later. I plan to upgrade it via ortofon 2M Blue soon.
Making a trip home to the WDM in January so hope to see you in the shop then!
An excellent and informative installment. Enjoyed the Live Stream last Sunday, and glad that you are less "funky". Really nice T-Shirt -- looks just like mine.
Dont buy any vintage system for $600 you will not be happy .
To me, a receiver has to look good.
Pioneer sx 650, sx750 and sx780
are great rcvrs w 2 tape loops phono, and look great.