What Constitutes Vintage?

SteveFord · « **on:** 23 Sep 2012, 02:04 pm »

To help get a better feel for the membership's expectations, please feel free to stuff the ballot box.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 02:43 pm »

To me, vintage is good and old, but not necessarily antique. Kind of like me.

Doc

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 02:51 pm »

I have kept some skateboards from the late 70s and early 80s. I put them up on Kijiji as "Vintage Skateboards For Sale". I got an unexpected amount of responses and sold them. So looks like late 70s and early 80s constitutes Vintage.

Rocket_New School_Ronny

richidoo · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 04:18 pm »

Vintage, to me, means old enough for a lot of people to learn that they wish it was still made. Vintage has a positive connotation of goodness, not just oldness. Good enough for their popularity to last through the generations.

It is fun to think that there are products being made today that will be "vintage" in the future. New products with excellent quality, design, appearance and value are all around us.

Does it mean literally, "old wine?"

medium jim · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 08:24 pm »

Steve:

Congrats on taking over the Vintage Circle. The 80's was for the most part a vast wasteland. To me true vintage is pre 1970.

Jim

2 channel man · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 08:53 pm »

In my mind ..........all the pretty colours

it would be pre 1980 .

medium jim · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 09:28 pm »

My main system is from 4 different decades, my amps are from 1997 and are Marantz Model 9 reissues of the 1962 Marantz 9. My preamp/tuner is a circa 1962 McIntosh MX-110. The speakers are Magnepan MG2.5's from 1987, and my CDP is from 1999 a Marantz that was totally rebuilt by Ah Tjoeb. My subs are B&W's from the 2000's.

I've heard many a fine system and I will take mine still. In my humble opinion, tube amplification is superior to all the rest, even if it doesn't test as well as modern gear. Moreover, there has been no real significant improvements to the design since the late 1940's.

My CDP has a tube stage to get it real close to analogue.

I guess I'm a die hard vintage bottlehead.

Jim

SteveFord · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 09:51 pm »

MediumJim,
You made me think (head hurts now).
My junk ranges from 1962 to 2012 with everything somewhere inbetween.
I think that advances have certainly been made in a lot of areas but when you look at something like an old tube tuner, well, they really don't make things like that any more.
There's a certain beauty and elegance in the designs which was lost when electronics became seen as disposable devices.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Sep 2012, 10:04 pm »

Vintage is something old and expensive. Just old and cheap will go to waste bin.

JohnR · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 10:38 am »

In the 15 years since I first bought "vintage" gear, the age of the same equipment has increased by 15 years. I know that's obvious, but... um, well, um... Personally I would have a hard time putting 80's gear in the "vintage" category, perhaps because to me "vintage" connotes "before my time." Quite possible a misguided sentiment and obviously not a useful guideline for a group of people.

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 04:27 pm »

Most music from the early 80's is either called classic rock or old school now. I wonder why?

My daughter enjoys her "vintage" system consisting of Met 7s (1983), NAD integrated (early 90's), iPod, and recycled DVD player to spin CDs. Her friends think she is retro-cool.

Why get hung up on a single word?

*Scotty* · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:05 pm »

Here is an example of why I consider 60s gear Vintage.

ROM Core Rope Memory used by NASA.
Software written by MIT programmers was woven into core rope memory by female workers in factories.
Some programmers nickname for the finished product was LOL memory for Little Old Lady memory.
This was the memory used in the Apollo program and was part of the guidance computer in the LEM.
Scotty
Wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_memory

JohnR · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:08 pm »

Now that is awesome, *Scotty*. A good reminder of truly how far things have come.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:16 pm »

Vintage gear frequently embodies the KISS rule because at the time there was inadequate or insufficient amounts of technology available to make it so complex that it wouldn't work.
I rebuilt my 1962 Fisher FM 100B back in the 80s, replacing every resistor, capacitor and wire in the chassis. It was time consuming but easy to do. I wouldn't dream of attempting this with more modern tuner circuitry even if I had a schematic.
Scotty

*Scotty* · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:22 pm »

John, here is a youtube video about Core Rope Memory
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P12r8DKHsak
Scotty

Wayner · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:25 pm »

I consider vintage gear anything that isn't made anymore. Included on that list is the Technics SL12XX turntable series and the Sony XDR-F1HD digital tuner. There are, for all practical purposes, none left new in the box, nor are there any retailers selling these products. Therefore, these 2 have, in my opinion, moved to the vintage category.

No different then vintage wine or cars.

Wayner

JohnR · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:28 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 24 Sep 2012, 05:25 pm

I consider vintage gear anything that isn't made anymore.

Like a 2010 Macbook Air?

I don't think that definition works so well for me.

medium jim · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 05:33 pm »

Quote from: *Scotty* on 24 Sep 2012, 05:16 pm

Vintage gear frequently embodies the KISS rule because at the time there was inadequate or insufficient amounts of technology available to make it so complex that it wouldn't work.
I rebuilt my 1962 Fisher FM 100B back in the 80s, replacing every resistor, capacitor and wire in the chassis. It was time consuming but easy to do. I wouldn't dream of attempting this with more modern tuner circuitry even if I had a schematic.
Scotty

There is something to be said about simplicity, many times, less is more! The Western Electric circuit for amplification is simple. effective and really hasn't been improved upon IMHO. This is not to say that the modern type of guy would like the Lush, Bigger than Life soundstage that old tube amps brought to the table....many won't. But for those in love with it, there will be nothing else for them.

Jim

Mitsuman · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 08:41 pm »

I voted 70's and older, but to me anything prior to the BPC era I consider vintage. Maybe prior to 1983 to be picky.

PRELUDE · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Sep 2012, 09:44 pm »

Here is some memory refreshment for you folks.

http://www.classicaudio.com/ads/index.html

Poll

At what point do you consider a piece of audio equipment to be vintage?

What Constitutes Vintage?