Oldest piece of audio gear you currently use

SET Man · « **Reply #60 on:** 4 Nov 2010, 02:45 am »

Quote from: Bemopti123 on 3 Nov 2010, 10:18 pm

Heheheeheh, Buddy, I was fishing for you to "strut" your setup.

But, there must be SOMEONE here who is a collector of ancient, wax cylinder stuff from the late 1800s!

Nevertheless, I think many people overlook one item that is ancient in their audio systems....your turntable cartridge stylus with millions of years of diamond tip!

Hey!

I'm surprise that nobody else here have these old machines. It can't be just me here

Yup, those Edison cylinder phonograph machine came couple of years before Berliner/Victor disc gramophone machine. So, yes if anyone here have those early Edison home phonograph machine than it will be even older than my Victor.

Actually if I had money and space I would like to get one of the cylinder machine also. But my dream machine would be a Victor V (the 5th) with wooden horn... maybe someday.

Take care,
Buddy

pas · « **Reply #61 on:** 4 Nov 2010, 12:46 pm »

Been in constant service since I purchased new in 1974

rollo · « **Reply #62 on:** 4 Nov 2010, 02:49 pm »

My 59 year old ears. Actually tubes from 1942 GE 211s and RCA 211s. As far as gear is concerned a Fisher 101 intergrated. A Sansui TU 9500 tuner.

charles

doug s. · « **Reply #63 on:** 5 Nov 2010, 07:08 pm »

my turntable is ~1980. subs are mid 90's. sub amps are early 90's. preamp is early 90's. phono preamp is late 90's. dac is late 90's. tuna are anywhere from late 50's to present, depending on what is in rotation. dbx 3bx expander is from ~1980. present speakers are combo oris horns, about 10 years old, (w/present-mfr drivers), and modded klipsch lascala bass bins from ~1980, w/more modern pro-audio woofers, about 10 years old, i'd guess. main speaker amps are modern - almarro a205a mkll on the oris', and rawson gainclone on the lascala's. but, i have wintage amps that have been put into speaker rotation. i use a modern deqx dsp processor/x-over and eva ldr pre for its remote control capabilities....

bottom line, for me, is that there is plenty of older gear that is still as good as the latest-n-greatest...

ymmv,

doug s.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #64 on:** 5 Nov 2010, 07:56 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 5 Nov 2010, 07:08 pm

.

bottom line, for me, is that there is plenty of older gear that is still as good as the latest-n-greatest...

ymmv,

doug s.

That's what my wife says!

doug s. · « **Reply #65 on:** 5 Nov 2010, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 5 Nov 2010, 07:56 pm

That's what my wife says!

ya, and still looks good doing it!

doug s.

Feanor · « **Reply #66 on:** 5 Nov 2010, 08:49 pm »

Hi, Folks.

My oldest in-use component is a Denon TU-767 tuner. This piece was new circa 1985 although I've owned it only 3-4 years. Of course, it has digital tuning; unfortunately it doesn't have remote control. The state of FM being what it is, I don't use it very often and then only for a couple of radio stations, (CBC Radio One and Radio 2).

I bought the TU-767 from the funds I got selling a TU-500, (below). The latter was a beautiful analog tuner circa 1978; sad to see it go, but selling it I did get 3.5X the price I paid for the TU-767.

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #67 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 01:20 am »

Awesome thread guys! You all have some cool gear.

I have a Nakamichi RX-202 that I pulled from the rafters of a friend's garage. He bought it a long time ago (in the mid 1980's) when he worked at The Federated Group. Remember that dude?,,,,, Fred Rated???

Anyway, a little maintenance work and it's making some fabulous tapes again.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #68 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 02:17 am »

Quote from: martyo on 31 Oct 2010, 05:08 pm

Nice tuner.

What else can be considered Vintage and classic but a McIntosh with those big, blue dials??? I myself, occasionally enjoy my MR-78, circa 1978? bought from a Russian gentleman from the back of a White van, won via an Ebay auction, in a frigid morning in a unnamed street in the Bronx in early 2002.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #69 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 02:55 am »

Quote from: Quiet Earth on 6 Nov 2010, 01:20 am

Awesome thread guys! You all have some cool gear.

I have a Nakamichi RX-202 that I pulled from the rafters of a friend's garage. He bought it a long time ago (in the mid 1980's) when he worked at The Federated Group. Remember that dude?,,,,, Fred Rated???

Anyway, a little maintenance work and it's making some fabulous tapes again.

Hi all AC members.
I bought in 1985 this Nakamichi model BX-100, I brought it with me to Vietnam and use it on 120V. (Via stepdown transformer) but on 50Hz instead of 60Hz. Can't hear the difference. I had to replace the belts once, but they were not the original, they were a little too long/loose, but still works with good/new casettes. I use it once in a while.

I also have this Sony model HCD EX-200 that I bought 7 years ago, I use it in my bedroom. Not shown is a mini subwoofer with a 4" woofer (If you can call that a woofer) in a bass reflex enclosure, just enough bass supplement to make it listenable. Only problem, the CD pop up mecanisim sometime get stuck and I have to slighty tap on it to unjam it. I don't want the Vietnamese technician to open it, he make make the problem worst, as he did in the pass with other audio stuff I have.

When I get back to Canada, I would like to find and buy a FM stereo tube tuner.
Up to now, I have seen on this topic lots of nice stuff, makes me want to go back to canada to have the opportunity to buy one of those nice tuner, amplifiers, etc...
Please keep the pictures coming...

Guy 13

doug s. · « **Reply #70 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 08:31 am »

wintage gear looks hot!

doug s.

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #71 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 03:20 pm »

Awesome doug . . . . . you could open a museum and charge an entry fee. I love the console in picture #9.

Those were the days brother.

Feanor · « **Reply #72 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 04:05 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 6 Nov 2010, 08:31 am

wintage gear looks hot!
...

...doug s.

Nice going, Doug s. Thanks for that.

It's not surprising to see so many tuners in a vintage collection -- they seem to stand the test of time better than most types of components.

Mike B. · « **Reply #73 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 04:08 pm »

I still use a Fisher 50B tuner just about every day. It still has most of the original tubes.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #74 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 04:09 pm »

Gosh, DougS, I need to show my wife your collection so she does not classify ME as a maniac with an audio disease! BTW, I like your "madness"

PS: Although there are more than a few companies that make some decent/well designed (aesthetically and performance wise) today, the equipment of yesteryears seems to me more daring both aesthetically and perhaps sonically.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #75 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 04:25 pm »

How about my Marantz 10B --you will be hard put to find a FM tuner that can touch it today, and still with all original tubes! Found a Marantz dealer going out of business in 1964 and got it for $500. However back then I was an Air Force Lieutennnant on flying status and that $500 was more than a total months pay and allowances. My wife nearly divorced me, really! Fortunately I still have both antiques.

Paul

SteveFord · « **Reply #76 on:** 6 Nov 2010, 04:37 pm »

A lot of my stuff is pretty old.

Otari MX5050BII

One of three Carver tuners (two TX11As, one TX11)

Stax Sigma headphones

yeldarb · « **Reply #77 on:** 15 Nov 2010, 07:31 pm »

Nice looking stuff.

Oldest piece currently in my system is a Denon DCD 1500, which is subbing for my dac, at the moment. Still sounds good, if a bit "dark". Or maybe it's my old Techics SL7 turntable? Both somewhere near 25 years old. My mains are Madisound (Dynaudio) MDY 3, which are 17-18 years young. And I've got a PAS 3X I built in 1976, but it's in storage.

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #78 on:** 16 Nov 2010, 10:39 pm »

The oldest I use is a Stax Lambda Pro with the SRM MKII amp. The oldest I own is an Audionics CC-2 amplifier.

Levi · « **Reply #79 on:** 16 Nov 2010, 11:31 pm »

Maybe not the oldest old, I have a pair of McIntosh MC-60 mono-block amps fully restored. D.O.B 9-9-69 with consecutive serial.

Late 1940-1950's Zenith AM/FM High Fidelity Radio #X337 Wood

Here is a description from a vintage tube seller: I modified the text for my future reference.

"This post-war AM/FM radio from the late 1940s to early 1950s... good working order. It has 8 miniature tubes, an excellent circuit, a good AM and FM antenna, and a reasonably large (8") woofer coupled with a 5" mid-range/tweeter which produces a nice, warm, tone typical of tube-type sets. Turn it on and wait 30 seconds.... when it warms up it cooks! The front is an ivory-like plastic grill and the cabinet is wood, making the radio cabinet respond much like a contemporary speaker cabinet with smooth, warm sound reproduction. This particular set is complete with its original fiberboard back. The front dials are (on the left) the combination band tuner (inside dial) and mode switch (outside dial) for selecting FM, FM AFC (automatic frequency control) or AM. The two rightmost smaller, dials are combination ON/OFF and Volume, and a TONE dial (bass/treble). The cabinet is 15 1/2 inches wide, by 10 tall, by 8 deep, making it pretty substantial and giving it the interior volume for good bass response. T is a singular phono jack in the rear".