Audio stuff you regret selling (or leaving behind)

[Ponzio]

Very cheap way to discover/explore music. Classical albums from Goodwill and Salvation Army for $1.00 plus tax are often in decent shape. A lot of times there is something to read about the music and composer.

Agreed but not around here (Philly and burbs). Prices for vinyl are anywhere from $7 for a crappy used album to $16 and up for a brand new album per my son-in-law, after I gave him my old Onkyo CP-1055F II turntable.

I like to keep him in suspense by threatening to sell my slightly less than 2,000 albums, that overall are in pristine condition. You should see the panic in his eyes. I thought he was exaggerating until I went along with him to a local shop, which he claims is one of the cheapest around [shakes head].

And I too miss the readable text font size of albums. The old peepers ain't what they used to be.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

JBL L7's and Infinity Kappa 9's. Damn I was a dumbass in my younger days.

 

[Swerd]

Swerd said: My L100s are gathering dust. I really should try to sell them.

Sold! Pat's using L60's or something like that. Stepping up in the audio food chain to a DM xo mod is a no brainer. I'll ask him. Maybe I should have said, "Sale Pending". Be prepared to haggle. Pat still has his communion money.

Seriously? Although I've never looked, I've been told unmodified L100s sell on fleabay for about $500/pair. Collectors have driven up the price. (I remember paying $400 for the pair in 1973, which was the discounted price for those on military bases. If I recall, the retail price was $540/pair. With inflation, that price easily becomes $2,000/pair.)

Of course, my speakers are unique. They are the very first L100s with the DM modification. In fact one of them was the test speaker DM used while designing the new crossover. It has his finger prints . I hand made the new XO boards and installed them.

These beasts are heavy and bulky – shipping would cost. I don't have cartons for them. I'd throw in the walnut wooden stands for I have for them, 18" tall, with a slight rearward tilt. Placing the speakers vertically on these stands, puts them at the right height for a seated listener.

Maybe a road trip might happen. I might be coming north in August, similar to last summer. If Pat is serious, I could drive with the speakers.

 

[killdozzer]

I was very, very happy with this guy:

It worked very well when properly isolated and if I still had it I wouldn't look any further.

 

[highfigh]

I've never been one to get nostalgic about old technology and still don't understand the resurgence of vinyl. Add in the quantum jump in speaker technology and the circle was complete.

I'm not going to attempt to convert you to it, but find a clean copy of some music you like (a lot) on vinyl and a copy of the same on CD (original and remastered, if possible). Listen to the vinyl on a better than average turntable/cartridge combination, then listen to the digital version. Ignore any pops, clicks and surface noise, just listen.

By 'better than average", I'm not referring to a cheap cartridge on a turntable that 'has a big following as a great value', I mean something like an Ortofon Bronze (MM), Denon 103r (MC), Shure V15 Type IV (MM), Sumiko Blue Point (MM) or something in this range on a suitable turntable/tonearm. The last part is important.

It's really a matter of finding material that was mastered well and that's not always possible because so many CDs and albums haven't been, nor will they be, remastered.

I wouldn't try to listen critically with a $200 turntable/cartridge combo- I just don't think it's capable of the low noise and detail a better setup will yield and that's part of the problem- people may get into vinyl and immediately decide that it sucks because they pay about the same for what it cost 35 years ago, but forgot that cartridge prices are higher because they're made in much smaller numbers and inflation raised the price of everything else. Add some expensive cables that probably won't help and what used to cost $300 is now $1500.

 

[JerryLove]

It's really a matter of finding material that was mastered well and that's not always possible because so many CDs and albums haven't been, nor will they be, remastered.

A fact I lament to no end. Worse: There can be multiple different masterings in identical packaging meaning, even if there is a good one, good luck finding it.

The same problem plagues movies (see: LotR:FotR EE Bluray and it's odd green tint, or the differences between the "crap" Fifth Element transfer and the "reference disk" transfer).

Side note: the FL audio show was full of reel-to-reel.

 

[highfigh]

I miss my Electrovoice 30W woofers but I couldn't fit the cabinets through the doors of my house and into a place where I could use them. I should have bought a different house.

 

[highfigh]

A fact I lament to no end. Worse: There can be multiple different masterings in identical packaging meaning, even if there is a good one, good luck finding it.

The same problem plagues movies (see: LotR:FotR EE Bluray and it's odd green tint, or the differences between the "crap" Fifth Element transfer and the "reference disk" transfer).

Side note: the FL audio show was full of reel-to-reel.

Steven Wilson, of Porcupine Tree, has remastered a lot of old Prog Rock classics and he did a great job. In light of the fact that good speakers were actually available at the time of the original mastering, I fail to understand why so much of the music sounded so bad, unless they really were mastering for cheap stereo equipment and car radios.

 

[Swerd]

I'm with Ponzio on old gear – nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Steven Wilson, of Porcupine Tree, has remastered a lot of old Prog Rock classics and he did a great job. In light of the fact that good speakers were actually available at the time of the original mastering, I fail to understand why so much of the music sounded so bad, unless they really were mastering for cheap stereo equipment and car radios.

The word mastering may lead us to believe people knew what they were doing back in 60s & 70s. Some did, others didn't – they were too stoned, drunk, or stupid to bother to get it right.

 

[Phase 2]

Two UPA-1,s.

 

[highfigh]

I'm with Ponzio on old gear – nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
The word mastering may lead us to believe people knew what they were doing back in 60s & 70s. Some did, others didn't – they were too stoned, drunk, or stupid to bother to get it right.

Another part of the equation is the basic tracking- If they crapped the bed at that time, they have to do a lot of tap dancing to make it sound good and sometimes, it's not even possible without a lot of studio trickery. I know of some recordings that really came alive through remastering, like the early Genesis albums.