Hi everyone, this is my first post, I signed-up today, before breakfast; and as I shift cities on Sundays, to visit my kids, this is ‘yours truly’ now starting to get acquainted here.
My latest audio chapter started two weeks ago, when a neighbor, in the middle of chucking-out an Akai GX 4000d *, asked me if I’d like it (he was on his way to the curb). I said “Yes” first, then started to think about questions to ask about it, later.
[I’m reminded that back in 1976, having recently emigrated to Canada, my (ex) wife and I took delivery of a ‘stereo’ system four days before getting our bed!]
Anyway, as I ascended the steps up to my front porch, he yelled “Do you want an old pair of speakers, as well”? Same answer, same thought process.
The *R2R was easy to identify (but why do all roads initially seem to lead to eBay???) and obtain a free download of the owners manual. The speakers which were (notice the ‘tense’?) in an advanced state of decay, are a different matter.
The first question after lifting-up the Akai was “Does it work”? (Please hang-up your logical-minds, on the back of your door!). When he said “It used to; but I haven’t tried it for four or five years”, the journey moved to second base.
Three or four audio-stores later found me in a top high-end store, where the man on duty, generously shared a few knowledgeable observations, a couple of world-wise jokes and the name, rank and number of a “Good guy who repairs all kinds of audio equipment”! This latter was only a short drive away, so that was the next stop.
Up to this point, the main questions were:
• Does the R2R work (no tape or reels yet) – the motor ‘whirred’ and the spindle ‘spun’ though
• Can the speakers/ should the speakers: be fixed? Shortly followed by: “What are these speakers anyway”?
The “Good guy” told me to pick out a pre-recorded tape from one of two boxes full of such; and an empty reel, to try it out – he said that these were 50 cents each.
I’d only packed one of the speakers for my sojourn – the one with both woofer and tweeter out of commission, on this ‘two-way’ system.
The guy said “Oh, you’ve got some old ‘Advance’ speakers there”. I said: “Is that good or bad”? He said: “Could be either”. A small badge attached to each grill bears the word ‘Renaissance’. Two dealers have stated that they could have been part of a (large-batch) custom order.
If you want”, he said “you can leave this one for me to check out and then go bring the other here”. Which is what I did.
The Akai works really well – it magically mellows out (maybe to some that would mean “decapitates and shackles”) some of my brighter CDs – but I love the sound - the speakers have now received woofer ‘rebuilds’ (is that a ‘group-wince’ that I’m detecting?); and a ‘new wire’ on one of the tweeters. We are not done yet but I like the sound that we are getting so far; though they do not sound the same as each other – I have, however, been shown a ‘furrowed-brow’ and an invitation to bring them back in.
The names ‘Advance’ and ‘Renaissance’ lead me to Burlington, Ontario, Canada and New Hampshire, US of A. As many of our members will probably know, It seems that many speaker design/ manufacturing off-shoots came out of the Boston area in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. My (‘new’) speakers are very heavy, have ten inch woofers, made out of some hefty paper-based material, a dome tweeter with a large rectangular plate holding them in place which has a large, very shallow, open ‘V’, inlet (into the plate) - with one ‘arm’ reaching out and up from either side of the dome. Plus a three-inch front port. Outside dimensions being 16-1/2”w X 9-1/2”d X 28”L.
Now, the names ‘Human speakers’, ‘Renaissance’/ ‘Renaudio’ (though the current iteration of this firm seems too recent for my speakers); and ‘Morel’ seem to be googling up to the surface. A photograph will probably help – I’m still looking.
Oh yes, I also asked if the above gentleman would sell me the balance of the pre-recorded tapes (he did not charge me for the first one, when I left the speakers), he said “Of course” (sixty-four reels!!!) – “you may as well take the ring-binder of notes that came with them, as well”. This turned out to be the index (for the tapes) of someone’s copy of their personal record collection, dating back to before ‘WW1’ (ONE!).
So my primary current question is “How the heck can I record over this music”?
‘Downloading’ initially comes to mind; but they were recorded at 1-7/8 ips and the Akai does not turn that slow - plus the original heads on the tape-deck which was used to record the above material would have to be exceptional, to provide good quality recordings at that speed (I believe).
But as one guy elsewhere on these esteemed pages recently said: “He probably thinks more of the music than the equipment used to play it”. For me, a very wise observation.
Last Wednesday (October 31, 2007), I saw an Akai AA-1135 receiver in a junk shop. I went home that night, googled it, got it for $30:00, had it cleaned (by the above guy for $50:00); and it (via several pairs of speakers) sounds totally cool, man!
Your great site came up in one of my searches – yes, the gods of Audio must be smiling and/ or laughing at/ with me, this past couple of weeks. I’ve even got my semi-vintage equipment back out of the boxes, after being hidden away for far too long.
Thanks, Dave.
