New user with some questions

[lovinthehd]

FWIW Dual was a good German brand of record player when I got my first setup back in the early 70s, think I had a 1219. It seems to have gone in a different direction since; hadn't even seen it mentioned in ages other than in regards to the old record players. As to what brands depends on the particular piece you're looking at but I'd look at the mainstream players in avrs too as was mentioned.

I've always had my gear primarily to support my music collection and simply added more support for the video part as time went on; while I still have dedicated two channel audio gear, it's been mostly pushed aside for the multi-ch and bass management audio aspects in addition to video support. Speakers and your room will dictate sound far more than spending excessively on an amp. If you already have old gear that's one thing, but buying 30 year old gear used....meh.

I might roll up in my van with just about anything playing and sometimes pretty loud..... jazz, classical, rock, blues, r&b, edm, hiphop....

 

[MrBoat]

FWIW Dual was a good German brand of record player when I got my first setup back in the early 70s, think I had a 1219. It seems to have gone in a different direction since; hadn't even seen it mentioned in ages other than in regards to the old record players. As to what brands depends on the particular piece you're looking at but I'd look at the mainstream players in avrs too as was mentioned.

I've always had my gear primarily to support my music collection and simply added more support for the video part as time went on; while I still have dedicated two channel audio gear, it's been mostly pushed aside for the multi-ch and bass management audio aspects in addition to video support. Speakers and your room will dictate sound far more than spending excessively on an amp. If you already have old gear that's one thing, but buying 30 year old gear used....meh.

I might roll up in my van with just about anything playing and sometimes pretty loud..... jazz, classical, rock, blues, r&b, edm, hiphop....

Don't mean to sound pretentious. Much of what I am saying is just me struggling with explaining myself via this format. I'm one of those people who more often than not, needs the relative inflection to not come across abrasively. What you just stated is probably the road I am taking without really knowing that's what I am doing yet.
Also, I don't want to chase 30 year old tech because I already have enough of that, but 10-20 years if there is anything good to be had from those eras. 5 years from now, if not sooner, the things that are being talked about now with high regard will likely be on ebay for a bargain. Someone like me may get another 10 years from it, even if it's in another room as an extra. Some of the things I am seeing on ebay now for under a hundred bucks was a thousand or more 15 years ago! I just wonder if one can capitalize on all the perfectly good things Americans throw away.

I am glad to know you are coming from the music side of this. You will likely know what I am after.

 

[lovinthehd]

Don't mean to sound pretentious. Much of what I am saying is just me struggling with explaining myself via this format. I'm one of those people who more often than not, needs the relative inflection to not come across abrasively. What you just stated is probably the road I am taking without really knowing that's what I am doing yet.
Also, I don't want to chase 30 year old tech because I already have enough of that, but 10-20 years if there is anything good to be had from those eras. 5 years from now, if not sooner, the things that are being talked about now with high regard will likely be on ebay for a bargain. Someone like me may get another 10 years from it, even if it's in another room as an extra. Some of the things I am seeing on ebay now for under a hundred bucks was a thousand or more 15 years ago! I just wonder if one can capitalize on all the perfectly good things Americans throw away.

I am glad to know you are coming from the music side of this. You will likely know what I am after.

Didn't take it as pretentious fwiw. Lots of stuff to wade thru out there in any case whether shopping new or used, especially if you've stepped away for a while. Just takes a bit more homework to pickup a bargain on used gear and somewhat depends on where you are (also for finding shops that will repair such if needed), big metro areas tend to provide more opportunities in these regards.

 

[MrBoat]

Didn't take it as pretentious fwiw. Lots of stuff to wade thru out there in any case whether shopping new or used, especially if you've stepped away for a while. Just takes a bit more homework to pickup a bargain on used gear and somewhat depends on where you are (also for finding shops that will repair such if needed), big metro areas tend to provide more opportunities in these regards.

Ok. Didn't want to come across as if I was dissing the video people or disqualifying that in any way. As far as the Dual name, I think I must have seen that in car audio that gets mixed up with google searches.

 

[lovinthehd]

From what I remember Dual branched out into other areas of audio and a brief look at their site shows they're into auto and marine products as well as some home stuff still; brand logo is the same as my old record player fwiw. Lots of money in car electronics. Pioneer sold off their home entertainment division to Onkyo so they could concentrate on car audio. Harman Int'l (Harman Kardon, JBL, Revel, Infinity, Lexicon, Mark Levinson etc) has recently agreed to a purchase by Samsung, apparently particularly due to their strength in the car electronics market.

 

[MrBoat]

From what I remember Dual branched out into other areas of audio and a brief look at their site shows they're into auto and marine products as well as some home stuff still; brand logo is the same as my old record player fwiw. Lots of money in car electronics. Pioneer sold off their home entertainment division to Onkyo so they could concentrate on car audio. Harman Int'l (Harman Kardon, JBL, Revel, Infinity, Lexicon, Mark Levinson etc) has recently agreed to a purchase by Samsung, apparently particularly due to their strength in the car electronics market.

At the time, it was the emphasis on "peak" wattage as a selling point. Same with the amps that were in the same class. And to me, for caution's sake, I assumed it's one of those products that looks like the real thing but isn't, whether it was a valid assumption, or not. And Chinese stuff was a lot sketchier back then.

A lot of new products and a lot of it flea market quality in it's marketing approaches back in the earlier 2000's. Not sure if the Dual was, but it sure seemed so. The home theater market as well. The whole mass market end of it collides with walmart styled marketing if one has been alive long enough to remember different approaches, or comes from the era of long term appliances. Then you see the 'bargains' at walmart with a different model # for walmart and now everything is suspect.

On the bright side, from what I have been reading here in the other sections there is a lot of involvement and history, and a believable consensus among the regulars.