What stereo(s) do you listen to? What do you want?

[Huntsman]

I know it isn't anything fancy but I brought the little Pioneer SX-525 back from the semi-dead. After taking it apart twice I only had 1 leftover washer. Amazing!

Currently letting it run in for a while to ensure that all is well

Well, it is a pretty setup and echo the comments on the plate.

However, what do you mean by "brought....back from the semi-dead"? What do you do to them? I really enjoy my setup right now with an integrated amp, but I keep looking at my grail setup which has basically tripled in price in the last ten years -- quintupled if you by restored versions, so I am curious if you engage in electrical restoration. For me, taking the case off, blowing off the dust, and hitting in with deoxit is about is far as I go but given my proclivities for vintage electronic gear I could probably do to learn more...

 

[chobochobo]

So this weekend gone, I was hooking up more stuff to my nascent system when my Revox B795 started smoking. Apparently the Rifa film caps are renown for this. Luckily (?) I was in the room when it happened - it was just plugged in not playing.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

Was it powered up at the time? Do you leave it on? Not sure how those work--some people leave their turntables spinning 24/7.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Well, it is a pretty setup and echo the comments on the plate.

However, what do you mean by "brought....back from the semi-dead"? What do you do to them? I really enjoy my setup right now with an integrated amp, but I keep looking at my grail setup which has basically tripled in price in the last ten years -- quintupled if you by restored versions, so I am curious if you engage in electrical restoration. For me, taking the case off, blowing off the dust, and hitting in with deoxit is about is far as I go but given my proclivities for vintage electronic gear I could probably do to learn more...

I'm no electrician and my soldering skills leave much to be desired. I am not much past the Deoxit level of "fixing" so I picked this receiver up specifically to practice on.

I initially thought it had a noisy transistor that was in need of replacement but after disassembling the front in order to get at the pots and give them a deep cleaning plus soldering a broken wire, she was back up and running. TBH I was a little pissed that was all it took 😅

Ii still haven't fixed my reel to reel but that's next in the list...well that and an old tube clock radio that won't turn on anymore;
I still haven't restrung the radio tuning wire on my smaller Sansui;
And i need to replace the belts and soldering in new bulbs on the backup cassette deck;
And I have some small black Klipsch speakers that I want to veneer in walnut. I've had the veneer since early November 😬;
I have some speaker that I want to try my hand at recapping;
And I might refoam my Snells now that I have located the original foam manufacturer (they're in the Netherlands);
I have 2 other sets of speakers that need refoaming;


Eventually I want to be one of those guys you can throw anything at without any problems

 

[chobochobo]

Got a few more components hooked up. A Lenco L75 that just arrived (a bit bashed up but seems ok) that I got for 78s - oh, my Revox B795 started smoking - the dreaded Rifa capacitors. I also hooked up my Technics RS1500 reel to reel, my Nakamichi Dragon (the thing that started my renewed interest in 'vintage' hifi), a Doge 7 tube DAC connected to my hi res library on my Mac Mini running Audirvana, a 'lampizated' Revox B225 CD player and an old Oppo BDP105 to play all discs under the sun - currently the Farinelli soundtrack. Need to sort out the speaker wires - the Naim cable is too chunky and stiff, and also need to figure out some phono hum (the Lenco doesn't use a conventional ground wire), then I should be set to put everything in position.

 

[chobochobo]

Was it powered up at the time? Do you leave it on? Not sure how those work--some people leave their turntables spinning 24/7.

It was powered up but not playing. I tend to switch everything off when not playing, particularly with these hot tubes and vintage components.

 

[chobochobo]

Ooh, a restored Marantz 7 just turned up for a 'reasonable' price. Do I go for it? What do I do with my Luxman CL36u that I'm using with the 8B. Hmm. First world problems.

 

[cb200]

If it's a fair price you probably would be able to sell the 7 it if you don't love it. It is such a classic. I modified an Pas-3 with a cathode follower inspired in part by the 7's schematic. I'm sure it was foolish but I liked it (theCF follower) at the time.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

I agree. My original intent with subscribing to a streaming service was to make my own master recordings of my favorite music on 1/4" open reel tape, then cancel the service when I was done. But it's too convenient, and the library is enormous and evergrowing, so I stay on. Realistically, I could still enjoy all my music with a streaming service going through a DAC to a pair of amplified speakers.

Still, I enjoy the physicality of loading a tape reel, and the mesmerizing effect of those big 10.5" reels spinning, playing hi-fidelity recordings for up to 6 hours. And what are you going to do when the Ukraine crisis blows up, and nuclear/EMP weapons wreck all your data and streaming services? I'll still have my tapes, haha.

I think I need a 10" reel machine in my life so my lust of the week is the Pioneer RT-909. So dreeeeeaaaaammmmyyyyy...

 

[chobochobo]

Nice. I have a 'spare' Teac X1000R if someone wants to pay shipping from HK. It plays fine 95% of the time, even has newly lapped heads, but sometimes it has tension problems.

 

[Nader393]

I think I need a 10" reel machine in my life so my lust of the week is the Pioneer RT-909. So dreeeeeaaaaammmmyyyyy...

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Oooh, I like those, too. Sexy for a tape machine. I'd have gotten one if it weren't for the blue fluoro display. They also have a reputation of being less reliable than earlier machines. It's becoming a bigger issue lately as techs familiar with RTR are aging out of the business.

 

[chobochobo]

I missed out on the Marantz model 7 a few weeks ago but am currently considering a reissue - looks very clean, full maintenance by Marantz Japan. My niggle is that I'll get it and still want an original 7.

 

[chobochobo]

Finally, my (super dusty) 8b

 

[Jmm722]

My 2 channel WFH setup has been eclipsed by new headphones (LCD-X). I can just get more out of them without pissing my neighbors off. The whole audiophile hobby is just as expensive as every other hobby this forum has somehow gotten me onto.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

1984 Linn LP12, Ittok, DV 20x2H, some downstream stuff... Had an OG of this record when she was new, offered up in the Great Vinyl Purge of '89--a truly unfortunate incident. Picked it up on the way home from the office, $5.99. A quick bath in the record cleaning machine and all is right with the world again. Records like this are the reason Metallic passed me by--- this and, of course, Jazz. The river won't stop for me.