Misconceptions About Vintage Stereos - Part 2
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Part 2 of our "Misconceptions About Vintage Stereos" video is here! In this video, Kevin goes over more misconceptions he has heard as a vintage stereo shop owner. He covers misconceptions about who is buying this old gear, recapping, watts, and cassette decks and tapes.
Have you heard anything you'd like us to cover in part 3? Let us know in the comments. It's always interesting to hear from you!
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Went to a local O'Reilly Auto Parts store last week. The workers were all in their 20s. And what were they listening to? Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. The music from my youth, mid 1970s, has had incredible lasting power.
I've noticed several college-age kids in west Tennessee seem familiar with Pink Floyd!
YES Kevin! WATTS: I have 2 x 15W in a 1974 Pioneer SX-434. It was given to me in 1979 when I was 14. Only recently did I learn that it's actually an entry level receiver and low power. I never knew that and never cared, I've always loved it. It has a great FM tuner, good sound, and PLENTY LOUD for me. I rarely turn the volume up to 1/3 of its travel, and in our 1800 sq. ft. 1.5 storey house I can clearly hear it around most of the house. And it's never been recapped. LOL!
Also, by staying at the lower end like this I can buy other brands to try - Sansui, Harman/Kardon, etc. - without spending the really big bucks. I can buy several lower powered receivers for the price of a single monster receiver or any Marantz.
Those are 15 clean watts!
Get an ADC 5 band Equalizer for it, put it in tape loop and hook Eq to a,CD player .
Much better than a sounDesign w bass n treble on 1 knob and a shit-ass cartridge an vinyl grinding stylus!.if u can, try to get an SX750 or Kdnwood's KR6600.good power 50 to 56 watts w lots of hook- ups.
Kenwood KR6600
Kevin, you're right on the money with your comments about wattage and speaker efficiency. Thanks again for another Sunday morning fun one.
My personal experience supports this so much!
Another excellent and perceptive video, Kevin!
I view recapping vintage electronics as prophylactic, akin to putting new tires and changing the oil and filter on a 40-year-old barn-find car. Back in the days of tube gear, you almost had to change out caps and resistors every few years - heat and cruddy parts (by today's standards) guaranteed using such a strategy. Caps are engineered to last only a certain period of time, after which they can fail, and sometimes they can take out other components when they call it a life.
On the other hand, if a component is functioning properly, I regard recapping as a low-priority project. Occasionally, you note a slight improvement in the sound, but by no means always.
On the other hand, recapping the crossovers in speakers more than 30 years old very often results in significantly improved sound, in my experience. Speaker manufacturers have forever regarded the crossover as the first place on which to cheap out.
Just my experience . . . YMMV.
Well yeah,they want to make a profit and using the best caps n coils for a few thousand pairs of spkrs...they see as lost revenue.
Woh! I am still using some old Tannoy speakers from the early 90s, so maybe thirty years old. I forgot about the crossover caps. I will have to check them. Not that my ears are as good as they used to be, but who wants to blow your tweeters with full bass?
I stopped by with my pre-teen last Friday. I got a pair of Mirage Omni 250 tower speakers for my more modern stereo. I don't think they would have been a good match for a vintage receiver but they are right in line with what I was looking for. They are a big upgrade over my tiny surround speakers I was using. I also let my kid pick out a cassette. He choose a Deep Purple live album. We only have a player in my old SUV. I told him the player might eat the tape but that it would just be part of the cassette experience. 🤣 The tape is working great and he loves listening to it.
Glad to hear! Thanks for the business!
I love my cassette decks. All 12 of them. I just recently purchased a few cassette lots on ebay. About 100 prerecorded in total. Only 3 of them have issues. Some sound better than my vinyl. Some not so much. There is just something about physical media that I love. I like the technical side of making recordings. It really tunes your ears into getting the best sound on them. Vintage is the BEST hobby. FYI- love your videos and your store!
Geez Kevin, you did it again, you nailed it, on all points with the honest truth.. totally agree with everything you said, except I personally would love to see cassettes come back. I've been on a quest lately buying cassettes in mint like new condition for my vintage Teac cassette player. Which cassette tapes on a good system can sound amazing . And totally agree about the wattage thing,. I have a Pioneer 780, puts out 45 Watts but if I crank it up to 10 watts, it's far too loud for regular listening
Lol, I guess now I know why I can no longer buy cassette tapes for cheap. You are part of the competition hehehe.... Yeah, tapes are steadily rising in price and good ones are becoming harder to find.
I would love to see cassettes come back as well. I just don't think it's in the cards. A cassette in great condition played on a nice deck is a lot of fun - I agree 💯
@@edwardbagu1252are you buying cassette tapes to horde, or to play and enjoy.?
I'm buying them to play and enjoy,..
after I die you can have them them for cheap..lol
I enjoy this channel. I work at a non profit that receives vintage stereo speakers and amps and other gear so nice to know what the trends are (and what may carry more value). Thanks Kevin.
My granddaughter has turned to vinyl. I got her a set of Jamo bookshelf speakers and an AM FM Sony stero receiver non vintage. Her other grandparents got her an Audio Technica direct drive turn table. She's a bass player in a rock band. When she graduates I am planing on getting her nice vintage receiver and speakers. Pioneer is dear to my heart, but I am leaning towards Harman Karden.
Kardon
I purchase blank cassettes so that I can record and play an entire album without getting up and flipping the vinyl. For instance, when playing music while cleaning the house, or perhaps taking a shower.
The problem is the restoration of cassette decks, where, unless you're an expert with knowledge and equipment, it's best left to someone who is.
Lastly, a vintage cassette deck worth spending hundreds of dollars to restore is best being a three head deck, which by itself will cost a minimum of between $400 and $4,000 depending on make, model and condition.
Great videos.
Three years selling vintage audio at the Trading Post here in Pueblo Colorado. I watch your programs ad inspiration and technical advice.
Just finished rebelting and replacing one of the capstans in my HK TD302 and it sounds glorious again. Another great video Kevin, thanks.
Great video as always. I “fixed’ a Nakamichi 2Bx a few years ago to play my 1980’s tape collection. Reveled in the glory of those TDK SA tapes for about a week. Now it’s in the rack mostly to keep the CD player at a more convenient height.
Lol @ the crapola player 😂
It spouts manure. Will F up a good album very nicely!
Gonna get brown muddy sound,no bright treble.
3:30...Agree 100%. We had some relatives visit with four teenage children. 'Played' some vintage for them. They knew it and were rock'n right along with their octogenarian Uncle. We agreed that a lot of today's 'music' is about 70% show and 30% talent. One thing they were surprised at though was my telling them that we 'sat' through a 3-hour DEAD concert, only jumping, screaming, and waving our 'Bics' after a song was over. ALL music ROCKS.
"Music can be made anywhere, is invisible, and does not smell." W. H. Auden
Bob.☮ BTW...LOVE the channel. No BS & sincere opinions and advise. Well done sir.
What I miss about cassettes is making "mix tapes" on my dual cassette deck. Buying "the best" cassettes (CrO2, or whatever the flavor of the day was on sale) and then writing the songs down on that tiny insert. The good ole days!
i record youtube music on to cassette
@@silversubaru590 i do it with spotify playlists made by me
I’m still making actual cassette mix tapes to this day. Started as a kid in the 80s and I just never stopped.
0😊😅😊😊
A fairly loud hum is likely to be a bad or open electrolytic cap in.power supply after the rectifiers to smoooooth out a.c. ripple. Fudge ripple is good though!
Always love your videos, considering moving close to your shop so I can be a regular 🤣
I am putting an era-correct cassette deck in my 82 Toyota, so I have to have some sweet tapes!
I agree with you on your point of how much the younger generations are involved now in Vintage audio; especially the media of lps. The apparent perception of older men and women yielding the benefits of this renaissance are suggestively if not deliberately credited with this movement. They may have contributed to some of the momentum, but I do not believe they (we) launched this. I am older than 55. My daughter who is now in her early 30's began borrowing my dust collecting lps when she was in high school. At that time she and her friends were looking into buying record players. You would think it was the baby boomers that brought this all back. I am not so sure that this accurate though perceived. I am grateful for the return of the wax to those of my daughters generation because it has contributed to some fun in this phase of my life. And yes, I have even purchased a dual cassette deck (vintage) so that I can play my mixes!
Thanks for a great episode Kevin! Spot on with the comments about capacitors, when electronic flash first came out people were told to use them regularly as the capacitors would degrade otherwise. It was called reforming the capacitor and for some reason I never hear that being talked about, always the battle cry of replace the capacitors! I think it's much better to use your stereo equipment regularly in order to keep those pesky capacitors happy.
They have a lifespan regardless of their ‘happiness’. And it ain’t longer than 50 years.
This guy knows what he is talking about. Please pay attention!!!! Of course, I know people have their opinions, some of which are formed from first-hand experience, but then there are those that listen to other people who have an ax to grind. (My background: I went to school to learn about audio engineering, consumer electronics, music biz, etc. I have a degree and real world experience, because I was an actual studio engineer at 2 studios. In Nashvegas. We had the first SSL board with computer mixdown capabilities in town.) When it comes to consumer electronics, Kevin knows his shit. When he talks about WATTS, then he is right. You don't need more than 30 watts for your average room. I had a 15 watt system that would have gotten me kicked out of my apartment if I really turned it up. And it is all about high-efficiency speakers, as Kevin says. That is another thing I learned in school. That is one of the most important things when it comes to evaluating speakers, besides how they sound to you. High efficiency speakers use LESS watts to make their sound. So it seems like the people who want HIGH wattage amps are just like those who buy expensive sports cars......to make up for what they are lacking in certain areas. DON'T GET MAD! YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE! lol. Anyway, cassettes are a thing of the past. I had some friends who were releasing their albums on cassette, and I was thinking..........why? It's a trend in house/techno/chill music. Let's just leave cassettes in the past, where they belong, alongside 8-tracks. Unless you have a Nakamichi Dragon, then let's forget about cassettes once and for all! GARBAGE! *we had a Nakamichi cassette deck in one of the studios I worked at. You could align the heads, and it would make almost perfect copies of master tapes. But when was the last time you had access to master recordings? I don't care what you think of me, because it doesn't matter. But you should listen to KEVIN..........he is usually right. 'Nuff said
My first receiver was a realistic 16 watt per channel. It sounded great. I bought a realistic speaker kit and had my own cabinets made. It was pretty awesome
More great info Kevin! Love the Technician in a can 😂
My first component system was built around a Lafayette LR-810 receiver in 1972. 25wpc. Amazing little unit! Stayed with my partner when I moved east. It was finally done in by a burst pipe in the 1989 earthquake. When I arrived in NYC, wasn't sure if I'd be staying long so bought a used Pio SX-424 rig. Only 15wpc but outstanding sound. Upgraded to 1010 as a present to myself for my first Father's Day. It was mighty impressive but I never played it very loud. I doubt I ever drove it past 20 watts. My rig for the last 10 years is an SX-737 (35wpc). I think it's the best sounding unit I've had. It brings out details that I had never heard from albums I know well going back to the 60s; even can make many CDs (which didn't exist for another decade) sound so much more appealing. The experience listening to a lot of program on this setup is "they are here" versus "you are there" especially for jazz, classical, and rock before digital recording.
I have recapped three receivers for myself. One of them fixed a hum I was having in the tone board. I have found some leaking caps doing this that I didn't notice until the cap was removed. I would never pay someone to do a total recap. If you know what you are doing then go ahead and do it yourself. Otherwise, buy something that is new or already restored.
Every single cassette deck made these days uses the same cheap mechanism made in China, even that expensive Tascam.
They also don't offer Dolby noise reduction, because Dolby is apparently no longer licensing the technology for cassette deck manufacturers anymore.
I would recommend getting a well built, fully featured late 1970s to late 1980s cassette deck in decent cosmetic condition, without being severely damaged or missing parts, and spending the money to have the "soft" parts replaced, and the machine fully cleaned and aligned. Far better than anything built today.
Literally every one of them? I’d likes a decent cassette deck but even the vintage ones I have I think are junk.
Find a good vintage deck (Nakamichi, Yamaha, Technics), and put in the work to restore it. It's not hard. I've restored 5 with no prior experience.
Mostly cause cassettes in general are terrible
@@CatsEatNomNom they sound good on good systems
I really think you’re right when you say that younger people are getting into it. I follow Geraldine Hifi both on youtube and Instagram where she has a huge following and I love to see how passionate she is about all types of hifi. Lately she being showing a lot of cassettes videos and some of those have millions of views!
I started DJing in '84 and got my 1st Stereo System in '83. I actually gave away some great 2 channel stuff about 15 years ago TEAC A-1250 and A-4010, Sansui 3 ways w/12” woofers, Panasonic "Thrusters" w/10" woofers with updated polypropylene drivers in both ports per enclosure, Pioneer Reverb and that cool, Auto Reverse Pioneer Deck that came with that integrated amp and tinder. I bought the huge "Battleship" Receiver that pulled so much current the lights in the house would blink at full volume. I gave all that stuff to my friend, Jose (may he rest in peace).
You're giving sound advice. I got my mobile DJing with a 25w/channel, Sony STRX-250 something or another receiver my Mother bought me in the 10th grade for quite a while.
Like Julian Hirsch said in High Fidelity Magazine, "spend your money on good sounding, efficient speakers". I've had a set of BookshelfvKEF's for 35 years now. Solid as a Rock
I have and use two JVC cassette decks all the time and collect cassettes. I have hundreds. I still love them and they sound great in most cases. And i record them too. I wish there were decent new decks.
While it wasn't broken, recapping my Yamaha M-65 made a huge improvement. It sounded like it had a blanket draped over it before the recap. I'm gonna recap my Technics SL-Q2 next as preventative maintenance here soon. When a cap goes in one of these it takes out an almost irreplaceable chip. I do understand why technicians don't want to do this, it is labor intensive and the most often result is no immediately appreciable benefits.
Recapped my SX-1050 and Realistic STA-2200 and had the same experience. Both came back sounding noticeably better.
Crackles n pops are a noisy transistor, and Ted Bundy.
I had a couple of great NAK cassette decks back when. I NEVER owned a pre--recorded tape. But I made tons of mix tapes off my LP collection then. Now I make mix CDs on my Tascam CD-RW900SL.
A good (well-adjusted) Nakamichi or H-K deck and TDK SA or SA-X cassettes from the 1980s will still make tapes from LPs that are indistinguishable from the source.
Great videos Kevin, keep up the great work of educating people on the equipment and actual history of music, when music was real & touched your soul. Even is manufacturers do start making better decks, the tapes themselves need to be improved as in being able to maintain their quality sound for more than a decade or more as over time they lose their ability to hold their magnetism. Albums & CD's don't really lose the quality of sound if taken care of.
This guy knows his stuff man!
As someone who's made "mix cassette tapes" for years & years, a cassette deck is essential. I probably have over 2000 mix tapes on the best tapes possible & play them on a nice Tascam deck. Brings back lots of memories. Good & Bad.
I have an original production Philips stereo cassette player recorder, I last used it about 20 years ago. I'll have to get it out and check it over. I also have some original C60 cassettes that still work even though the internal plastic is not self lubricating and they squeak like any dry bearing does . I also have original recordings from 1964 onwards all of which still work. Petula Clarke (on Pye cyp 157) sings the international hits and Joan Baez5 (on Fontana Cff5000) still sounds fine and Manuel's Sunrise Sunset and the music of the mountains from 1967 (EMI TC-SCX 6139) is still great. These and many other tapes have travelled the world with me on the P&O liners of the 1960s.
I agree with you on Watts. Big power is not a necessity. And how that power is rated made is important, My old Pioneer and Sansui valve amps only put out about 6Watts pc, but sound better and louder than Chinese Watts where output listed in thousands (on the advertising) can be rated very brittle and not actually loud, if that is what one wants.
Some of those cassette decks are sweet eye candy. Love to have it on display with other vintage components. Do I use it much? Nope… but damn it looks good.
Okay, I am that person that still has the equipment I purchased in junior high. I bought my Pioneer SX-434 49 year ago. I listened to it today. Not new to the hobby, it has been a part of my life since I was 13. Yes, at 15 watts RMS, it is plenty loud and it sounds great.
Thanks for sharing. Have a great week!!
Thank you! You too!
HELLO Kev, I read a big article on 'Gear Patrol' that records sold more than cd's last year.
I.know that after I got a new stylus in my 1980 Toshiba SR- A200 Tt I spent about 400$ in the last 6 months.
With a Pioneer F2121 Im.putting records on Tape.
It is nice to check out thrift n antique shops for records.
Thoughtful opinions. Thanks Kevin!
I recap lots of my gear but being honest it's always been because of having the lid off anyway and enjoying playing with things.
I feel nice hand installing known good caps but.... while I can often measure a difference I seldom hear one.
Great video, Kevin. Love the Donny and Marie player. I think all of us of a certain age had something very similar. :)
Glad you enjoyed it
The SounDesign with Tt on top and wicked El cheapo spkrs could ruin a new album fairly quickly. Once I Saw a stereo Tt and heard how great it sounded with an SX850 and 3-ways, I hooked that sounDesign to the stove circuit an fryed it, a ruger rifle took out the spkrs an I headed for Tech HiFi
i think buying a vintage cassette deck and fixing it up is part of the fun, as someone who does cassette deck repairs, you can find some good entry level decks from the late 80s early 90s that are very easy to service for example, the teac v250 or w350 are great beginers decks that sounds really good and are super easy to service.
Kevin, thanks for going into such great detail about cassettes. I started getting back into cassettes a couple of years ago thinking it would be a cool nostalgia hobby. Unfortunately it turned out to be more frustrating than rewarding. Finding a cassette tape that plays without issue from start to finish can be very difficult much of the time. It’s not uncommon to have to buy as many as 3 or 4 copies of the same cassette just to get one good one. It got to be not worth the hassle. As for hardware, I have two cassette decks that are both in need of service. One I may just end up tossing to the curb, and the other is a Nakamichi RX-303 which is in pristine condition, however it’s not playing back cassettes properly. There are no service techs anywhere near my vicinity who work on Nakamichi, and my only option is to mail it to a tech several states away. I’ve come to the conclusion that with all the moving mechanical components in a cassette deck, there’s just too much that can go wrong, wear out, break, etc.. I’ve accepted that my Nakamichi cassette deck will most likely only be a nice looking decoration and conversation piece in my stereo system. Great video Kevin. Keep up the great work.
Yeah, your story is all too common. I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. Thanks for watching and the comment.
I’m still using my Nakamichi BX100 from 1986 head been back lapped I record on new old stock mainly TDK SA and TDK AD I record live sessions on BBC radio 6 from my I pad the results are really very good 😊
The thing about cassettes is you make your own mixtapes.
I've been seeing a lot of cheap tapes at the non-Goodwill charitable thrift stores. The fun thing about it is you might find something that you wanted to try out when you see it. Or have a copy of something you like until you can get a vinyl record or even a CD.
I have been having good luck finding working decks at Goodwill's and other thrift stores in my area.
I have even gotten them at the Goodwill bins where they charge me, at most, $10 for one
At the normal thrift stores I can test them out with a pair of headphones.
You can look online and see which ones are more likely to still operate after many years. Techniques is known for having more plastic parts that break. However, even my techniques to decks are working perfectly.
I have more than one because I can have complete Wi-Fi set up in different rooms. It's an expensive to do that when you get a tape deck for $10 or less.
They are usually about $20-$30 in the retail Goodwill stores but you can test them there .
The suitcase record players almost seem to have reignited interest in vinyl with the younger crowd. Both my wife and I started with suitcase crosleys, as well as several people I know that now have actual stereos and decent record players. It’s pretty cool to see!
One of my cassette decks developed a clicking noise from static build up, in storage for 40 years. I was amazed how easy it was to fix. The belts also survived and work nicely. But half the pilot lights on my vintage Pioneer Tuner died. How can something like that wear out when not in use?
The fault I've encountered the most often are:
1- A noisy or faulty transistors
2- A faulty diode
3- A shorted out main output transistors
4- An open resistor, mainly in the power supply board.
5- A wax type capacitor that slowly turn itself in a resistor, mostly on a tube type amplifier.
6- Faulty electrolytic capacitor in the power supply.
Capacitor are only, by far, the 5th or 6th. And it's happening more often in older tube type amplifier, when they are stored for multiple years without being used.
Small pre-amp tubes, unless microphonic, rarely fail.
This is what I've seen after more than 40 years of experience
Very true about the cassette decks. I had a nice brand new Sony deck with Dolby S noise reduction, some 25 years ago. Used it lots and enjoyed it. But once I could burn CDs on the computer it got used less and less. After digging it out after years of sitting the belts have turned to mush. Looks complicated inside there but I shall have to attempt to fix it some time.
Finally a true statement i can agree with I bought vinyl and don't have a record player..the vinyl is 3in and Colby is the only manufacturer of a turntable capable of playing the record...dude i ain't putting no Colby equipment with my marantz...is u crazy 😂
I have a magavox suit case trim table , it’s sweet tho , an you correct it makes you want better more than that the sound you get with a really good turntable is priceless an now it’s on !!! I have 3 now an prob gonna get another
Love seeing more get into the hobby, I sometimes have friends come over for records n beers and some have started collecting vinyl and 2-3 now have vintage setups ive put together for them...
As far as the recapping, Yeah people use that term way too much.. Always repair first or you may have a much harder time after youve messed with tons of other solder joints.
Caps are usually the last part to catastrophically fail.
So right about 'watts' pick up say a 20 watts per channel rcvr or amp with good features like 2 tape loops, phono hook- up aux.
Funny thing about cassettes. I always hated them for home use but had a sports Walkman I used regularly, so I still have a collection. Couple years ago I bought an old 1970s player and did it up with new belts etc. Mainly because it looked good with its VU meters etc.
In my system it sounded terrible, as I expected it to. Recently, though I have been buying and fixing 70s amps and receivers, and with them that old cassette player really sounds pretty good. Clearly synergy is at work. It's a massive difference. I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience?
I have a very small vintage audio shop in Pueblo Colorado and I have tested at 100 different vintage cassette players. Onkyo consistently has great sounding cassette players. A few Harmon Kardon units have CD quality sound. Denon, Tascam, and Marantz hits the mark when you get the old professional studio units. Everything is subjective to one's personal ear.
Absolutely right about everyone of these misconceptions. I've heard each one of these a bunch of times to the point that I got tired of dispelling those notions. Bose really liked to tout how the 901s could take a lot of watts, which they could but so what? Do you remember them talking about how you could plug the speaker leads of the Bose 901's into a wall outlet and that they'll be just fine?
Lol, that's a new one, thanks
I re-cap ANY time i'm dealing with a cap 10 years or older. Electrolytics degrade. I've seen the storage caps blow up and spread electrolyte all over the inside.
But yes... many other things can go wrong on old products. Power supplies, bad solder joints, corrosion. Heat or liquid damage. Output devices.
as an adjunct to my previous post i have had to replace capacitors in some modern equipment such as Cambridge Audio DAB tuners Kef subwoofers because of failure, in both cases the capacitors are sited next to heat sinks causing the electrolyte to dry up prematurely as heat is a capacitors worst enemy, and inside an amplifier a lot of heat is generated.
There are problems of many different natures.
Each component has to be examined and its exact failure determined.
You can only hope it isn't like the Pioneer QX-9900 we just worked on.
The FM tuner section needs a part we can't get.
I saw a video where the Decware Zen tube amp with 2.2 watts was shown with high-efficiency speakers, such as Klipsch speakers, and only one watt of power is needed for normal listening of music.
A receiver with high wattage just usually means a high amount on the price tag.
Found a pair of phase IV 301,s to replace the phase II 301’s. Big improvement in appearance and sound quality.
You were talking about people bringing their kids in to buy classic rock records, made me think that I might need to pay attention to the advertising on our local classic rock radio station to see if they are advertising to a younger demographic?
If you want to advertise to the younger crowd TikTok and Instagram would be where I would put my money.
I have a Pioneer CT-F7272 cassette deck from 1976 running through a Pioneer SX-650 and a pair of KLH Model 6's and it sounds pretty good to me, though the actual tapes need to be of good quality, too. The same goes for my Wollensak 8050 8 track player.
Vinyl sales have grown so much record sales are being included in the UK's basket of goods used to determine the inflation rate for the first time in 3 decades.
Wow. Didn't know that!
I’m assuming the pots in the balance and volume control of my DBX CX-3 mkII are heavily oxidized. They both work in some positions but not well.
I am using an old Luxor receiver from the 70's quite a bit for casual listening. It's listed as 2 x 17 watts. And in my small room and with the speakers I use, I never really find it insufficient. It's only if I really want to "show off" ,crank it up loud ,,, that it doesn't "work". I also once tested the receiver with my big Seas type 60 speakers that has double ten inch woofers in the base. That obviously didn't work at all. 😬
i always hear this misconception that belt drive turntables are superior to direct drive because direct drives have motor noise
my vintage technics is direct drive and its dead silent
the coils of the motor are seperated by an air gap the only connection to the platter is the spindle bearing which all platters have a spindle bearing,,,direct drive or belt
Those vintage Technics direct drive turntables are usually pretty reliable and still working like new. Moreover they sold alot of them so one can still find them. The newer quartz locked versions would be preferable, but I do have a non quartz locked SL-D2 ( curbside trash pick)...can't hear any real fault in it. The tone arms are a bit heavy, but that is an advantage if you cartridge and stylus is designed to be tracking at a slightly higher tracking force range.... really works well with a DJ stylus over 2 grams. My Stanton 680el sounds great mounted in the SL-D2. Right now I've been using my Technics SL-7 close"n"play linear tracking turntable with a Stanton 680ee and a hypereliptical stylus. That one came out of a dumpster and the only "service " was replacing the RCA plugs.. sometimes pulling a cord from a dumpster can yield an amazing catch. My SL 1200 mark II also came out of a dumpster along with a 1300 . Unfortunately I haven't fixed that missing bearing in the 1200's tone arm yet.
@@truesoundchris I especially like thst the quartz locked direct drive turntables usually run at the correct speed due to the implementation of a quartz clock. As far as additional rumble goes all my Technics direct drives are quieter than all similarly price belt drives.. I believe one needs to spend significantly more in a belt drive for that. I think that's because the platter support bearing in a direct drive doesn't have the side load that a belt imparts onto the support bearing . The direct drive platter sort of just floats on the bearing assembly. The Technics direct drive turntables shine here the support bearing is pretty simple and well designed so the good quality parts they put in it work well and seem to last a very long time..If you can find a Technics quartz locked table with the pivoting tone arm in working condition they very reliable plentiful and not very expensive. Plus that bearing is very easy to lubricate and the ones that are full manual or auto return only always work as they did new. The full automatics usually need to have the mechanism relubed to work properly so it's a little more maintenance. My SL-D2 isn't quartz locked so the speed does drift if it has been sitting for a longer time period and the speed is only as accurate as the pitch from the power from the utility. The tone arms have a bit more mass so pair it with a cartridge that ideally operates at more than 1.5 grams, 2.0 grams is better so a decent cartridge in the 150$ to 250$ range will work out well . Keeping a fresh stylus is more important than light tracking force as far as record ware goes. I really like my Stanton 680 and found replacement stylus for 80$ that work well , big fan of moving iron cartridges. So yes I agree you can get a good start for 400$ and stay there for a long time. My stuff is about four decades old now and don't really see (hear)any reason to upgrade either .
How about stepping into another minefield: Crossover upgrades.
Don't remember the name of the portable record player I had as a kid. It wasn't all that portable to me it was bulky. Perhaps you will know by my description of it. Probably weighed 20 or 30lbs. Had 2 speakers that were on hinges you opened them out. The hinges where the plus and minus contacts. The speakers could be lifted off their hinges and wires deployed and plugged into the unit so you could space the speakers apart from the player. Looked like something from the 60's or early 70's. Early 80's is when I possessed it.
I think that you are pretty much spot-on with your assessments.
With respect to capacitors and "recapping." Yeah, it's an easy comment for the amature to throw out there. Electrolytics don't age well and some age worse than others. However, no, they are not the fix for all ills or even most ills. If you have a lot of hum or the rails are not coming up (keeping a protect circuit from clearing)...they can be a good place to look by measuring the AC and DC levels. Once the unit is really fixed, I don't have a problem with the concept of recapping to improve the unit as a 40-year old electrolytic are likely not working at peak performance and will be degrading with a 40-year back story.
More wattage: It's the easy one. More is better, right? However, if you were to explain to them that doubling the wattage only nets you 3dB more volume (and show them the difference in 3dB by turning the sound up on a demonstration, they'd see that a 200-watt amp can't play all that much louder than a 100-watt amp...and on down the line. 35-watts and up go a looooong way in a home setting.
Cassette Decks. A problem (and there are several) with new ones is that there isn't anyone really making the transport mechanisms. Even back in the day, there weren't that many so most manufacturers were shopping at the same "mechanism stores." There isn't a market to have competition so those that are still offered are all shopping at one place. The same goes for heads. There isn't a vibrant market making heads for a manufacturer to choose a quality level. It's a take it or leave it sort of world. If someone wants to get into cassettes, you're better off finding a good used one (or two, if you want a possible parts source) and spend the time/money fixing it up. All of the rubber is going to be in questionable condition so they should be replaced...the plastic parts are going to be brittle so just servicing it can, and often does, result in some breakage/repairs. But, so long as the heads are still in decent enough shape, a good vintage cassette deck CAN be brought back to life and give a good service life from that point onwards.
There aren't many choices in blank tapes for decks now and definitely no new Chrome or Metal. So, you're either looking for NOS vintage or willing to erase re-use a tape of unknow wear/stretch/damage.
Pre-recorded cassettes were never all that great. Magnetic tape does not benefit from high-speed recording...which is what almost all of them were.
Cassettes, back in the day, allowed one to have their music on the go AND it allow one to have their OWN compilation tapes with the music one liked and grouped as one liked (see the movie _High Fidelity_ to see some of the concept of a compilation tape...it most definitely was a thing back in the cassette era.
Electrolytics are spec'ed by operating hours and maximum ambient temperature. Consumer electronics is designed based on typical use, which means pretty low hours and room temperature. That's why those 40+ year old 85C caps last beyond their intuitive lifespan. As mentioned here, re-capping is a bragging-rights fad with a super low cost-benefit ratio. I've repaired electronics for near 50 years and can count the number of major electrolytic failures on one hand.
I went to a record show last weekend and came out with 4 cassettes. $8 bucks. The record prices were stupid. I’ll stick to the local shops. Tapes can sound really good and they’re a lot of fun. Stupid Cassette Comeback Chanel got me rolling again a few years ago. I picked up a nice $300 deck, like SA suggested, from another on line vintage shop. Sorry SA, it was before I knew you. Funny, they said it had been recapped…😂
I own a record store and we sell a reasonable amount of cassettes...maybe 2-3 every day. I think demand for cassettes and good vintage decks is increasing and it might do your store well if one of your techs took on some cassette deck repairs. We have a tech that repairs cassette decks and he's probably done near 10 of them over the last year or so as people really want to get their old deck working.
OH YEA the FM section on them would blow away any FM tuners today that is the Pioneer KP 500.
Capacitors have a finite life and do need changing in older gear. i bought a cheap 1970s 100wpc quad amplifier and it sounded terrible, it lacked bass and was distorted when driven above a quite modest level, on opening it up there was a slight bulge in the rubber at the top of the power supply capacitors, i changed these and the difference was really good i then changed the electrolytic and tantalum capacitors on the amplifier boards and i was listening to a totally different amplifier to the one i first listened to, i would say that any amp above 20 year old needs the psu capacitors checking at the very least, by the way repairing audio was my job until retirement a few years ago.
Cassettes were great prior to CD players that didn't skip in the car after that I'd say most only have fond memories of the format with no need to revisit the many negatives of cassettes.
I repair a lot of vintage stereo equipment. However, people think I can perform miracles on basket cases. Some also think repairs are simple easy to do or a quick cleaning. Many components are failing after 50 years. Some think old receivers sound better than new modern ones. Not in my experience. IMO, a $79 boom box will bring in FM stereo stations better than an old receiver. And digital music handily outperforms vinyl records. Especially since most new vinyl records are cut from digital files. I think the old hi-fi renaissance is driven entirely by nostalgia.
My changes. I've gone from looking up to looking back. I was and am a mid -fi or low mid-fi guy and always will be. But the stuff I'd want to put my foot through when i was younger I learned had a purpose and were built to a particular price point and user. Seeing how many still work today has endeared them to me. I like the multifunction with built in record players and tape players. I like the aesthetics of many of them. I did always like consoles although I knew their sound was imperfect. They have their place as well. So I'm retrograding towards low-Fi which I could have never anticipated. There's something for everyone.
Heh. If I need power for a party, I just use my PA. Nice Crown class D amps and big speakers on stands with sub. But for listening to records with friends and a good single malt, meh. I use a 100 watt Hitachi from 1978. It's fine. And I bought it brand new so it has sentimental value. and it matches the pre. Comically, in the 70's it was part of a bi-amped 500 WPC system. Aaaaaand that's why I now wear hearing aids. 🤣 (well, that and playing bass standing too close to loud drummers).
I had to warn my 20 yr old niece not to spend hundreds on new vinyl and then buying a crappy suitcase to play them. I played her some of my vinyl in my less than spectacular system and it still beats the crap out of those cheap record players.
Saying cassettes are coming back is very similar to saying VHS tapes are coming back. It is a dead media, like the VHS or Beta tapes. It is an obsolete technology like the rotary dial telephone. There are VHS players that go up in value as much as tape decks are gaining in value as there is a collectors aspect to those, but it is not a come-back like vinyl, as it is an inferior format. If there would have been a parallel come-back, that would have been the Reel-to-Reel tapes, but that route is also blocked by the absence of the heads. Everybody can restore a Revox B77, Pioneer RT-909, but without the heads, it is in as bad of a condition as it was before you started that restoration.
Clean the amp, Recap the vintage gear and check the transistors.
I love vintage stereo equipment. But I find that it’s to pricey right now. Hopefully the excitement of vintage will die down a bit so prices come down a bit. Kinda like sports cards during Covid . I just remember the sound quality was so good when I was growing up
Is there a reason why a tape deck that is not direct drive
What’s your take on CDs?
Forget belts and capstans as the worst problem of vintage cassette decks. Run your nail vertically across the head gap. If you feel any lines the head is gone. Especially as Metal tape hit the market, headwear went crazy! You might be able to replace or rejuvenate the rubber stuff. But all you can do is replace the heads.
Re-cap?
Replace all the capacitors in a vintage component as most electrolytic capacitors will have a 40-50 Yr life before they degrade. It can improve performance and avoid failures but is unlikely to fix faults.
I used a "suitcase" record player even when I had a decent deck when I was young. Why? Because it was portable. I could carry it anywhere and listen to my Elvis 45s.
I could do a one hour video all about cassettes and decks, but I will refrain! Go with a high quality vintage deck, bearing in mind that it will require maintenance and repair! Just had my Nak serviced and it sounds and works fantastic. New decks are made with crappy transports, the dolby NR license has expired, and they just aren't well made. High quality cassettes are no longer manufactured and likely will never be again(cobalt-doped ferric, metal particle). There are some good Type I tapes available, or if you can grab some used Type II or IV.
Go walkman to aux on yer amp .❤
Recapping has become a kind of panacea. I've wrecked one amp recapping it and can't work out what I messed up. I recapped a Sansui AU101 and it went very well.
Now I have a Sansui Ba-f1 power amp and am conflicted as to whether I should recap it. It seems to work pretty well as it is.
I am aware the so called Black Flag caps should be changed and will do that, but have ordered an Esr meter and am minded to leave well alone any caps which measure well.
If anyone has any thoughts, I am all ears.
I have some cassettes and a nice Nakamichi deck but I’ll never play any songs from cassettes. I can’t imagine sound coming out from my Audio Physics speakers. There is no dynamic in those cassette recordings.
I sold my vintage receiver and cassette deck (looked near identical to the one in the thumbnail.) My compact SMSL class D stereo amp sounds better than that vintage receiver ever could.
Kevin one question how difficult is to find an Alps Potenciometer volumen of 150komhs with loudness terminals?.
Its good to set another not Alps with 100komhs if can not find the original unobtaniun
Thanks
It's as hard as you just described. :)
Sound advice!
I could see CDs being more popular than cassette tapes
DeoxIT = Seafoam
It's great to see the youngsters getting into good sound and good music. Tangible things. Enjoying music. Enjoying history. With friends and family face to face.
In the mid-70s I was one of the 1st in my town to have to have a cassette deck to record on. I used it to save my records. The second play of an album was to record it for my car. Most of my record collection have lass than a dozen plays. Now my collection ROCKS! I still have my cassettes & 3 decks that are dying or dead.
I have the same record collection, although purchased in the 80’s. But my cassette collection still survives today, re-recording over tapes also bought in the 80’s, 90’s and making really sweet sounding tapes (new P3 turntable helps)!
Have you tried to open the decks and see how the belts are looking? sometimes it's just the belts that needs replacing.
In some cases, it can be done simply and easily, and plenty of tutorials on YT. Worth a shot
I've got an unopened Maxell UR 90 minute tape left.
@@redunzel77 nice, I have only one 100 minute Maxell with the Maxell/JBL guy on it, plan to tape over it with my new Favs!
The best vintage cassette decks I've had luck with restoring are from the following. Technics M270X, AKAI GX-F31 and Pioneer CT-W850R. The worst vintage tape decks for me have been anything Onkyo. Dude is also right. Almost any 70's vintage cassette deck's belts have turned to sticky black tar like goo in 2024. Cleaning all the parts is a time consuming challenge. Buy the older heavier tape decks because their parts are mostly metal, heavy duty plastic, big transformers, heavy motors and analog or primitive digital VU meters. Get a cassette deck that plays both metal tape types and has Dolby. The more features add you the more things there are to break. Keep your cassette deck Simple!