I spent way too much during a vintage mania buying spree. One onkyo tx4500 receiver & adequate speakers is ALL ya need, Over 60wpc is a waste of money.- - buy GE. GOOD ENOUGH.

In my youth my one job was to write lightning affidavits, What correct when gigawatts hit all bets are off!!! Parts ofHouston Texas is into 10 days without power and triple digit heat as after Hurricane Byrel. Living in Disaster Zones taught how to get perfect Digital play trust me eliminate the noise all of the Holographic 3d lifelike Soundstage is there. After that add the harmonics

I should add this observation. Not long after the lightning episode, a powerful dust-devil lifted a sheet-steel tool shed from a neighbor's property and dumped it on our property, narrowly missing both our home and my observatory. The damage could have been severe if the steel shed had taken a slightly different path.

Interesting. My home in rural So. Calif. was struck by lightning in May 2014. The lightning struck the anemometer mast of my weather station. A Samsung plasma TV, an Emotiva pre-pro, and a laptop computer in my nearby observatory were damaged by the lightning strike. I never asked my insurance company about any of this. I feared that even an inquiry might be grounds for cancellation. In fact, home insurance is now unobtainable in our area, because of the perceived wildfire risk. In the meantime -- I got no help from Samsung for the TV. I couldn't even get Samsung to respond to a request for information. OTOH, Emotiva repaired the pre-pro at no charge.

While electrostatic speakers have their admirers and certain advantages, there are significant drawbacks that cannot be overlooked. This reply aims to present an objective analysis of the common issues associated with electrostatic speakers, supported by empirical evidence and logical explanations. By highlighting these limitations, I hope to offer a balanced perspective for audio enthusiasts and potential buyers. Below are the key areas where electrostatic speakers often fall short: 1) Colored Sound: Many listeners and reviewers have noted that electrostatic speakers can have a distinct tonal character that deviates from neutrality. This is often due to the diaphragm material and the way it interacts with the electrical charge. Measurements of frequency response in electrostatic speakers can show peaks and dips that contribute to this perceived coloration. 2) Poor Stereo Image: Electrostatic speakers are dipoles, meaning they radiate sound from both the front and back. This can cause phase cancellation issues and create a diffuse soundstage. Measurements of the polar response and listening tests often reveal that the stereo imaging is less precise compared to well-designed dynamic speakers. 3) Need for Transformers: Electrostatic speakers require step-up transformers to increase the voltage to the diaphragm. These transformers can introduce distortion and phase shifts. Measurements of the electrical characteristics of these transformers show added harmonic distortion and altered phase response, which can affect the overall sound quality. 4) Limited Dynamics Due to Excursion: Electrostatic diaphragms are very light and have limited excursion compared to dynamic drivers. This limits their ability to move large volumes of air, which is necessary for producing strong bass and dynamic peaks. Measurements of maximum SPL (sound pressure level) and distortion at high volumes often show that electrostatics cannot match the dynamic range of traditional cone drivers. 5) Narrow Sweet Spot: The narrow sweet spot is a well-documented issue with electrostatic speakers. Because of their large, flat diaphragm, they beam sound more than dynamic drivers. Off-axis measurements show a significant drop-off in frequency response, which means the listener needs to be in a very specific position to get the best sound. 6) Problematic Rear Wave: The rear wave from dipole speakers can cause interference with the front wave, leading to comb filtering and other issues. This requires careful room placement and treatment. Measurements of in-room response often show irregularities unless the rear wave is properly managed, either through absorption or adequate spacing from the walls. Each of these points can be supported by empirical data from measurements, listening tests, and technical analysis found in reviews and studies on electrostatic speaker performance. While they have their strengths, it's important to recognize these limitations when considering them as a superior audio solution.

Thanks Lou! Good advice. A little different scenario: I built my first "decent" stereo system speakers. These were the days of a local Lafayette Radio shop. With the assistance of my parents' next door neighbor who had a full shop, carpentry skills, and a bit of a musical background, this gentleman helped me build some large and heavy speakers. We built a front ported design, with 3/4 inch particle board. (I didn't say was an audiophile system.) Installed a 12" woofer, with a 1973 facsimile of a concentric or 2-way speaker, with the tweeter mounted in the woofer basket. I can't speak to the quality of the sound but they were loud! (My first integrated amp by Lafayette and my first simple TT with a basic Shure cartridge.) Well, my older sister used to date some real scumbags before she smartened-up. Of her "beau's" burglarized my parents house. Nothing was stolen except my system. I felt violated. But then my parents' insurance company took over. I had no idea about these things. Their agent said that I was to receive the price of replacement and that included my and the neighbor's labor. So, I got my first upgraded system in that manner. Bad luck turned good.

All of the 70s equipment are extremely over priced. With the possible exception of McIntosh. As far as Sansui I remember the repair shops called them Sansewage because they needed constant repairs. And I still hear that complain to this day.

I think it is down to Lou's last comment plain and simple. The Marantz has the best look of the 70's receivers.

It's a matter of opinion. Their good. They have their own sound signature. Those guys on eBay are dreaming if they are gonna get that buy it now price.

Lou, there seems to be two versions of the 1030, one with Pre Out - Main In and one without. Is one more musical then the other?

I love vintage gear owned a reconditioned Pioneer integrated that sounded pretty good for what it was. However, in looking to obtain an old school receiver for a second audio system I quickly ruled out anything vintage. Agreed the asking price for most of it is now obscene. Especially when considering the likelihood of parts failure on something that was made 40 plus years ago. You may or may not find them for it. Recently saw a Sansui G-9000DB for $7999.99, as much of a fanboy I was of that piece, you could get into a new McIntosh MAC7200 for just a penny more. With an active warranty and parts readily available.

This is a great rundown and as someone who listened to a 70's Marantz receiver for years, I completely agree. They were OK, but not anything worth near what people are asking for them. Haven't owned any Sansui tuners but good to hear that they perform(ed) as well as their reputation indicated. Also interesting that the Marantz 1030 was similar sonically to the Naim Nait. You do realize that PRaT is nothing more than a marketing term? 🙂

Lou, I have to wonder if the sound quality of the 1030 or the Sansui gear were merely accidental.

Sansui tuners ............indeed they were /are good. The 1030 played.... MUSIC..............but people always wanted more power ....this ( illusdion ) hasn't changed. The 1060 ..............decades ago I only used the preamp, it sounded decent with some good power amps.. One little amp i was happy with and I still have one is a Luxman L30.......also nice looks and kind of a gentle little music amplifier . Have a nice day sir.

Marantz did well in the UK with the CD 63 top loader CD player but it was basically a Philips CD 100 ( I think Marantz was owned by Philips at the time). Ken Ishiwata had input into the later CD designs and they became very popular over here - they still are. I have one, and the original Naim Nait. By the way, sorry to hear about the shooting in your country.

Open baffle is trending and while they are capable of beautiful sonics, they come with their own set of room setup challenges. It’s simply not the silver bullet that these latest YTers are using for clickbait.

Another thought: why are people unhappy with their vintage gear? What's missing? Or is it the internet? Hype? These videos? Add your thoughts?

I always love your videos Lou! Please send me a USA audiophile bread tie-wire because your bread is sweeter than UK bread and I like a sweet sound. I did try the arm bearing test but one arm rocked quite happily and the other came apart in my hand! Horror - well, one was a gravity loaded knife edge SME 3009 and the other a Hadcock unipivot. Back in the day the 'cure' for a worn Thorens bearing on a TD 160 was to use a higher viscosity oil in the bearing.

I have had a number of tube amps and preamps over the years and used a lot of aftermarket replacements. I would say it depends on the brand if it is successful. In gear from ARC and McIntosh I have had the best reliability replacing tired ones with ones from Audio Research or McIntosh. On a Mac putting expensive NOS does not do much, their use of auto former and their voicing tries to conserve its in house sound. Zesto I was directed to go to their supplier but did not need to buy direct from them, just use the same source. With products from Sonic Frontiers, BAT, and Prima Luna I could get away with quality tube from a reputable reseller. Although on BAT power amps it is best to stick with tubes obtained from BAT, I could roll on the preamps to pretty much any make. Stay away from volume resellers with prices that are too good to be true, Amazon and e-Bay.

Sadly, with the demise of many brick and mortar stores and the all-too-common misinterpretation of many fine you tube reviews I have encountered a lot of folks who give information about a product but never listened to it in person. I find this leads to the expression of opinions that are ill formed from lack of real-world exposure to what is out there; to make matters worse these folks will tout their biased views as hard empirical fact, clinging to s spec sheet rather than an audition.

What about power amps that have their own gain controls. Same issue or do they employ a buffered input stage like a pre-amp. Do external powered phono pre-amps have buffered inputs and thus the output can go straight to a power amp? Thanks for the info. It’s invaluable.

I have come to the same conclusion. I do have an NAD 3020A that I had totally refurbished by a great technician, but it wasn't cheap. Funny that you never see this piece featured on all these channels that are touting a 35 watt 50-year-old Marantz that will set you back $2,600 with, as you say, FM that I just don't listen to anymore and AM that I NEVER listened to. I think you are spot-on; people are trying to relive a part of their lives when they thought life was simpler, but the music is really secondary.

I have some decent condition vintage gear like Scott, Marantz, Mcintosh, PS Audio, and etc, and I always thought they sound good until I try modern Chiness tube amps. I bought Wellsenton R8 tube amp because of good reviews from KZfaq and it beat them all. Only amp better I have was Audio Research VT100 that use to be class A reated on Stereophil. magazine. So I bought another small tube amp by Musical Paradise and this 8 W SE tube amp sounds better than vintage Marantz 2265 receiver. I belive vintage gears are good for looks and nostalgia, not for better sounds.

Excellent advice. I've gone through three receivers having them tuned up, cleaned up and as you relayed, they just wear out. Without an unlimited budget, it's hard to keep them up and running as in when they were new. Your outlook on how to save money is appreciated.

I’ve got a 1971 Pioneer SX1000TW that still works great. I listen to it every day through some vintage speakers. Nice relaxed warm sound. None of the new stuff even comes close for the price.

Yup. Vintage can be great, but after equal money spent in hot rodding, which may well be spent equally on new high performance amplification. My Marantz 2250B sounds great occasionally, but also occasionally craps out on me. I love it, but it's time to make it a shelf spectacle.

Keep on rubbing your hand across that nice real wood cabinet because you won't get that on a new unit

You own a shop that’s selling new equipment, ($4,000 power cables!) not vintage, so of course you’re going to trash vintage and extol the virtues of the new. I run a Marantz 1060 amplifier which I bought new in 1975 with the optional walnut case. It’s been serviced a number of times over the years and continues to power any speaker I connect with. The problem with newer equipment IMO is that it has no visual soul or sonic warmth until you get into the very high end stuff. Reminds me of a sterile, disposable Apple watch compared to a well designed mechanical timepiece. Is the Apple more accurate…yes, but I enjoy the beauty and adequate accuracy over the bland homogenized slab which only work if I have electricity to charge them.

Who cares about 'spec'?

If vintage equipment is all about the looks then modern equipment really needs to up its game in that department.

I own several vintage Luxman amps and receivers from the seventies, sounds very good even compared to modern stuff. But you have to spent money to get them right, New powercord, New speakerterminals, renew most of the caps etcetera. Than you will have an awesome sounding and performing unit. Do you get the same soundquality for the money you are spending compared to a modern unit? Depends, but you have something special which will hold its value rather good and is a pleasure to look and interact with. It is like a classic car compared to a New car it has so much more character.

Ok it's much better equipment out there for 5000 & up to get sound of vintage stereo sound I'll take vintage any day over new .Recap keep fingers cross enjoy😊

While I agree with some of your points and it's always nice to hear what someone's opinion who has been dealing with audio equipment for years, the vintage equipment is out selling almost anything that is out there today, There is a difference in quality. Stuff made today just is not made to perform or last as vintage equipment. I would rather put money into something have it reconditioned/ rebuilt correctly and have it last with the exception of having the pots cleaned every few years then to buy something current and have to trash it after 4 or 5 years spending the money that it costs as it is not by any means cheap either

Just to close this thought. I would gladly buy something new and sell my old gear if it did something amazing and blew me away. Like a gasoline car to a hybrid or electric. Now that's an improvement. So until that happens, I'll keep my vintage and spend my money on records 😅 cheers.

Good information. Reminds me of the adage "A piece of Hifi can be well made and still not sound good".

I respectfully disagree. I have never changed one capacitor on any of my vintage stereos that I bought cheap, and they sound awesome. Imagine if they were fully restored! You make it sound like quality vintage gear is cheap. The price is, not the products. The improvements in the audio industry are minor. As a matter of fact, cheaper built, plasticy, fatiguing, edgey sounding, maybe a bit more detailed in some models, but ridiculously overpriced.

And that folks, is why God gave us Technics!

Some people just luv to rub the wood panels😮

Finally, someone telling it like it is with this vintage stuff!

There is no reason a property restored unit can’t be up to spec. All one needs is a scope and a distortion meter to prove it. A well restored machine can last decades from now. The allure is the all discrete circuitry, the build quality and the aesthetics. Those things can’t all be found in any modern amp.

I agree fully with your comments even though I have about 50 vintage items from Quad II amps to Garrard 301s. They are collectors items or display items only. And if you change the capacitors etc on a vintage set with new parts they are no longer vintage.

Really interesting. I’m in my mid 70s and started buying and using audio equipment in the late 60s and have continues to this day. I have to say that the newer equipment is really user friendly and sounds good to me. My latest piece of equipment is a nad C3050 streaming amp and it does sound really good to me. There was a certain magic about using an fm tuner and a record player years ago, but the convenience and sound were not up to the standards we have today. I have several tuners and a vintage turntable hooked up to my system, but the only time I use either is when friends come to visit and want to hear them. Audio convenience and sound quality have taken huge leaps. ahead. I have to agree, if you’re purchasing audio equipment now, you’re way ahead buying the latest and greatest.

I'd trust your impressions on quality. However, I was disappointed to see that they're set up for bi-wiring. I have not come to anything but one conclusion regarding bi-wiring; there is no definitive evidence to support the use of such.

Nice job Lou! I'm curious what turntable (s) you might recommend in the $500 range? Also, how do cartridges like those that come with the Rega TT's compare to the likes of an Ortofon Blue?

When I wanted to get back into vinyl about 20 years ago, you recommended and I bought a Rega P2. It was a very high quality piece that sounded great and didn't cost crazy money, in fact, at that time, I believe with a cartridge it was around $500.00. Of course, many people might have stopped right there, but as you know, I just kept going. Your guidance has been very valuable to me on my quest.

It is nice to see time has proven you right. It is tempting to say "right as rain," but "riight as Rega" fits better considering the Plinth you had on display in the video. Great choice considering the various price points they offer. I have never encountered another audiophile who owned a Rega that did not love it.

I have some vintage equipment that I bought in the '70s. Rebuilt it (Pioneer SA-8500) once about 4 years ago and that is the only chance it will get. I rarely use it now. I have since gotten hooked on digital controls and comprehensive bass management. I can buy a used AVR with pre/sub outs for pennies on the dollar that will typically have over 100WPC/8Ohms, and be stable down to 2Ohms and use that for 2.2 channel instead. CD, and bass management have been the two most significant audible improvements in my lifetime. I hate foam surrounds on speakers, and old analog pots. When I rebuilt them, I basically just reset the clock on the ticking time bomb that old stuff is. One exception would likely be the old direct drive Hitachi TT I have. It still works but mostly because there is not a whole lot to go wrong with it. I won't shed any tears when and if it dies. I got my $'s worth from it. I try and stay away from vintage stuff priced by flippers and collectors. I might would take it if they were giving it away but even then, it takes up valuable space so probably not. I'm all about the music. I have 11 pairs of speakers, most of which are kits I built myself. I do like buying some older JBL budget sleepers that were known to punch well above their otherwise budget designations. All of which have rubber surrounds and more modern caps. I also have years of electronics experience and have rebuilt/serviced my own gear over the 50 years I have been at this by now. Still, I will stick to modern equipment for what years I have left. It sounds ridiculously good for what I have in it.

Grado labs are in my neighborhood in Brooklyn... Headphones are incredible.

THE A1...............my brother bouight one .......rarely seen such a nice builded integrated amp BUT whatever the volume setting the music NEVER came..........he sold it ! Overal NFB "always" messes up time realted harmonics , lowering the MEASURED DHT distortion on fixed frequencies static sine waves ...........and creating MORE distortion on low levels , low dynamic micro musical signals that are supposed to establish the reightfull tone of a voice, an instrument, an environment or a material identity ....that is called hard distortion and it is not talked about ! NFB works only correct in the real time domain , that's why triodes are so linear ( internal no time delay feedback ) ............ M%usic / sdounds are time related transients rather than thez proned frequency response in the audio world , in nature time is the prime capture of sound by the brain , precise location and distaznce od a sound source...........whatever the conditions of your ears and the loss by age ( or abuse ) ............;the identity and nature of the sound will ALWAYS be recognized ! ..............you will recognise the right time aligned harmonic structure of a familiar person or sound. Intermodulation is anotherr beast , it will ruin your perception of music ! The better system have low intermodulation even if the " classic " measurements of the DHT are not those of the high end audio systems and amplifiers or otherr components . Good music is instantly accepted by the brain , the soul and does not need analyzing or measured ..............you will not suffer from listening fatigue by those impressive sounding audio components ........listening fatigue is an indicator that something is realy wrong ! .....while specs are showing the opposite near to perfection ....... Most problems are problems with time perception..........altering the harmonic structure of natural sounds/music ... Thank you for the upload LOU.

The syndrome of the world today...............well expressed and shared. That's why you , others and myself try to share their experience...........trying to farm the farmland that becomes a desert ............but some seeds planted in the desert will grow and flourish ........I hope and wish so . The illusion of freedom by the introducton of the first I-phone became their prison ........AI is your best friend and your worst enemy ..........humanity is on a ctrossroad .........we have to choose ...... The few left have to show their children the right way to go........