Nightwisher's Systems In "Luxman's Room" And Beyond: Some New And Lots of Vintage
- Thread starter Nightwisher
- Start date
woofmytweets
Super Member
yeah i know - it's still less work than sitting around and manually flipping the tapes/records....i try to do that kind of thing as little as possible, if i can download what i'm looking for, i do that.....the only thing i've had to digitize were some old comedy albums that were never really digitized, and some books on tape for my grandmother...so i never bothered with track-splitting. might want to just leave them as side-A, side-B - really in the long term, it's not going to affect your life all that much.Good call on Audacity.I already use that for all my digitizing. I've actually got a Fever Tree record being recorded into Audacity as I type.
If I can get that changer going, that's a good idea to leave it going all day to Audacity. I'll be at the law school around ~6 hours a day the majority of the week, so that could work. I just don't know how I feel about sorting through that file when I come home to split up all the tracks.
asilker
Super Member
A gentle push toward consolidating toward one high quality system?I see I'm going to have to have a sit down talk with you young man,
I'm pretty anal about having my music collection tagged and split properly, so that would bug me to no end. For comedy and non-music, I could care less, but I like my music collection to be right. It's just been something I've always worked towards. I don't always listen to full albums at once (or half albums even), so I like to have options, especially if I have some favorite songs on the album. I make playlists, shuffle, and all that as well, so that's another reason I like to keep them separated. This comes from my PC being my main source and my iPod being number 2.
I'm fine with spending the extra time splitting, but with huge files it's just harder to get that done.
woofmytweets
Super Member
i'd cut them into albums first, and then half albums.....it depends on the material too - not every album has some dead space between songs where you can cut it.
I do like to keep organized, but i guess everyone's line in the sand is different. I'm happy now to have everything organized into folders by artist....most stuff i like cut into tracks....but not always....for instance, in the car, i have all my miles davis as whole-album MP3s (car won't do FLAC)...this is because when i'm in the mood for jazz, i don't want to be bouncing around from one track to the other, and then also the albums have a 'flow' to them. also, as the stupid kenwood deck can only index 5000 files, it allows me to have 10x more miles than i otherwise would. I'm going to do the same for my pink floyd albums, when i have some spare time.
in any case, it would be nice if audiology could automatically cut your files into tracks for you, and you could just label them...but for what it costs, i'm pretty happy....this reminds me, i have to make sure i'm ready to record the tragically hip's final concert off the CBC in august....would really love get the digital surround broadcast - not sure if that'll happen.
asilker
Super Member
Nightwisher I'm also a big proponent of one concentrated rig. Having one of everything really starts to multiply your funds
Nightwisher I'm also a big proponent of one concentrated rig. Having one of everything really starts to multiply your funds
I realize that and thus, I sink a much higher percentage into my main system than my other systems. For example, just what I paid for my power amp and preamp/tuner total to more than the amount I paid for all of my other stereo components in my other systems, $500 vs. ~$400 (speakers are another story as I got lucky and my stereo speakers ended up costing me less than most of my other pairs). I really don't spend that much on my secondary and further down the chain systems as they're, well, secondary and more for fun and experimentation.I just have too many interests to have one system. That just doesn't fit me at all. I'm too into surround sound for both movies/TV and games, so I prefer to have it for both. It just makes those some much more enjoyable and awesome. I also like trying out "new" components, which is why I buy a bunch from thrift stores that are not necessarily going into the main system. A lot of them will get sold (hopefully at a higher price) or passed along at some point, but I like to experiment and experience different gear and different combinations. There's also the thrill of thrifting, which helps me blow off some steam and de-stress. The majority of my thrift store purchases are music, I just don't post that too often because it's much less exciting, most of the time, than finding another component.
Most importantly, I like listening to music just about all the time, so that lends itself to having more than one system for me. A lot of my old gear has simply gotten moved out of the main system and into the other systems to build them.
That's my reasoning. I'm getting the main system up piece by piece, but I'm having fun with other gear in the meantime.
Your systems are really coming together and I'll bet that as you listen to each one you'll get an idea for what you like / don't like and over time they'll evolve tending towards convergence ... but maybe not. The one who owns the most gear wins?
The one who owns the most gear wins?
Definitely. I have definitely learned a lot of restraint (believe it or not), because there's a lot of vintage gear out there that I simply won't be able to put to good use in any of my systems. I try to only buy what will be fun to play with and/or has value to it. Unfortunately, a lot of the less desirable gear, especially if broken, will eventually be tossed in the trash and forgotten despite often having some sort of historical significance, but that's just the way of the world. As a bit of a history buff, I enjoy the progression of audio equipment and its history.I Get It, I'ts also hard to leave Vintage Gear when You find it in Thrift Stores/Good Will/Pawn Shops. Hell I just found another Surround Sound System(Onkyo TX-SR660)
,Mike.
Thanks.Your systems are really coming together and I'll bet that as you listen to each one you'll get an idea for what you like / don't like and over time they'll evolve tending towards convergence ... but maybe not.
I've definitely learned a lot along the way by trying different things. Separates, large speakers, subwoofers, dipoles, accuracy, and metal tweeters are among some of the things I have learned I like, while I've learned I don't like horns, small speakers (as part of the main system), not having a subwoofer, etc.
I am definitely a bit of a collector. Being a bit of a history buff feeds into that and I also really enjoy the whole vintage scene. I have fun with it, but I won't go too crazy with it.
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I did the full curcuit again yesterday to blow off some steam and I found some stuff. I didn't mention it yesterday because I hadn't gotten pictures yet.
I keep finding CD players after not finding any at all for months (with the exception of high-priced carousel units), so I have a good collection going at the moment to play with.
Found an Onkyo DX-710 single disc player for $3.95 and a Technics MASH Carousel Changer also for $3.95 (not pictured and I don't remember the model because it's still in the car). I really like the Onkyo because it has the grid display of tracks almost exactly like my JVCs. Unfortunately it won't fit in the Realistic cabinet, so I'll have to use it elsewhere. It's got a nice thick tray on it, which is one of the reasons why I love these old players much.
I found some more Realistic gear to go along with the cabinet. The clock radio is fully working and sounds fairly good for a clock radio. Behind it is a wireless microphone receiver that lights up but I don't have all the pieces to it to fully test it. I bought that just because it looks kind of cool. Total was ~$8.50 between the two.
The biggest score was this Jazz Club sign. It's made of pretty heavy wood. The original price tag is still on the back for $99.99 (with a Sharpie note discounting it to $15 at some point) - I got it for $5.75. Pretty good shape, but it does have some scratches and scuffs. I've got it in the dining room because I'll be most likely to listen to jazz on that system if I'm studying.
Probably the most useful of what I found were these two Klipsch iPod docks. I've been using a Soundfreaq dock while I'm showering some mornings, which sounds good but nothing like these ones. There's even a semblance of imaging and detail and the tonal balance is pretty good (for an iPod dock that is). The small one was $2.75 (didn't come with a power cord but it takes the same one as the Soundfreaq). The big one was $9.74 and included the power cable (basically a laptop charger) and even the remote (which still has some battery charge left). I probably would have still bought both even if I had found the big one first. It's interesting to hear Klipsch speakers that don't have horns. Even my Pro Media set has horns. I haven't decided if I'll bring either one traveling, because I do like the stereo separation I get from my Bose Mediamates but these sound better.
Of course, I found a bunch of CDs and a few records, but nothing too special. I did find 2 George Harrison (same album) and 2 Three Dog Night 8 tracks, which are hard to come by since most 8 tracks I come across are Country and Western.
I did pass on a Reel to Reel player that was $16 but I couldn't test it and it looked like a Sears or similar unit that wouldn't really be worth fixing up. It was also thrown in a bin upside down in the outlet store, so chances of it working were slim to none. I also passed on a Sony 300 CD player because I barely use the 200 DVD/CD player I already have (even though this one was half that price...). I would have bought it if it was an ES model, but it was not.
I keep finding CD players after not finding any at all for months (with the exception of high-priced carousel units), so I have a good collection going at the moment to play with.
Found an Onkyo DX-710 single disc player for $3.95 and a Technics MASH Carousel Changer also for $3.95 (not pictured and I don't remember the model because it's still in the car). I really like the Onkyo because it has the grid display of tracks almost exactly like my JVCs. Unfortunately it won't fit in the Realistic cabinet, so I'll have to use it elsewhere. It's got a nice thick tray on it, which is one of the reasons why I love these old players much.
I found some more Realistic gear to go along with the cabinet. The clock radio is fully working and sounds fairly good for a clock radio. Behind it is a wireless microphone receiver that lights up but I don't have all the pieces to it to fully test it. I bought that just because it looks kind of cool. Total was ~$8.50 between the two.
The biggest score was this Jazz Club sign. It's made of pretty heavy wood. The original price tag is still on the back for $99.99 (with a Sharpie note discounting it to $15 at some point) - I got it for $5.75. Pretty good shape, but it does have some scratches and scuffs. I've got it in the dining room because I'll be most likely to listen to jazz on that system if I'm studying.
Probably the most useful of what I found were these two Klipsch iPod docks. I've been using a Soundfreaq dock while I'm showering some mornings, which sounds good but nothing like these ones. There's even a semblance of imaging and detail and the tonal balance is pretty good (for an iPod dock that is). The small one was $2.75 (didn't come with a power cord but it takes the same one as the Soundfreaq). The big one was $9.74 and included the power cable (basically a laptop charger) and even the remote (which still has some battery charge left). I probably would have still bought both even if I had found the big one first. It's interesting to hear Klipsch speakers that don't have horns. Even my Pro Media set has horns. I haven't decided if I'll bring either one traveling, because I do like the stereo separation I get from my Bose Mediamates but these sound better.
Of course, I found a bunch of CDs and a few records, but nothing too special. I did find 2 George Harrison (same album) and 2 Three Dog Night 8 tracks, which are hard to come by since most 8 tracks I come across are Country and Western.
I did pass on a Reel to Reel player that was $16 but I couldn't test it and it looked like a Sears or similar unit that wouldn't really be worth fixing up. It was also thrown in a bin upside down in the outlet store, so chances of it working were slim to none. I also passed on a Sony 300 CD player because I barely use the 200 DVD/CD player I already have (even though this one was half that price...). I would have bought it if it was an ES model, but it was not.
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I did some shifting around this week, mainly with my CD players.
(Things look dusty but that's because of the flash. Everything looks way better under the normal lighting.)
I compared my Luxman DZ-92 and Onkyo DX-710 and didn't find a difference in sound, so I put the Onkyo into the main system for its awesome and very descriptive display, better build quality, and the much cheaper price I paid for it ($3.95 vs. $65). They were sold at the same price point in the early 90s (~$250) so I'm not suprised there's no noticeable difference in sound. Eventually I'll get a real high end CD player in there, but my critical listening comes through my DAC, so it's not too critical.
I also put the Toshiba Changer and Yamaha tape deck in the main system, but not on the stand since that is full. The tape deck is there only for recording and the occasional listen, otherwise it would be closer for a shorter RCA cable run.
I put the Luxman in the secondary system, pulling the JVC CD player out to go to my desk system back home. I also hooked the Kenwood up as the main receiver since my JVC receiver is making some popping sounds (probably caps or something - it never sounded that good to begin with, even this Kenwood sounds quite a bit better).
Finally, I put the Technics Changer (SL-PD847) in the dining room system after I took the Toshiba out, along with the Pioneer single disc I picked up.
(Things look dusty but that's because of the flash. Everything looks way better under the normal lighting.)
I compared my Luxman DZ-92 and Onkyo DX-710 and didn't find a difference in sound, so I put the Onkyo into the main system for its awesome and very descriptive display, better build quality, and the much cheaper price I paid for it ($3.95 vs. $65). They were sold at the same price point in the early 90s (~$250) so I'm not suprised there's no noticeable difference in sound. Eventually I'll get a real high end CD player in there, but my critical listening comes through my DAC, so it's not too critical.
I also put the Toshiba Changer and Yamaha tape deck in the main system, but not on the stand since that is full. The tape deck is there only for recording and the occasional listen, otherwise it would be closer for a shorter RCA cable run.
I put the Luxman in the secondary system, pulling the JVC CD player out to go to my desk system back home. I also hooked the Kenwood up as the main receiver since my JVC receiver is making some popping sounds (probably caps or something - it never sounded that good to begin with, even this Kenwood sounds quite a bit better).
Finally, I put the Technics Changer (SL-PD847) in the dining room system after I took the Toshiba out, along with the Pioneer single disc I picked up.
Currently, my "treatments" are curtains over the windows and some fabric posters on the walls. I'm considering getting some bass traps for the front corners of the room and some panels for the side walls. I just have to be really careful about taking the paint off the walls and putting too many holes in them.
asilker
Super Member
You can lean comfortably.
A few updates.
Found some great stuff lately:
ADS 200c (one tweeter blown - replacement en route and unfortunately missing a grill) $4.75 with decent speaker wire included. These are the older and outdoor version of the L200.
Realistic Minimus-77 (need to be refoamed) $5.50
Hometech HTS6 Speaker Selector Switch in original box $5
Kenwood PD-M6650 6+1 CD Changer (in the original box, with original plastic wrap and styrofoam, with a Kenwood remote but not the right one, RCA cables and a cartridge full of 6 CDs) $9.99
Technics Tuner ST-K50 $3 + $1.75 Power Cable
Realistic TR?-801 8 Track Player $6.75 (Haven't tried it yet and not pictured)
Pioneer Stereo Cabinet $5
Ben Webster and Gerry Mulligan framed photo $7.50
Rock 'N Roll Sign $3.50
Free CDs (some CD-Rs but I own the music on those anyway). The top one is Enya - Watermark. The one on the far right that can't be read is The Bodyguard soundtrack. I'm not sure what the blue one is yet.
Secondary system is now in the Pioneer cabinet with the Kenwood CD Player added (bottom)
Webster/Mulligan
Rock 'N Roll
All this stuff is going to be used. The cabinet was traded in for the Kenwood because my dad will use the Kenwood out in the garage with his Carver MXR 150 on the wood top. The speaker selector and tuner will go into my systems at home. The 8 track player I'll use a little if it works (as I mentioned a few posts ago, I did buy some 8 tracks), but it's more of a collector piece to say I have one (don't see them too often these days). The ADS will be used as my moveable outdoor speakers on my balcony once repaired (hooked up to dining room Nakamichi B terminals). The Realistics may serve the same purpose once repaired but the ADS are easier to move around (both pairs are heavy) and I hear the Minimus series are a favorite small speaker from those that own them. The Kenwood CD Player allows me to have a changer hooked up to my PC system, plus I couldn't pass it up being practically new in box (and the extras just about paid for it).
Found some great stuff lately:
ADS 200c (one tweeter blown - replacement en route and unfortunately missing a grill) $4.75 with decent speaker wire included. These are the older and outdoor version of the L200.
Realistic Minimus-77 (need to be refoamed) $5.50
Hometech HTS6 Speaker Selector Switch in original box $5
Kenwood PD-M6650 6+1 CD Changer (in the original box, with original plastic wrap and styrofoam, with a Kenwood remote but not the right one, RCA cables and a cartridge full of 6 CDs) $9.99
Technics Tuner ST-K50 $3 + $1.75 Power Cable
Realistic TR?-801 8 Track Player $6.75 (Haven't tried it yet and not pictured)
Pioneer Stereo Cabinet $5
Ben Webster and Gerry Mulligan framed photo $7.50
Rock 'N Roll Sign $3.50
Free CDs (some CD-Rs but I own the music on those anyway). The top one is Enya - Watermark. The one on the far right that can't be read is The Bodyguard soundtrack. I'm not sure what the blue one is yet.
Secondary system is now in the Pioneer cabinet with the Kenwood CD Player added (bottom)
Webster/Mulligan
Rock 'N Roll
All this stuff is going to be used. The cabinet was traded in for the Kenwood because my dad will use the Kenwood out in the garage with his Carver MXR 150 on the wood top. The speaker selector and tuner will go into my systems at home. The 8 track player I'll use a little if it works (as I mentioned a few posts ago, I did buy some 8 tracks), but it's more of a collector piece to say I have one (don't see them too often these days). The ADS will be used as my moveable outdoor speakers on my balcony once repaired (hooked up to dining room Nakamichi B terminals). The Realistics may serve the same purpose once repaired but the ADS are easier to move around (both pairs are heavy) and I hear the Minimus series are a favorite small speaker from those that own them. The Kenwood CD Player allows me to have a changer hooked up to my PC system, plus I couldn't pass it up being practically new in box (and the extras just about paid for it).
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In other news, the Advent Baby IIs are refoamed now, so the dining room system is finally fully operational. I'm listening to them as I type and they sound sweet.
Funny you picked up the small ADS and Minimus kinda like what I have in my garage! The ADS will put out more bass but they will both sound great, I think.
Yeah that's kind of crazy. Mine are the opposite of yours with the Realistics dwarfing the ADS. When I listened to the ADS, they put out more bass than they had a right to. That goes a long way to explaining why ADS are so desirable (and why this model looks to be selling on Ebay for $150+ when they're available). I'm excited to hear what the complete pair sounds like, which is why I paid a fair amount of money for the replacement tweeter.
The Minimus on the other hand seemed bass-shy, but it's not a fair comparison with their foam being completely gone. I'll do a proper comparison when both are fixed of course.
