Nightwisher's Systems In "Luxman's Room" And Beyond: Some New And Lots of Vintage

Looks like the next post should be of your new bathroom system. :p
You mean...this (previously mentioned in post 132): ;)

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In all seriousness, it's hard to hear the other systems over the water (without disturbing the neighbors) and I do enjoy a bit of music in the shower from time to time, hence that is the solution (turned more toward the shower of course).
 
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I went home this weekend, so I was able to setup the rest of the thrift store gear I've been finding.

On the way home, I stopped into a GW off the highway and found an Aiwa AV-X200. It looks kind of cheesy but it's quite heavy and it sounds good. I bought it for $9.75 with the intention of flipping it, but I'm going to keep it for a bit. It got really good reviews on Audioreview, which is interesting. According to the manual, it's supposed to make over 100 watts/ch into 8 ohms. I don't know about that, but it definitely has more wattage than my Kenwood integrated (35) I replaced with it. I put one of my JVC CD players, JVC tuner, and Boston Acoustics VR20s with it.

Apparently my dad had some Realistic Minimus-7s just out on a shelf in the garage, so I have them hooked up as well. The ADS 200cs (repaired this weekend) sound way better. It's amazing how much fuller the sound of the ADS are.

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I also found another Kenwood cabinet. This one is a higher model than my other Kenwood cabinet and way better built (actually made in the US). Currently I've got my "needs work" gear in that one and my not being used gear in the Sanyo beside it. Since I'm a subscriber now, the Kenwood receiver may be on the way out after I get some Deoxit in it. I tried out the 8 track player for the first time and, while all the lights come on, I got no action out of the motor. Hopefully belts are the only true issue (I have my doubts, but I can hope).

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I rearranged the main system in my room at home and added the Technics Tuner and my original JVC CD player I've had since the spring., mainly because I needed to take the other Kenwood out to fix and probably sell.

At a local thrift store back home, I stumbled upon these vintage speakers in beautiful cabinets. Turns out they were a pair of The Advent Loudspeakers...for $15.75! They need to be refoamed, but that's no problem. These speakers are worth like everything I've spent thrifting lately and they sound (and look) like it.

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I found some pieces to a homemade car ramp in one of the Goodwills last week and the bottom halves were perfect to use as speaker stands for my Baby Advents at the apartment. I paid all of $4.75 each and had the other pieces to give to my dad, so definitely cheaper than buying real stands for them. They're now at almost the perfect height when I'm sitting at the table. The now-repaired ADS 200cs fit perfectly in the backs of the stands for storage when I'm not using them.

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Here's what they were originally. (They're upside down.)
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My dad bought me this small shelfing unit to put vinyl in. That's good, because most of what I've bought lately is vinyl and it's practically full already. I need to get into a rhythm of archiving them so I can send more home. I also found that canvas painting at a thrift store. It's just really cool.

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Hello, I miss Your GW and Thrift Store Finds being Posted.......where have You Been Brother.

Take it Easy, Mike.
I've been really busy lately. Between law school and relationships, it's been a busy few weeks. Haven't stopped thrift shopping though. I go every Saturday and sometimes on Friday too (this weekend may have to be postponed because of the incoming hurricane weather). I'll see if I can get a recap and some pictures up soon.
 
Got my work done for right now. We're off from school because of the hurricane, so I finally have a break.

Found some really good stuff in the past few weeks thrift shopping. Mainly now I'm just goofing around with my dining room system and cycling things in and out of that. Realizing that I have a lot, my plan is to sell some stuff off, and probably pass some along to my brother and friends.

I found a Sony STR-D590 stereo/surround receiver for $9.75 complete with the manual and remote. Even still had the FM tuner loop wire. It sounded really nice hooked up to my Baby Advents.

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I also found a Pioneer SX-303r ($4.75!) and a pair of Pioneer CS-G301WAIIs ($15.75). The speakers are going to my brother once they are repaired to upgrade his CS-G201WAIIs (which will probably get sold after that). I found the receivers in the same weekend. I also found a nice Pioneer surround receiver from about the same era (4 channel equal output) that weekend, but it didn't turn on at all and was too expensive (~$22) for me to take a chance on it. The speakers seemed to sound better than the 201s, i.e. not having the harsh top end, which was interesting. Of course, I had them hooked up to my Nakamichi RE-2 which may have helped smooth that out. Luckily I have enough space behind my couch that I could store the speakers there for a couple weeks.

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The dining room system has gotten almost fully upgraded. The main speakers now are Technics SB-CR55s ($9.99), which I had bought originally just for a party speaker for my balcony. However, they sound surprisingly nice so they have replaced the Advents (the Advents have a better top end and imagining but the Technics overall have a richer sound). The Technics have rubber surrounds, so they are one of the two pairs of thrift speakers I have found that didn't need any repair (the other being my Eosone RSF-600s). Positioning is a little awkward because the right speaker is so close to my cabinet, but that's the best I can currently do right now. I was expecting them to be harsh in treble like the Pioneer CSs, but they aren't, which was the true shock.

The Advents are still in the system (on the floor currently) as the B speakers. I may pass them along at some point, but for right now they remain, mainly so that I can pull the onto the balcony when I want the speakers facing that way.

The Pioneer receiver went into the system because it has the most wattage (supposedly 100 w/ch into 8 ohms). The Sony only had 60 w/ch so the Pioneer was the obvious choice (although the Sony looks better and has a remote). I bought a replacement logo for it since that was missing (also had to buy a power cable because that was missing too but I was able to find one at GW), which I think looks better than the original logo. It's a pretty ugly receiver in my opinion, but it's growing on me, especially with its specs and sound.

My best find in my opinion is an ADC Sound Shaper SS-100SL ($8.75). All the LEDS work, it's just missing the cap on one of the sliders which is fine. This is the model with the spectrum analyzer that just analyzes the music, but it's cool to watch.

I found 2 more cabinets for my growing vinyl collection that you can see on the right. The one on the bottom is from a Panasonic cabinet and matches the Realistic one beside it almost perfectly.

The headphones on the left are Pioneer SE-30as ($4.75). I had found another pair of Realistic Nova 40s ($4.75) but unfortunately they didn't work at all. My original Nova40s are on the right.

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I finally found a logo for the front of my turntable. It's not the right one because those just don't exist without the turntable attached to it, but it is the right era Kenwood logo. Those are hard enough to find. Had to import the pair (because they were from speakers) from France.

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I've bought a bunch of RCA cables, pretty much getting them whenever I can find them to have them on hand. I've found some THX Monster Component Cables (and paid shipping for a set from an AK member), which I currently have hooked up between my preamp and power amp and from my DAC to my preamp. I didn't notice any difference, but I didn't do any side by side comparison. That's just a why not? type of thing. If nothing else, they look better and have less obtrusive and tighter connectors than my Monoprice ones.

I don't have a picture, but I found a dbx DX-5 CD player two weeks ago. It didn't turn on at all, so I'm thinking it has power supply problems. My dad and I will take a look at it soon and see if we can bring it to life. If so, that will be my main player. If we can't get it working, I think I'll keep it around and try to have it professionally restored. I don't have any pictures because I sent it home right after I bought it.
 
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Nightie, where you been at dawg
Law school has been keeping me plenty busy. And when I'm not busy with school, I've been enjoying my systems or spending time with friends. I've had to cut back almost completely on my time here besides reading through my alerts, although I've been a bit more present this past week.

I haven't found much in thrift stores lately, that I've bought anyway, and I've had to cut back my trips more than a bit. Part of that has to do with going out on Friday nights fairly frequently (less so lately as exams are coming up) and then sleeping into the afternoon afterward...one person in particular keeps ending up crashing at my place...definitely not saying I mind. :D I did find a Realistic receiver, a Modulaire model I believe, but that's been it. It made it's way home on election day and I haven't even had a chance to test it yet. I have gotten stacks and stacks of vinyl, though, and plenty of CDs in the meantime.

I did forget to mention that my dad found my an Akai CD-A7 CD player for ~$7 a while ago at Goodwill that is in use back at home. It works great besides a scratchy volume pot. It's the most complicated CD player I have ever used. You have to program the damn thing to get it to seek to the next track. It did sound nice when I listened to it and it weighs a solid ~7 pounds I think. And it has vents, which is an interesting sight on a CD player.

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My systems have been 100% stable since my last post, a rarity lately. I see no need for upgrades in the near future unless something lands in my lap for cheap. My main system amazes me every time I sit down and listen to it in the sweet spot. I'm probably known as the noisy neighbor at this point (I may have used nearly all 100 watts of Nakamichi power at multiple points...just for a few seconds of course to see what that was like. Then again, I may have blasted all 45 seconds of Judas Priest's "The Hellion" :rockon:), but I haven't gotten any complaints yet, which is good. The brick walls, the fact that my apartment is not directly connected to any of my neighbors (the person below me is the only one I really worry about), and the fact that my neighbors don't seem to be here that often definitely helps.

The dining room system, with the Technics SB-CR55s, has stabilized. The Technics, after extensive listening, are way better than my Baby Advents, which was definitely a shock. For speakers with dome tweeters, they sound pretty smooth. There's still a bit of harshness that I have mostly tamed with my equalizer, but they still sound better than those Advents. Of course, the Advents may need a refresh being older.
 
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I sold my older Yamaha surround receiver I had in my dorm room, so I decided to put that money towards a new phono cartridge. I know I said I wouldn't be upgrading, but that sale changed my mind. I got an Ortofon 2M Red. I was originally going to use the Kenwood headshell that's original to my turntable, but one of the leads broke as I was taking off my Empire 400TC cartridge. So I got an Ortofon SH-4 Headshell to replace that as well.

The combo sounds incredible. Even without something to compare it to, I always thought my previous combo was a bit dull and muddy. Right out of the box, the Ortofon combo sounds crystal clear and really sharp. The bass is tighter and goes deeper. An excellent upgrade (and good-looking too). Now I've got to find the time to get back to archiving all this vinyl I've been buying...

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I had a pair of Boston Acoustic A70's that i bought in about 1987. I kept them until about 1999...good speakers that I cranked a lot of good music on...U2's Rattle and Hum was cranked very loudly in my post-college apartment with roommates in the early days of CDs!
 
So guess who has a working 8 track player...this guy! Found a RCA unit for $4.79 at GW that works. I was so shocked when I plugged it in in the store, put a tape in, and heard the motor running. The Auxillary output doesn't work so I have to run it through the headphone output, which is fine (it's an 8 track receiver actually). Found some more 8 tracks with it, including Audio Visions By Kansas (which is what is in there). DeOxit of the pots is in progress, but I got it to output equally so I've gotten that far.

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Also found another 90s Sony surround receiver. I bought it pretty much just to have to sell or give to a friend. Couldn't resist the $3.75 GW price tag.

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Also finally did some hanging in the apartment. Got my Jazz Club sign hung in my entry way. Also found a painting of a guy playing saxophone in the street with the subtitle "Midnight Blues" and put that right across from it.

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Had a good conversation with the pest control guys about my stereo as they came to spray my apartment this week. Usually I'm in class when they come but I was there this time because of exams. They were curious in particular about the Eosones because they didn't recognize the branding. They could not believe I found them in a thrift store. One of them was a stereo guy too with a pair of old school Kenwood speakers and a Klipsch sub.
 
Home for the holidays so some updates for the home systems.

Setup a TV surround system adding my old 32" TV and Boston Acoustics VR10 center to my desk system.

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Installed my 8 track player in my big system.

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My dad bought me a Scott RS300 receiver over a month ago for $4.99 from GW. After cleaning all the sliders and working the buttons (it was dirty), it works great. Sounds great on my Polk R20s.

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Found a Pioneer PL-7 turntable for $15 at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It works great besides the automatic function (the start/stop button is stuck). The 45 speed even works unlike my dad's. Since my dad has the same one, I just used his headshell and Pickering cartridge for testing. I'll put my Empire cartridge on it whenever I remember to bring it home. I think someone switched out the weight at some point, because it's different from my dad's. That would be fine except there are no numbers on this one...:mad:

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I bought myself a Christmas present...a Luxman C-02 preamp. I fell in love with its looks (particularly the substantial volume knob and the gold detailing) and had to pull the trigger. Sonically, it's a substantial upgrade over my Cybernet SPR-80, with improved clarity and imaging. It's extremely well built. And not a single bit of scratchiness in any of the buttons or knobs. Now my main system is where I want it to be.

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Man! Yer system looks nothin' like mine was back then. Mind ya, "Victrolas" were state of the art back then!:bs:

You are doing exceptionally well with your amount of gear and selective choice as well. This will up the amount of visitors.

Hope you can find some time to listen in burning the midnight oil (which explains your handle, eh?)

Q
 
Man! Yer system looks nothin' like mine was back then. Mind ya, "Victrolas" were state of the art back then!:bs:

You are doing exceptionally well with your amount of gear and selective choice as well. This will up the amount of visitors.

Hope you can find some time to listen in burning the midnight oil (which explains your handle, eh?)

Q
Thanks!

Actually the handle is based on my favorite band, Nightwish (my avatar is a picture of their keyboardist). However, you are correct, a large portion of my serious music listening does come at night. During a usual day, besides the occasional lunch break where I come home, I listen to some soft jazz while I'm doing my homework. Anything else, unfortunately, is usually too distracting. Luckily, my apartment is decently isolated from the others and my neighbors haven't complained about my night listening habits yet.

I did some serious listening last night for about 5 hours and I'm definitely hearing things with the Luxman that I haven't heard before in any of my prior configurations. I'm definitely very happy with this configuration.
 
Nightwisher Strikes Again

So I went thrift shopping yesterday for the first time this semester. First pickup was a pair of Polk Monitor 4s. One is missing a logo, has a broken spring clip, and a frozen woofer. However they only cost $3.75 so I can't complain. Currently looking to get a replacement woofer in BarterTown.

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If that wasn't a good enough find, I found a pair of Polk Monitor 10s later in the route for $41! I haven't tested them out because one of the speaker terminals is snapped off. However, no frozen woofers on these at least but also no grilles. Some dented dust cones, but again, can't complain. Weighing in at about 48 pounds apiece, got a nice work out too. For now, I'm going to send these monsters home and probably use them in place of my Large Advents in my home bedroom system. If I can acquire some grilles, I might bring them back to use in the dining room.

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One of them has a label from presumably the last place they were being sold before Goodwill...with a price of $659.99! I'm guessing they were in a pawn shop (there's a lot of them around here), but I'd be really interested to know they got from that last place with that price to Goodwill. (Sorry it's upside down.)

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T
Nightwisher Strikes Again

So I went thrift shopping yesterday for the first time this semester. First pickup was a pair of Polk Monitor 4s. One is missing a logo, has a broken spring clip, and a frozen woofer. However they only cost $3.75 so I can't complain. Currently looking to get a replacement woofer in BarterTown.

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If that wasn't a good enough find, I found a pair of Polk Monitor 10s later in the route for $41! I haven't tested them out because one of the speaker terminals is snapped off. However, no frozen woofers on these at least but also no grilles. Some dented dust cones, but again, can't complain. Weighing in at about 48 pounds apiece, got a nice work out too. For now, I'm going to send these monsters home and probably use them in place of my Large Advents in my home bedroom system. If I can acquire some grilles, I might bring them back to use in the dining room.

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One of them has a label from presumably the last place they were being sold before Goodwill...with a price of $659.99! I'm guessing they were in a pawn shop (there's a lot of them around here), but I'd be really interested to know they got from that last place with that price to Goodwill. (Sorry it's upside down.)

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The monitor 10's are a good score
 
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