Too old for heavy audio gear

[Tom Bombadil]

It isn't just the act of moving them to a new abode, it is moving them around my room or reconfiguring. At one time I seriously considered buying a very large power amplifier, weighing around 120 pounds. Sure glad that I didn't. I can scoot my 155 pound speakers around as they slide on the floor. Also glad I no longer have my 160 pound 35" CRT TV.

 

[musichal]

Too old for heavy audio gear? I'm too heavy for old audio gear.

 

[motorstereo]

I'v been in that position and always have to move stuff by myself. Hitting 57 this year and still working lifting heavy furniture everyday so I can still move things smartly. However looking at my system and knowing I would like to pull it apart just to clean and rearrange things. But I'm still looking because I know I really do not want to move the amps around.

I know that feeling very well to and I had to move my amps once again last week for hopefully the last time ever. Last winter carrying a 80+lb MC2255 across the yard and up 2 flights of stair had me huffing and puffing like an old locomotive. That workout was tougher I think than moving the 1201's from the back of the car to the rack.

 

[hjames]

The hand truck may be great for getting it into the house - but its the process of LIFTING those heavy tube amps into place that gets me!
Its why I put wheels on all my serious speakers - and I'm so glad I did after I added 5 tiles to each of those Heathkit "Valencias" I reworked this year.
Not there yet, but 70 is less than a decade away - so I'll plan wisely!

 

[johnda]

I am 80 and dreams of large and heavy equipment have to be given up. Farewell to Klipsch La Scalas and heavy MAC amps. Such is life!

 

[House de Kris]

Y'all are scaring me. Yes, I know aging is inevitable. And that with aging comes a reduction in physical capability. But sheesh, what a morbid thought stream to dabble in. I'm 58 now, and it would appear from the contributions of others that 'the decade of falling apart' starts in a couple years. I'm in better shape now then when I was 35, but I'm not fooling myself into thinking this will last forever.

My opinion on hand trucks is to avoid the ones with pneumatic tires. Solid rubber is the way to go. Pneumatics always fail, especially at the wrong time. They also give more rolling resistance, so old farts need to exert MORE effort to roll stuff around with them as compared to solids.

 

[BigElCat]

Yeah, I have the solid rubber wheels. My hand truck is the one Tox posted, from Harbor Freight, except they put the solid tires on this one.

Regarding Class D amps being light weight, not all of them are.

Moved one from ClassDAudio, a 300 watt RMS unit. Medium sized footprint, and I was expecting it to be light based on reputation. Not so, it was one of the heaviest amps per size I've ever lifted.

 

[Bob]

adding a few:

use an audio (EIA) rack, like gusdorf, and rack mount everything, units with no rack ears
go on a rack shelf. this rack is on wheels so to reconfigure, you sit in a chair, rotate the
back to the front and plug away.

second is put all the heavy stuff at the bottom to hold the bass down, and secondarily to use
tiny ramps, crowbars, etc to move them into the rack or out.

stretch, stretch, stretch before doing anything like that mower that takes you for a ride
(curves are murder on the lower lumbar), or that 200# dog that takes you for a ride.

and then load up on Tylenol/advil before and after if it is necessary.

 

[Oerets]

As yet another with six decades in the rear view mirror. The big bad boys like my Marantz 2325 in walnut and the Scott tube power amps are getting heavy. Glad to have two strong sons willing to do the heavy lifting. Sold a Marantz 4400 for no other reason then the weight. Just this week was going to pull a pair of A25's down off a shelf, soon became very apparent a battle was raging on what was going to be my down fall. Was it going to be my hip back shoulder or weak arm that gave out, so down off the ladder and wait until one younger strong is over.

I have one of those collapsible folding carts for transporting equipment along with a dolly.

 

[Pio1980]

The Marantz 8 is about my limit as a single unit now.
The featherweight switch mode amps are getting good enough to be viable, and the Zu DW speakers a good option for a simple full range stereo arrangement sans sub. This would work for a good downsize system.

 

[Guest158]

I still shy away from hand trucks on more than a couple stairs, Couple years ago was helping son in law move washer into basement. About 4-5 stairs down ratchet strap popped - washer came off dolly taking me down remaining 10 or so stairs. Pinned my ankle underneath. That one hurt for awhile but could have been worse - nothing broken.
My big speakers will probably reside in their present location lol.

 

[45rpmspinner]

I still shy away from hand trucks on more than a couple stairs, Couple years ago was helping son in law move washer into basement. About 4-5 stairs down ratchet strap popped - washer came off dolly taking me down remaining 10 or so stairs. Pinned my ankle underneath. That one hurt for awhile but could have been worse - nothing broken.
My big speakers will probably reside in their present location lol.

Yeah, hand trucks don't really do me much good. Where I live now is on the side of a hill.
First you have to go down a steep driveway [too steep to load from], then there are steps which continue down, and then a flight of stairs up....just to get into the house.

Guess I wasn't thinking about growing old when I built the place at age 36.

Last time I hired a couple of guys to help me load a few things, they tried to get more money out of me after the job was done.
Literally 20 minutes of work at most. I gave 'em 20 bucks each....and apparently that wasn't enough.
I have no kids to help.

 

[Ray Gianelli]

I'll be 63 next month. Thankfully, when I turned 30 I took stock and made some changes to my life. Stopped smoking, quit hard liquor and started exercising.

I have to admit to falling out of my routine on occasion, usually due to work. But I had a wake up call a few months ago. The girlfriend and I were out having a light meal, seated outside at a nearby restaurant. Guy passed by us on one of those motorized scooters. When trying to get himself from the scooter to a chair he fell. I went over to him to see if he was all right, and asked if he needed assistance. He asked if I could help him into the chair.

That's when I realized that I'd let myself go; it was tough getting him into that chair. He was dead weight.

I restarted my exercise program the next day. No problems lifting anything, and more importantly if someone needs help I'll be able to.

 

[Djcoolray]

I’ve got a brand new Thorens coming and I’m already contemplating the days I’m going to be on my back after set up. But like the old saying goes....if you want to play, you got to pay !!! Though I have noticed that those that never exercised have a worse time of it....

 

[Dr Tinear]

Had to move a couple of months ago. I found that at 63 yo and with varying stages of arthritis in joints, that I could no longer move some of my gear by myself. Had to hire a couple of movers to assist me.

Bummer.

I've got a 75 pound power amp which I moved twice and injured my back both times. The bass module sections of my tower speakers weigh 100 pounds each. I couldn't even begin to move them, outside of sliding them around the floor. A few years ago I moved those puppies by myself. ...

I can still lift and shift the 95-pound bass modules of my main speakers (Von Schweikert VR-4s), though that job is definitely not as easy as it used to be. Several of my power amps, including the Dynaco ST-70 and ST-400, also seem to have gained some weight over the past few years.

 

[FONSguy]

I've been planning a small rolling platform for my Crown PSA2 at 56 lbs. Same my JBL 4312's, which I'm designing a rolling set of stands. Luckily, I live on a single level house. One step up from sidewalk to front door.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I can still lift and shift the 95-pound bass modules of my main speakers (Von Schweikert VR-4s), though that job is definitely not as easy as it used to be.

And that is one of the things I can no longer do. I, too, have 95 pound Von Schweikert bass modules. Modules which I moved by myself in 2012 and 2016. No more. Couldn't even come close to picking them up a couple of months ago without my back and knees howling in pain.

 

[Ds2000]

The Onkyo is a major pain in the ass, it has no purchase points, is finished all around and that’s an issue. 49 now, but 160 pounds is a real grunt. I had to move it recently (alone) and it sucked royally.
The speakers slide easily on the rug, and the Stax amps are 115#, so I’m still ok with that.
Nonetheless, the size of some of this stuff will probably become a concern at some point.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Jack LaLanne, aged 80, still weight lifting and killing it.

Stay in shape boys. Said the guy with the desk job.

 

[Ray Gianelli]

I can still move it around. I just can't hear it anymore.