My First Vintage Setup

punkzter

punkzter

Brad
I was very happy with my old audio setup for many years:
Technics SA-DA8 Receiver
Hitachi HT-40S Turntable
Onkyo DX-C380 CD Player
Bose 301 Bookshelf speakers

Sadly (maybe happily), my Technics receiver has been on the fritz for some time. I also picked up some new records at a Gaslight Anthem show. It all got me thinking about this site and getting into some new equipment.

With that said, I found a seller on CL who had this setup for sale:
Yamaha CR-420 Receiver
Pioneer PL-550 Turntable (with AT120e needle installed and original needle)
ADS L420 Speakers

I'm still using my Onkyo cd player. I have Monster interconnects between the Onkyo and the Yamaha. I'm also using monster cable for the speakers.

This was all pretty good timing, because my Technics receiver just stopped working. Basically, for some time now, if I turn it off and then immediately turn it back on, I will get zero audio. However, if I let it "rest" for about 30 minutes before turning it back on, it works. Well, that "trick" just stopped working. I'm going to follow up on this in one of the other forums to see if it's fixable. I should note that one of the things I love about older gear is that you can often fix it up with some effort.

I did some reading and asking on this site before buying the above equipment. I should add that I'm not immediately sold on it. The sound is definitely different than my old system, and I'm not sure that I think it's better right now. I have the option of returning the stuff.....but that's not really what I want to do. The next step will be to figure out how to make it sound better :)

Any comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. AND, I want to thank those in this forum who helped me out!
 

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nice setup. I've always had a carpeted floor in my room. Does the hardwood make it sound any different?
 
I've lived in this apartment for over 2 years now, so it's been a long time since I have had a carpeted room. I will say that the Bose 301 speakers sound better than the ADS. I wonder if they would sound better if they were off of the floor.
 
Yeah, I think I'll pick up some cinder blocks this weekend. They should help out until I can afford some real stands.
 
I have heard a lot of ADS and getting them off the floor is paramount with any bookshelf.... as far as the little Bose are concerned, I'm contrary to most opinions and like them very much when used correctly (and are special for certain situations.....el cheapo construction and all).
 
When I was researching "new" speakers, I was very happy with the sound that I got out of these speakers (for the size). They were overpriced, but I was lucky enough to be working at Circuit City, and got a substantial discount.
 
Nice system, try experimenting with a floor rug as a simple room treatment. You might not need it, clap your hands and see if you get an echo.
 
I've never been a Bose fan, but lately I changed my thinking and I'm look for some 301s to use with a '66 vintage amp. What do you think of them?
 
I like them quite a bit. I've never used a sub, so I purchased these because they offered a nice amount of bass compared to the other bookshelf speakers in that size range.
 
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