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Building a stereo system

Budget? Sound preference? Remote control? DIY skills? You need to figure these out before considering vintage or near vintage.
 
look into something with modular componentry that if (or when) it fails, that transformer or output transistor is not lost unto the ages of research and development

its not something im sure you want to do, looking for gear that utilizes components that still exist...

but maybe you can approach that by focusing more on avoiding gear that use obsolete components

while its not such a common thing to buy something based on how it can break, think of it this way. you spend a premium on a vintage piece which commads a lot of its price through being a functional novelty. when it stops functioning due to obsolete parts, its value is far more diminished than a unit with parts available still in production. the cost and task to fix is more straightforward rather an indiana jones adventure. dont buy something that is only special to you and dont spend too much on it. buy something you can get out from under if necessary.
 
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BluePhantom2 said:
Defiance? i apologize if my wording is poor and intentions come through the wrong way. I'm really loving all the good feedback and helpful people here
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No worries my friend, I was just poking a little bit of fun at your spelling error. :p No offense intended.
 
I would try to stay away from any amplifier/receiver that uses STK modules for output. Many STK modules are totally unavailable. It's much more desirable to have discrete amplifier sections.
 
SoCal Sam said:
Budget? Sound preference? Remote control? DIY skills? You need to figure these out before considering vintage or near vintage.
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Budgets under $2000, as for sound preference the only thing I’ve heard is my current system. I prefer clearity in my sound, good bass is appreciated but not necessary. Remote controls don’t matter. As for DIY, I’d consider myself very capable. I’ve built a guitar pedal, repaired my current reciever, and do a lot of hands on projects around the home but I’m not extremely comfortable with my soldering iron.
 
you also mentioned speed issues with LPs. I'd check your turntable and (have it) recalibrated
for speed, wow/flutter. if your TT is OK then you'll need something that can adjust speeds
and still have rock-solid operation at the dialed-in speed.
 
yotems said:
look into something with modular componentry that if (or when) it fails, that transformer or output transistor is not lost unto the ages of research and development

its not something im sure you want to do, looking for gear that utilizes components that still exist...

but maybe you can approach that by focusing more on avoiding gear that use obsolete components

while its not such a common thing to buy something based on how it can break, think of it this way. you spend a premium on a vintage piece which commads a lot of its price through being a functional novelty. when it stops functioning due to obsolete parts, its value is far more diminished than a unit with parts available still in production. the cost and task to fix is more straightforward rather an indiana jones adventure. dont buy something that is only special to you and dont spend too much on it. buy something you can get out from under if necessary.
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How do you know what kind of gear is obsolete? Is there a general era to try and stay away from?
 
Bob said:
you also mentioned speed issues with LPs. I'd check your turntable and (have it) recalibrated
for speed, wow/flutter. if your TT is OK then you'll need something that can adjust speeds
and still have rock-solid operation at the dialed-in speed.
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Doubt that this TT even has any calibration on it, bought it brand new a couple years ago for extremely cheap. I believe Sony made it mainly for people converting vinyl to MP3. I can check when I’m home later tonight
 
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BluePhantom2 said:
How do you know what kind of gear is obsolete? Is there a general era to try and stay away from?
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as stated before, gear with stk power pack output modules for example the kr-9600 as well as other kenwood gear of the same era that used their own special “trio” scribed power packs... pioneer sx xx80 models and other gear like them that use the blue and black rectangle nec outputs... some toshiba outputs... if its SanKen chances are its still available

its like the difference between the special one off early 90’s quad cam lt5 engine vs the ls1. the lt5 makes the same power as the ls1, but has more things to wear out and none of it is made anymore

if the lt5 breaks, good luck finding parts

if the ls1 breaks, anyone with a craftsman starter set can fix it
 
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BluePhantom2 said:
Budgets under $2000, as for sound preference the only thing I’ve heard is my current system. I prefer clearity in my sound, good bass is appreciated but not necessary. Remote controls don’t matter. As for DIY, I’d consider myself very capable. I’ve built a guitar pedal, repaired my current reciever, and do a lot of hands on projects around the home but I’m not extremely comfortable with my soldering iron.
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$2k is going to get you one heck of a system. By clarity, do you mean objectively accurate? Clear sounding amps are sometimes mistaken for bass shy but that is because the bass does not roll like in slower amps.
 
SoCal Sam said:
$2k is going to get you one heck of a system. By clarity, do you mean objectively accurate? Clear sounding amps are sometimes mistaken for bass shy but that is because the bass does not roll like in slower amps.
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Yes, I love it when it sounds just like the band is standing right there playing live. Nice crisp sound
 
yotems said:
what music do you listen to


uh oh... may the journey of your quest be quicker and less tedious than mine has
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I hope my quest has a good ending, I have a connection to an audio equipment collector near by that I’m going to soon get in contact with to hopefully help narrow my search. So far the Yamaha natural sound vintage gear seems to be a very good choice, with the addition of potentially a pioneer equalizer to have the matching silver faces.
 
SoCal Sam said:
$2k is going to get you one heck of a system. By clarity, do you mean objectively accurate? Clear sounding amps are sometimes mistaken for bass shy but that is because the bass does not roll like in slower amps.
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Yeah at that price range bluephantom2 could put together a nice set of separates ala silver face pioneer gear etc or get a really nice receiver along with a turntable.
 
BluePhantom2 said:
I've been wanting to build a new high end system for a couple years to replace my cheap, thrown together system that's been serving me well for some time. Currently ive got a Sony PS-LX300USB turntable, Sony LBT-D105 receiver and an old Sony CD player. Speakers are a pair of Polk tower speakers from the 90's that i really love. Mainly i want a system that has a standalone equalizer box with even more bands to play with and a much nicer turntable to give me more adjust ability, several records i have are out of pitch and play ever so slightly too fast, just enough that it ruins the experience. After some research i came across a Yamaha CR-600 in really good shape for a good price on eBay, but i haven't decided on if i should bid or not. I was considering an Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB for its features and easy to find parts. No clue if those two would work well together. I'm new to shopping for audio equipment and would love a system where all the components besides the turntable match, but i have no idea where to start- not trying to break the bank but a nice setup would be very nice. Any information helps!
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Consider a MiniDSP. These are the most cost-effective for flexibility and number of bands. I started with a 17 band Pioneer EQ but found that lacked the finesse I truly desired. To truly get the most out of a system by way of equalization and room correction, DSP is best.

Yamaha vintage gear is nice. I'd look into their modern integrated amps as well.

For a turntable, I highly recommend the U-Turn Orbit. Very nice piece of gear for the price.

What model Polks do you have?
 
Nightwisher said:
Consider a MiniDSP. These are the most cost-effective for flexibility and number of bands. I started with a 17 band Pioneer EQ but found that lacked the finesse I truly desired. To truly get the most out of a system by way of equalization and room correction, DSP is best.

Yamaha vintage gear is nice. I'd look into their modern integrated amps as well.

For a turntable, I highly recommend the U-Turn Orbit. Very nice piece of gear for the price.

What model Polks do you have?
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LS-50’s. Nice beefy stacks.
 
i would certainly put together a nice separate system using reputable 90’s and newer gear for 2000.. adcom gfa-555, gfp-555 and you’ll never need another piece of gear.

hell, to be honest i may even get some emotiva mono blocks or even outlaw audio monoblocks..

i definitely wouldnt limit myself to a receiver/integrated.. i may even limit myself from them when the budget is bigger

also if you were going to get new speakers would you want towers or would you consider bookshelf or monitors even?
 
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Personally I would stay away from the Adcom's and just find a nice integrated amp from Yamaha, Kenwood, Pioneer, Marantz, Sony, something like that. Hardly anyone listens to FM anymore so why get a receiver. The Adcom's do have some reliability issues with the brand of Caps they used which leak out and then crap up the traces on the boards.
 
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