jeeem
Active Member
I've accumulated a modest collection of vintage audio gear, mostly from the '60s and '70s: amps, receivers, turntables, tape decks. Vintage speakers tend to be bulky though, so while I have a few (Large Advents, Infinitys, Spica TC-50s, Magneplanar MG1s), they can be a hassle to place and swap. Over the last few years I've stacked up some new-ish bookshelf speakers connected to a six-way switch (Elac Debut Reference DBR62 & Uni-Fi UB5, Focal Chora 806, Triangle BR03...) and have enjoyed matching them to different amps/receivers and comparing their qualities.
But the other day, on a whim, I dug out a pair of old Dynaco A25s that were just sitting around in the basement accumulating their own collection of dust. I originally got them years ago to accompany my Marantz 2230, a match made in heaven.
Well, it's been a revelation. Playing through my Sansui AU-4900 (38 wpc) or Pioneer SA-708 (65 wpc) or Kenwood KA-8400 (55 wpc) or Sansui 5000X receiver (60 wpc) they make commercially produced music sound like I remember it when I first discovered "hi-fi" in the '70s -- and the way I imagine it was recorded and mixed to sound back then (even through a Roon/Mac/SOtM streaming setup running through an iFi Zen DAC, none of which I could even have conceived of in the '70s). Interestingly, my McIntosh separates (C28 and MC2505, 50 wpc), which sound great through most speakers, struck me as a tad anemic through the A25s.
I have them sitting on acoustic isolation feet on the floor a little more than a foot from the wall. The bass isn't boomy or bloomy; it's well-integrated into the music, which really breathes. The highs can border on harsh depending on the music, but I can play them all day without feeling any fatigue. So far, I've mostly been playing pop/rock from the '60s and '70s, which tends to be compressed and heavily mixed anyway: prime Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett, Al Green, Isaac Hayes... and today I threw in some early B-52's just to change things up a little. Best of all, they can pour out a lot of sound without straining. (I have a lot of jazz and classical music but haven't tried out Bill Evans or Miles Davis or Schubert or Mahler on them yet.)
I entertained the idea of hooking up a subwoofer, but after listening for a while that seemed like it might be overkill. I don't know quite how to explain it, but the cheap, antiquated Dynacos present this music in a cohesive way the newer speakers I have can't (or don't even try to) match. I guess speaker reviewers would say the A25s are "less analytical." The details are there, but the speakers don't pick them out and highlight them individually, bit by bit. Somehow they sounded to me both airier on the top and more substantial in the middle and bottom. Go figure.
Does that make any sense? I'm naturally compelled to try to explain in detail experiences that feel like they're beyond words, but I'm wondering if you've had similar encounters, perhaps with older equipment. I look forward to hearing any stories you may have...
But the other day, on a whim, I dug out a pair of old Dynaco A25s that were just sitting around in the basement accumulating their own collection of dust. I originally got them years ago to accompany my Marantz 2230, a match made in heaven.
Well, it's been a revelation. Playing through my Sansui AU-4900 (38 wpc) or Pioneer SA-708 (65 wpc) or Kenwood KA-8400 (55 wpc) or Sansui 5000X receiver (60 wpc) they make commercially produced music sound like I remember it when I first discovered "hi-fi" in the '70s -- and the way I imagine it was recorded and mixed to sound back then (even through a Roon/Mac/SOtM streaming setup running through an iFi Zen DAC, none of which I could even have conceived of in the '70s). Interestingly, my McIntosh separates (C28 and MC2505, 50 wpc), which sound great through most speakers, struck me as a tad anemic through the A25s.
I have them sitting on acoustic isolation feet on the floor a little more than a foot from the wall. The bass isn't boomy or bloomy; it's well-integrated into the music, which really breathes. The highs can border on harsh depending on the music, but I can play them all day without feeling any fatigue. So far, I've mostly been playing pop/rock from the '60s and '70s, which tends to be compressed and heavily mixed anyway: prime Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett, Al Green, Isaac Hayes... and today I threw in some early B-52's just to change things up a little. Best of all, they can pour out a lot of sound without straining. (I have a lot of jazz and classical music but haven't tried out Bill Evans or Miles Davis or Schubert or Mahler on them yet.)
I entertained the idea of hooking up a subwoofer, but after listening for a while that seemed like it might be overkill. I don't know quite how to explain it, but the cheap, antiquated Dynacos present this music in a cohesive way the newer speakers I have can't (or don't even try to) match. I guess speaker reviewers would say the A25s are "less analytical." The details are there, but the speakers don't pick them out and highlight them individually, bit by bit. Somehow they sounded to me both airier on the top and more substantial in the middle and bottom. Go figure.
Does that make any sense? I'm naturally compelled to try to explain in detail experiences that feel like they're beyond words, but I'm wondering if you've had similar encounters, perhaps with older equipment. I look forward to hearing any stories you may have...
