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Goodwill/SA/Thrift Store Discussions & Finds

Rybeam said:
I hesitate to tell this one because I have trouble believing it happened. In May I got a Pioneer SX-950 at Goodwill for $4.98 no tax. I almost ran to the car with it ! It replaced a McIntosh MA5100 on my main system.
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I really wish you'd kept that to yourself. That makes me wanna :puke: .

My best thrift store bolly's:

AR3's - $10
ESS Tempests - $5
Thorens TD124 (sans tonearm) - FREE!!
 
Rybeam said:
I hesitate to tell this one because I have trouble believing it happened. In May I got a Pioneer SX-950 at Goodwill for $4.98 no tax. I almost ran to the car with it ! It replaced a McIntosh MA5100 on my main system.
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Don't know which is more believable.

That a SX-950 replaced a Mac.

That GW recently priced a vintage Pioneer at $4.98.

Or that somebody could run carrying an SX-950. :)
 
gonzothegreat said:
Don't know which is more believable.

That a SX-950 replaced a Mac.

That GW recently priced a vintage Pioneer at $4.98.

Or that somebody could run carrying an SX-950. :)
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:lmao: on all three counts!
 
I did not run, felt I might have to. It's hard to carry, had to be careful of the toggle switches !
The 4.98 is still written on the back panel in wax, I sware this is a true story. I have a SX-590 it is a 580 with a black dial, same GW for $14.98, got a SX-750 for same price I traded it away.
The SX-950 has one small scratch in the middle of top Al piece. Only one channel worked. I took the bottom off and found one channel had two of those short fuses. I pushed them over to make better contact on one end of each, and the channel worked.
I paid $300 for the serviced McIntosh MA5100 locally at a high end Mac dealer. I think it sounds dull. Sounded better using my little Bozaks but the newer Bozaks I got magnified the dull sound. Always wanted a Mac but I am not so sure now. I need to experiment with different speakers maybe. Advice ? Offers ? lol

PS Funny thing is my wife wondered why I needed the SX-950 !!!!
 
I like to think my list rivals Toasted Almonds.

I shall only list my favorite - Fisher XP18s - $80 which closely rival his Bozaks I think.

http://www.fastmustangs.com/images/speakers/

These things suck up current from my 150X2 Kenwood Amp like there is no tomorrow.

"Rock is dead they say. LONG LIVE ROCK!"
 
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Hard to say, but many people - McIntosh enthusiasts - do not think that highly of the MA 5100, McIntosh's first solid state integrated. And most look down their noses at the C 24, the first ss pre-amp, with which the 5100 shared much topology.

On a somehwat interesting note, I have an SX-980 from new. Thought it sounded great. About 10 years after I acquired it, I bought a brand new McIntosh MA 6200. Its bass reproduction blew the SX-980 away. Much tighter - the 980 sounded much more wooly and ill-defined - realistic, and dynamic. Frankly, not much of a contest. And I had not expected this outcome at all, although the price differential, $1,800 versus $600 might have predicted it.

Subsequently, I learned that McIntosh fans thought the company significantly improved its integrateds over the years, with the 6100 better than the 5100, and the 6200 better than the 6100.

But $4.95 for an SX-950? Jeezo, you simply cannot go wrong, even if you multiplied the price by 10.
 
Here is a great car stereo thrift store find... In one box was an ALPINE V-12 MRV-F303 75 Watt 4-channel 90 watt amp, a Sansui 75 watt amp, a smaller Yamaha 15 watt amp, an old crossover, a nice Kenwood in-dash Reciever/CD player, a pair of Polk Audio Triax speakers and all the associated wiring and cables.

Got the entire box for $5. Sweet!
 
Funny you should mention that....

Rybeam said:
I did not run, felt I might have to. It's hard to carry, had to be careful of the toggle switches !
The 4.98 is still written on the back panel in wax, I sware this is a true story. I have a SX-590 it is a 580 with a black dial, same GW for $14.98, got a SX-750 for same price I traded it away.
The SX-950 has one small scratch in the middle of top Al piece. Only one channel worked. I took the bottom off and found one channel had two of those short fuses. I pushed them over to make better contact on one end of each, and the channel worked.
I paid $300 for the serviced McIntosh MA5100 locally at a high end Mac dealer. I think it sounds dull. Sounded better using my little Bozaks but the newer Bozaks I got magnified the dull sound. Always wanted a Mac but I am not so sure now. I need to experiment with different speakers maybe. Advice ? Offers ? lol

PS Funny thing is my wife wondered why I needed the SX-950 !!!!
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I had a very nice Mac Ma 6100 that I got for $360 off EPray. Minty with a cabinet. Ran into money issues this past spring and sold her for $500 after 3 years :cry: While I'll miss her its not a total loss. Bought a Pioneer SX 6000 receiver for $80 and got a second one for $10 off EPray. Both are very good sound wise. My hearing is very good and cant here much of a difference between my beloved Mac and those two Pioneers :no: Still I hate being poor at times or at least having a limited income :thumbsdn: .. Nice scores!!


Eric
 
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A few of my better finds :banana:

Pioneer SA-9100 - $27.00 (thrift store)
Pioneer TX-9100 - $9.95 (thrift store)
Pioneer SX-828 - $10.00 (estate sale)
Pioneer SX-750 - $8.00 (garage sale)
AR-3's - $15.00 (estate sale)
AR-3a's - $35.00 (estate sale)
Small Advents - $5.00 (garage sale)
Realistic Mach II's - free (estate sale)
Dual 506 - $5.00 (garage sale)
Magnavox CDB 692 - free with a couple of albums I bought (garage sale)
Kenwood KA-3500 - $2.95 (thrift store)
Pioneer CS-99a's - $10.00 (church sale)
Altec model 14's - free (moving a neighbor)
 
New Old Stuff.

Recent finds.....
Pawn shop
Kenwood KM-991 150 WPC Amp $20.00
Kenwood KC-991 Preamp $20.00
Sony STR-V55 Receiver $20.00

Thrift stores
Sony PS-4750 DD TT $30.00
Sony STR-V35 Receiver $10.00

From an individual
Sansui SP-X7700, SP-7500X, SP-9X paired speakers
Pioneer CLD-D703 LD player, DBX DAV-600G A/V Route selector
$85.00 for all :lmao:
 
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A very nice combo Technics SU 8600 I Amp and Technics ST 8600 tuner for $45 with senior discount from Idaho Youth Ranch store.
 
I've only had one in all my travels in Chicago, and I'm in outside sales driving all over the city, and almost zilch!! The woofers were blown in my Paradigm Titans, and I found a beat up pair for $5 with perfect drivers in them. Then the dog knocked over the good speakers and dented the corner...wasn't meant to be.

L'Wood
 
My best find!

I haven't read through the entire thread but this has to be one of the best finds ever and the event that hooked me on vintage gear. Last year I stopped by our local dump store, as we call it, and saw this stereo equipment sitting on the ground, it had just come in. I looked it over, thought, hmmm, Mcintosh, I remember that stuff from the 70's. It was considered the Cadillac of audio equipment as I recall. Well, there sat a MX114 Tuner and a MC2105 amp. So, I asked the guy, "How much for the stereo?" He says, "Oh, ahh, it's really heavy. How about $6.00?" At the time I had no idea what I had just found. Brought it home, hooked everything together and it all worked just fine. Started looking around on the web for information and HOLY SMOKES! Been a joy ride ever since. I've picked up a number of nice pieces from him in the past year, for example, a Dynakit ST70 for $5.00, has a burned out rectifier though. I've got a lot to learn about this stuff, but I'm loving every minute of it! :D
 
This past Aug. 6th I found a "PIONEER" SX-828 at our local Elks Club "Bazzar" Rummage sale. I arrived late figuring I'd find only junk. Which I did. Mostly Black Plague stuff. You know all the light weight garbage. But as I was talking with the old ELK, I realized he was upset because he showed up early to unload the trailer and had NO HELP from his fellow Elks. So he unloaded only the lighter electronics. So I offered to unload the rest of the trailer for the ol' Elk and sure enough , There it was ! An UNOPENED / STILL SEALED BOX ! It read "PIONEER" SX-828 ! As I opened up the box WHOA ! all packing material owners manual & paperwork & dipole antenna etc. intact..... As I removed the plastic wrapping from the receiver Ahhhh ! What a "AWESOME" New Car/Receiver aroma WOW COOL !!!! I asked the old ELK what he would take for the unit.... I then realized I had only $10.00 left and he told me to take it home for FREE for helping unload the trailer. But even though I'm fairly poor also , I just had to give him my last $10.00 because afterall , all the donations go to the poor people anyway..................................No , It wasn't a unopened SX-1250 or SX-1800...... But for once it was good to arrive late , or there would have been NO MINT SX-828........Cheers !
 
Hi,

This is what I found so far in the last 3 years ;

Kenwood KT-5500 Tuner $7.50 SOLD

Kenwood KA-3500 Integrated Amp $7.50

Dual CS-1225 Turntable with Dual/Shure M75 $5.00

Dynaco A25XL Loudspeaker $10.00 !

Sony STR-7045 Receiver (30W x 2) $15.00

Nikko NR-700 Receiver $5.00

Denon DRM-500 Cassette Deck (like new) $15.00

I go to thrift store at least once a week and saturday yard sale in summer.

The Dynaco got to be my best catch yet, the finish is not perfect but the corners are nice.

Thank You
 
Ok , Here's another one. My most recent. Last weekend right here in my own gated community , at a yard sale : A "TECHNICS" SA-1010... A big ugly monster (too me) with not a knob or switch in sight but , silver with 120 WPC (1984?) (Works flawlessly) for $16.00....He also tossed in a pair of "PIONEER" CS-911A speakers (All drivers & controls worked fine) for an additional $10.00...He said he was cramped for space and had just bought his new SANYO Home Theater in a box. We'll I must admit , It did look as though he could use the room. But heck......Cheers !
 
In regard my earlier post about the still sealed/unopened SX-828 I found at the Eks Bazzar sale for $10.00 DONATION last month , I guess the unit could have been opened , used and repackaged. But it sure looked & smelled like it would have 33 years ago I would guess.....Cheers !
 
i found a pair of spendors sp 100 speakers at a thrft store for two hundred bucks.i hadn't a clue what they were,actually went home and googled them,almost fainted and SPED back.they were still there and i bought them on the spot,tried to carry them out.it took two of us and a dolly,plus two trips in my car cause they're pretty bulky and weigh 100 pounds each!right now they are hooked up to a absolute mint from the original box marantz 2240 that i got at an estate sale,they sound amazing,in fact i really don't have the room for them.just a small studio type room.i can only guess what they would sound like in a real audiophile type enviroment.over the years i have found some remarkable items,a complete fisher tube amp(300b) with a fisher pre-amp,can't remember the model but i sold it to some guy in singapore for lots.found a couple of pairs of ev speakers,the big horn type,a few scott tube amps in various conditions,a pair of amazing IMF speakers that i wouldn't sell for anything,and a bunch of other stuff like this that i have since ebayed out of my life.i just found a john b lansing solid state amp that he won the design award for in 1957 and 1958.really sounds great,cleaned up nice,very mellow,rich and has a tube like quality,the mids are wonderful.anyway,this prove one mans garbage is another mans treasure.
 
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