Hello from Santa Barbara, CA. I'm a music lover who's been listening to my record collection on some 70's Advent loudspeakers and through whatever receiver I could pick up at the thrift store for less than $60. About six months ago I was at the grungy neighborhood park with my four year old (we live downtown, not really the wealthy part of town) and a couple big speakers caught my eye. They were ditched in a cul de sac that led to a footbridge over the freeway. Twenty feet away is a peeled up chain link fence where the homeless enter to sleep and it's the kind of place that's littered with cigarette butts and syringes. Needless to say, I was curious, but not overly excited when I skateboarded up to check out what they were.
Pretty quickly I ascertained that these didn't belong in the garbage. I did the mental math on dragging more sound equipment back to the house and figured it was well worth a possible fight with the wifey. Unfortunately, I was about two blocks from my house and there was no way I was going to leave these speakers unattended. I hoisted them onto my skateboard and promised my kid that we'd come back to the park and play later. I made it almost all the way home before my skateboard splintered and the speaker on top took a spill. I was pretty amazed that the damage was so minor, considering the weight of these beasts. The tweeter cage got a bit warped and the veneer got some road rash.
Eventually, panting and frantically looking over my shoulder, we got back to the house. I dragged them into my record room, promising my wife that I'd get rid of the Kenwood speakers to make space. She just stared at me shaking her head.
Anyway, now I have a pair of speakers that probably deserve a halfway decent setup. I think wistfully back to my oldest son's childhood in Santa Cruz where the cheap thrift store finds were a series of Marantz receivers like the 2230 and some classic '70s Pioneers.
Alas, those are no longer $30.
Alas, I am still poor...
What sort of specs should I be looking for in a receiver or amp setup? I'm still more inclined to sift through the second hand and garage sale supply than going to an Audio store. I listen to primarily vinyl on a couple Technics 1200's. Although I'm a (bad) musician and work in event production where sometimes I'm a (bad) sound tech, I enjoy listening to all types of (bad) recordings and guarantee that I'm not nearly as discerning as the majority of audiophiles. I do, however, enjoy the clear and warm sound of a pristine record and a new stylus reproducing traditional koto music, gamelan or Bach...just as much as the screeching of Diamanda or the Melvins. The speakers work beautifully and are entirely intact.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Pretty quickly I ascertained that these didn't belong in the garbage. I did the mental math on dragging more sound equipment back to the house and figured it was well worth a possible fight with the wifey. Unfortunately, I was about two blocks from my house and there was no way I was going to leave these speakers unattended. I hoisted them onto my skateboard and promised my kid that we'd come back to the park and play later. I made it almost all the way home before my skateboard splintered and the speaker on top took a spill. I was pretty amazed that the damage was so minor, considering the weight of these beasts. The tweeter cage got a bit warped and the veneer got some road rash.
Eventually, panting and frantically looking over my shoulder, we got back to the house. I dragged them into my record room, promising my wife that I'd get rid of the Kenwood speakers to make space. She just stared at me shaking her head.
Anyway, now I have a pair of speakers that probably deserve a halfway decent setup. I think wistfully back to my oldest son's childhood in Santa Cruz where the cheap thrift store finds were a series of Marantz receivers like the 2230 and some classic '70s Pioneers.
Alas, those are no longer $30.
Alas, I am still poor...
What sort of specs should I be looking for in a receiver or amp setup? I'm still more inclined to sift through the second hand and garage sale supply than going to an Audio store. I listen to primarily vinyl on a couple Technics 1200's. Although I'm a (bad) musician and work in event production where sometimes I'm a (bad) sound tech, I enjoy listening to all types of (bad) recordings and guarantee that I'm not nearly as discerning as the majority of audiophiles. I do, however, enjoy the clear and warm sound of a pristine record and a new stylus reproducing traditional koto music, gamelan or Bach...just as much as the screeching of Diamanda or the Melvins. The speakers work beautifully and are entirely intact.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
