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Old but new to me system hook up

J

Johan S

New Member
I am asking for some help here. I have recently inherited my fathers audio equipment, and I need some help setting it back up in my house. Some of the components are missing, but I think I have a pretty good start. I understand audio pretty well, although I grew up with the audio of the late 90's and 2000's, so a receiver, and some speakers is all I needed. This older stuff I am still trying to figure it all out, to see what is, and what is not needed.

I will list what I have, any guidance on what I need to complete the system would be great. Keep in mind I am on a budget, and this system will be used in the basement, and not every day.

Speakers:
Klipsch KB-40's
The down side I am not able to put them in the corners, the lay out of the basement only allows one of them to be mounted in the corner. Will these speakers still sound good if they are not in a corner? The speakers were being used up until about 2 years ago, along with the majority of the items listed below. I have the original boxes for all of these components, so I don't think I am missing any power cables or anything.

AV Control Center
Mcintosh MX 136

Pre Amp
Mcintosh C28

Equalizer
dbx 20/20 computerized equalizer

Expander
dbx 3BX

Components
TEAC A-7300
TEAC A-6010
Dual Record Player

I need an Amp, unless I can find one in my parents basement.
The TEAC components are not going to be used, so I could trade for an amp, but I do not know what they are worth.

I do not want to turn this into a surround system, stereo sound will work fine. I would like to use the system for movies, tv, a little bit of gaming, and obviously listening to music. I will be using a 55-65 inch flat screen for the tv.

Components that would be hooked into the finished system
Cable Box
XBOX ONE
PLAYSTATION 4
Dual Record player

Thank you for at least taking the time to read this, any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Thank you for the response. I am little confused, and I am not up to par on the audio lingo. What do you mean by HT pre? My Dad didn't spend anything on himself, except his audio equipment.
 
Don't be too quick to sell off those Teac components (they are Reel To Reel tape players - abbreviated RTR or R2R). Those are costly units and if they work, I would try them to see if you like the sound of RTR tapes. It's a costly proposition to get a working unit these days, so personally I would be keeping at least one (the higher model, if I had to choose). Reel To Reel tapes is the highest fidelity analog source you can get as a consumer.

That dbx equipment is definitely not something you should part with because A. they are very useful and B. they are only going up in value. Those hook into the tape loop of the preamp. Usually, the tape loop hookup goes something like this: Tape Rec Out of Preamp (usually Tape 2) -> input of component -> output of component -> input of component 2 -> output of component 2 -> Play (Tape 2). I find an equalizer essential for any system and with yours, you can tune it to the room using a microphone which makes it extremely useful. The 3BX is a dynamic range expander, which in basic terms means it increases the range between the loudest and softest sounds. Many recordings are compressed in their dynamic range, so this can help make such recordings sound at least a bit better. I find a little is a lot (in terms of where the sliders/settings are set to) with any processor such as an EQ or dynamic range expander. I'm a big fan of dbx equipment.

You'll want to hook all your modern A/V components into the control center (HT pre = Home theater preamp) using the components' digital outputs and then HDMI to the TV. Realistically, you could use the control center alone as your preamp. This may be the best option for simplicity, however the C26 is much more suited for 2 ch use and will thus sound better for 2 ch.

That's a heck of a system you've got there. :thumbsup: I recommend getting an amplifier that does the system justice (if you can afford it and don't find one from your parents). Personally, I would not sell off anything unless I could get what it is worth. Even then, this is high end gear that you have and even if something doesn't work, it can only go up in value. Since you inherited it, you're not losing any money by hanging onto it. As you get more and more into the gear and the lovely sounds the system makes, you'll probably be thankful you didn't sell anything (besides maybe the lower model RTR player). Plus, I feel like it may have some sentimental value, being your father's.

We're happy to answer any questions you have. You picked the right site.
 
Keep the mac gear and the turntable if your going to use it. That's the start of you 2ch system and digital sound system. Start looking for speakers and amps.
 
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Johan S said:
Thank you for the response. I am little confused, and I am not up to par on the audio lingo. What do you mean by HT pre? My Dad didn't spend anything on himself, except his audio equipment.
Click to expand...
HT = home theater.
It doesn't really make sense that he would have had all this pricey gear, but no amp. Obviously I don't know anything of your family's circumstances, but is it possible that someone may have helped him/herself to something before you got there?
 
Nightwisher said:
Don't be too quick to sell off those Teac components (they are Reel To Reel tape players - abbreviated RTR or R2R). Those are costly units and if they work, I would try them to see if you like the sound of RTR tapes. It's a costly proposition to get a working unit these days, so personally I would be keeping at least one (the higher model, if I had to choose). Reel To Reel tapes is the highest fidelity analog source you can get as a consumer.

That dbx equipment is definitely not something you should part with because A. they are very useful and B. they are only going up in value. Those hook into the tape loop of the preamp. Usually, the tape loop hookup goes something like this: Tape Rec Out of Preamp (usually Tape 2) -> input of component -> output of component -> input of component 2 -> output of component 2 -> Play (Tape 2). I find an equalizer essential for any system and with yours, you can tune it to the room using a microphone which makes it extremely useful. The 3BX is a dynamic range expander, which in basic terms means it increases the range between the loudest and softest sounds. Many recordings are compressed in their dynamic range, so this can help make such recordings sound at least a bit better. I find a little is a lot (in terms of where the sliders/settings are set to) with any processor such as an EQ or dynamic range expander. I'm a big fan of dbx equipment.

You'll want to hook all your modern A/V components into the control center (HT pre = Home theater preamp) using the components' digital outputs and then HDMI to the TV. Realistically, you could use the control center alone as your preamp. This may be the best option for simplicity, however the C26 is much more suited for 2 ch use and will thus sound better for 2 ch.

That's a heck of a system you've got there. :thumbsup: I recommend getting an amplifier that does the system justice (if you can afford it and don't find one from your parents). Personally, I would not sell off anything unless I could get what it is worth. Even then, this is high end gear that you have and even if something doesn't work, it can only go up in value. Since you inherited it, you're not losing any money by hanging onto it. As you get more and more into the gear and the lovely sounds the system makes, you'll probably be thankful you didn't sell anything (besides maybe the lower model RTR player). Plus, I feel like it may have some sentimental value, being your father's.

We're happy to answer any questions you have. You picked the right site.
Click to expand...


Thank you for the reply. You have a point, I guess I never considered using the reel to reels because I never saw my Dad use them. I am sure they work, so if I can find some recordings I will give them a shot. What amp would you recommend? I would like to stick with Mcintosh, but I know that are pricey. any other brands that I might be able to find.
 
drew_t said:
HT = home theater.
It doesn't really make sense that he would have had all this pricey gear, but no amp. Obviously I don't know anything of your family's circumstances, but is it possible that someone may have helped him/herself to something before you got there?
Click to expand...

Long story short, my father has Alzheimer's and Dementia. He is no longer in the house, and the system in there house has been upgraded. I think they are using the amp, but I haven't had a chance to look at the set up.
 
Johan S said:
Thank you for the reply. You have a point, I guess I never considered using the reel to reels because I never saw my Dad use them. I am sure they work, so if I can find some recordings I will give them a shot. What amp would you recommend? I would like to stick with Mcintosh, but I know that are pricey. any other brands that I might be able to find.
Click to expand...
RTR is worth a shot while you have such a golden opportunity. McIntosh is the obvious choice for an amp, but definitely spendy. There are other companies that are spendy as well, so a few to look into on more of the budget side (used at least) would be Nakamichi, Parasound, and Adcom (there are others, but those came to mind). New, Emotiva might be good to look into. Many people like to pair tube amps with Klipsch speakers, but the higher end ones get extremely spendy really quick and require tube changes pretty regularly (which also cost a good deal of money).
 
If you don't have all the manuals I was going to suggest you download them. They usually have lots of diagrams for how to hook everything up the way you want. Although of course we can help you here too. I am not familiar with most of this gear so I'm at a bit of a loss myself. As a general rule, with a regular stereo system (not home theater - just two channel music, no TV, no cable etc.) your preamp would be the nerve center. Everything gets plugged into it except the speakers, which run off the separate power amp.

In your case you may want to use that Mac AV Control Center too, but I'll let others weigh in on that since I have no idea what all it does (nightwisher had some good info above). It is certainly possible to run stereo sound off your cable box/TV/xbox etc. through a regular audio preamp - that's what I do - for TV and movie watching, but the Control Center may have other functions you may want to use.

You can always start small, hold onto all the gear and reconfigure as desired. Find a power amp - we can give you some ideas, first, where are you located? - and get some music going while you research the rest.

BTW the Klipsches are not the legendary corner horns that require corners. You can put them pretty much anywhere. Klipsch should have a manual available with recommended placement, but most people don't have a lot of choices. Try them out.
 
toxcrusadr said:
If you don't have all the manuals I was going to suggest you download them. They usually have lots of diagrams for how to hook everything up the way you want. Although of course we can help you here too. I am not familiar with most of this gear so I'm at a bit of a loss myself. As a general rule, with a regular stereo system (not home theater - just two channel music, no TV, no cable etc.) your preamp would be the nerve center. Everything gets plugged into it except the speakers, which run off the separate power amp.

In your case you may want to use that Mac AV Control Center too, but I'll let others weigh in on that since I have no idea what all it does (nightwisher had some good info above). It is certainly possible to run stereo sound off your cable box/TV/xbox etc. through a regular audio preamp - that's what I do - for TV and movie watching, but the Control Center may have other functions you may want to use.

You can always start small, hold onto all the gear and reconfigure as desired. Find a power amp - we can give you some ideas, first, where are you located? - and get some music going while you research the rest.

BTW the Klipsches are not the legendary corner horns that require corners. You can put them pretty much anywhere. Klipsch should have a manual available with recommended placement, but most people don't have a lot of choices. Try them out.
Click to expand...

I am located in northern Virginia. The newer Mac av system has HDMI inputs and outputs, so I think I will us that to help manage the components considering everything now is digital. It still has analog inputs also for the older equipment I will try to find the manuals to the speakers online, that would be the best place to start to get the best speaker placement. Thanks for the ideas and help.
 
John James said:
Here is some info on the MX 136.

http://www.audioclassics.com/brochure/MX136.pdf

and some for the C28.

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/Downloads/C28_own.pdf

I hope you find a McIntosh power amp to go along with what you already have.
Click to expand...

I hope that the mac amp shows up, somewhere at that house. I looked briefly online at mac amps online, and they are out of the price range for now. Thanks for the links for the manuals, that should help me get things hooked up once I get an amp.
 
Update!

I found the missing amp. My Mom is using it to power two Klipsch outdoor speakers. I am not sure what the specs on them are, but I think a basic two channel amp should do the trick. I can have the amp as long as I replace it. Looking at Best Buy I saw several two channel amps that are under $250. Would she notice the difference that much with an Onkyo amp or something similar. I don't want to mess up the system they have, but at the same time this amp is meant for the Klilpch speakers I have.

Secondly, I am getting a 4K tv to go with this system. If I am using the Mcintosh receiver (MX 136), will the video still play in 4K (if I have any 4K media)? I know people say some HDMI cables can't do 4K, would it be the same for the receiver? Or should I not use the receiver at all, just use the older Mcintosh pre amp (C28) and keep the audio separate.

Thank you guys for he help so far.


Here is the pic of the missing Mcintosh amp
 

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For casual listening on outdoor speakers, I would think just about any amplifier would suffice, including an inexpensive chip amp like the one discussed here: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/tpa-3116-vs-the-tripaths.574806/page-260#post-9873881

I wonder whether you would be accomplishing anything by actually using the AV center unit, as opposed to relying on your new 4K set's "smart TV" functions. I only glanced at a description of what the thing does, but it seemed like maybe it's old enough that it was designed a few generations of TVs ago.
 
Thank you all for the help and guidance. I was able to get everything hooked up pretty easily. The Samsung TV has it's inputs connected to a separate hub that allows all of the audio to be sent our by optical audio. That signal went perfectly into the MX 136, then into the Expander, then into the Equalizer, then into the MC 2202 Mac amp, and out through the Klipsch speakers. With the the built in apps on the TV I can watch programs on Netflix in 4k, while using AV equipment from the 70's, I couldn't be happier. I have no idea how to adjust the Expander to the point where it sounds different, but it looks cool.

The last component I just hooked up today was the Dual 721 Turntable. At first glance it looks like the needle on the Shure V15 Type IV cartridge is missing. I turn it on and the turntable turns, and the arm swings out, but no sounds obviously. I do not know if the whole cartridge has to be replaced or if you can replace the needle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I would change the stylus assembly.

There are numerous styli available for a V-15IV. They range in price from:
TT Needles @ $45.95 for VN45E house brand
to:
LP Gear @ $289.98 for a VN45 W/Jico SAS needle

The VN45E (elliptical), HE (hyper elliptical) and SAS (Super Analogue Stylus) are some of the types that are available. There is even a model with an SAS stylus mounted on a Ruby cantilever. It's the VN45HE neoSAS/R@$445

FWIW: I have a VN45/SAS on my V15IV.
 
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