Thoughts on 80's equipment
scottyawd
Member
@SkyRanger
Cool unit. Before tho was a hobby for me, I had no idea that Kyocera made stereo equipment.
I see them come up in eBay from time to time, usually with little information.
Cool unit. Before tho was a hobby for me, I had no idea that Kyocera made stereo equipment.
I see them come up in eBay from time to time, usually with little information.
The past few weeks I have been looking for a decent (but not expensive since I rarely play vinyl in the bedroom) TT for my bedroom system and war seriously looking at the linear tracking ones just for the novelty. I did not like the Technics ones I saw because the moving parts were in the cover and a couple I looked at in person had problems. The other ones I looked at were Realistic and the lid did not contain the moving parts and I almost pulled the trigger but I just hated the silver plastic. I finally found a Sanyo TP 728 with a decent cart for almost nothing. It is black and looks a lot nicer than the silver units of the era.
Just like every other decade, one got what was paid for. As for the looks department, I liked some of the black items if they were metal or at least good quality, but I despised the silver plastic because it all looked so cheap.
Just like every other decade, one got what was paid for. As for the looks department, I liked some of the black items if they were metal or at least good quality, but I despised the silver plastic because it all looked so cheap.
DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
Probably that, as VCRs, early home computers and videogame consoles, bigger TVs, barbeques, and other consumer goods stole buyer attention away from home stereo.
Also, I suspect there's a lot of excellent 80's (and 90's) gear still in regular use, along with what might be an untapped mine of what owners still consider to be "old junk" lingering in their garages and attics because it doesn't yet have the desirability and recognition of 70's silverface gear.
just dave
vintage rules!
Well that's your opinion.
They may eventually reach 70’s gear prominence, but the difficulty is not in matching performance, as there were comparable units between the decades. No, the difference is in the externals. Machined faceplates, knobs and dials eventually giving way to inexpensive plastic. However, high end items from that decade tended to still have the externals made from metal. Those, I imagine, will emerge as hot sellers from this decade in the future.
There are some handsome pieces from the 80 til now I agree. But just speaking to looks the 70s cannot be beat for me.
This is my Marantz SR 4002/DV6001 (late 2000s vintage) stack and I think it is handsome with it's black aluminum faces. Sorry for the dust and fingerprints, but it gets used every day.
But my 2220B looks a lot nicer to me.
This is my Marantz SR 4002/DV6001 (late 2000s vintage) stack and I think it is handsome with it's black aluminum faces. Sorry for the dust and fingerprints, but it gets used every day.
But my 2220B looks a lot nicer to me.
I think most decent Mid-Fi gear from the 80’s and 90’s would be damaged or destroyed during shipment nowadays, considering how rough shippers are and how brittle plastic becomes when it ages.
Packing peanuts are the prerequisite for proper packing
.Seriously though, great packing job for that laptop! That's more than enough preparation for any rough journey.
Anything like a 30+ lb. receiver requires even more packing, plenty of foam and double boxing are prerequisites. I shipped a 70's era Rotel receiver to Germany which I actually triple boxed for the long journey. Needless to say it arrived intact.
TT's on the other hand require serious thought, planning and preparation prior to packing. I won't ship them, local p/u only.
Technics, HK ,Yamaha
superdog
AK Member
I remember a post someone did a few years ago where this individual thought 70s receivers looked awful.I was appalled by.I always regarded them as works of art.Now though...I have been through countless and still think they look good but I prefer the black look.I think I'll always have my Sony 7065.It is one sexy 70s receiver.There are some handsome pieces from the 80 til now I agree. But just speaking to looks the 70s cannot be beat for me.
This is my Marantz SR 4002/DV6001 (late 2000s vintage) stack and I think it is handsome with it's black aluminum faces. Sorry for the dust and fingerprints, but it gets used every day.
But my 2220B looks a lot nicer to me.
bigx5murf
Super Member
Moving parts in the cover shouldn't scare you away, in fact it makes working on everything in there much easier. I've owned a few of the technics ones, they've been great. Currently I'm using one that has track order, and skipping functions. The only real issue is that the sensor being right next to the tonearm limits you to using narrow profile carts.
scottyawd
Member
That's probably the type of individual that prefers their equipment with silk screened wiring diagrams and graphics on their equipment.
Superampman
AK Member
I don't and never cared what it looks like. Looks are a bonus, and I seriously appreciate that. Best gear imo is late 70's to early 80's, when the ducks started waddling in a straight line. Late enough to be part of the enlightenment, and early enough to have great build quality. Enter Boothroyd Stuart Meridian, Naim, Sugden, Quad, Bedini, Ampzilla, Sumo, LSR&D, HK Citation XX/16, Acoustat/ TNT/ OTL. Oh, and Heathkit, known to take advantage of such. When the best of the best was produced and rendered future templates.
I dont mind the black at all. There are some very dramatic pieces from the 70s in black and I like them. I truly despise the grey and silver plastic from the 80s. The black plastic is not as bad and, like my Marantz AVR black aluminum looks pretty sharp. But the wood/silver metal combo is my favorite because it is handsome and warm. And the 7065 is a total classic. I like all of my vintage receivers but in the looks department, the Realistic sta 95 is my favorite.
