• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Vintage system builds

vinyl only system(maybe some fm radio in between spins)

realistic lab 400
audiocontrol c101
pioneer sx1010
sae 5000
dbx 3bx

speakers are homemade

View attachment 3474202

veneer shot when under construction



View attachment 3474213

sx3900 and sa7100 pictured but not in use.
Like your system, froggy friend!!!!
The Audio Control C101 - I will never forget seeing one, for the first time way back when. The spectrum analyzer was mesmerizing.

 
Hey everyone I am interested in what you guys have in the way of vintage receivers and speakers. Lets keep the time frame from 1970 to maybe 1983. It seems after that the quality of the builds kinda went down. I just picked up a kenwood kr6400 for 100 bucks. It is flawless built I believe between 73 and 76. I love this thing it has plenty of knob and the tuner works perfect. It reproduces sound better than the pioneer sx780 I just sold for 275 bucks. I have the 6400 connected to two marantz imperial towers on channel A and some bose 301s III on channel C. Don't give me a hard tiime about the 301s they were cheap and have better sound than something 3 times as expensive. For my vinyl I have a mcs 6700 series turntable that I got for less than a hundred dollars five years ago. This setup does a great job of getting that sound reproduction that we all crave. Clear highs, fantastic mids and punchy bass. What do you all have. I of course have dream systems that I will have one day such as top end pioneers or marantz but they are super expensive and hard to find a good unmolested one. Also if you could mention how you have your system connected. I am just an amateur so I am still experimenting with setups and such. Thanks
Sounds like a very nice set up you put together!
I don't have any Kenwoods in my collection but would gladly add some if the chance happened.
Here's a system I put together that meets some of your criteria.
It's all of the totl HH Scott stuff from the late 70's and it all sounds just as good as any products from the more desirable brand names like Pioneer,Sansui,Sony and many others.
It have plenty of knobs with all the popular features.
390 R receiver , 830 Z analyzer , 825 Z EQ , PS 97 XV turntable , Pro 100 B speakers.

20210313_092003~3.jpg

20211010_141108.jpg

DSC01974.JPG

DSC01973.JPG
 
The reason I wanted all that HH Scott gear is I bought this HH Scott 355 R new back in 1980 and always loved the sound,still have it and it works great. Also have the Technics SL 210 TT I bought with it used for $20. Unfortunately my Technics speakers are long gone.

20200520_182611~2.jpg
 
Dude I have never even heard of Scott. That stuff looks amazing. Was it built in Japan or the states or?
HH Scott has been around a long time,long enough that they helped bring stereo broadcasting to FM radio. Over the years depending on who owned the company they built their stuff in quite a few places.
The gear shown was built in Japan but I think the speakers were still built in the US.
 
Pics should be required for this thread! :thumbsup: :)

1972 Rotel RX-400 with late 70's Allison Model Six speakers (tiny 10" cubes with upfacing 8" woofer & front-facing tweeter) in my garage.

The Rotel is totally original and unrestored. I actually bought caps for it, but it sounds so good I can't convince myself to touch it (other than tuner cleaning). The Allisons are unrestored also, except for refoaming (a requirement for Allisons).

Out of about 10 audio systems in my house, this is the only one that doesn't have (and doesn't need) a subwoofer, despite the tiny size of the Allisons.

attachment.php
 
Had a gig today. Mark and Terry dropped by to listen to the next pair of Dahlquist DQ-10s and some cartridges. We have been moving coil snobs but Mark (@Aerobat you know him, picture of his three tonearm DDX-1000 signature) had a Pickering XSV-3000 retipped by Steve at VAS and was loving it. I think it is his inner rock and roll self that likes more snap in his cartridge. He has written about this recently. He brought it over with some salsa, Terry brought the beer. Sam left his Shure V-15V here for me to try. I have a Pickering XV-15/1200e the one right below the 3000 in the brochure. I’ll talk more on results in a different thread as you wanted pictures, so I took one.

Difficult with the window but Mark is playing the next record, you see the important things on the table, beer, nachos on the baking sheet, switching box on the floor just showing the wood cabinet, Crown OC-150a, check it out online. Not plugged in just wanted speaker switching.

That stack is the main rig, the cabinet to the left is extras. Folks come over, bring a chunk of gear to hear and it is easier to use the side rig to make changes so that is the way my soundroom is set up. Not shown in the main rig to the right, two turntables, reel to reel. Not shown to the left are the other two Dahlquist speakers and the left sub.


1743985127798.jpeg
Even with the compromised speaker positions and overloaded room the rig sounded very good today. Easy to tell the difference in the speakers and cartridges and all enjoyable. Third time in a couple months folks have said best they have ever heard. Makes me wonder what could be if I cleaned up the room and worked to get only one set of system components positioned properly. I do sacrifice for proper speaker position, but load the room with extra pieces. Just look at all the wires bottom left of the picture, open amp on the coffee table and more.

Lots of TTs, tonearms and cartridges from the era, but you were looking for receivers and speakers. So that’s another story.

As to hook up. We were using the TT or CD to the preamp (under the top mounted TT) going to the crossover, next unit down a shelf, sitting on the CD changer. Low out to the powered subs, one on the floor behind the chair with a speaker on it. Rest of the signal to the amp on the bottom shelf in front of Mark which went to the switcher out to the two sets of speakers. Other gear hooked up but we didn’t need to use them today.

That is about as lit up as the rig gets. Add the tuner and a couple of lights and done. I like that I can have only a few on lights lit and cruise to tunes in the dark.
 
Last edited:
Limiting it just to receivers, I've lots of Sansui. Kind of ordered from newest to oldest:

9900Z (1981)
G9000
9090DB
990DB
890DB
690
QRX-9001
QRX-999
5000X
5000A
2000X
1000X
210
TAC-505 (Japan only model, imported, and my most recent addition). (1971)

Non Sansui units include:

MCS 3285
MCS 3246
Pioneer SX-60
Pioneer SX-828
Pioneer SX-990
Allied 498 (Allied models were made by Pioneer for Allied/Radio Shack)
Allied 490

That covers the bulk of the receivers, probably a few stragglers I missed.

For speakers, I have a lot of different Sansui, and some Cerwin Vega 211R from circa 1971.
 
Last edited:
Had a gig today. Mark and Terry dropped by to listen to the next pair of Dahlquist DQ-10s and some cartridges. We have been moving coil snobs but Mark (@Aerobat you know him, picture of his three tonearm DDX-1000 signature) had a Pickering XSV-3000 retipped by Steve at VAS and was loving it. I think it is his inner rock and roll self that likes more snap in his cartridge. He has written about this recently. He brought it over with some salsa, Terry brought the beer. Sam left his Shure V-15V here for me to try. I have a Pickering XV-15/1200e the one right below the 3000 in the brochure. I’ll talk more on results in a different thread as you wanted pictures, so I took one.

Difficult with the window but Mark is playing the next record, you see the important things on the table, beer, nachos on the baking sheet, switching box on the floor just showing the wood cabinet, Crown OC-150a, check it out online. Not plugged in just wanted speaker switching.

That stack is the main rig, the cabinet to the left is extras. Folks come over, bring a chunk of gear to hear and it is easier to use the side rig to make changes so that is the way my soundroom is set up. Not shown in the main rig to the right, two turntables, reel to reel. Not shown to the left are the other two Dahlquist speakers and the left sub.


View attachment 3475152
Even with the compromised speaker positions and overloaded room the rig sounded very good today. Easy to tell the difference in the speakers and cartridges and all enjoyable. Third time in a couple months folks have said best they have ever heard. Makes me wonder what could be if I cleaned up the room and worked to get only one set of system components positioned properly. I do sacrifice for proper speaker position, but load the room with extra pieces. Just look at all the wires bottom left of the picture, open amp on the coffee table and more.

Lots of TTs, tonearms and cartridges from the era, but you were looking for receivers and speakers. So that’s another story.

As to hook up. We were using the TT or CD to the preamp (under the top mounted TT) going to the crossover, next unit down a shelf, sitting on the CD changer. Low out to the powered subs, one on the floor behind the chair with a speaker on it. Rest of the signal to the amp on the bottom shelf in front of Mark which went to the switcher out to the two sets of speakers. Other gear hooked up but we didn’t need to use them today.

That is about as lit up as the rig gets. Add the tuner and a couple of lights and done. I like that I can have only a few on lights lit and cruise to tunes in the dark.
IMG_5198.jpeg
Did all these Stella dead solders have anything to do with the rig sounding great?!
 
Did all these Stella dead solders have anything to do with the rig sounding great?!
well that is a Yuengling bottle with its back to you. And what’s showing is only 2 each and the boys drove home so I don’t think it was a major influence. Some maybe, we played music of an artist one really likes. He played his copy and then I mentioned I had the MFSL record which was next up. That helped, he noticed the differences immediately.

They hear this rig regularly, that and the fact I probably have the cables to hook it up, as Mark has said, is why they bring gear to audition and let others hear. Listening to all sorts of different gear allows using the best sounding combinations making small steps toward better sound as much as we can.
 
Wow an amazing setup in both rooms. I love that your significant other or roomies let you get away with all that.
Empty nester and the cats don't really get much say in the matter. :cool:The gfs tend to enjoy the music.

Thankfully I have some level of self control. Could be very bad otherwise.
 
If you come across a Harman Kardon 330c, grab it! Punches way above its weight in terms of sound quality. Lush stuff. Paired with some Original Large Advents and you're doing really fine. I ran that system for quite some time.
 
If you come across a Harman Kardon 330c, grab it! Punches way above its weight in terms of sound quality. Lush stuff. Paired with some Original Large Advents and you're doing really fine. I ran that system for quite some time.

Agree -- the HK 330 series sound amazing. My 1972 Rotel RX-400 is an internal twin of the HK 330's (maybe the "A" version -- not sure which). I think the 330 pre-C versions had cap-coupled outputs, and the C did not, but all versions are known for great sound quality (while also being inexpensive to buy).
 
Back
Top Bottom