What "Audio Related" item were you GIFTED?
- Thread starter pworm14
- Start date
twiiii
Lunatic Member
I had trashed my last Stanton CS 1000 stylus I was using with my Stanton 881 in 08. I called FRank Gow at Audio Classics and asked what do I do now. I had known Frank way back when when he was selling components to Johnson Controls at one of the twin plants in JUarez, Mexico. He used to sneak in our store and shop our retail section. His dad was the President of Mcintosh. He had Concert Grands at home with 275's like I did. We use to talk a lot. He recommended a few cartridges and asked what my price range was. I told him and two weeks later I recieved a Dynavector 10 x 4 as a surprise at no charge. I tried out the cartridge and after a couple of weeks I called and asked for a model with a fine line stylus shape. He sent me a 20 X which I still have and paid for. I now use to 20 X 2's. I returned the 10 X 4 with a thank you!.. When the 10 x5 came along he sent me one at no charge and said keep it. I have it as a spare in case I damage one of my 20's. I still have the 5 in its sealed box. I am thinking about getting XX-2 now for Christmas as I have a MC pre-amp to use. All the other Dynavectors are high output moving coils. If I were looking for something at a more modest price I really like like the sound of the 110 Denon I heard at Audio CLassics last year.
Every year we use to get a Chrismas bonus if we were good boys or girls at work, The year I made a lot of money for the company. I got an Ampex 300 that needed rebuilding as a present in 66. It had been the mastering deck for the Ampex duplicator set up. I changed it from 36/60 ips to 7.5/15 ips and used two 354 electronics and changed the heads to 4 channel high impedance for the 354 electronics. I modified the units to work together. I kept it as a 1/2 inch machine. I changed the HS equalization to AME. Ampex master Equalization designed by Ray Dolby when he worked for Ampex developing the 351 electronics and other things. AME is sort of a fixed level Dolby noise reduction system. Using MAxell UD and a 1024 Nwb record level standard i gained over 12 db dynamic range. meaning about 75 db signal to noise below 3% distortion. Some times I wish I had the Machine and the original tapes. But they have been all dubbed to CD in stereo. I would normally record in three channel and 4th channel for solos or for a rear channel ambient sound. I either used Ampex tube mixers or the smallest Yamaha PM series SS mixers.
Every year we use to get a Chrismas bonus if we were good boys or girls at work, The year I made a lot of money for the company. I got an Ampex 300 that needed rebuilding as a present in 66. It had been the mastering deck for the Ampex duplicator set up. I changed it from 36/60 ips to 7.5/15 ips and used two 354 electronics and changed the heads to 4 channel high impedance for the 354 electronics. I modified the units to work together. I kept it as a 1/2 inch machine. I changed the HS equalization to AME. Ampex master Equalization designed by Ray Dolby when he worked for Ampex developing the 351 electronics and other things. AME is sort of a fixed level Dolby noise reduction system. Using MAxell UD and a 1024 Nwb record level standard i gained over 12 db dynamic range. meaning about 75 db signal to noise below 3% distortion. Some times I wish I had the Machine and the original tapes. But they have been all dubbed to CD in stereo. I would normally record in three channel and 4th channel for solos or for a rear channel ambient sound. I either used Ampex tube mixers or the smallest Yamaha PM series SS mixers.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share these cool stories. Working for Mcintosh; getting to know all the great people from that time period plus audio related gifts for Christmas! How cool is that!
RunOutGroove
Addicted Member
That's the kind of thing that I like to hear, as I have a TT with one of those carts and I really like the sound. I'm kind of a cheapskate and a newbie with MC carts so I kind of hate the idea that a cart like that really means replacement when the stylus gets dull, but though these things aren't nothing, they're still cheap enough so that I'd probably just replace with the same. Funny, but that cart fits into the "gift" theme of this thread as it came with a turtable that a friend gave me, a Yamaha pf-800, something that I feel is good enough for my modest standards (particularly with the aforementioned cart) that it very well likely will be the last turntable I'll ever own. I did spend just a bit on everything though as I got a Schiit Mani 2 phone preamp to use with it as I wanted something that I could more precisely dial in the gain/loading stuff for that cart than the Ccambridge Audio preamp that I had before. I hear a bit of an improvement with the Schiit...
cornemuse
Super Member
My uncle bought a 78 rpm record player/AM radio in early 40's (during wwii) (He was in usmc in wwi, too old for wwii!) Anywayz, he bought it after moving to San Diego north county (Encinitas) 'to ingratiate himself' with the locals. Even have a record brush (with flocking!) has pic of Bing Crosby & the stores name on it "Tiedys Radio Hospital". Around the house somewheres.
unga-unga
Active Member
My friend David who is a rambling hippie knows I like tubes and old radios and stuff, and he stays out here on the property from time to time, when he's skirting through town, usually on his way via i-80 to Colorado or something... he brought me a sweet tabletop radio/phonograph with a Jensen pm8c speaker in immaculate condition, and if anyone else is familiar, it's a really REALLY nice speaker for a limited bandwidth... not only am I "into" that speaker, but I had a single so it completed a stereo pair for a speaker build! Of course I keep the radio clean and put away for later, but I will utilize the speaker aside of the radio & can put it back if I ever want to part with it... I could look to be sure but I think it is an Admiral... don't remember... almost all loctal tubes, early post-war, probably around 1950... I mean I looked it up for sure and printed the schematic but I just don't remember, I put that stuff up with the radio in an envelope, for ALL of them... so many radios...
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Pio1980
AK Member
Loktal tubes make it most likely Sivertone, Philco, Zenith.
I don't think Admiral used them.
Ohighway
Wannabe Minimalist
I've been given a lot over the years. So to keep this simple I'm just gonna mention the first piece I was gifted.
A school friend received a brand new Zenith "circle of sound" system for his birthday. He gifted me his previous system which was a crappy old radio console retrofitted with a nice little Voice of Music record changer. The radio console didn't stick around long, but I still have the VM changer!
A school friend received a brand new Zenith "circle of sound" system for his birthday. He gifted me his previous system which was a crappy old radio console retrofitted with a nice little Voice of Music record changer. The radio console didn't stick around long, but I still have the VM changer!
My Technics SL-D2 Turntable wth AKG cartridge. Gifted from a friend buying CDs in the 1990s. It is my main turntable. No interest in upgrading all these years, because the cost to get audibly different will be somewhat pricey. Plus, I'm an anti-audiophile. I want the best sounding system for the least money. So free stuff is best.
Got the SA-800 from a friend in college in the 1980s. I was given to him and he passed it to me. It is all restored now. I even found someone re-manufacturing the caps for the knobs, and have replaced the missing cap since this photograph was taken.
Similar on the 828, which has been restored and I found the correct replacement volume knob on ebay.
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This Pioneer and the L19 speakers were bought in the 1970s when my brother was in college. He has much better stuff now so he just gave them to me. '
Got the SA-800 from a friend in college in the 1980s. I was given to him and he passed it to me. It is all restored now. I even found someone re-manufacturing the caps for the knobs, and have replaced the missing cap since this photograph was taken.
Similar on the 828, which has been restored and I found the correct replacement volume knob on ebay.
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This Pioneer and the L19 speakers were bought in the 1970s when my brother was in college. He has much better stuff now so he just gave them to me. '
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RunOutGroove
Addicted Member
Free stuff is indeed best, no doubt... and Technics tables are nice. I had my SL-1300 for well over 20 years, when a friend gifted be a Yamaha Pl-800 table, which I ended up using and then passing the good deed over to a friend that I gave my Technics turtable to...
When I was in college, many a year ago, my uncle, who was in the Army in Germany at the time, surprised me with a new Pioneer SX-1010 receiver & a CT-F9191 cassette deck. Still have both of them - and they work! ;-). Very nice guy.
I bought a pair of KLH Model Fives to complete the system from a fraternity brother... Still have them, too...
I bought a pair of KLH Model Fives to complete the system from a fraternity brother... Still have them, too...
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kwkshift
Well-Known Member
In high school, I got a Sony D66 Discman for Christmas one year. With those little Mega Bass headphone/ earphone things, (MDR-A10's) I was absolutely blown away with Def Leppard Hysteria on CD. I remember sitting on my bed in awe at how fantastic something like that could sound. I wish I still had one with the working headphones. I do still have the CD....and the album, now.
Sony Discman MDR-A10 Folding In-Ear Headphones
Kickback with these vintage Sony Discman in-ear headphones! These headphones are tested and in working vintage condition. As with all things vintage, this item may show gentle signs of a previous life. Standard 3.5mm headphone auxiliary jack.
retrospekt.com
Tronk
AKA Cheapo
My daughter gave me a $50 gift card to buy whatever I want, so I got a JVC JX-S300 from Ebay because I've really needed one to complete my setup.
After Christmas she asked me what I got with the card and I said that thing I told you I needed when you asked what I wanted for my birthday back in August lol.
After Christmas she asked me what I got with the card and I said that thing I told you I needed when you asked what I wanted for my birthday back in August lol.
ProudArmyBra
Active Member
My Dad was huge Steely Dan fan.
gizzyman47
Addicted Member
A fellow audio buddy of mine gifted me last month a pair of Infinity kappa 5's. He got them from a thrift/yard sell some time ago. He never used them as the woofers needed refoamed. I never even knew he owned them until I recently bought a pair of Kappa 8's. He said he had them and would dig them out of storage. Said he would never get them fixed so he'd rather give them to me. I fixed them and are currently being used in the bedroom system. Great little speakers!
Told him that he may want them back after hearing them!
Funny how I went from never owning any Infinity speakers to owning two pairs within a month.
Told him that he may want them back after hearing them!
Funny how I went from never owning any Infinity speakers to owning two pairs within a month.