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Whats Your Dream Rack System

Vintage_Hi-F

Vintage Audio Geek
Now to make this question a little harder all components must be made by the same company and yes the speakers count as an included component. I'll go first.

Brand Sansui

Amp: Sansui AU-20000 Integrated
au-20000.JPG

Tuner: TU-9900
tu-9900.JPG

Tape Deck: SC-3
sc-3.JPG

CD Player: PC-V1000
pc-v1000.JPG

Turntable: SR-929
sr-929.JPG

Speakers: SP-3005
sp-3005.JPG


I know that some of the components ain't "rack mount" units but I include the old school wood cabinet enclosures as racks as well to make this a little easier.
 
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About the only choice for modern gear would be McIntosh, I like todays stuff much better than that of old and few focus on this because again it just isnt possible. Mac would still be my choice if I HAD to go this route......but I wouldnt want to because no company has ever did EVERYTHING right, they make a good amp but a crap speaker, a good tuner but a lame deck so in general I dont think its ever been wise to shop for a one brand system.
 
About the only choice for modern gear would be McIntosh, I like todays stuff much better than that of old and few focus on this because again it just isnt possible. Mac would still be my choice if I HAD to go this route......but I wouldnt want to because no company has ever did EVERYTHING right, they make a good amp but a crap speaker, a good tuner but a lame deck so in general I dont think its ever been wise to shop for a one brand system.

I know that most companies don't do every thing perfectly but their are quite a few companies like Sansui, Yamaha, Marantz, ect that did quite a bit well and more or less this is kind of a what if thread not a completely serious this is exactly what you would buy, cause if it was I would have varied up my component list significantly.
 
Nakamichi system one, from the late 1970s. But Nak didn't make speakers until they stopped making gear worth lusting after. I'd use a pair of Ohm Walsh Fs with this!
 

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  • Nakamichi-System1fronthalf.jpg
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Tandberg

3001A tuner
3002A preamp (or 3018A if I can find one)
3006A amp
3014A deck
TD 20A SE RTR (yse, there were rack kits for these!)
TT5000 turntable
Studio monitors

The weak link would be the turntable, but I could go further back and sub the rebadged Thorens model Tandberg offered, I suppose.

John
 
Something like that:

I am still missing the rack itself. But I will bend the rules. Although the phase corrected speakers Technics sported back then were fine, I can't get any of those (too bulky to ship and can't source any localy) so I need to make do with KEF ones.

2509_item_pict_big_technics_rack_b_1.jpg
 
Technics:

SP-10mkIII:
SP-10mk3.jpg


ST-8080:
ST-8080.jpg


RS-1500:
Technics_RS-1500_2.jpg


RS-9900:
1233838569954_f.jpg


SL-P50:
417_vintage-audio-laser_technics_slp50top.jpg


SU-A4:
su-a4.JPG


SE-A5:
Technics%20se-a5.JPG


SB-10000:
sb10000catalog.jpg




There's my "rack" system....but I think that most normal racks would collapse under all that weight :D
 
I'll assume you are talking about AUDIO racks here... :D

It's difficult to limit the entire system to just one manufacturer. My favorite speakers are the big vintage Infinities, but Infinity didn't make good amplifiers, etc... (Although they did make a nice TT I'd like to have. Alas, it is uber-rare. :sigh:)

Sansui made great amps, but I'm not that thrilled with most of their speakers.

If the whole system has to be from one manufacturer, it would probably come down to two:

McIntosh, because they have done everything at least moderately well. I wouldn't rank them the very best in any one single category, but for an overall excellence in a complete system, you'd have to give them credit for coming closer than almost anyone, especially today.

and

Yamaha. The dream system would start with a GT-2000X turntable and end with the NS-10000s. In between would be those HUGE mono amps that TVK used to have only a pic of, from some audio show, but which I saw a pair of in for repair at a local shop (possibly the same ones displayed at that exhibition, years before?).

I have a "mini" version of that Yamaha system, from the GT-2000 TT through M2 amp (no Yammie preamp here, alas), and out to NS-1000Ms. Not bad! :music:
 
Luxman LRS: http://www.thevintageknob.org/LUXMAN/LRS77/LRS77.html
preamp, tuner, tone control, MC cartridge transformers, LED displays, power amps with and without meters, cassette deck (5K50) and equalizer.
Luxman PD-441, 444 or 555 with some Lux arm I guess, Lux MC cartridge http://www.thevintageknob.org/LUXMAN/PD444/PD444.html

Luxman speakers...hmmm...I have a pair of the MS-10s, but I'd blow them up completely with a rack of LRS gear. They did make an MS-20 but I'd probably need a few pair to match up to the gear.

I do like John's Tandberg system, too.

Found this on the web, it is credited on the document.
Luxman_LRS.jpg
 
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I'll tell ya my vintage dream amp: one that doesn't break down!

Got an old 1987 Sony that just rocks, sounds great, and never breaks down, thank god.
 
I don't dream of Rack Systems.

If I did want to go for all one brand though there are some amazing setups I'd love to have:

- Carver anything (just not the cube) powering carver planars.

- advent (they made everything right).

- yamaha with ns-1000 or similar as speakers.
 
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