Post up your favourite hi-fi components from the past

[two sheds]

Had a pair of Russian Rigonda? speakers in early 70s. Really liked the sound, and they had amps and controls in the top of the speaker - really good idea, just plugged the record deck in as I recall (Garrard SP 25 Mark III).

Plus quad speakers and amp which I loved dearly too, one channel went down so I gave them away

 

[nick]

This is the best amp I've ever owned. The Audiolab 8000A.

still got mine

 

[editor]

still got mine

All the connections at the back started to fall apart and I couldn't justify the cost of fixing an amp that was so old and likely to go wrong somewhere else. I certainly got value for money off the amp though!

 

[Lazy Llama]

I had one of these in the mid-80's - Acoustic Research - "The Amplifier"

Stan Curtis, Engineer, The Acoustic Research integrated amplifier from 1984
To be honest, I'm not sure what happened to it.

I used to use it with a Seedek Revolver turntable, which I still have but haven't used in 15+ years, and a pair of Wharfedale Diamond II's which I still use in my office.
All solid bits of kit, mostly metal and wood with few components inside.

 

[editor]

I saw this pic randomly appear on FB and have to say I was a bit smitten by the old school retro separates!

 

[Supine]

I have the Cyrus 2 with the added power pack. Still going strong after i got it second hand in the late eighties

 

[Raheem]

All the rage when this thread started.

 

[contadino]

I've been running a teac amplifier for the last few years. I love the sound.

 

[editor]

My Rega Planar 3 must be around 25 years old by now. It plays fine although it takes a while to get up to speed (a bit like me)

I made a bit of a boo-boo when I bought an amp a few years ago. I went with tech specs and sonic fidelity and bought a new Marantz but I really wish I'd got some 70s/80s second-hand number with pointless but aesthetically pleasing VU meters and clunky 'man-sized' switches. I doubt if I'd hear the difference anyway.

Something like this:

 

[pogofish]

My Rega Planar 3 must be around 25 years old by now. It plays fine although it takes a while to get up to speed (a bit like me)

I made a bit of a boo-boo when I bought an amp a few years ago. I went with tech specs and sonic fidelity and bought a new Marantz but I really wish I'd got some 70s/80s second-hand number with pointless but aesthetically pleasing VU meters and clunky 'man-sized' switches. I doubt if I'd hear the difference anyway.

Something like this:

View attachment 327423

I replaced the belt on my Planar 3 just before lockdown - it is one of the very first models issued with the RB300 tonearm, so the old belt had been going since 1983! It transformed it right back to when it was new again! You can still get them online.

 

[editor]

I replaced the belt on my Planar 3 just before lockdown - it is one of the very first models issued with the RB300 tonearm, so the old belt had been going since 1983! It transformed it right back to when it was new again! You can still get them online.

Thanks for reminding me - I've just ordered one now. Pretty amazing to think the old belt was going after so many decades!

I'm not tremendously bothered but the hinges on the lid snapped off years ago, so I have to lift the whole thing on and off again. It's not such a burden which is a good thing as it doesn't look very easy to fix.

 

[petee]

I used to love this amp: the Rotel RA611. I reckon it still looks lovely too - look at that lovely wood and chrome finish!

great brand, i should have bought a Rotel intead of my NAD

 

[petee]

My Rega Planar 3 must be around 25 years old by now. It plays fine although it takes a while to get up to speed (a bit like me)

I made a bit of a boo-boo when I bought an amp a few years ago. I went with tech specs and sonic fidelity and bought a new Marantz but I really wish I'd got some 70s/80s second-hand number with pointless but aesthetically pleasing VU meters and clunky 'man-sized' switches. I doubt if I'd hear the difference anyway.

Something like this:

View attachment 327423

yamaha: a bit "bright" but better than the rounded-to-nothing sound of the NAD metioned in my last post.

mine:

 

[contadino]

Was that the NAD 3020? That amp is always included in those 'best amps of all time ' articles that pop up occasionally, but I had one briefly and thought it was pants. It was better than the Sanyo thing I had before it, but I've never understood how experts got so excited about it.

The day I swapped it for a Cyrus was a good day.

 

[editor]

Look at this beauty, complete with pointless rack mounting handles. Lush!

 

[petee]

Was that the NAD 3020? That amp is always included in those 'best amps of all time ' articles that pop up occasionally, but I had one briefly and thought it was pants. It was better than the Sanyo thing I had before it, but I've never understood how experts got so excited about it.

The day I swapped it for a Cyrus was a good day.

i'm not at home at the moment but i think it's a 367 (if that's correct they don't make it anymore).
in addition to a dull sound it's hard to navigate. i didn't take into consideration that i like all the controls visible, the old fashioned way, dials and buttons and switches, not remote-only.
i only bought it because that yamaha cuts out above a certain volume. it's 40+ years old and still works, up to a point!

 

[pesh]

just been to pick up my old Rotel pre and power amps up from the repairman... love them to bits, they have an absurdly full on heavy sound to them.

 

[editor]

So I went to a brilliant Bowie exhibition and they had this vintage hi-fi system. Oh my word. This was the hi-fi I dreamed of when I was young (and, frankly, still do).

Reference Hydraulic Transcription Turntable by JA Michell.
Rotel RX-1203 stereo receiver
Celestion Ditton 66 speakers

 

[petee]

So I went to a brilliant Bowie exhibition and they had this vintage hi-fi system. Oh my word. This was the hi-fi I dreamed of when I was young (and, frankly, still do).

Reference Hydraulic Transcription Turntable by JA Michell.
Rotel RX-1203 stereo receiver
Celestion Ditton 66 speakers

View attachment 369827

View attachment 369828

I've heard Rotel highly recommended from a number of sources. Love the handles.

 

[Sasaferrato]

It was this. A Pioneer RT 909. I bought it in the PX in Berlin, and sold it a few years later, which I still regret.

 

[newme]

I have some ex club 300(?) watt Gemini speakers, no stand and a random allegedly 1kw sub from the same place, was used for DnB nights on hire like 20 years ago. Speakers currently under desk (had to get a raised one), sub in shed. Shame the amp blew up, old Technics one a mate had overloaded by crosswiring or something? Thing just set on fire one day lol, woops must have been 40+ by now.

 

[eightball]

My Rega Planar 3 must be around 25 years old by now. It plays fine although it takes a while to get up to speed (a bit like me)

I made a bit of a boo-boo when I bought an amp a few years ago. I went with tech specs and sonic fidelity and bought a new Marantz but I really wish I'd got some 70s/80s second-hand number with pointless but aesthetically pleasing VU meters and clunky 'man-sized' switches. I doubt if I'd hear the difference anyway.

Something like this:

View attachment 327423

My Rega Planar 3 is 42 years old, still going but getting a bit creaky (like me). My Audiolab 8000A died three years ago, aged 25, so I replaced it with a 8300A which still has that 'Audiolab sound' only much, much better

 

[editor]

My Rega Planar 3 is 42 years old, still going but getting a bit creaky (like me). My Audiolab 8000A died three years ago, aged 25, so I replaced it with a 8300A which still has that 'Audiolab sound' only much, much better

We have a similar history as my Rega Planar 3 is still working and I had to bin my Audiolab 8000A after all the connections at the back snapped off, bit by bit, and I started to worry about the general electrical safety of the thing. Shame because it was magnificent amp but the cost of an overall seemed a huge gamble.

I bought a slightly earlier version of this amp. I kinda wished that I'd bought a retro amp with VU meters to be honest!

 

[pogofish]

Yesterday's haul of free hifi - An Arcam Alpha-One amp and a pair of BIG Klipsch speakers - 8-inch drivers:

20230524_163450.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

The Arcam has been rehomed already..!

The speakers sound really good with ideal bass for metal - We are thinking of keeping them for our "relaxed office"/coffee/discussion space when the renovations finally get underway!

 

[editor]

Yesterday's haul of free hifi - An Arcam Alpha-One amp and a pair of BIG Klipsch speakers - 8-inch drivers:

20230524_163450.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

The Arcam has been rehomed already..!

The speakers sound really good with ideal bass for metal - We are thinking of keeping them for our "relaxed office"/coffee/discussion space when the renovations finally get underway!

Great stuff!

 

[pogofish]

Not exactly hifi but I was given this to work with on a special job at an unmentionable location last week:

DSC_7903 (2023-05-24T16_05_53.775).jpg

Whilst the amps (Nexo) were good, my boss's opinion of the mixer was along the lines of "cruel and unusual punishment"

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Not exactly hifi but I was given this to work with on a special job at an unmentionable location last week:

DSC_7903 (2023-05-24T16_05_53.775).jpg

Whilst the amps (Nexo) were good, my boss's opinion of the mixer was along the lines of "cruel and unusual punishment"

Nowt really wrong with the TF series, they’re solid enough and have a decent feature set for the price. The only mistake Yamaha made was completely redesigning the user interface from all its other digital lines, which was a really stupid thing to do.

 

[savoloysam]

I used to own a pair of these they were different class.

Mission Volare 63 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 3 out of 5 - 1 reviews - audioreview.com

Mission Volare 63 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 3 out of 5 - 1 reviews - audioreview.com

www.audioreview.com

 

[eightball]

We have a similar history as my Rega Planar 3 is still working and I had to bin my Audiolab 8000A after all the connections at the back snapped off, bit by bit, and I started to worry about the general electrical safety of the thing. Shame because it was magnificent amp but the cost of an overall seemed a huge gamble.

I bought a slightly earlier version of this amp. I kinda wished that I'd bought a retro amp with VU meters to be honest!

Hmm, the pictures I posted seem to have disappeared. How do I edit my post to get them back please?

 

[savoloysam]

We have a similar history as my Rega Planar 3 is still working and I had to bin my Audiolab 8000A after all the connections at the back snapped off, bit by bit, and I started to worry about the general electrical safety of the thing. Shame because it was magnificent amp but the cost of an overall seemed a huge gamble.

I bought a slightly earlier version of this amp. I kinda wished that I'd bought a retro amp with VU meters to be honest!

Marantz make some bloody good amps and quite stylish too IMO.

If you can afford I would definitely recommend an 8 series. It's a massive step up in sound, timing, imaging etc. Mine is paired with an amazing set of Revel speakers.

I no longer have any need for upgrading. The sound is so immersive, I love it.