Over the course of the past two decades I have been purchasing audio equipment to build the best vintage audio system ever. A few components were in need of repair, other components malfunctioned over the years while in use. In November of 2011, I renovated the Finished Room Over the Garage (FROG), which became the music room. By June of this year all the components had been repaired and set up in the FROG. This system produces an amazing
soundstage, the music sounds so realistic, at times I can barely believe my own ears. Here are the components in the system and please feel free to post comments or ask questions.
Turntables
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| Marantz 6300 with Grado Green cartridge. |
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| Mazantz 6100 with Audio Technica 71ELC cartridge |
I picked up these vintage
Marantz turntables in local pawn shops many years ago for less than $15.00 (USD) each. They are classics and they sound great especially with the two different cartridges
Tape Decks
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| Akai GX-4000D Reel to Reel | |
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| Akai CS-702D II Cassette Deck |
I purchased the
Akai reel to reel at a local flea market years ago, and the Akai cassette deck belonged to my father. He is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about music and vintage audio gear. He reads this blog from time to time. Hi Papa :-)
Pre Amplifier
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| McIntosh C24 Solid State Preamplifier. |
This preamp is as simple as it gets and it does the job well. I purchased this preamp at a local audio dealer years ago. I trust this dealer to make repairs to my
McIntosh equipment as they are the only authorized McIntosh repair center in the area.
Power Amplifiers
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| McIntosh MC40 Mono Block tube amp, left channel. |
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| McIntosh MC40 Mono Block tube amp, right channel. |
One of the contributing factors to the great soundstage I experience is partly due to these mono block tube amplifiers. These
McIntosh 40 watt mono block amps have a lot of power. They reproduce bass that is deep and sustained, the mids and highs are clean with minimal distortion. These mono blocks were given to me by a former co-worker and friend who is a fellow
audiophile. He has owned his McIntosh amp for over 30 years and swears by McIntosh products. I can see why now. Thanks Kevin.
Speakers
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| Vandersteen 2B right channel with MC40 |
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| Vandersteen 2B left channel with MC40 |
The other contributing factor to the great soundstage I experience, and perhaps the most significant, is due to these
Vandersteen 2B speakers. These speakers radiate sound from the front and all sides, including the back and the top of the speakers. This unique design is credited for creating a three dimensional soundstage, which gives the music it's realistic qualities. These speakers are also described as having an "open" sound, a term that is typically associated with
electrostatic speakers. The music I play sounds so realistic, as if I am in the recording studio with the artists. Live recordings sound as if I am at the concerts where the recordings were made. Another friend and audiophile informed me that these speakers were for sale and I purchased them from an outstanding
Audiogon member a few year ago. I am eternally grateful to both individuals, thanks Gerry and Skip.
The Complete System
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| Vintage audio equipment in the FROG. |
Well, it's time to get back to the tunes. It's because of this awesome system that I spend less time on this blog and more time listening to music. But in my defense, all this music listening is really research :-) Research that provides me with material that I translate into thought provoking material for future blogs. Ha ha ha..., no really! :-)
Look out for these up coming blogs from yours truly.
- Thrift Store Vinyl, Part IV of How To Build The Best Record Collection Ever.
- Record Labels, How To Recognize Vintage, Imports, Re-Issued and Promotional copy LPs.
- Record Care, How To Clean And Care For Your LPs.
Don't forget to
Join This Blog, and please check out my other posts in the Blog Archives.
Happy hunting,
The Vinyl Dude.
