What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Bogey]

I am glad to see that many are fans of this brand.  My father just picked up one for his garage stereo at a recent vintage audio show.  It only has 15 watts per channel and he was very surprised by its power....thirty should be plenty for my small workroom.  Now, what is it with these older models and their power?  Did they used to use a different measurement bck in the day?  I thought a watt was a, well, watt? 

[Coopmv]

I am glad to see that many are fans of this brand.  My father just picked up one for his garage stereo at a recent vintage audio show.  It only has 15 watts per channel and he was very surprised by its power....thirty should be plenty for my small workroom.  Now, what is it with these older models and their power?  Did they used to use a different measurement bck in the day?  I thought a watt was a, well, watt? 

It may have something to do with the quality of the transformer.  Have you ever wondered why your 15 year old refrigerator or dish washer is still going strong while the new models with offshore-made electrical motors often conk in less than five years?

[DavidRoss]

I am glad to see that many are fans of this brand.  My father just picked up one for his garage stereo at a recent vintage audio show.  It only has 15 watts per channel and he was very surprised by its power....thirty should be plenty for my small workroom.  Now, what is it with these older models and their power?  Did they used to use a different measurement bck in the day?  I thought a watt was a, well, watt? 

To keep things simple, Bill, you need to compare apples with apples.  The standard is continuous RMS watts at a given level of distortion (i.e. 1% THD) into the specified load, usually 8 ohms.  That has not changed.  Snake oil salesmen now just as then con gullible consumers with exaggerated and essentially meaningless claims citing "peak dynamic power" ratings at unspecified distortion into unspecified loads.  

[Bogey]

To keep things simple, Bill, you need to compare apples with apples.  The standard is continuous RMS watts at a given level of distortion (i.e. 1% THD) into the specified load, usually 8 ohms.  That has not changed.  Snake oil salesmen now just as then con gullible consumers with exaggerated and essentially meaningless claims citing "peak dynamic power" ratings at unspecified distortion into unspecified loads.  

Nice to see you back, David....and, thank you.

[Bogey]

 

It may have something to do with the quality of the transformer.  Have you ever wondered why your 15 year old refrigerator or dish washer is still going strong while the new models with offshore-made electrical motors often conk in less than five years?

We have a Whirlpool washer......32 years old and never repaired.

[Coopmv]

We have a Whirlpool washer......32 years old and never repaired.

Many of the vintage audio gears were very well-made. 

[Daverz]

 

It may have something to do with the quality of the transformer.  Have you ever wondered why your 15 year old refrigerator or dish washer is still going strong while the new models with offshore-made electrical motors often conk in less than five years?

I have this old GE electric can opener.  It's avacado green, if that gives you some idea of the vintage.   It must be about 40 years old.  It seemed to stop working, so I replaced it with a new model and different brand, not the cheapest one either.  But that new one was really hard to use: you had get the can under the cutter just right, and even then it would leave crude edges.  Turned out the blade of the old one just needed cleaning.  It's still working like a charm.  Here's a pic of one that was selling on ebay:

[Coopmv]

These days, manufacturers basically make sure their products conk out shortly after their warranties expire.  Then they make the out-of-warranty repairs so costly that people will be forced to buy new products again.  This is a scam in my opinion ...

[Herman]

Many of the vintage audio gears were very well-made. 

Well, I did mention there was a problem with my old Marantz, and I would not go beyond calling it a very good mass market product.

In hindsight I'm not sure a tuner has a place in an amplifier and a tone control is fairly suspicious, too IMHO.

[Daverz]

a tone control is fairly suspicious, too IMHO.

First they came for the loudness button, but I said nothing, because that is only for casual listening.
Then they came for the tone controls, but I said nothing, because I bought that they were suspicious, too.
Then they came for the mono button, but I still said nothing, because I had few mono Lps.
Then they came for the balance control, but I held my tongue because I didn't have balance problems at the time.
Then they came for the volume control...

[Valentino]

Yeah. They made it step 2dB at a time. Bloody useless.

[Coopmv]

Yeah. They made it step 2dB at a time. Bloody useless.

I still enjoy playing my Tandberg gears, part of my vintage systems collection.

[Valentino]

I used to have Tandberg 3000-series gear. Beautiful boxes. I've owned 3003, 3038A, 3036A, 3028A, 3026A, and 3031A. The latter had a rather cheap FM-board, which is now thrown out. I put a couple of used B&O ICEpower500ASP class D power amplifier modules into that box and they drive my subwoofers. That's what left of Tandberg here.
The whole semiactive speaker system is constructed by a friend of mine, and the main speakers use two SEAS Excel 5" Al-Mg drivers. So my gear is still a little bit Norwegian.

[Bogey]

First they came for the loudness button, but I said nothing, because that is only for casual listening.
Then they came for the tone controls, but I said nothing, because I bought that they were suspicious, too.
Then they came for the mono button, but I still said nothing, because I had few mono Lps.
Then they came for the balance control, but I held my tongue because I didn't have balance problems at the time.
Then they came for the volume control...

[The new erato]

Soon they'll come for your ears, and then you'd better be real worried!

[Coopmv]

I used to have Tandberg 3000-series gear. Beautiful boxes. I've owned 3003, 3038A, 3036A, 3028A, 3026A, and 3031A. The latter had a rather cheap FM-board, which is now thrown out. I put a couple of used B&O ICEpower500ASP class D power amplifier modules into that box and they drive my subwoofers. That's what left of Tandberg here.
The whole semiactive speaker system is constructed by a friend of mine, and the main speakers use two SEAS Excel 5" Al-Mg drivers. So my gear is still a little bit Norwegian.

I have not used my Tandberg TD 20A open-reel deck in a while.  But my main amplications are provided by two Conrad Johnson amps.  I still have two Tandberg receivers and have 5 stereo systems set up at my house ...

[The new erato]

My pretty old Wadia 830 CD player developed a problem, so I bought this:



Wadia 302. Even though all CD players sounds alike, this sounds glorious.

[Valentino]

Oh well. All CD-players sound glorious.
Gongratulations on your purchase, erato. 

[DavidRoss]

Wadia 302. Even though all CD players sounds alike, this sounds glorious.

[Harry]

My pretty old Wadia 830 CD player developed a problem, so I bought this:



Wadia 302. Even though all CD players sounds alike, this sounds glorious.

I had this player at home for a while, and its indeed a glorious sounding piece of equipment....