Buyer Beware! - Know Before You Buy This Vintage Stereo Equipment! Part 2

Comments · 240

• MA

  @markfx12 · 3 years ago

  Skylabs Audio Sunday video: more essential than NFL football.

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• LA

  @LakeNipissing · 3 years ago

  Regarding the STK power output modules:<br>If you have a working stereo with these output modules (Pioneer SX-680, SX-780 etc.) keep the ventilation openings unobstructed, &nbsp;and ensure the heat sinks are free of dust. &nbsp;Make sure there is sufficient heat sink compound between the STK module and the heat sink. &nbsp;Add fuses to protect the module on the VCC + and - &nbsp; and also the speaker outputs.<br>It is really too bad the Chinese &apos;knock-offs&quot; aren&apos;t good. &nbsp;In theory, &nbsp;they just got the rights to mass produce them when the OEM (Sanyo ?) stopped production, &nbsp;so they <i>could</i> be the same thing.

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• SI

  @Silverfaces. · 3 years ago

  I feel one advantage of linear trackers is the plug and play ability that makes it possible for older people with failing eyesight and unsteady hands to enjoy. Tonearm balancing, cartridge installation and alignment require good eyes and manual dexterity. The P-mount system take those tasks out of the equation.<br><br>As far as cartridge availability, Grado and Audio Technica still produce excellent sounding T4P examples. I’ve been able to put together a good collection of &nbsp;vintage P-mount cartridges on that big auction website, then finding new stylus options on a variety of internet retailers. It just takes some effort to put it all together.<br><br>I own a Technics SL-10 with the original 310MC moving coil that produces a warm sound that rivals my Thorens TD150 MKII. There are times after a long day when I just want to push play and listen to a record with the linear tracker. On the weekend I love to take the time to drop the needle on the Thorens and enjoy at a leisurely pace. The best of both vinyl playback worlds.

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• MP

  @mph7282 · 3 years ago

  R2R is a fantastic sounding format, and it’s fun. But it’s one of those “labors of love”, and you have to love to labor on your love. &nbsp;A friend of mine is a big R2R fan and owns several very high end decks. One day he’s oiling one and his nephew walks in and asks “why do you have all of this old stuff?” And my friend deadpans “for the convenience.” &nbsp;They are a lot of fun, but definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

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• ST

  @stepheneson4107 · 3 years ago (edited)

  Thank you for another great video. &nbsp;Two comments: 1) The #1 reason most people bought R2R machines was to copy records. One 1800&apos; reel of tape, which could easily hold two LP&apos;s worth of music, was half the price of a vinyl record. &nbsp;Friends and I would buy a record, duplicate it, and split the savings. Recording quality FM radio broadcasts directly off the air was another free source of music. &nbsp;2) Linear tracking turntables were a solution in search of a problem: &nbsp;Using a quality test-tone record, very few people could hear any distortion introduced by the tracking error in a quality tonearm. &nbsp;What&apos;s more, the &quot;Rube-Goldberg&quot; assemblies of these machines (along with their cousin the Garrard Zero-One Hundred turntable with articulated tonearm) introduced problems of their own: tonearm motor rumble and pivot bearing friction which introduced stylus tracking &quot;drag&quot;.

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• RE

  @RedRiverMud · 2 months ago

  Great video. I love the buyer beware series.

• AN

  @andydelle4509 · 3 years ago

  Another tip on used Reel to Reels. Buy a machine with three motors and electrical controls meaning just a push switch that does not actuate levers inside. The reason is that three motor decks with electrical control have the least moving parts. Single motor decks have lots of metal latching levers that wear down as well as several rubber pucks and idler wheels that deteriorate. Pinch rollers are relativity easy to get these days but not the other rubber parts. Do have the motor capacitors tested and replaced if bad or weak. A shorted motor capacitor can burn out the motor.

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• AL

  @alm5693 · 3 years ago (edited)

  R2R at 7 1/2 ips really was better that vinyl. 3 3/4 ips was mostly for when you wanted to get up to six albums onto one tape. I&apos;ve got six feet of shelf space given over to R2R tapes (1/3 pre-recorded albums, 1/3 &quot;borrowed&quot; albums, 1/3 live band gigs and rehearsals), but my Sony 640B needs an overhaul that will cost as much as the deck did new in the early 70&apos;s.<br>R2R tapes have as much of a tactile experience as records do. You have to thread it thru the capstan and onto the take-up reel and learn how to cut and tape for leaders or edits. It was also way more interesting to watch than a record.

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• LO

  @lotusmanb3832 · 3 years ago

  I had a Mistubishi LT5V turntable that work flawlessly for 10 years. It was a great unit that was compatible with any cartridge. Loved it

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• PE

  @pervertedalchemist9944 · 3 years ago

  Ah yes, the infamous STK power packs. If you ever owned a Pioneer from the late 70&apos;s, then you are familiar with these.

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• YO

  @yomuno2511 · 1 year ago

  I purchased a TEAC with 4 VU meters for $25 about 25 years ago from a thrift store. I never got it to even &nbsp;power on. Been sitting ever since. My grandfather beat my deal. In the late 70s he bought two for 25 cents at a flea market. One was half missing, the other just needed a power cord repair. I fixed it at age 12. It laid flat, had two built in speakers with a tube amp. Weighed a ton. Probably made in the 50s. It worked great for a couple of years, but a fabric belt broke and I threw it away.

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• MI

  @michellevey9608 · 3 years ago

  I love linear tracking tables. For me they just always seem to work flawlessly.

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