Vintage HiFi Audio Forum

General Banter => Welcome Wagon => Topic started by: tube_dan on February 21, 2011, 04:50:28 PM

Title: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: tube_dan on February 21, 2011, 04:50:28 PM
Hello Everyone!

Just found this site and am eager to meet you all ftf!

I grew up in western PA and now live (Bloomfield) and work (UPMC) in the city.

Up through the mid-1980s, I thought "serious" audio was mass market Japanese and Bose 901s.  Then a friend (audio mentor) got me reading TAS and Stereophile.

He got me started with modest Conrad-Johnson (PV5, MV50), then later ARC SP10-MkII and D90.  He pointed out to me that Japan's FANATICS(!) went crazy over vintage American tube gear -- anyone with money can buy the latest/greatest, but FANATICS sought McIntosh/Marantz/etc.

So I started accumulating stray McIntosh (mc240/275), Dynaco's  (pas, st70, mk3, mkiv), and the occasional Eico's, others.

The 90's were golden times for tubes;  great quality tubes at "reasonable" prices -- NOS Mullards (!) were not scarce.  Matched pairs/quads of el34, kt88s etc. today -- YEOW!

My house in Beaver County was different audio setups in each room -- mostly tubes, but my reference (living room) was solid state.

Got married (am getting divorced now), and sold most of my gear.  Still have a pair of ST70's (1 with Sutherland's mosfet input replacing the 7199s), and what I call the '63 Stingray of American amps, an HK Cit II.  I love that amp -- will bring it to your meeting if you'd like to hear -- she's a sweetie!

BTW- my house was burgled and they took my Levinson 12 preamp, and 23 amp.  If you hear anything...

Have a pair of Calipers on CL:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ele/2153285850.html (http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ele/2153285850.html)

And a pair of maggie's:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ele/2153258115.html (http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ele/2153258115.html)

I'm thrilled to find you who love audio! 

Cheers!
Dan
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: Falcon on February 21, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Wow nice gear!!  Welcome to the forum!!
Nice pics by the way.  :o



_______
Mike
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: rgpit on February 21, 2011, 06:22:46 PM
Welcome Dan

Ron
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: Slim-Shaddy on February 21, 2011, 06:29:02 PM
Welcome! Sorry to hear about your loss (stereo, not the divorce). Great looking set-up with those Apogees!!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: Reverend on February 21, 2011, 06:37:35 PM
Welcome Dan!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: bmwr75 on February 21, 2011, 06:49:42 PM
Welcome Dan!!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: Kingman on February 21, 2011, 06:58:16 PM
Welcome Dan!!! Nice vintage gear!!! How did you find the Apogees???
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: SunnyDaze on February 21, 2011, 07:53:24 PM
Welcome to the forum, Dan!

Now get your self to a meeting! :)
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: Steve_Rynn on February 21, 2011, 08:17:36 PM
Welcome Dan - anymore pictures of the Apogees with the model?
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: schwarcw on February 21, 2011, 08:27:13 PM
Welcome Dan!

A lot of good hifi folk here!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: SunnyDaze on February 21, 2011, 09:47:44 PM
Welcome Dan!

A lot of good hifi folk here!

Maybe you'd like to introduce us to them, Carl!  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: mikey813 on February 21, 2011, 10:47:16 PM
Welcome to the forum Dan. Good luck on finding your Levinson's.
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: OCCD on February 21, 2011, 11:17:22 PM
Welcome to the club!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: MasterBlaster on February 21, 2011, 11:32:42 PM
Welcome aboard. hope too see you at a meeting soon!
Title: Re: Greetings! Dan here!
Post by: tube_dan on February 22, 2011, 08:52:31 AM
Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome.


Kingman,

Lived in Detroit/AA-ypsi from '85-91.  Audiomart was a trading newsletter at the time (Crewe, VA?).  A guy in Kansas had them listed, and I bought them never hearing them.  Absolute love from the get-go!  Spent the previous year auditioning CLS's, Mirage, Quad ESL, B&W, big infinity's -- lotta nice speakers (really nice) but none "grabbed my soul/core".

I'm selling them because I'm planning on moving to SanFrancisco in a few years, and don't want to move them.  I'll pick up a pair of Diva's that I've worshipped (think primates at the Obelisk in 2001 lol) since first hearing them -- Mark Weiss (had a pair w/a pair of 20's), known for his JBL Hartsfield reproductions.

(btw- Smithsonian Institution's music display was a pair of diva's and a pair of 20's.)



Steve_Rynn,

That's funny!  "It's natural and wonderful!"   :) 8)


So when's the next meeting?