Vintage HiFi Audio Forum
Audio Discussion => List your system => Topic started by: Sir Thrift-a-Lot on July 27, 2013, 11:27:54 PM
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Some of you may know that I often "load up" on gear that I buy at yard sales or pick up from the side of the road. I play with it for a little while then give it away, usually to someone well my junior who is interested in getting into vinyl. I've given away a few fairly nice "mid-fi" systems because it is fun to do so and I can't justify keeping it all around. I think it is my mid-life crisis, buying all of the cool toys I wanted as a kid but couldn't come close to affording. I don't think of it as thinning the herd, I think of it as having systems all over the greater Pittsburgh area.
This system was going to go to a friend who did some video work for me. His new wife said that her Crosley from Target was all they needed but thanks anyway (ugh). So, next in line was my daughter's best friend, thirteen year old Alexis. Evidently my daughter Gina was telling her about how I do this from time to time, and she said she would really like to have a system. So I asked her dad if it was okay and he said he still had some vinyl but nothing to play it on. Okay then.
This pic is the stuff in my basement, playing an album by one of my daughter's favorite bands "needtobreathe". This system sounds better than I expected it to. The CD sounds really good with electronic or acoustic music. Rock stuff with real drums is a bit hot on the treble side for my liking. The turntable doesn't sound as good, it is quite bright. I put a new, cheap stylus on it, so I am hoping this will improve with some break in (if not, I'll give her dad some suggestions for a cartridge upgrade).
I suspect these speakers could be really good with a tweeter and/or a crossover upgrade. They are VERY hot in the 6k area. I suspect that the mid and tweet just have high pass caps (didn't bother going under the hood to check) and that both drivers are probably playing in this region. At any rate, on rap/dance stuff they crank (where that metallic sound is more desirable).
So here is the rundown on the system...
Optimus STA-2170 Receiver - $10
Technics SL-D30 Turntable - $5
Generic eBay Stylus for above - $11
MGA (Mitsubishi) M-C 2200 CD Player - Free
Sony SS-MF400 Speakers - Free (big thanks to SD and special mention to PBJ)
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very admirable markshan
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I tip my hat to you, sir.
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Paying it forward in action!!
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I firmly believe that there is a link between giving systems away and finding complete Leak systems for $85.
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Plus, I expect something good to come SDs way.
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Kudos Mark!!
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Plus, I expect something good to come SDs way.
Well I hope you're right!
How did the speakers clean up?
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The cigarette burn is hardly noticeable now. I washed with bleach wipes then wiped with Armour All. Of course, there is nothing to be done for the swollen joints at the bottom, but they are hardly noticeable and since it is a ported box I don't think they have a grave effect on the sound. If I did, I could caulk from the inside, but I'm not at all concerned about it. They are much better than the speakers I had at thirteen, and the price was right!
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The stylus is breaking in nicely. I played a bunch of very bass heavy 12" singles and the frequency response is evening out. 8)
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I'm putting the finishing touches on my latest give away system (watch this space) but in the meantime I thought I would do a short PSA...
If you like the "pay it forward" idea, I want to let you know that I have a couple more tables that are almost ready. One thing I lack is an adequate supply of headshells. So, if you have a few kicking in a junk drawer and want to see them put to good use, send 'em my way and I'll give 'em a good home. TIA.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
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I think I have a couple p mounts if you need any
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I need at least one at the moment. Thank you for donating to the cause!
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(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/markshan/GEDC0647_zps04147d19.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/markshan/media/GEDC0647_zps04147d19.jpg.html)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/markshan/OlsonA25_1_zps9db94a40.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/markshan/media/OlsonA25_1_zps9db94a40.jpg.html)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/markshan/OlsonA25_3_zpsf69bde87.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/markshan/media/OlsonA25_3_zpsf69bde87.jpg.html)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/markshan/OlsonA25_4_zps825072d3.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/markshan/media/OlsonA25_4_zps825072d3.jpg.html)
We have here a Technics SA-222 receiver that was quite filthy when I acquired it, but thankfully needed nothing more than DeOxit and some elbow grease to get up and running. The amp and phono stage seem decent enough. The tuner is surprisingly crappy sounding (I say surprisingly because it looks like they put some effort into it. I guess once again that looks are deceiving.
The turntable is a Project-One DR-V (CEC made, I am all but certain). It is a direct drive on which I replaced faulty speed pots. The lift arm is also broken, but since this is going to a college kid, he should have steady enough hands to handle it being fully manual. I also misplaced the knobs, but hopefully they will show up soon. I would like to lube the motor, but can't figure out where to do it. An entry level Audio Technica cart is in service.
The speakers are Teledyne-Olson speakers which are basically a knock off of the famous Dynaco A-25. I bypassed the faulty l-pads. I was going to DeOxit them, but when I tried to remove the knob, the entire shaft came out. I was too cheap and impatient to order replacements. I also hit the cabinets with some Howard Restor a Finish. Nice sound, ALNICO magnets, I may reserve rights to substitute something else for these later. They are better than they should be. The large dome doesn't seem to do much above 12k. I have a pair of add on piezos from Rat Shack that I'll offer to the lucky recipient. I'll just wire them into the "B" speakers so we can switch on and off for comparison.
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Some budding enthusiast is sure to appreciate that rig. Very nice.
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Yep, that's what these are for. I have a blast tearing things apart and listening to them, then they get a decent "mid-fi" system. It's a big win-win.
In this instance it is a kid who moved here for college and is now part of my church' song ministry. He made a post on Facebook asking if anyone had a turntable he could have since he wanted to get into vinyl. I'm glad I got to him before some schmuck with a Crosley did.
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I looked at the post above and realized I forgot to give the run down...
Technics SA-222 Receiver - $9.99 at the thrift
Project-One DR-V Turntable - $10 at a yard sale (it was marked $20)
Teledyne-Olson SS-251 Speakers - $2.99 at the thrift (I'll have a dozen, please)
...and a small confession. See that heavy white speaker cable sticking out from behind the system? When I'm driving around for work and I see someone threw out a vacuum cleaner, I am in the habit of pulling over and liberating it of it's long power cord.
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Mark-I have used the power cords to wire my trains as well. If any of those vacuum cleaners are Electrolux, please let me know. I sold them years ago and was once a service tech. I have been using vintage models since they were just "used" and can refurbish or parts them out.
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In one of my many post music school jobs, I sold Electrolux cleaners at Lechmere Department Store in Cambridge, Mass. They gave up on their retail experiment fairly quickly, but I did develop an appreciation for the product. I also did "training" for Filter Queen, but they were too sleezy.
If I come across any Electrolux stuff, it is yours.
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Canisters, uprights, or either?
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Canisters, please, with the metal tanks. The tools are useful too, but often missing. Hoses usually leak or are broken, but there are occasional exceptions. Many thnaks.
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The give away system looks very nice Mark! I hope the young college student enjoys it!
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If he decides to stick with vinyl, he should upgrade the cart. I like AT stuff but this one is just barely adequate.
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Still better than a Crosley, though.
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I delivered another give away system yesterday. It is just the kind of system that I love to give to bachelor men. Decent performance, low WAF. It starts with a Sony receiver (that didn't sell at the swap meet). It's a low power unit (35wpc, IIRC) but is a perfect match for him as he requested very small speakers. Those speakers are a pair of Jensens that I was given. Small, no grills, adequate sound. As I was cleaning them up, I noticed they sounded best on their backs. So I started playing with the rear port. After various unsuccessful attempts to alter the port, I stuffed the cabs with polyfill to nice effect. The table is a DD Fisher, CEC made, which is much better than it has a right to be. I put a budget Technics cart with a good stylus on it (I can still use a couple carts for these systems if anyone has some laying around). No dust cover, or I would have had it at the swap meet. A nice starter system, with the speakers being the weak link for sure. I also threw in a couple records from my dupes pile.
Sorry about the crappy picture. I took it with my cheezy cell phone at his house after walking up his three flights of stairs with the equipment. I wasn't fully myself.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/markshan/IMG_20150607_122904_234_zpstolotikg.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/markshan/media/IMG_20150607_122904_234_zpstolotikg.jpg.html)
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sweet! It's a nice thing that you do.... please instruct your friend what to look for as he buys albums lol
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Nice
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Nice gesture. Your friend should couch up a couple bucks to buy some of the speakers you had at the swap meet.
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I give these systems to kids who don't have a couple bucks. If they really feel like making a payment, I just have them babysit or mow my grass. Besides, I only have one of those pairs of speakers left. Sold the 5002s last week.
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Agree with the others, Nice thing to do.
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STAL is a good man, spreading the love of audio throughout the land. It is a very good thing, giving the gift of music.
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It's been a while since I've posted here, but only because I've had a hard time finding takers. A young man named Jason, who is running a "small indie label" (I gave him the old tape duplicators from my church, they distribute a lot of tapes) made a FB post about listening to his stuff at home on some crappy old boombox. Space is an issue in his small apartment with room mates (I don't miss those days) so I gave him a Kenwood KR-A57 receiver (55WPC - 1990) and a pair of Mission MS-50 speakers. The speakers are small, but pretty accurate. I think they will serve his needs well (or at least better than a Sony "MEGA BASS" boombox.
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nicely done ... as usual
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It's been a while since I've posted here, but only because I've had a hard time finding takers. A young man named Jason, who is running a "small indie label" (I gave him the old tape duplicators from my church, they distribute a lot of tapes) made a FB post about listening to his stuff at home on some crappy old boombox. Space is an issue in his small apartment with room mates (I don't miss those days) so I gave him a Kenwood KR-A57 receiver (55WPC - 1990) and a pair of Mission MS-50 speakers. The speakers are small, but pretty accurate. I think they will serve his needs well (or at least better than a Sony "MEGA BASS" boombox.
GOOD KARMA FOR YA!
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Very nice of you.
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It's fun.
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Good man, Mark!
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After another long dry spell, I just had a really cool give-away system experience.
I was in The Exchange looking at records, when this (approximately) 12 year old boy goes walking past me with a copy of Sgt Pepper in his hand. "Mom, can I have this?" She answered "we don't even have a turntable". Without even thinking, I pop out with "I'll give the kid a table, buy him the record". Adult male asks if I am serious. I said sure, give me your number. So he does and he buys the record.
A couple days later I call him. We chat for a while and set up a time for him to come pick it up. He tells me that the buy is taking up the drums. I tell him that any 12 year old boy who is in The Exchange looking at Beatles records instead of GTA needs to be encouraged. So the guy and the boy's mom come by and she gives me a bottle of chardonnay (it's nice that some folks still know how to graciously receive a gift, even if I don't drink anymore). I gave them a Pioneer SX-1700, JVC AL-A151 and those Criterion Frankenspeakers I had at the last swap meet (the first thing he should upgrade if he sticks with this). Also, I gave him a beater copy of Quadrophenia that I had on hand, because if a drummer is going to have two records in his collection, that should really be one of them.
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Truthfully, the wine is probably worth more than the system, LOL!
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well done!
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Passing it forward will pay dividends. Keep up the good work, Mark
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Love these updates, Mark, keep posting them.
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👏👏👏
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Great story, Mark!!
Good job.
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Great job!