I've got a set of old Sansui sp-200 speakers out in the shop. They need some work to sound better. Probably a cross over rebuild. But for garage use they are OK.
Last edited:
-
RS MAY CLUB MEETING
Hi Guest: Our monthly RS meeting on Wed. May 1st will be held at the Rooney Sports Complex. Details and directions are here. Early start time: 7:00 pm. to take advantage of daylight. We'll be talking ColoYota Expo and Cruise Moab.
If you are eligible for club membership, please fill out an application in advance of the meeting and bring it with you.
The Vinyl Thread
- Thread starter Hulk
- Start date
Cruisertrash
Rising Sun Member
I had a pair of those but one of the midrange drivers was blown. I gave them to a friend who uses them in her shop - great speakers. I lucked into the SP-2500s really. Maybe I watch Craigslist too much.
This thread? Or a different one? IIRC, I purchased my Pro-Ject in 2015, so it's not that old.
Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
It’s upgrade time! I would love some recommendations on a new TT in the $500 range. I currently have an AT-LP120, and am going to pass it on to my gold friend’s son who doesn’t have the dough for a new one. Look for a nice direct drive Technics on the secondary market.
www.needlesandgrooves.com
These had a blow woofer when a neighbor gave them to me. They were moving and just didn't want to bother. I found a pair of working take outs on eBay and swapped one in. So I'm currently into the pair for $50. If I get bored this summer maybe I pull the cross overs and rebuild.
I've found my desire for high quality sound when running an angle grinder is diminished.
rover67
Rising Sun Member
Ahh see I disagree... I have to say I love jammin’ out LOUD in the evenings while wrenching and a good set of speakers makes high volume good tunes a reality. I put the nice speakers from the house that didn’t make the cut for the home system in the garage and at first I thought it was overkill. Now every time I crank it I love them more and the cost becomes a bygone memory.
I was even tempted to build another tube amp for the garage but so far have been able to practice some restraint.
Cruisertrash
Rising Sun Member
@rover67
A hand-built tube amp for a garage system is my kind of overkill. Love it!
@Corbet I have a horn in the SP-2500s that is intermittent at start up. I have to crank the volume for about 2 seconds and then it’ll come online at any volume and operate fine until I shut the stereo down. What was your eBay source, because I may pick up a replacement.
FYI - not vinyl or home stereo related - I’m upgrading the stereo in my 60. AM/FM/cassette plus a hacked-in Bluetooth receiver hidden under the dash, new 6” speakers up front and 6x9s in the rear (going in the new ABS cargo panels I’m making). Can’t wait. Now if I could get my hands on a mobile 45 player like Elvis had I’d be all set haha.
A hand-built tube amp for a garage system is my kind of overkill. Love it!
@Corbet I have a horn in the SP-2500s that is intermittent at start up. I have to crank the volume for about 2 seconds and then it’ll come online at any volume and operate fine until I shut the stereo down. What was your eBay source, because I may pick up a replacement.
FYI - not vinyl or home stereo related - I’m upgrading the stereo in my 60. AM/FM/cassette plus a hacked-in Bluetooth receiver hidden under the dash, new 6” speakers up front and 6x9s in the rear (going in the new ABS cargo panels I’m making). Can’t wait. Now if I could get my hands on a mobile 45 player like Elvis had I’d be all set haha.
SteveH
Hard Core 4+
Tossing my pile up for viewing. A Dual 1209 turntable I found in college at a thrift store in Hancock, MI for $15. Fully automatic (drops records, etc.) and more German engineering than a turntable should have. Plays 78s - a bonus. 4 lb platter and rubber-tire drive. Came with the dust cover and all literature. I have a Bang and Olafson 20E cartridge on it for which I paid $95 in 1985. Egad!
All this is connected to a 1959 Harmon Kardon Chorale tube amp, purchased last year from a buddy for $75. Works flawlessly and generates enough heat to warm a room. The tuner is a 1965 Kenwood vacuum tube model that is super sensitive - picks up twice as many stations as any other receiver I have. FM only - no AM. And how can you play albums without a complete Discwasher setup for both albums and stylii?
I sold my Dynaco Stereo 70 stuff many years ago, and kind of missed having a tube amp, just because I like old tube junk. This HK amp is more reliable than the Dynaco (which was stock) and has an integrated preamp, so that is nice. The pots are clean on it (no scratchy sounds), and every feature operates like new. It is almost from a time warp, since I expected to see problems crop up with use. One capacitor exploded in the FM tuner, but after replacing that, all has been well with that. Even better than old audio stuff is reliable old audio stuff.
All this is connected to a 1959 Harmon Kardon Chorale tube amp, purchased last year from a buddy for $75. Works flawlessly and generates enough heat to warm a room. The tuner is a 1965 Kenwood vacuum tube model that is super sensitive - picks up twice as many stations as any other receiver I have. FM only - no AM. And how can you play albums without a complete Discwasher setup for both albums and stylii?
I sold my Dynaco Stereo 70 stuff many years ago, and kind of missed having a tube amp, just because I like old tube junk. This HK amp is more reliable than the Dynaco (which was stock) and has an integrated preamp, so that is nice. The pots are clean on it (no scratchy sounds), and every feature operates like new. It is almost from a time warp, since I expected to see problems crop up with use. One capacitor exploded in the FM tuner, but after replacing that, all has been well with that. Even better than old audio stuff is reliable old audio stuff.
Attachments
Cruisertrash
Rising Sun Member
@SteveH That tube amp is beautiful (the turntable too). I love how the power tubes are mounted on an angled plate to get them away from the magnetic field created by the transformers. Those Xformers are pretty beefy for hifi stuff and 4 output tubes is 2 more than you see in most. I bet that thing is loud.
SteveH
Hard Core 4+
Thanks for the compliments. The HK amp is impressive, and weighs a holy ton - the transformers are stout. It can easily outpower the Genesis G1 bookshelf speakers (yeah, bought those in the 1980s and re-foamed them 10 years ago) through which it plays. Years ago, I had a giant set of speakers with 10" woofers, and with the Dynaco amp, you could just about level the house with the sound output. I miss those dorm-fridge-sized speakers.
While I miss the Dynaco, most people have revamped them electronically and redone the bias control stage to more precisely control the bias. Mine suffered from occasional runaway bias, so you'd play the amp for a while and notice that one tube was glowing like a light bulb and you'd frantically put a VOM on it and adjust the bias. I was tired of all the babysitting and sold it for a fair price. My buddy wanted $150 for this HK amp at a HAM swap and the buzzards were starting to circle and when he said $75, I lunged at it. Glad I did.
Since this is the vinyl thread, I have been playing bakelite - my grandmother's collection of 78 RPM records from the 1940s. Lots of Fox Trot dance music, some Bing Crosby, etc. Great stuff. Probably wearing down my stylus, but who cares. My 21 year old daughter was quite taken with the old records, so I'll be saving a significant stash of them for her.
While I miss the Dynaco, most people have revamped them electronically and redone the bias control stage to more precisely control the bias. Mine suffered from occasional runaway bias, so you'd play the amp for a while and notice that one tube was glowing like a light bulb and you'd frantically put a VOM on it and adjust the bias. I was tired of all the babysitting and sold it for a fair price. My buddy wanted $150 for this HK amp at a HAM swap and the buzzards were starting to circle and when he said $75, I lunged at it. Glad I did.
Since this is the vinyl thread, I have been playing bakelite - my grandmother's collection of 78 RPM records from the 1940s. Lots of Fox Trot dance music, some Bing Crosby, etc. Great stuff. Probably wearing down my stylus, but who cares. My 21 year old daughter was quite taken with the old records, so I'll be saving a significant stash of them for her.
PhatFJ
Hard Core 4+
Very cool! I bought a Dual 1209 just to be able to spin 78's. Started with a Techniques then went to a Thorns then VPI finally upgraded to the Clearaudio. Love the 1209, just have to keep them clean and lubricated ( lots of mechanical stuff going on there).
Attachments
You have the turntable shelf suspended from the wall! I haven't seen that in decades. Nice.
PhatFJ
Hard Core 4+
Yeah, it is actually a frame I welded and put 2 concrete pavers in, it is hung with steel cables through the ceiling and around 2 rafters. 100+ year old house and wanted good tt isolation.
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Was just adding some titles to my Discogs collection.
Anyone else on Discogs? I'm not energetic enough to do more than add records when I happen to be listening and have the computer near by but maybe one day I'll complete the catalog.
It's interesting to see what's collectable.
My top 5 most valuable based on median value:
Anyone else on Discogs? I'm not energetic enough to do more than add records when I happen to be listening and have the computer near by but maybe one day I'll complete the catalog.
It's interesting to see what's collectable.
My top 5 most valuable based on median value:
- Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You (It's alright but a $275 slab of wax, nope)
- Superdrag - Head Trip In Every Key
- Iris DeMent - Infamous Angel (This is clearly not audiophile driven being a Plain Recording release, which are typically dupes to vinyl of CDs and often not even well done. In this case the CD through a decent DAC definitely sounds better)
- Lucero - Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers
- Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
Cruisertrash
Rising Sun Member
@DaveInDenver I was thinking about doing a Discogs profile. But it seems like yet another time commitment...
I did go to the record expo in Thornton today and found these:
Suburban Lawns - Baby EP (the west coast's answer to Devo; IRS Records)
Jon Wayne - Texas Funeral (demented outsider low-budget 80s country)
Kinks - Kink Kontraversy (early US mono pressing)
I did go to the record expo in Thornton today and found these:
Suburban Lawns - Baby EP (the west coast's answer to Devo; IRS Records)
Jon Wayne - Texas Funeral (demented outsider low-budget 80s country)
Kinks - Kink Kontraversy (early US mono pressing)
DaveInDenver
Rising Sun Ham Guru
Nice haul Jim.
Discogs is useful to track values I suppose.
Just for what the hecks...
My oldest Kinks is a Lola vs Powerman Terre Haute pressing from probably 1970, although it's not completely clear to me that it's not a repress from later.
Anyway, being Terre Haute is interesting because the first record Columbia pressed there when it opened in 1953 was an album called Christmas with Arthur Godfrey.
Why is that interesting? That's got nothing to do with anything really and I have no idea about that record itself.
However Arthur Godfrey did an ad for the Toyota Land Cruiser!
Discogs is useful to track values I suppose.
Just for what the hecks...
My oldest Kinks is a Lola vs Powerman Terre Haute pressing from probably 1970, although it's not completely clear to me that it's not a repress from later.
Anyway, being Terre Haute is interesting because the first record Columbia pressed there when it opened in 1953 was an album called Christmas with Arthur Godfrey.
Why is that interesting? That's got nothing to do with anything really and I have no idea about that record itself.
However Arthur Godfrey did an ad for the Toyota Land Cruiser!
Last edited:
If you can enter 1 per minute, that's 83.3 hours. A full time job for a couple of kids for a week.
- The newer ones are easier because you can scan the barcode with the app on your phone. Those will take less than a minute.
- The older ones are in the database already. You just have to search and find them. That's likely still less than a minute to complete.
- The really rare and unusual ones might be on there, but if not, you will need to take photos and create a new listing, which will take the most time. That's probably a couple of minutes each.