HiFi Stuff

[Mikey]

I need some advice from anybody who's familiar with what's out there these days.
Looking for a decent stereo pre-amp to go with some old high-end stuff that I bought years ago. Any suggestions?

Back in 1985 or 86 I came into some $$ and decided to spend some of it on a good stereo. Actually I started out just to buy some new speakers to go with a shitty old receiver I'd had since HS.
So I went into the speaker demo room at the local stereo store (they had big stores back then that specialized in just stereo equipment - amazing huh?) and fell in love with some 12" JBL three way floor standing monitors. If fact they sounded so good I decided then and there to pretty duplicate the system they were using.

So I went home with the speakers plus a bunch of separate components: Denon pre-amp, power amp, CD player and am/fm tuner plus a Sanyo cassette deck. This whole set-up cost me over $2500, which was pretty big back then. But let me tell you, that system could pump out some sound. The combination of the power amp (vacuum tubes, 220 watts RMS per channel @ 8 ohms, weighing in at about 40 pounds) and the JBLs, turned up to about 1/3, could induce pain when played in my little rented house.

Fast forward to today, the only pieces still left are the pre-amp and power amp. My wife made me get rid of the speakers when we moved into our current abode because she didn't want those big ugly things in her beautiful living room. Women just don't understand the male attraction to big sound, but I've always lived by the motto happy wife = happy life and we all have to make our small sacrifices. So I dumped the JBLs and bought a Bose Acoustimass system - you know the little 4" cubes that come attached in pairs that can swivel on each other and a subwoofer. It never sounded adequate but I've lived with them for 16 fucking years. All that wonderful Denon power, vacuum tubes and all, was basically wasted.






We recently put a new floor in our family room, which is the current home of my stereo. With the re-arranging we're doing the Bose speakers, thankfully, just don't work anymore in the room. So I went out and got a pair of these:



http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/products ... /radius-90



They're small (5 x 8 x 5), white, and comply with the required interior design restrictions. Best of all they sound 50 times better than the old Bose speakers. They actually have a great bass response without a subwoofer, though the available matching unit may be a future option. The amp definitely has the balls to drive these and a lot more.

So now, the pre-amp. The volume and balance controls are wearing out. The balance is stuck slightly skewed to the right channel and the volume crackles when you turn the knob. It's almost impossible to find anybody to repair these things. I tried to get the balance repaired last year but it didn't really work out.

The system still sounds good but it's not worthy of the amp and the speakers. So now I'm looking for a compatible pre-amp that won't break the bank. Any ideas?

[Mikey]

Maybe I'll try to replace the PRA-1100 with a used one.

[Dinsdale]

Hmmm... not sure I want to part with my super-pimp NAD, even though it hasn't been turned on in 10+ years.

A few years ago, my buddy came into some Polk Audio SRS-SDAs... you know the ones... they were the ones that gave you a boner when you walked into that mid-80's stereo store:





He ended up buying... well, a few things. But eventually, he ended up with a pretty high end modern tuner/amp. That way, he has surround for watching movies and such, and he uses the outs from that to run front/rear/center, and uses the preamp outs to run two huge monoblocks for the monster Polks. Sounds incredible (except when the volume goes past about 3, then you're deaf, as are the neighbors, whose replacement windows you just bought).

But that's something for you to consider, unless you're pining for old-school.

[Mikey]

I think I'll make one more attempt at getting it fixed before parting ways with it. Wouldn't mind finding something with remote, though.

[Carson]

I had some of the smaller Polk Audio speakers and they kicked ass.

Anybody remember Magneplaners?

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

"Mostly, I just listen to music on my tablet these days."



Sincerely, Goobs

[Joe in PB]

I'm the opposite, still have my Bose 601s from about 1989.



They only need about 15w per channel for operation, and still sound terrific. Paired them with an inexpensive TEAC (75w per ch) receiver & CD player I found at the price club back then. After about 25 years those went kaput, and replaced them with a refurbished TEAC receiver (100w p ch) and CD player I found online for less than $200. Also added a blue tooth adapter to play mp3s from my phone. In the digital age expensive amplifiers aren't necessary for good sound, but understand you probably use a turntable too.

Maybe I'll try to replace the PRA-1100 with a used one.

Good idea, just not sure how long it will last.

A friend at the office had a catalog from a company that still made amps and preamps with tubes, pricey but perfect for the stereophiles. I'll hit him up for the name of the company. Good luck and enjoy.

I don't think it was Crutchfield

[Goober McTuber]

"Mostly, I just listen to music on my tablet these days."



Sincerely, Goobs

I doubt I could even find the "On/Off" switch.

[Mikey]

These 12" JBL L100t floor speakers that I had in the 80s would blow your fucking socks off through the Denon power amp.



Also had a pair of these Spica TC50s for a while. Not quite as ballsy as the JBLs but put out a very clean sound.

[Mikey]

I'm the opposite, still have my Bose 601s from about 1989.



They only need about 15w per channel for operation, and still sound terrific. Paired them with an inexpensive TEAC (75w per ch) receiver & CD player I found at the price club back then. After about 25 years those went kaput, and replaced them with a refurbished TEAC receiver (100w p ch) and CD player I found online for less than $200. Also added a blue tooth adapter to play mp3s from my phone. In the digital age expensive amplifiers aren't necessary for good sound, but understand you probably use a turntable too.

Back in HS I was craving a pair of the Bose 901s but could never afford them at the time. The first home speaker to use the direct reflecting system.

[Joe in PB]

I think the 601s sound better in a home setting if it's not huge. 901s need a lot of juice, hence the company referring to them as loud speakers. A friend would set his up outside on the patio, in the house they were too much imo.

JBL or Polk = good stuff.

[Jay in Phoenix]

I still have these KLH Barons from the '70's. Still sound great.

[Joe in PB]

Nice, looks like all of us had/have some good shit. :)

[Screw_Michigan]

I don't think much emphasis is put on getting good sounds nowadays, as the record companies know that most dumbasses are going to be listening through cute little ear buds & phones - hence - that's why they overcompress everything out the ass.

We're probably splitting hairs here, but they over compress everything because that's how most music is played nowadays, not necessarily because of the earphones themselves.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

It's not about earbuds. Its about cars. That's also why FM radio compresses the shit out of their broadcasts.

[Mikey]

Next time you listen to something new on a good system, turn around and put something like "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits on, and be prepared to be blown away. Yeah - you'll have to turn up your stereo a little bit, but you'll notice that there's a lot more thump from the lows, the highs are higher, and the dynamics (going from loud to quiet) are a LOT more pronounced. You'll notice that the clarity is far superior.

Funny you should mention that. When I bought my new system in 86 I took home 3 CDs (it was also my first CD player).
Brothers in Arms
Dark Side of the Moon
Mozart's Piano Concerto #21

Still three of the best recordings I ever bought.

[Joe in PB]

Yeah hooked the DVR up to AUX IN and I have movie theater type sound. It definitely adds to the movie watching experience.

Before my old receiver died I picked up a new copy of Led Zepplin 2. It sounded like shit with a lot of clipping. I remember PW recommending a trying a new receiver. The old receiver lasted about another year. I had the new replacement for about a year and a half before playing the CD again, mainly because I thought it was bad. I was a few songs in before I realized it was the clipper special & there was no clipping with the new receiver by the same company, TEAC.

Agreed the older stuff sound better with a good system. The increased power drives the lower end of a wider audio spectrum.

[Dinsdale]

Dark Side of the Moon

Of all the analog recordings from that early wave of CD conversions in 1986, that was the best that I can think of (Brothers In Arms (shitty album) was the first that was fully digitally recorded, IIRC).

Before my old receiver died I picked up a new copy of Led Zepplin 2. It sounded like shit with a lot of clipping.

That's a shitty example. That may be the worst recording job I've ever heard on an album, so the digital conversion was at a disadvatage to start with.

[Joe in PB]

An older copy I had but lost, didn't clip.

I'm in agreement that the ear bud generation is driving the volumn wars. That, and hip hop is about subwoofers.

[Mikey]

Dark Side of the Moon

Of all the analog recordings from that early wave of CD conversions in 1986, that was the best that I can think of (Brothers In Arms (shitty album) was the first that was fully digitally ping.

Just played DSotM (first time I've pulled that CD out in years) and the Mozart (it was actually #s 26 and 23) and those new 5x8 inch little suckers fucking rock. Amazing clarity, plenty of bass and they fill the house (2600 sf) with the volume at about 1/3. Speaker technology certainly has come a long way in 30 years. Of course it doesn't hurt to have abundant power to drive them, plus I've been sonically deprived for a long time. And I'm an old fart these days.

[Mikey]

We got a soundbar for the TV a couple of years ago. Not very good but a fuck of a lot better than the TV speakers. Plus it's in the other room and I don't care that much about the TV experience anyway.

I dropped $500 on the new mini speakers. They don't compare to the old JBLs (which I got rid of 15 years ago) but damned impressive considering.

[BSmack]

I think the 601s sound better in a home setting if it's not huge. 901s need a lot of juice, hence the company referring to them as loud speakers. A friend would set his up outside on the patio, in the house they were too much imo.

JBL or Polk = good stuff.

I had a friend who owned two Bose 901s back in the eighties. Used to put the speakers on tables, point them out the window, and listen to them 200 yards away from his apartment and the would still sound loud as hell, yet still crisp. As for me today, once I get my new house setup I want to see if I can find some old Boston bookshelf speakers.

[smackaholic]

Dark Side of the Moon

Of all the analog recordings from that early wave of CD conversions in 1986, that was the best that I can think of (Brothers In Arms (shitty album) was the first that was fully digitally recorded, IIRC).

Before my old receiver died I picked up a new copy of Led Zepplin 2. It sounded like shit with a lot of clipping.

That's a shitty example. That may be the worst recording job I've ever heard on an album, so the digital conversion was at a disadvatage to start with.

Other than BiA being a shitty album (ear of the beholder, I guess) you are correct. It was one of the first CDs I ever bought and I was blown away by the quality of the recording.

And rack the hell out of those Polk SDAs. When I hit the lotto, I'll have a pair in my mancave. I am sure I will enjoy the hell out of them for a few months before I go deaf listening to them at high volume. I had a pair of monitor 5s. I love the sound of old polks. I think PA's high water mark was sometime in the late 80s though. Their stuff from the last 20 years hasn't impressed me much, other than a satellite system I looked at in a store about 10-15 years ago that was kind of nice.

My "friend's stereo story" is from the late 80s. I was in the Navy. One of my housemates was a former squid that was now the cable guy. One benefit was the free cable with ALL the channels. One day he comes home with a pair of klipsch horns. They were at least waist high. He also had an old (probably early 70s) macintosh amp and pre-amp. Bought the whole shebang from some old woman he was putting cable in for. I think he paid 100 bucks or something insane. Those Klipshes would rattle shit off the wall in houses a few blocks away. It was absolutely glorious. Pretty sure any hearing loss I have today comes from the 6 months or so those were in the house before John moved.

[Dinsdale]

And rack the hell out of those Polk SDAs. When I hit the lotto, I'll have a pair in my mancave

It was quite a few years ago my buddy got them (and he's a veteran of the 80's stereo stores). It was his (aging) father's new GF who had them, which used to belong to her now-dead husband. They lived in a basement at the coast -- zero ultraviolet damage. And I think the old biddy thinks she took him for a ride when she "gouged" him for $200. Then, as I believe it is now, those things go for what they originally cost in the 80's on EBay -- $2500.

[Dinsdale]

Just pulled out and dusted off my Audionics PZ3. One badassed MF. Was pretty much king of the hill in the mid-70's, and was very expensive in its day. I didn't know that Jim Fosgate went to work for them, and eventually Bought Audionics of Oregon, after he bailed on Rockford Fosgate.

I feed it off a NAD 1020 preamp. It runs a couple of late 80's Polks (I don't know what model, since it doesn't say).

Cool old-school shit that I never use any more.

[Mikey]

Back in the day, when I was running the JBLs off the Denon components (which was the "main" system in the living room) I bought a NAD receiver (not sure what the model was) to run the Spica TC-50 speakers in the master bedroom. That was an excellent sounding system. It didn't have the balls of the Denon but also didn't need to in the smaller room.

[Dinsdale]

Figured it out -- my Polks are Monitor 7B's.

I think all this stuff is actually worth some money.

Sure sounds sweet.

[Dinsdale]

macintosh amp

From all I've been reading, the Audionics ran circles around the Macintosh, for quite a bit less money. But those were two bigboy names in their day. And then that dude from Connecticut, Mark Levinson got into the game.

[smackaholic]

Fukkin' OLs generally gotta be pissed off about somethin'. May as well be your 40 year old audio equipment.