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  • Gern Blansten
    Gern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 22,240
    Are you guys using WIFI speakers?  I need to upgrade my setup and read that the WIFI speakers are much better than bluetooth.


    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

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  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,883
    edited September 2018
    I'm so picky, it will be a long time before I go with wireless.  But if I were, I'd try Dynaudio wireless.  They are expensive, but they are a very, very good speaker company. But you are paying for an integrated amp with the speaker.  

    https://www.whathifi.com/dynaudio/xeo-2/review
    https://www.whathifi.com/dynaudio/xeo-4/review
    Post edited by mrussel1 on
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    No wireless speakers for me either. They would certainty make setting up a surround sound system easier, though.
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • BIGDaddyWil
    BIGDaddyWil Michigan Posts: 3,080
    Pearlybaker said:
    Took a year to piece together and restore but I’m pretty happy with the sound - it still makes me smile every time I throw an album on.

    For those that are interested:

    Pioneer SX-1010
    Dual 1229Q w/ Shure V15 III JICO 
    Pioneer HPM 100s (200 watt)




    How do those HPM 100's sound?  I have HPM 60's and I love them!!!  Great set-up!!!
    Pine Knob Music Theatre - Jul 31, 1992 Crisler Arena - Mar 20, 1994
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  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,451
    BIGDaddyWil said:
    Pearlybaker said:
    Took a year to piece together and restore but I’m pretty happy with the sound - it still makes me smile every time I throw an album on.

    For those that are interested:

    Pioneer SX-1010
    Dual 1229Q w/ Shure V15 III JICO 
    Pioneer HPM 100s (200 watt)




    How do those HPM 100's sound?  I have HPM 60's and I love them!!!  Great set-up!!!
    Do yourself a favor and upgrade to the HPM 100 (200w version) and you will happy.

    I paid more for a pair of Martin Logan 16's and the HPM's blow them away.
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    Anyone mess with car stereo systems anymore?  I'm looking at doing something down the road (ie 3 yrs when my car is paid off lol).  I never had any more than stock replacements in any car I've ever had and I've been out of the loop for so long I have no idea what's what these days.
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    Car audio has changed a lot since I was into it years ago. Cars are just so different now.

    Instead of CD players, they have "infotainment" systems with navigation, Bluetooth and a bunch of phone integration stuff.

    It's all beyond me but I have seen infotainment systems from big names available aftermarket.

    Out of curiosity, are you thinking about an amp and subs or are you planning on upgrading stock speakers and receiver?  Maybe both?
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    dudeman said:
    Car audio has changed a lot since I was into it years ago. Cars are just so different now.

    Instead of CD players, they have "infotainment" systems with navigation, Bluetooth and a bunch of phone integration stuff.

    It's all beyond me but I have seen infotainment systems from big names available aftermarket.

    Out of curiosity, are you thinking about an amp and subs or are you planning on upgrading stock speakers and receiver?  Maybe both?
    Yeah, I was actually surprised to find aftermarket dash kits for my car.  I figured since my stock stereo basically takes up the entire center console, that just wasn't a thing you could do.  I thought it was all integrated.  But sure enough, a few videos on Youtube and I see it's a pretty easy install.  Apparently there are also ways to keep the steering wheel controls & voice command as well. I'm sure that is beyond my realm of installation expertise but it is cool you can do it.
    I am looking to upgrade to a nav recevier, stock speakers, and probably an amp & one 8" or 10" sub.  Just something to give it a little kick.  I don't want or need to sound like the kid delivering pizza to your house - just a better quality, good sounding system.  I know brands like JL Audio, Alpine, Rockford Fosgate, Kenwood, & Pioneer were always good.  I know some brands were better at making subs, some were better at making mid-range & component speakers, some better at dash receivers. And I'm sure that's all changed over time and might not even be a factor these days.
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    Well, I dropped my Marantz 2245 off for someone else to work on. It is time for recapping, alignment and restoring factory bias, offset and idle settings. I just don't have the time to do it myself. Pretty nervous about it but the tech has a lot of experience with this model. 

    Hopefully it will all go well. I'll find out in a few weeks .
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    Got to check out a few car audio receivers this weekend at my buddy's shop in Mechanicsville, VA.  He made a pretty obvious point that I didn't even consider - that there is no need to buy a deck with built-in navigation if you get one that's Apple CarPlay ready.  Since CarPlay work with Apple Maps, Google Maps, & Waze you get navigation by default.  And it's a huge money saver since built-in nav basically doubles the cost of the receiver.
    Anyway, the project is still a year or two away but it's nice to get some hands-on research .
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    dudeman said:
    Well, I dropped my Marantz 2245 off for someone else to work on. It is time for recapping, alignment and restoring factory bias, offset and idle settings. I just don't have the time to do it myself. Pretty nervous about it but the tech has a lot of experience with this model. 

    Hopefully it will all go well. I'll find out in a few weeks .
    Picking the Marantz up tomorrow. Even though I have owned it for years, the excitement of getting it back feels like Christmas Eve when I was a kid.
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,883
    dudeman said:
    dudeman said:
    Well, I dropped my Marantz 2245 off for someone else to work on. It is time for recapping, alignment and restoring factory bias, offset and idle settings. I just don't have the time to do it myself. Pretty nervous about it but the tech has a lot of experience with this model. 

    Hopefully it will all go well. I'll find out in a few weeks .
    Picking the Marantz up tomorrow. Even though I have owned it for years, the excitement of getting it back feels like Christmas Eve when I was a kid.
    Do you have a more modern stereo or integrated amp?  I love the way the vintage amps look, but I'm always curious about whether they sound any better than a comparable modern amp.  I've shopped them but have never pulled the trigger. 
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    edited October 2018
    My home theater is modern. (Yamaha Aventage).

    Two-channel system is vintage, except for the CD player.

    Solid state power amps, vintage or modern, should all sound pretty similar if all is functioning correctly and you are comparing amps in the same class. (A class A amp and a Class A/B or D will sound a little different in how they handle transients and peaks at higher levels. Slew rates and damping factors are pretty different between classes.)

    Where the difference lies between vintage and modern, (for me) strictly relates to receivers and integrated amps. The preamp sections, phono stages, build quality, and aesthetic qualities appeal to me more with vintage equipment.

    I prefer receivers as opposed to a collection of outboard gear and amps all daisy-chained together. Most modern receivers simply can't compete with their vintage counterparts. Here is the important part though: For the same cost.

    Even once you figure in the cost of professional restoration for a vintage Marantz or Pioneer receiver, you can still be well under the $1K mark if you shop around. Personally, I haven't encountered a modern receiver that even comes close to being as engaging as a good, vintage system, regardless of the price.
    Post edited by dudeman on
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,883
    dudeman said:
    My home theater is modern. (Yamaha Aventage).

    Two-channel system is vintage, except for the CD player.

    Solid state power amps, vintage or modern, should all sound pretty similar if all is functioning correctly and you are comparing amps in the same class. (A class A amp and a Class A/B or D will sound a little different in how they handle transients and peaks at higher levels. Slew rates and damping factors are pretty different between classes.)

    Where the difference lies between vintage and modern,for me, strictly relates to receivers and integrated amps. The preamp sections, phono stages, build quality, and aesthetic qualities appeal to me more with vintage equipment.

    I prefer receivers as opposed to a collection of outboard gear and amps all daisy-chained together. Most modern receivers simply can't compete with their vintage counterparts. Here is the important part though: For the same cost.

    Even once you figure in the cost of professional restoration for a vintage Marantz or Pioneer receiver, you can still be well under the $1K mark if you shop around. Personally, I haven't encountered a modern receiver that even comes close to being as engaging as a good, vintage system, regardless of the price.
    For the same cost is the key, good call.  That Marantz you have, restored, is probably about $600 if purchased today, right?  For that price, you are in the mid-level category of  NAD, Yamaha or Marantz integrated amps.  I bet your Marantz is much better sounding than those.

    Interesting you brought up the Aventage because I have a 2030 that I use as a preamp into an Outlaw 5000 (5 channel amp).  I'm also using an Emotiva phono amp, not the built in Yamaha one which is very muddy. It's complimented by a Debut Carbon with acrylic platter and orto blue, all feeding into B&W 683 towers.  I have two other listening areas and I've thought long and hard about going vintage.  What has stopped me are these things:  1. I would have to get a DAC.  This isn't a deal breaker, but it's another $400.  I like to stream music (or could use a laptop with an external), but either way I would need a DAC with a vintage setup.  2. All my listening areas have a tv above them too.  So unless I built some sort of switch and run both an AVR and a vintage, I wouldn't be able to have stereo/3 channel/5 channel audio.  And switches make me think I'm losing fidelity.  

    So back to your comment about where the difference lies, let's compare apples to apples.  Throw out the phono stage piece, if you can.  Marantz wins aesthetics in a landslide.  Do you feel like the audio fidelity and build quality of the Marantz exceed that of your Yamaha?
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    edited October 2018
    mrussel1 said:
    For the same cost is the key, good call.  That Marantz you have, restored, is probably about $600 if purchased today, right?  For that price, you are in the mid-level category of  NAD, Yamaha or Marantz integrated amps.  I bet your Marantz is much better sounding than those.

    Yes, that price is about right for an average. Mine came in way under that because I bought a non-functioning unit for next to nothing and repaired it myself with about $20.00 into parts. That was a number of years ago. The recent restoration of the Tone board, Phono pre, power supply and both amp boards cost a little over $100.00. LED replacement festoon lamps were in there too. I supplied a lot of the caps, the transistors for the amplifier boards, relay on the power board and the semi-conductors for the phono board myself, so I saved a little in markup for parts.

    Interesting you brought up the Aventage because I have a 2030 that I use as a preamp into an Outlaw 5000 (5 channel amp).  I'm also using an Emotiva phono amp, not the built in Yamaha one which is very muddy. It's complimented by a Debut Carbon with acrylic platter and orto blue, all feeding into B&W 683 towers.  I have two other listening areas and I've thought long and hard about going vintage.  What has stopped me are these things:  1. I would have to get a DAC.  This isn't a deal breaker, but it's another $400.  I like to stream music (or could use a laptop with an external), but either way I would need a DAC with a vintage setup.  2. All my listening areas have a tv above them too.  So unless I built some sort of switch and run both an AVR and a vintage, I wouldn't be able to have stereo/3 channel/5 channel audio.  And switches make me think I'm losing fidelity.  

    1) I'm not sure about the streaming or the use of an outboard DAC. I have zero experience with either. Radio, CD and records pretty much exclusively for me. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts if you go that route though.

    2) Integrating a TV into a vintage system sounds like a can of worms that even I wouldn't want to open.....and I like to mess around with audio gear. If you ever decide to try, good luck. You'd be braver than I am.

    So back to your comment about where the difference lies, let's compare apples to apples.  Throw out the phono stage piece, if you can.  Marantz wins aesthetics in a landslide.  Do you feel like the audio fidelity and build quality of the Marantz exceed that of your Yamaha?

    I do. The Yamaha is well made and sounds great but is too clinical/analytical for me to really enjoy like the Marantz. It presents a lot of detail but lacks the cohesive punch that I prefer in my dedicated, 2-channel system. It shines for movies, though.

    The Marantz has a characteristic weight and warmth to it that just sounds like home to me. I wouldn't call it transparent or uncolored, if that's what you're after. Some people like to listen to the stereo and some like to listen to the music. I'm in the latter group.  Also, you own much more revealing and higher-end speakers and gear than I do. If I replaced my modest Klipsch and Cerwin-Vega speakers with B&W's or Def. Techs., I might feel differently. 

    Post edited by dudeman on
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,883
    @dudeman, thanks for your detailed response.  It's helpful and I'm seriously considering it.  I think a discrete DAC would sound phenomenal with any nice piece of equipment, so it really comes down to whether I can build or buy an RCA switch that I think maintains the integrity of the channel.  
    One more thing, I completely agree with your statement on how the Yamaha presents music as analytical.  However, have you tried to listen in pure mode?  I feel like that substantially mellows out the harshness of the Yamaha.  Without that mode, I get listening fatigue quickly.  With it engaged, I feel like it is much smoother and have enjoyed the sound.  
  • dudeman
    dudeman Posts: 3,160
    Yeah, Pure Mode only for music on the Yamaha. We play music through the Yamaha when we have parties or are doing things around the house since it's on the main floor of the house. It doesn't sound bad at all and concert DVDs and Blu-Ray discs sound glorious.

    Sitting down in front of the vintage 2-channel with an album sleeve in my hands, lights turned low and volume turned up is just a nicer listening experience for me. One that the Yamaha can't duplicate.

    Both sound great, just different. 
    If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
  • lolobugg
    lolobugg BLUE RDGE MTNS Posts: 8,195

    I like the pure mode for Yamaha's newer amps.

    Personally I love my Sansui vintage receiver/amp over every "modern" receiver that I have ever owned. it is def more "musical" and you can't beat the raw power for pushing my Klipsch towers

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  • ikiT
    ikiT USA Posts: 11,059
    moses562 said:
    Thankful for my space and tunes. My “Wall of Sound” is ever rotating except for the two Beatles albums.
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  • mrussel1
    mrussel1 Posts: 30,883
    lolobugg said:

    I like the pure mode for Yamaha's newer amps.

    Personally I love my Sansui vintage receiver/amp over every "modern" receiver that I have ever owned. it is def more "musical" and you can't beat the raw power for pushing my Klipsch towers

    What Sansui do you have?  My local shop has a 3000A for sale which looks like it's in good shape.  I'm struggling a bit translating how 45 wpc RMS in 70's terms translates into today's numbers.  

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