The Recycled Stereo
Last week, I set up a new old stereo system in my living room. It didn't cost me much - in fact one component was a gift - but it sounds great to me. It sounds like what it is - a hand me down, mismatched combination of old components. It sounds like the comfortable old t-shirt and worn-in jeans you wear on weekends and won't ever get rid of without a fight.
Sometimes I really like old, broken-in things, and sometimes I like beautifully designed new things. In fact, I especially like them together. A room entirely full of brand new furniture and perfectly color coordinated artwork lacks soul, character. An outfit of all new clothing looks overdone - you need a few odd, old accessories, or a slightly frayed edge to give you a more natural and relaxed look. Same with music. Must be part of why I prefer the sound of a record to a CD - the CD has no imperfections, no past life. It is cold, lifeless.
When we re-did our floors, we put in a variable width tongue and groove pine floor that came with a marketing brochure. "Your new pine floors," it read, "will tell the story of your life with every scratch and dent. Rather than look at these inevitable marks as damage, look at them as your autobiography." Or something to that effect. My dog's nails and every other markmaking creature to have visited us and piece of furniture we have sat in has left his or her or its presence felt. And now the floor looks great to me, much better than the pristine and soul-less floor it was few months ago. Ok, it looked good, too. But, it lacked the human element.
Which brings me back to my downstairs stereo. Not hifi, it is a vintage system for vintage records. Although I'd prefer an even older collection of equipment, closer in age to the 60s and 70s disks I spin, th 70s and 80s components are nice enough and close enough in age and like the expression goes, a bird in hand....they are what I've got.
My friend Alexander gave me his dad's old Boston Acoustic A100 speakers, complete with a line of wax running down the front of one speaker cover. "You can get it off with an iron and newspaper," he explained. And I forgot to ask him how it got there!
I looked them up on audio karma and this is what one correspondant wrote: "Just picked up a pair of Boston Acoustic A100s... lots and lots of detail in the top and mid (a bit less so), much more than the Bozak B300s that I just kicked out of the house. While these A100s don't provide near the soundstage that the Bozaks gave, they give accuracy to strings that wasn't there before. Surprise surprise-- I don't find the bass to be that bad in these speakers." You can read all the comments at:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87260
Then there is my Technics SL-B1 turntable. Manual, simple, pretty basic, not too fancy or refined or high tech, fitting the music, late 1970s. It cost me about fifty bucks.
Finally, there is my receiver, a NAD 7020e, the only piece I actually bought new when it was new, in 1988. I think. It's a little new comparatively, but it's still over twenty years old. It was featured in a 1988 NY Times article on good sound for audiophiles on a budget - sounds like me, maybe I read it when it came out!
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/27/arts/sound-good-sound-for-audiophiles-on-a-budget.html?sec=&spon=
And - to me - they sound great together. I put together this band of gypsies and they tell a story of lives lived. What comes out has character, richness, warmth, and history. A great nuanced sound.
It's great to have music downstairs again! On vinyl!
Maybe someday I'll upgrade - but it will surely be another recycled stereo, an even older collection of charming misfits.
Sometimes I really like old, broken-in things, and sometimes I like beautifully designed new things. In fact, I especially like them together. A room entirely full of brand new furniture and perfectly color coordinated artwork lacks soul, character. An outfit of all new clothing looks overdone - you need a few odd, old accessories, or a slightly frayed edge to give you a more natural and relaxed look. Same with music. Must be part of why I prefer the sound of a record to a CD - the CD has no imperfections, no past life. It is cold, lifeless.
When we re-did our floors, we put in a variable width tongue and groove pine floor that came with a marketing brochure. "Your new pine floors," it read, "will tell the story of your life with every scratch and dent. Rather than look at these inevitable marks as damage, look at them as your autobiography." Or something to that effect. My dog's nails and every other markmaking creature to have visited us and piece of furniture we have sat in has left his or her or its presence felt. And now the floor looks great to me, much better than the pristine and soul-less floor it was few months ago. Ok, it looked good, too. But, it lacked the human element.
Which brings me back to my downstairs stereo. Not hifi, it is a vintage system for vintage records. Although I'd prefer an even older collection of equipment, closer in age to the 60s and 70s disks I spin, th 70s and 80s components are nice enough and close enough in age and like the expression goes, a bird in hand....they are what I've got.
My friend Alexander gave me his dad's old Boston Acoustic A100 speakers, complete with a line of wax running down the front of one speaker cover. "You can get it off with an iron and newspaper," he explained. And I forgot to ask him how it got there!
I looked them up on audio karma and this is what one correspondant wrote: "Just picked up a pair of Boston Acoustic A100s... lots and lots of detail in the top and mid (a bit less so), much more than the Bozak B300s that I just kicked out of the house. While these A100s don't provide near the soundstage that the Bozaks gave, they give accuracy to strings that wasn't there before. Surprise surprise-- I don't find the bass to be that bad in these speakers." You can read all the comments at:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87260
Then there is my Technics SL-B1 turntable. Manual, simple, pretty basic, not too fancy or refined or high tech, fitting the music, late 1970s. It cost me about fifty bucks.
Finally, there is my receiver, a NAD 7020e, the only piece I actually bought new when it was new, in 1988. I think. It's a little new comparatively, but it's still over twenty years old. It was featured in a 1988 NY Times article on good sound for audiophiles on a budget - sounds like me, maybe I read it when it came out!
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/27/arts/sound-good-sound-for-audiophiles-on-a-budget.html?sec=&spon=
And - to me - they sound great together. I put together this band of gypsies and they tell a story of lives lived. What comes out has character, richness, warmth, and history. A great nuanced sound.
It's great to have music downstairs again! On vinyl!
Maybe someday I'll upgrade - but it will surely be another recycled stereo, an even older collection of charming misfits.
This is inspiring! I could do something like this - I have a simple Technics (I think!) turntable, and a pretty nice (I think) set of analog speakers, I just need a used receiver! We have so much vinyl, too. One of the only things I could ever bear to collect. (You know from my office I'm not a 'stuff' person.)
It took me awhile to remember to look up your blog but I really enjoyed reading your entries and I hope you keep it up!
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Dear Oonagh,
Thanks so much for checking out blog.vinylrecordarchitect.com! Please come back and visit again and often, and let other kindred spirits know about it as well.
If you are interested in finding an inexpensive used receiver, Jerry's Records in Squirrel Hill usually has a few available. Often in the $25-30 range.
On the other hand, of course, if you are ever looking for a new home for your records, I know a good one! My collection is small but growing and I take good care of my records!
best,
Paul
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