Frequently asked questions about vintage vs modern hi-fi equipment and why older gear is often more desirable, more reliable and sounds as good or better!
Generally speaking, I suggest you don’t buy equipment in poor condition. I know that everyone wants a bargain and buying equipment in poor condition is often perceived as a bargain. Sadly, there is no escaping the fact that equipment in poor condition tends to be less reliable and less repairable than similar gear in good […]
What are your thoughts on buying equipment in poor condition? Read More »
No, almost all rare transistor types on eBay are fakes. The TLDR here is that some parts are no longer available and that’s a certainty. If unavailable parts suddenly appear on eBay, usually somewhere in mainland China, walk away, unless you like throwing money away. UPDATE, July 2024: I’ve just been working on an Accuphase
Yes, the good news is that, in almost all cases, transistors can be replaced. The devil is always in the details though and the bad news is that people often get these details wrong, mostly because they are unaware of or don’t understand them. Part of the art of repairing electronics involves learning and understanding
Can transistors in my vintage amplifier be replaced? Read More »
Yes, on some level it is, but I would argue that it can be riskier buying modern, chip and firmware driven equipment that will fail and be obsolete long before gear from the 1970s. As long as you mitigate your risk, buying older hi-fi gear should not be riskier than buying new. In some ways,
Many of the best cartridges ever made hail from the golden era of analog, so yes, the right carts are definitely worth chasing down. Types To recap, there are two main types of cartridges: moving magnet and moving coil. The best cartridges tend to be moving coil designs and these are usually more expensive and
You bet, there are some awesome second-hand bargains to be had! Sadly though, the golden days of $1, $2 and 5 records from the smoky second-hand record store in North Perth are long gone. Yes, you’ll still find $1 Engelbert Humperdinck records, but you’ll come across all sorts of other bargains second hand. Some will
I’d like you to consider something: we put men on the Moon in 1969, more than 50 years ago. There are three key elements here: Take a moment to process that, and no, it wasn’t a hoax. Do you reckon we could do it now..? I seriously have my doubts, but either way, it tells
How can vintage audio gear and formats sound so good? Read More »
