ADVICE: The Vintage Stereo
I’m coming out of the vintage closet (and I’m loving every minute of it) with this one, but can we speak frankly for a second?
That iPod dock you’ve got in your bedroom just isn’t cutting it. I know it’s probably a recognizable name brand, likely doubles as your alarm clock and takes up an entire 8″ x 3″ amount of space on your bedside table.. but it’s not sexy. It’s not well built, and in about five years you’re either going to donate it to your youngest cousin or chuck in the trash after listening to it just a handful of times.
Why we do this to our music (and style) I’ll never know, but I’ve been guilty of it as well. We spend thousands dialing in that 7.1 DTS surround system for our media centers, then literally live with the crappiest of options in the room we arguably spend the most time in.
Just take a step back and ask yourself a simple question: “What Would Steve McQueen Choose?“ The POS above, or this:
I think the answer is obvious, but you might be pleasantly surprised just how affordable one of these pieces from the late 60′s-early 80′s can be; if you don’t believe me just go check out Ebay and search for “vintage receiver”.
I know, I know.. most of us under 40 are probably wondering what the hell I’m suggesting here- do I actually want you to raid your parents attic and fish out that old receiver or amp? Yes, because that’s exactly what I did:
My Marantz. You can have it after you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
It took a little bit of elbow grease to remove the decades of dust and grime, half a second to source replacement lights, but now I’ve got a total rock star playing my favorite tunes at night. The stainless steel, the blue dial and the positive “clicks” I get when adjusting it are way more fun than anything made today, and I really just had to add an iPod adapter and some mid-range speakers.
I bet you never thought a woman would sleep with you for your stereo. This might prove you wrong.
This era was easily a high-water mark of stereo design- the boring black/grey boxes they hawk today at Best Buy just can’t compare, and would you really ever consider that iPod dock after checking these out?
Personally, I was used to picturing one of these receivers surrounded by shag carpeting and polyester, but put one in a modern room and it’s easily a focal point that you want to stare at and interact with. I’m far from an audiophile but as an added bonus I now look like one.. and more importantly I’m now enjoying what I hear (and see) instead of just cringing and shutting it off.
Hat Tip to the various posters of AudioKarma.org who have assembled a huge amount of information on almost every receiver/amp on the planet. Make sure to scour their site if you have any questions!
When not at ESM, Chris can be found cycling up and down the Santa Monica Bay, re-engineering a turkey fryer into a pizza oven or reading about survival techniques in the Gobi desert.
LOVE it, DIG it, and was just thinking about doing it. I lost some vintage Marantz stereo components a few years back and have been lamenting it ever since. I decided what “sexier” place to renew my love than in the boudour? Oh yeah, I’m 42.