Unplggd blogger tryout, Ryan Pfleghaar, comes today with a look back at his decades old audio gear, discussing how it has fared throughout the years. Tell us what you think of his sample post below.
When it comes to electronics, there isn’t much that gets better with age, or even stays the same. Format wars aren’t kind to our beloved devices and we’re often forced to get rid of perfectly working equipment because something new and greater has been unveiled. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Records have yet to kick the bucket and there are enough people, young and old, who will keep that format going for years to come. But it begs the question, can you get by with technology created decades ago and not sacrifice quality?
There are products we use daily that haven’t changed much since their conception. In this article I going to be specifically talking about speakers but the theory applies to many other electronics or devices. If you’re out to have the latest and greatest then this might be an intriguing look into how you might already have that and just not know it.
Pictured above are two Sansui SP-Z6’s. They we’re created in the 1980’s in Japan and max out at about 200 watts. To put this into perspective most surround sound speakers these days are lucky to output 100 watts per channel. If you’re pushing close to 200 watts you’ve spent more on your receiver than I spend on rent for 6 months.
Vintage speakers can add some character to all of these theater-in-a-box setups you always see. The best part? You can pick up some vintage speakers like these on Craigslist for a fraction of the cost of new speakers. If you can sacrifice a little space for big speakers you will gain character and most likely, better sound. This setup is wired for 5.1 surround sound and I’ve received nothing but complements on how well movies sound, better yet not a single complaint from my neighbors living below me.
What else has aged gracefully? Is there something you use all the time but haven’t replaced because unless it breaks there isn’t a better one? Let us know in the comments!
Post and photos by Ryan Pfleghaar.
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
I will never get rid of my Technics SL-1200 MK II turntables.
Sony Walkman Pro WM-D6. It's cassette-based, makes very high quality recordings, apparently built to last forever as I still use it for field recordings.
Oh yeah, I am also into old speakers. My main listening setup uses a pair of Celestions made in 1969.
i own around 20 pairs of 70's speakers ...
(10 pairs of "ball" speakers)
vintage speaker dont need to be "big" to make good sound ...
and sound from this speakers have realy more color, character and personality than brand new ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teddy_qui_dit/4190293627/in/set-72157622584019059/
i also own more twenny 60's-70's design players or receivers ... (Nordmende, Weltron, B&O, Braun, Wega, Blaupunkt)
more than half have ipod connectivity (by aux input)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teddy_qui_dit/4067347031/in/set-72157622584019059/
and it's a every day pleasure to listen music from this vintage sets ...
and I do not yet speak of the beauty and personality of many of these devices ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teddy_qui_dit/sets/72157622584019059/
(and sorry for my odd english ...) ;-)
Bose 801s, c. 1987. Still rockin' em.
Turntables age well. I just picked up an AR XA that is completely original and still sounds great even coming out of newer speakers.
I must mention that personally i would shy away from vintage in a surround sound application. In most cases I think that a typical vintage floor-standing speaker or bookshelf would look out of place as a center channel, and if a newer horizontal center channel was used, you would run into timbre issues)
My alarm clock. 24 years and still going strong.
The content in this post is great. It would be a perfect crossover with re-nest. The writing needs to be proof read and edited. There were (not we're) some errors and it was not of the caliber one usually sees in the AT family of sites.
Forgot to mention that the AR XA turntable was made in the mid 70's, wish we could edit posts!
I keep a pair of Bose 301 Series II speakers at my office that I picked up at a yard sale for $5. I also recently dug up and started reusing my old Sony Discman D-555 again.
We got rid of a turntable and some good old pioneer speakers a few years ago and have regretted it lately. Wish tech companies didn't rework everything so quickly now. Good post.
Little boring but good photos. How do you use the appletv. How does the sound fair to the old tech. Do you need to change settings because of the difference in sampling rate of digital versus analogue. There's nothing wrong with old tech as long as you can keep upgrading it or combining it with new tech.