Turntables , Vinyl , Welcome back!

[Wagner]

.
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ele/5415016731.html

No, they didn't
It's another contract job from the maker "CEC" like 95% of all the lower to middle of the road line up of tables from that period from just about EVERYBODY (think the Marantz "6100" as just one example)

Technics did a lot of contract work as well, most notably for J.C. Penney's MCS line and a few others, but nothing like "CEC"

So no, "BLOSE" didn't make turntables

http://www.cec-international.com/pages/s01.html

It was just a cheap "round out" product for their all in one "360" system. Bears a striking resemblance to the Pioneer PL12 except for the arm used (Pioneer used "CEC" too!)

http://worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/360/page.html

Micro Seiki was the primary contract supplier and OEM supplier for the higher up models............and again, in typical Jap style, for just about everybody

[Ducatista47]

This article is from last May, and I hope things are better now.

http://www.factmag.com/2015/05/07/pr...he-edge-vinyl/

[SEAWOLF97]

.
http://www.wired.com/2016/01/alastai...s=true#slide-1

[Wagner]

This article is from last May, and I hope things are better now.

http://www.factmag.com/2015/05/07/pr...he-edge-vinyl/

Yet another bull shit, fluff piece article filled with half truths and clearly the all too not not so thinly veiled bias against the format

Talk about "couched" agendas; the "information" is not even accurate; there are viable alternatives to the acetates (lacquers) situation and the "problem" is currently being addressed...........so what? It is simply a matter of financial investment required to solve the problem and there are more than a few willing and able to do so (and more importantly, they are doing it). "Writers", bloggers and so called "journalists" are using the situation as it has (d)evolved over the past 30 years to somehow doom to failure the current and future resurgence of the format. Yes, it will take a few years to get a semi-dormant manufacturing process back up to speed, where's the "news" in that?

There just seems a lot of people who insist on denying the TRUTH, for whatever the reason; that the Lp NEVER went away and isn't going to do so for a long long time. I have no idea why this FACT just continues to give them so much grief.
It's almost as if some folks take it's staying power and popular appeal personally? For what ever the reason(s)
The Lp is going to outlive the CD, same as it did the Compact Cassette, the Mini Disc, DAT/R-DAT and all of the others. Like it or not, wish they may, wish they might, I'd be willing to bet the Lp's going to be good for at least another 50 years if not more

See page #11 (and others) of this thread for the links to other articles and videos regarding the useless LP versus CD discussion that dispel most if not all of this "article's" claims

And like I wrote, those are but a few, the "tip of the iceberg" as it were

The greatest (real) potential problem facing the resurgent Lp manufacturing business in this country is our own intrusive USELESS EPA (just ask the folks in Flint, Michigan about what a great job that regulatory bureaucracy does for the billions of dollars we pour into it)

Can't manufacture the vinyl pellets needed here anymore

That and meeting DEMAND, both from the independents AND the major labels

Got nothing better to do than troll? At least come up with a fresh topic

[SEAWOLF97]

Bull shit article filled with half truths and clearly the all too not not so thinly veiled bias against the format

yup.

If plating is the bottleneck, seems like the market will fill that void.

The Lp is going to outlive the CD, same as it did the Compact Cassette, the Mini Disc, DAT/R-DAT and all of the others. Like it or not, wish they may, wish they might, I'd be willing to bet the Lp's going to be good for at least another 50 years if not more

MDs still live & thrive around here. Great format that never really caught on.

When dubbing a CD to MD it can actually improve with the better DAC. When demoing my surplus pair of 250Ti's, I put on a MD dub of "V for Vendetta" ST. Buyer asked how I'd found a SACD of that to play for him

[Wagner]

MDs still live & thrive around here. Great format that never really caught on.

When dubbing a CD to MD it can actually improve with the better DAC. When demoing my surplus pair of 250Ti's, I put on a MD dub of "V for Vendetta" ST. Buyer asked how I'd found a SACD of that to play for him

Yeah, SONY has always done some weird shit when it came to new product launches, when and what it did and didn't promote, import and advertise for (like getting the word out about some really GREAT stuff)

They made some of the best top drawer turntables going (compared to those made by ANYONE at equivalent price points) there towards the end (right around the time of the birth of the CD, as in really taking over the market) You'd never even know some of those models even existed unless you were/are into SONY...................and a lot of their best stuff never even left Japan

Made some great tonearms, all "in house" stuff. They were doing VTA and Bias on the fly way before it was cool with the Audiophool crowd. I am lucky to own one

Made some killer integrated amps, pre-amps and receivers too that you rarely see or hear about today when compared to the silver faced Pioneers and Marantz product from the same time frame with build and performance quality over the top

They had a weird habit in the '80s too of launching competing products and formats that only really competed with themselves (and further confused the typical consumer market demographic)

For a company that excellent with the resources they had and the prowess they once enjoyed in the game (and name recognition), their timing on a lot of things really really sucked............as if at times they were struggling with just exactly what they wanted their identity to be and how to define it..........maybe too big, too fast?

Some of the best equipment I have ever owned was real, upper line, Made in Japan SONY from the late '70s through the mid '80s. One plus is that if you ever do luck up and come across any of it, it'll usually be cheap, as in "sleeper" cheap due to not enjoying all the hype like the big Pioneers etc

On the opposite end of that spectrum, all the thrift stores around here price anything ("new") SONY as if it were gold, including the cheap ass throw away black plastic crap stuff made today in Malaysia, china and Indonesia

[SEAWOLF97]

You'd never even know some of those models even existed unless you were/are into SONY...................and a lot of their best stuff never even left Japan

I spent abt 3 years in Asia* and have been back many times.

That's the funny part. The majority of hard gear that they produced never made it to the US. Some of it, well, the technology wasn't seen here until years later.
The downside was that many G.I.'s bought gear and sometime later needed repair. Fixer guys had never seen it or had access to schems.

I think the PX's were the most major customers for TEAC & Pioneer for a while.

Dad had funny habits for a doctor. He'd frequent pawn shops and being very observant, when nice gear was hauled in for prospective sale and declined, he'd follow the seller outside and make a better offer than the store made. worked often.

MD's ? Minidisks ? Absolutely love them. 80/160/320 minutes per disk (depending on compression) . Portables ? 52 hours playback on a single AA. 100,000 re-writes per disk..OKAY. Quality is great.

BUT, if you bought into L-cassette, mite as well open a museum.

*Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Philippians, Vietnam....

[Wagner]

I spent abt 3 years in Asia* and have been back many times.

That's the funny part. The majority of hard gear that they produced never made it to the US. Some of it, well, the technology wasn't seen here until years later.
The downside was that many G.I.'s bought gear and sometime later needed repair. Fixer guys had never seen it or had access to schems.

I think the PX's were the most major customers for TEAC & Pioneer for a while.

Dad had funny habits for a doctor. He'd frequent pawn shops and being very observant, when nice gear was hauled in for prospective sale and declined, he'd follow the seller outside and make a better offer than the store made. worked often.

MD's ? Minidisks ? Absolutely love them. 80/160/320 minutes per disk (depending on compression) . Portables ? 52 hours playback on a single AA. 100,000 re-writes per disk..OKAY. Quality is great.

BUT, if you bought into L-cassette, mite as well open a museum.

*Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Philippians, Vietnam....

Good stories, interesting post
KENWOOD was pretty good about making their top of the line stuff "sort of" interchangeable
The models as offered to servicemen over seas often looked VERY different cosmetically but had guts they could have serviced (straight across, the same insides) once back home
A LOT of the really good looking (better looking than U.S.A. and that says a lot, they made some handsome pieces) are fairly rare vintage KENWOOD equipment intended for sale only to servicemen

I always enjoy finding old pieces from the over seas "PX"s if they're good models as much of the time it also enjoys a better, and switchable, power supply to accommodate the different mains voltages

My eldest brother (two tours: Vietnam) bought his share; big ass Sansui electronics, ARs and the old Garrard "Zero 100" which was the shit back in '71-'72 or thereabouts

The Sansui was still at the house along with the ARs (the Garrard too, but broke down in the attic) when both my parents died in '98 (I had kept those going for my parents with Radio Shack drivers and homemade adapter rings for their three times a year record playing events) Didn't have/know about the refoam option back then.
AR-3a(s) ; - (
Really regret not shipping that one back "home" out here in Kalifornia and re-capping it; don't remember the model but I do know it was the biggest receiver they made the year he bought it, thing probably weighed in at 45-50 pounds with a shit load of those push button switches they used just begging for some DeOxit! My brother had no interest in it and said sure, take it if you want it. I didn't, left it behind in the care of my prick youngest brother who we basically gave the home place to for peanuts................

Ah well; sad part is, it's probably in a landfill now (long story, bad story, siblings, no will......................you get the picture)

[SEAWOLF97]

I bought a pair of AR3's at a sale (1972) . (couldn't afford $273 X2 for L-100's)

Made on East Coast, but, the box had shipping destination of PX, Nha Trang VN
so shipped to PDX from there.
Years later I shipped to a friend in ...OZ.

so they crossed the Pacific ....3x , in good condition too.

[Wagner]

I bought a pair of AR3's at a sale (1972) . (couldn't afford $273 X2 for L-100's)

Made on East Coast, but, the box had shipping destination of PX, Nha Trang VN
so shipped to PDX from there.
Years later I shipped to a friend in ...OZ.

so they crossed the Pacific ....3x , in good condition too.

Too bad you don't still have them, AR-3s in good to excellent original condition will easily bring 2 to 3x what L100s will on the used market today (if you were inclined to sell)! Especially if they are the "non a" version with the woofers with cloth surrounds.

[SEAWOLF97]

Too bad you don't still have them, AR-3s in good to excellent original condition will easily bring 2 to 3x what L100s will on the used market today (if you were inclined to sell)! Especially if they are the "non a" version with the woofers with cloth surrounds.

I've HAD 3's, 3A's, 2's, 4's, TRS's ..HAD being the operative word. The 3's, while having LOTS of bass, the highs were weak.

the pots were another weak spot. I ordered new ones and went to replace. They were not accessible except through the LF cutout. worked in there with an iron and light ...felt like a heart surgeon. ... . Drew out the wiring diagram on the first pot. No problem. BUT then the second one was wired completely differently.

Been very happy with my ESS AMT bookshelves. got a second pair this week. in the 70's they were $324 each. A good $50 more each than L-100's , and a 2 way 10 incher at that.

first pair of Century's were $4. Rehabbed and still running daily for my son

[Wagner]

I have posted it here before, but since you mentioned it:
If you, or anyone else, has any of those old 16 ohm Aetna-Pollak pots and they're giving you trouble, send them to me and I will happily make them as good if not better than new

No Charge (except postage)

That of course if abuse hasn't burned away the wiper or ham-fisted wrenching of the control to "clear things up" hasn't destroyed the wire windings

There are no comparable level controls available today, at least not for a reasonable sum (of which I am aware) that will work the same as the originals
Although substituting modern L-pads will work (I've had to do it a few times) using them WILL change the sound of the speaker

Always save the originals if possible when restoring old ARs; there are lubricants available today that when applied to these old pots will restore them in such a way as to give you years of reliable, smooth (and quiet) operation when properly cleaned and retensioned

[SEAWOLF97]

I have posted it here before, but since you mentioned it:
If you, or anyone else, has any of those old 16 ohm Aetna-Pollak pots and they're giving you trouble, send them to me and I will happily make them as good if not better than new

No Charge (except postage)

that's a gracious offer. I replaced those pots in the late 70's , before we even knew of refoaming
rather than replacing drivers.

AFAIR, bought them straight from AR .... $10 each/pair* ? Still have some of the tweets in a box ..somewhere.

* that was expensive when a new balance scale was only $1.50 from AR.

[Wagner]

I replaced those pots in the late 70's , before we even knew of refoaming
rather than replacing drivers.
AFAIR, bought them straight from AR .... $10 each/pair* ?
* that was expensive when a new balance scale was only $1.50 from AR.

Well take a look at this, don't think those true rheostats have ever been "cheap" (the closest sub I have ever found for the real deal):
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/...FYeBfgodq20ICQ

Now, take a look at what the "green" "RoHS" horse shit does for the price:
http://www.newark.com/webapp/wcs/sto...rue&st=RHS15RE

Save the f'ing world, one potentiometer at a time

Interesting too that typically with Mouser it's the other way round, the NON RoHS stuff is cheaper so they can move it out before it obsolesces, Newark punishes you!

[SEAWOLF97]

Awesome counterweighted Turntable Record Player - $100 (Milwaukie)

how awesome is that ? don't think I've ever seen a counterweighted one before

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ele/5421784165.html

Selling off an excellent condition American DJ counter weighted turntable with an Audio Technica cartridge. This table sounds just as good as my Dual CS 5000 table. It has been setup perfectly and ready to go. I also have a nice sounding vintage phono preamp I can throw in for an extra 20 bucks.
Serious buyers only.
$100

Oh wait, I can't answer his ad .... I'm NOT serious