Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 1578 times:
Yup. I need to post this again. This is because 1) I never tire of discussing stereos and 2) I've made a number of changes to mine.
Here is an old picture of how my stereo USED to look.
Well I've never really been happy with this setup. It is too long (took up too much room) and as such, much of the wiring was exposed, lending itself to that sloppy "spaghetti bowl" or "spiderweb" look.
I finally addressed both concerns by rebuilding my system using some rack mounts. After seeing the finished product, I kept wondering why I hadn't done this three years ago?
The rackmount system looks much neater, much more organized and professional. Plus, it takes up a hell of a lot less floor space and neraly all of the wiring is hidden from view to the casual observer.
Although the racks look neat and compact, they were a bitch to put together. They weren't hard in the sense they required great thought or physical exertion. They were just tedious and time conduming. It took me 8 solid hours to put this system together.
Now for the changes. First, the Akai GX-747 reel to reel on the far left of the old layout is gone. I sold it. In its place, I installed a Teac X-1000R reel to reel. This is the earlier version of the X-2000R, which is still the centerpiece flagship unit. Next, I removed two of the 3 cassette decks shown in the old layout. I felt that 3 decks was a bit excessive. In the new setup, I only installed two cassette decks. The primary is of course my beloved Denon DN-790R. Neither of the other two decks were installed. They are now in storage. Instead, I put in a Denon DN-720R deck, which is the lower model version of the 790.
Moving on, I removed the old Bose Satellite system. Those are now in the living room, running off the TV/DVD/VCR/Cable. In their place, I put in that pair of Infinity Kappa 7 speakers that my dad finally gave me. He has had them since 1992 or so but hardly ever used them. The sound, construction, and quality of them would cost a fortune today-if such speakers could be found at all. At only about 40" tall, EACH speaker weighs roughly 75 pounds. Indeed, he gave them to me with a stipulation: that I can use them for as long as I want, but should I ever tire of them, I cannot give them away or sell them. They are to be returned to him.
And lastly, my old Philipps CD-R unit is finally on its way out. In its place will be installed a beautiful Denon DN-C550R dual well unit.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 1, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 1567 times:
This is a few years old.
I really like this furniture I bought. It was a clearance item back in 2000 at Good Guys and had been marked down to $785. It had been $1400.
There is a similar model still sold but it has a fancier trim and it sales for $3500!
That's a bit much.
I like the fact that this unit is enclosed and has self space that is wide and deep to hold older stereo componets. It also has storage on the bottom for LPs and has draws I use to store my most valuable 8track tapes.
The center opening is intended for a big screem TV but I got a little creative.
As you can see, I have two extra record crates, storage for VHS and audio cassettes, as well as my Teac reel to reel deck and 27" color TV.
New additions not in the photo.
-Go Video VHS/DVD player
-Yamaha K-550 cassette deck
-VHS holders are all in matching woodgrain venre
Items on the way;
-RCA Selectavison CED VideoDisc player
-Sony Betamax player/recorder
-Harmon Kardon CD recorder
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 2, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
You have a nice setup there bro, but I'd love to see an updated picture! How's your reel to reel situation coming along?
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 3, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1539 times:
Yes I'll buy another Teac A3340S but it is several purchases away.
I am going to take a few short trips (NYC), Chicago and possibly 'sneak' down to L.A. to see a lady friend of mine.
I plan on doing a 'friends only' trip to LA. before the year is out. That's when we need to check out Armatron, Pinnacles Steakhouse and Northswoods Inn.
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1520 times:
I'd be down for that. I just hope you don't plan to hit Pinnacles AND North Woods on the same day. That's way too much food.
Speaking of Ametron, I'm planning on taking a ride out there on Saturday. Need anything?
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 6, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1516 times:
Last time I was there (about a month ago), they still had TONS of those 3M Blackwatch Metal tapes. Indeed those are on my shopping list. How many do you want? They are $3.49 each-their price. No markup from me. I can also get you as many Maxell MX 60's you want-if you like C-60's.
As for 10" reel tape, you tell me what you want and how many. I can get any kind you want, between my stash and my connections, you name it. I'll get it.
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 8, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1503 times:
Nah, I'll discreetly ship them out to you. Actually, I'll have Jen ship them to you, since she has access to a FedEx commercial account, and she gets better rates.
Depending on what kind you want, but they are generally in the $30 per roll range, plus or minus a few. If you want an old Maxell, it will probably be closer to about $25. If you want Quantegy GP9, that stuff is closer to about $40 a roll.
I can also get you 1200' and 1800' 7 inchers as well.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 9, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1495 times:
I'd prefer an older Maxell reel.
I'll go with two of those.
Are any of the 3M Black Watch tapes 90 or 100 minutes?
I'll take a few C-60s if there are none longer in length.
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 10, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1491 times:
3M Blackwatch is available in 74 and 100 only.
You want two Maxells?
For you, $20 ea (a steal). For everyone else, I charge a helluva lot more. And of course, I only sell virgin and unused tapes-which is what you'll get.
Just tell me which two you want (choose from the pictures), along with how many Blackwatches you want, and I'll get a total for you (we'll work the rest out offline)
Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 20851 posts, RR: 55 Reply 13, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 1469 times:
Superfly, just one piece of advice: Put the tape deck away from the TV as soon as possible!!
Every time you switch on the TV, it will activate its degaussing coil to demagnetize the CRT colour grid.
In addition to that, the CRT deflection coils produce significant magnetic fields constantly while the TV is running.
Both are pretty much exactly working like the erase head of the tape deck itself, only at somewhat lower intensity.
As a result you'll notice accelerated degradation of your tape recordings (increased noise, loss of higher frequencies) - quite possibly in an "uneven" fashion as well since the part of the tape coil that's closest to the TV will be erased more than the rest...
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 14, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1468 times:
Klaus:
Thanks man but I removed those tapes away from the TV 3 years ago when I took that photo. Matt D had warned me.
What about my VHS tapes below?
Is that sold oak 2 inches thick board enough protection?
Andreas From Germany, joined Oct 2001, 6104 posts, RR: 34 Reply 16, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1450 times:
Well just to bring in some different brand names (I don't really have to say anything new ):
I'm still with my Rotel equipment using big and beautiful Bowers&Wilkens speakers here in FRA...and still extremely happy with it!
At the Berlin flat I have my older equipment set up:
Akai GX 270 tape machine, Sansui TU-9900 tuner, big old Scott cassette player, Amp is Denon, CD player Marantz, Thorens turntable.
Last year I replaced my old Yamaha speakers (big and heavy...around 25 years old) with some neat little Bowers&Wilkens on stands...looks much better in 20square meter living room..and sounds much better, more transparent, no more brute force basses I had to reduce using sound regulation (usually I hate that, but now it's back to flat (tone regulation off) and I like it much better.
Other than that I spend my bucks on music rather than on equipment: CDs, CDs, CDs, and since about a year, DVDs (just over the 400 mark now). CDs just above the 2,000 mark, vinyls around 4,000, but the latter group is closed, no more acquisitions there.
Now that I think about it...I could do with a new flat...2 more rooms or so, organising those discs becomes increasingly difficult (part in FRA, part in Berlin).
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 17, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 1431 times:
Quoting Andreas (Reply 16): Akai GX 270 tape machine, Sansui TU-9900 tuner, big old Scott cassette player, Amp is Denon, CD player Marantz, Thorens turntable.
That is a sweet set up.
Quoting Klaus (Reply 15): the only measures that help are distance and metal shielding.
How about copper?
I have some metal copper plates in the basement.
I hardly ever turn on my TV though.
I haven't noticed any lose in quality of my video tapes.
And the best part is: The CD player is about 5 years old, the rest at least 15 years, 22 years the oldest (Tuner).
And even better: That Tuner does still have a big analog display, with a beautiful green-blue light...turn off all other lights and it looks very romantic in combination with that yellow display of the Akai...the ladies love it
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 19, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 1425 times:
Quoting Andreas (Reply 18): That Tuner does still have a big analog display, with a beautiful green-blue light...turn off all other lights and it looks very romantic in combination with that yellow display of the Akai...the ladies love it
Who needs candles when you have analog audio equipment!?!?
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38503 posts, RR: 80 Reply 21, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1417 times:
I am probably one of the few people on earth that has more 8tracks than CDs.
I only have 100 compact disc.
However, I have:
4000+ LPs
2000+ 8tracks
150 reel to reels
5 cassette tapes (210 blank mix tapes)
Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 20851 posts, RR: 55 Reply 22, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1407 times:
Quoting Superfly (Reply 17): How about copper?
I have some metal copper plates in the basement.
Copper shielding would primarily reduce the higher-frequency magnetic fields of the horizontal deflection coils somewhat (operating at about 15 kHz on single-rate CRTs) while doing little about the lower-frequency vertical deflection (at 60 Hz with NTSC) and the degaussing coils (in the same range).
Copper primarily helps against high frequencies; For full-range shielding you'd need ferromagnetic materials such as iron or steel (but those could get magnetized themselves, in that case exacerbating the problem).
For the video tapes the distance is probably sufficient as it is, while the reels of your tape had almost been touching the degaussing coil around the frame of the CRT before...
Quoting Superfly (Reply 17): I hardly ever turn on my TV though. I haven't noticed any lose in quality of my video tapes.
With VHS any further deterioration is hard to notice anyway...
Aloges From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 8357 posts, RR: 47 Reply 23, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1402 times:
Any of you guys going to make Johan a mixed tape?
I'm at home (parents) right now, so I'll post what's behind my back:
Pioneer CT-443 cassette deck
Marantz model 2245 receiver
Revox A77 reel to reel deck
Marantz CD-40 CD player
Uher 4400 tape deck (that's one small, strange thing)
Thorens TD 160 turntable
speakers: 2x Canton LE 400 in front of me,
2x Scansound P-35 in the other part of the living room
In Heidelberg, I have a receiver, CD player, tape deck and centre speaker (the latter two are hardly ever used) made by Pioneer, my "old" speakers which I now use as surround speakers are made by B&W and the current main speakers are made by Tannoy. I dont have the types here up North, though.
Walk together, talk together all ye peoples of the earth. Then, and only then, shall ye have peace.
FlyVirgin744 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 1313 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (7 years 8 months 1 week 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1390 times:
Klaus,
What is your position on the subject of speaker wire? Radioshack vs $3000/ft .... Still have not heard a clear answer.
Thanks
Sometimes I go about in pity for myself and all the while a great wind carries me across the sky.
25 Klaus: I haven't touched my setup for quite a while... Luxman amplifier, Revox speakers and relatively normal (but solid diameter) copper cables between them
26 Andreas: Ah Norbert, as usual you don't get the point here: It's the ladies that need to get romantic, I just want a decent f...you know what. And as Superfly
27 Matt D: Superfly: I have your merchandise for you. You never specified how many 3M Blackwatch C-100 Metal "4040" tapes you wanted, so I figured two boxes of 1
28 Matt D: Superfly: I have your merchandise for you. You never specified how many 3M Blackwatch C-100 Metal "4040" tapes you wanted, so I figured two boxes of 1
29 UAL747: All my high-end equipment burned in an apartment fire. (Now I know to make sure I have renter's insurance). I had a pair of Martin-Logan SL3's, with t
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