Do you have a Vintage Audio Equipment?

Do you have a Vintage Audio Equipment? Why not share with us here. With audio equipment technology advancing so fast, it would be nice to look at some of the classic and vintage audio equipment.
I collect Vintage Radios and Phonographs and am looking for fellow collectors to share this hobby. For a start I am sharing my latest collection, an early 50s’ Stromberg Carlson Trans Oceanic tube radio.



This portable radio has 5 tubes and operates on 110V/220V and 90V Battery and comes with a built in thermometer, humidity meter and a barometer. It has 8 bands, one LW band, one MW band and six SW bands. I could receive SW broadcasts from the Asian countries without an external SW aerial.

Please share you vintage audio equipment here.

DrWho,

Nice of you to introduce a vintage flavor on the forum.
Nice looking vintage piece you got there.

Me, I'm just starting out in vintage gear but already have a
Dual 1219 TT,Marantz 2265 receiver,Marantz MR250 receiver
and a few other stuff.
Guess I've gone back to my 70's days
Sadly,I haven't learnt how to post pics here yet.

I'm sure there are others of the same mind out there.
Why don't you share.

Cheers & Shalom

Pheeeew! I was begining to think that I am a crazy guy collecting audio junks. Your post certainly lifted my spirit. You can view my almost complete vintage and antique radio and phonograph collection HERE.
Do not scroll let the pictures get loaded first.
Antique, because a few of them are more than 100 years old, slightly older than me!
If there are interest I would slowly post the pictures here with descriptions. Hope to view your Marantz here.

DrWho,
cheers.You're not loony by any means.
There are a lot of guys out there just like you & I.
However,most I believe would prefer to keep their loonieness to themselves and maybe some don't know how to use the internet,let alone a PC.

Saw those pictures you put up and I'm knocked out.
I too have 3 of those old radios,but they're nowhere close to the condition that yours are, not as collectible.
Planned to have them refurbished,but that's been on the back burner a while now.
But mostly,my interest now is in the 70's vintage receivers.

Sent you a PM.

Shalom.
James

Here is my AKAI 1721W TAPE RECORDER/PLAYER



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I always love to play tracks from our late Legenda Tan Sri P Ramlee through this vintage dude!! its sound fuhhhhhhh!!!!! here it to believe...this wonderfull vintage also can connect to our hifi system as a source...

Nice fizi,

I may just join you in owning one like yours as I was offered one recently.

Don't have any P.Ramlee tapes on standby though.

These open reel decks are still very much in use in the States & Europe.
They still have a very strong following.
But in Malaysia, sadly they were junked by the late 70's.
I know because I had friends who had these.

cheers,
teleman51

teleman51 wrote:Nice fizi,

I may just join you in owning one like yours as I was offered one recently.

Don't have any P.Ramlee tapes on standby though.

These open reel decks are still very much in use in the States & Europe.
They still have a very strong following.
But in Malaysia, sadly they were junked by the late 70's.
I know because I had friends who had these.

cheers,
teleman51

Hi Bro Teleman...once u get the player we can sit down and help u record Tans Sri P Ramlee song's for u...tq

I am a fan of reel-to-reel but, it's kinda hard to get one here and the price asked is too much.

My oldest hifi piece currently is this Sony TC-766-2 Open reel deck, sounds good. Serviced it part by part DIY style, including sending the pinch rollers for regrinding and replaced aging transistors and capacitors. In my opinion on good recordings at 15ips (38cm per sec) tape speed, it can beat many TT. Only thing is, the tapes are hard to come by - at best only 7.5ips tapes of oldies are available on eBay (still good sounding - at least it is quiet/noiseless when compared to the same LP of the same era). I can only find 15ips tapes conversion from master tape from the "Tape Project" (too expensive @USD300 per tape) and very limited choice. For comparison vintage master tapes were recorded at 30 inch/sec speed (studio types) and our defunct cassette tapes is only 1.8 ips. Higher the speed better resolution and high freq response, minimum 7.5ips for decent quality, imho.

Nice, very nice CLH!

Hi CLH....how much reel tape u have....if u need i can get it here in penang..then u can used it to record your fav track from vinyl or cd...hopefully ur vintage still can use for recording...i always prefer record from vinyl..

Really agreed with u it can produce good sounds compare turntable ( but dont la compare with hi end TT )

Hi CT Boy....how much the price when they offer u...

Hi Fizi,
Your tape deck looks good... with amp & speaker all in.. Yes, I sure would like some tape - you mean you have some tape to spare - unrecorded blank 1/4" tape with reel or not? I use 10" reels and looking for mint condition aluminium reels with nice print do you have any?

Yes, my vintage still can record well but below is my opinion : recording from vinyl playback can only be worse than the original vinyl can't be better... so I think it would be better to convert to tape directly from master afterall vinyl were made from master tape playback in those days. Hence the prerecorded tapes (7.5ips ones) from the record labels is comparable to the LP from the same label, and these tapes are available in USA (eBay)at affordable $5 ~ $10 each which I think are worthwhile, that is, if you like the yesteryear music. Rare Beatles tape would of course sell for much more for sure. So, I end up buying only those tapes which I do not have the LPs... To "record" from my favourite LPs (to save wear&tear and the inconvenience of vinyl playing), I turn to digital - A/D then D/A affair with Foobar as media player.

Nice posts! We have a radio and a reel to reel tape deck. A record player seems appropriate.
Before the 78rpm record was invented, the record was in a cylinder format. Thomas Edison, the famous scientist who invented the electrical light bulb, invented the Phonograph in 1877. The Phonograph plays a two minutes cylinder record made of wax. The play time was later extended to 4 minutes. The wax cylinders were very fragile and were later replaced by the more robust and easier to handle 78rpm disc records played by the Gramophone, which most of us are familiar with.

This is one of my Edison Cygnet Horn phonographs. The earlier phonographs have an 8 inches diameter and 12 to 14 inches length straight horn. Bigger horns were later invented to enhance the sound quality and volume. This Edison phonograph is about 100 years old and still plays well. I am sure that it has been restored several times by the many previous owners. I bought this unit from an US owner who bought it from a remote farmhouse in Canada. I also have quite a large collection of these cylinder records.

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Dear Dr.,
My tape deck is just ordinary 'old junk' that people discard, nowhere near your real vintage/museum quality pieces man ....

Its just that in this digital age where hours of HD music can stored in coin sized drives, shuffle between albums and tracks in armchair comfort, sometimes its refreshing once a while switch to vintage gear, and be amazed at how people took so much trouble to design & produce those mechanisms (levers, gears, bearings, solenoids, belts, motors, heads, etc etc) weighing over 20kg, just to play recorded music, when a 50gram digital player can do the same job. The beauty is, they are still good sounding when paired with modern playback electronics and modern speakers. IMHO, vintage amps & speakers however, are no match for modern day equivalent. Their resolution & freq response dept were lacking i suppose. So the added satisfaction when playing vintage sources (vinyl & tape included), is that we could hear alot more detail which our forefathers might not have heard (during their era), eventhough the information was recorded on tape/LP, that is, when we use good modern amplification and latest speakers. Just my 2 sens.

CLH,
You are just being humble. That tape deck is no "old Junk" it is a vintage! My brother used to own one of this. If ever you decide to dispose of this beauty, please let me know.
I am also into high end audio and Hi Res but NOTHING beats listening to oldies via a vintage radio. I transmit my own oldies via SW band and listen to them via one of my SW radio. It beats high end audio! The SW radio just brings out the nostalgia. The dynamics are missing BUT you are enjoying the music not the sound

Hi CLH...im really sorry i dont have blank tape...my spare tape is all junk tape that already use before...im also still looking the blank tape but the price in ebay include shipping will cost around Rm100...maybe to costly for that y im recycle the old one...my tape all 35 micron,7 inch and 1800 ft long...ur scotch alloy reel very nice to look at...i have found 1 unit teac 10inch reel alloy rim with gold colour but the owner only have 1 unit if got pairs sure will go into it...

Agreed with u all master copy in tape before copy to vinyl...i got lucky when i got the AKAI the owner give me Tan Sri P Ramlee song to me...even P Ramlee LP also going sky hi now days....

Dr Who...ur gramaphone look really classic...sure got friends want to buy from u..the quality of old days equipment really solid that can last long until know..thats y most of the company closed down due build such a heavy duty equipments...not like now days equipments after few years all 'kaputs' then need to buy new one...hhhehehhehheeh

Fizi,
Your Akai deck looks as good! You can buy Edison Phonograph reconditioned or reproduced parts quite easily from the US. Not cheap though.

DrWho wrote:Fizi,
Your Akai deck looks as good! You can buy Edison Phonograph reconditioned or reproduced parts quite easily from the US. Not cheap though.

Not easy to get it and for sure not cheap also...im trying to tackle one uncle to sell his sony open reel deck with detachable speaker looks like picture below...hopefully he will sell it to me..

fizi wrote:Here is my AKAI 1721W TAPE RECORDER/PLAYER






I always love to play tracks from our late Legenda Tan Sri P Ramlee through this vintage dude!! its sound fuhhhhhhh!!!!! here it to believe...this wonderfull vintage also can connect to our hifi system as a source...

LP kalah la? ahahahahaha marah hazy

Azri - SSSssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......!!!! Dont let Bro Hazy read this statement...wakakakkakaka...Hopefully he will sell it his 5 units SME turntable arm and go for open reel decks... but i dont think so...he is one of the turntable maniac

Got lucky today received 2 units of NOS 7 inch Sony Metal Reel with tape

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Hi Dr, your cylinder phono are real antique and priceless gems - no electronics, purely mechanical. I have heard 78s disc spin (not the 78 mircrogroove but the antique type needle & horn), but never heard from the cylinder kind. With each playback there is quite some wearing out of the media.

Now coming back to our modern era, but obsoleted vinyl & magnetic tapes. Below, same album converted from the same master and stored in 3 formats, (left to right): 33rpm microgroove vinyl 12"LP, 1/4" tape at 7.5ips in 7" reel, and 15ips tape in 10.5" reel, guess which sound best?



Fizi:

Really like your 7" SONY metal reels - please sell to me, your deck AKAI ma, or lookout for AKAI reels we exchange ok?

CLH,
What a nice collection! What you need now is a Sound of Music CD or SACD to complete the collection!
The wax cylinder record wears out much faster than the 78rpm record and much more fragile. I have broken a few already not by dropping them but due to their fragility.

CLH...all 3 copy's sound same it is..? hehehheehehhe...i guess the 10'5 inch should sound better...about the sony reel,its really a rare gem's in MY...even Ebay.us also selling at hi price used cond at USD99+25 courier charge...if i manage 2 find any will let u know k...

Dr Who...this week i will walk around penang to find any edison phonograph o not...here quite a lot of uncle uncle still keeping their value equipments...only need to tackle them grab their items...

Got 1 uncle ask me if any guys wanna buy his mint condition AKAI reel deck but his one dont have a speaker built in...will go to his house this week...

p/s - CLH hopefully can find ur metal reel hehehheheehe

My reel to reel in action
Video clips courtesy from Mr Yasin ...thanks YOUTUBE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k95mLKvCD8o

Hi guys....

1 more unit open reel player into my collection in mint condition/all knob,led display working perfectly...the best is its working with digital mechanism!

Model - AKAI GX-77





Specification -
http://www.thevintageknob.org/akai-GX-77.html

Wow! Nice

WOW!!

I have a Luxman L-81 SS int amp.



It was given to me by my uncle about 8 years ago.

Luxman..yeah!!!

since that is a give better keep it...look mint also...nice phono stage!!

Most of you guy shows only tape player? Reel to Reel,does it sound good?

How its sound compare to vinyl?

1541 wrote:Most of you guy shows only tape player? Reel to Reel,does it sound good?

How its sound compare to vinyl?

they is pro n cons using r2r...

- difficult to get the machine n parts in malaysia but there is still a lot in europe
- not all repair man can do the job well done
- reel tape also not easy to get
- fungus

+ Look classic
+ No need change the parts or upgrade to make it sound good directly refer to turntable
+ We can record and play selected track that we love most
+ Reel tape can use for recording as many time u like
+ Recording quality from any source (CD,TT,R2R) will sound exactly the same when we
play it again via R2R will sound more analog
+ Studio using this format for master recording before its process to CD or Vinyl
+ For me the best things is just borrow from ur friends LP or CD and record it via R2R for ur own collection not all the song u will like it in 1 album..hahhahahhaaha

= Sound good or not compare to vinyl is very difficult question to answer.Only can get it when u plug in into ur system and judge it..

RCA Radiola III series vintage
radio and amplifier

Early radios were battery operated as electricity supply was scarce. The radio
signal transmission was in medium wave frequency band, more popularly known as AM. To minimize fast drainage of power from the battery, most of the radio were designed to power a headphone only.
The RCA Radiola III, below, was one of the earliest tube powered radios
available in the USA. The original working tube for this radio is so rare that even not functioning unit is a collector item. Fortunately the radio will also accept a modified alternative tube.

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A matching balanced push pull amplifier was later introduced to enable the radio to drive a horn speaker.


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A "integrated unit", a combination of Radiola III and Balanced Amplifier.


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The RCA Radiola series are one of the most sort after vintage radios. The above are all in working condition. Tuning to a station is a challenge!

Dr Who....very very nice stuff...where u get it local or oversea...there is edison phonograph in town but the horn not like yours..small horn but the price also above Rm5k

fizi,

I bought my Cygnet Horn Phonographs from US. I believe there are less than 5 units of such Cygnet Horn Phonograph in Malaysia. I own two units, one in wood finish and the other in black as in my Avatar.

As for the phonograph horn you referred to, is it something like this:
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This is the standard horn for most of Edison Phonographs. If you come across a Cygnet Horn, you should grab it as it is quite rare, even in US.

I have a Lenco LP. Not sure what model is that. This is a unit bought when I was a kid. Yes, my father bought it ages ago. With antique Pioneer amp and speaker. If not mistaken that was 35 yrs ago. The LP now sitting at my dining room as a decoration unit. The arm and the head are still there but not sure still working fine or not.

moppy wrote:I have a Lenco LP. Not sure what model is that. This is a unit bought when I was a kid. Yes, my father bought it ages ago. With antique Pioneer amp and speaker. If not mistaken that was 35 yrs ago. The LP now sitting at my dining room as a decoration unit. The arm and the head are still there but not sure still working fine or not.

Hi moppy...im also ipoh mali u try to mention Lenco TT/Turntable it is ? or mistakenly type LP...LP is known for Vinyl/Piring Hitam/Long Play...try to check the model number if Lenco 75 is worth to refurbish and get it sing again...

fizi wrote:

moppy wrote:I have a Lenco LP. Not sure what model is that. This is a unit bought when I was a kid. Yes, my father bought it ages ago. With antique Pioneer amp and speaker. If not mistaken that was 35 yrs ago. The LP now sitting at my dining room as a decoration unit. The arm and the head are still there but not sure still working fine or not.

Hi moppy...im also ipoh mali u try to mention Lenco TT/Turntable it is ? or mistakenly type LP...LP is known for Vinyl/Piring Hitam/Long Play...try to check the model number if Lenco 75 is worth to refurbish and get it sing again...

Thanks for your correct, I hv checked is Lenco 75.

That can consider top model after Lenco 88....just try either the motor is still working or not...the arm no problem u can upgrade to Rega RB250 or RB300 dont go for RB301 because of the plastic parts

There is few uncle in ipoh can service turntable....

Sharing video Akai 77 reel to reel....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLHuR2JM_ws