Vintage HiFi. Sounds great, looks cool, costs peanuts
This charity shop find is of unknown provenence. The TD160 mkII was current in the late 1970’s. This one looks like it’s been in storage for a while .
I’m assuming the worst and giving it a full service. There is a long list of things which need attention. Continue reading “Thorens TD160 Turntable. Service”
This was a charity shop find. Not cheap at £250. Could be a bargain? Or could be a money pit?
Let’s give it a good looking over. Continue reading “Thorens TD160 Turntable. Initial Impressions”
Calling to me from the shelves of my local Cash Converters was this solid state phono pre amplifier.
Bubbling paint work and a missing power supply explain the reasonable £25 paid. Continue reading “Pro-ject Phono box II. A look inside.”
I’m not particularly attracted to this auto changer. However, it does use several components which were shared with other more desireable units.
For just £30 in a charity shop it was worth getting as a parts donor. So what did I save from it? Continue reading “Garrard Synchrolab 65B stripped for spares”
My obsession for monitoring the life of my turntable stylus was satisfied when I built my “Play Mate” monitor. It did the job but boy it was ugly.
Only now have I got around to making an aesthetically pleasing version. Continue reading “Digital record play counter gets a facelift”
These cartridges recently came into my posession very cheaply. A couple of old school classics for sure, so well in keeping with my vintage gear.
They both came attached to 2nd hand turntables Were they worth it? Continue reading “Perils of 2nd hand Cartridges. Nagaoka mp-10. Shure M75ED.”
Hiding in a dark corner of a local antiques centre was this chunk of fine German Engineering.
The label declared that it was “running slow”. For just £35 it would be rude not to find out just how slow. Continue reading “On the case of a Dual 504 turntable”
It is amazing what you spot in a skip sometimes. Have beats fallen from grace so much since Apple bought them that people are just throwing them out?
I retrieved these two from a soggy skip while out for a run. I certainly wouldn’t have entertained the brand previously. I’m probably twice the age of the target market. Since they cost me nothing, It’s worth seeing if these are fixable and if they are any good. Continue reading “My heart nearly missed a couple of Beats”
The big round illuminated dial looks great on this 1971 Tuner from Sony. I have a particular fondness for it because one was part of the first real HiFi system I encountered.
It belonged to my sisters boyfriend. I was allowed to listen, but definately not touch. Continue reading “Sony Stereo FM / AM Tuner ST-80F”
Back in 2018 I built my own record cleaning machine. It did the job, but wasn’t pretty.
I recently acquired a better donor turntable and have built a new machine, addressing some of the annoying quirks of my original. Continue reading “PlecRec RCM II. Updated Record Cleaning Machine”