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Originally Posted by Table 5
Thanks for the insight Baron, much appreciated.
That Audio-Technica turntable you mentioned is on the list as well for sure. At the end of the day, my current setup won't be anything too high end component wise, so it probably doesn't make sense to go to crazy on a $1K+ turntable.
I realize that I probably need to get a pre-amp and probably a receiver/amp as well). Anything of quality seems to be into the thousands of dollars new, so buying vintage older stuff definitely sounds appealing. But I like the idea of buying better-quality vintage gear, to be honest I'm not really sure what to look for to be able to tell whether something is worth it, or what possible issues it might have. You do see some nice looking vintage Sansui, Pioneer, Marantz etc on kijiji stuff though.
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Table 5, the vintage receivers/integrated amps/pre-amps will have a phono stage so there is no need to buy a separate phono stage. The Sansuis and the Marantzes of the day command premium prices, mainly for their reputation. Some equipment, such as Hitachi, Sanyo, Realistic (yes! Realistic) and Mitsubishi is very good and are under the radar so you can find some deals. Don't forget about the old Yamahas, too. They have very good phono stages. Interesting to note that Yamaha has quietly returned to two-channel stereo with integrated amps. They don't look as nice as their vintage rigs, though.
If you don't listen to the radio, then a receiver is kind of pointless and I'd look for an integrated amp. Mind you, the old receivers do look good when powered up, especially the early 70s Pioneers and Marantzes with their blue lighting. I currently use a Pioneer SX-680 receiver in my office. It is "only" 30W but that is more than sufficient.
The vintage equipment was meant to be repaired. Usually the electrolytic capacitors will need to be replaced. The good news is the parts are cheap. You can hire a guy to do it or DIY if you're comfortable reading schematics and using a soldering iron. Often, though, all you really need to do is spray some DeOxit into the potentiometers/switches, etc and maybe clean the dust out of the inside and you are set. If you do listen to the radio, and are interested in a receiver, then the tuning mechanism will probably need to be calibrated. That is a bit more work.
Audio Spot has a good selection of used equipment that has been serviced. But, you pay for that and you also get a 30-day warranty.