[Skylab]

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sweet, hope you strike gold!  
 
Me personally I think my vintage itch is going to be limited to receivers and old amps (tube and SS).  I am quite happy with digital as my source and I think I like newish speakers.  
 

 
yeah, I thought that too about speakers...but then I bought a pair of Pioneer HPM-100's:
 

 
And while they for sure are not my B&W N800's, they sound really, really good.

 

[WarriorAnt]

Anyone familiar with a Nikko 501?   

 

[Meewoo]

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Depends on the models you're comparing. The NAD 7020 is the classic 3020 integrated with a radio on top. The HK505 is the HK670 without a radio. In both cases the receiver versions sell for significantly less than the integrated versions (eg, the HK670 seems to go for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of the HK505, and even on eBay the NAD 7020 had been trading hands for well under us$100), so they're good ways to get more for your audiophile dollar.

I'm sure there must be examples from other manfs as well -- once you're committed to building a production line around a multiple-board device like a receiver, the temptation must be awfully strong to sell the same thing to people who don't want an integrated tuner. But that doesn't mean other details aren't altered to compensate: smaller power supply, for example. Or bigger.

So from the technical perspective, the THD difference between integrate amp and corresponding receiver is not obvious for most people? I found the integrate amp usually has lower THD than corresponding receiver. Thanks for your kind answer!!
 

 

[WarriorAnt]

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yeah, I thought that too about speakers...but then I bought a pair of Pioneer HPM-100's:
 

 
And while they for sure are not my B&W N800's, they sound really, really good.

Skylab I've been thinking about those Advent speakers you got at the Goodwill.
 
Tomorrow I go to this guys house to look at his bookshelf Advents and his floor standing Advents.  His collection of decades old tubes, his large collection of vintage receivers, his large collection of vintage turntables, tape decks, even a tube reel to reel.   MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON MY SOUL!
 
 

 

[Meewoo]

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yeah, I thought that too about speakers...but then I bought a pair of Pioneer HPM-100's:


And while they for sure are not my B&W N800's, they sound really, really good.

It seems everyone on AK regards HPM-100 is THE pioneer speaker to pursue. Your pair are truly mint, but does your room have enough space to let the speakers breathe (I only see those wonderful vintage stuff)?

 

 

[Meewoo]

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Tomorrow I go to this guys house to look at his bookshelf Advents and his floor standing Advents.  His collection of decades old tubes, his large collection of vintage receivers, his large collection of vintage turntables, tape decks, even a tube reel to reel.   MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON MY SOUL!
 
 

But not all vintage stuff are good!

I think eventually you soul will be at peace!! I mean everyone itches when bit by bugs, but will be at ease when time flows.

 

[scottiebabie]

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Hello, Scottie, are you enjoying your K702 better now? I actually found a good vintage SS receiver match the q701 very well. It tames the high of AKG and smooths all frequency pretty well in the same time keep the detail and sound stage of Q701. Only problem is that bass a little booming, not tight as Sui and Pioneer. The receiver is Nikko 8085.
 
I have a quick question to ask. Are the integrate amp better than the corresponding receiver? I saw on flea-bay, a Yamaha cr-2020 ended at $380, but a Yammy CA-2020 ended at $720. Or it's just the rarity drove the price. Thanks!

the K702s been on a high energy stress 'cookin' diet since & for sure, its gone thru a few iterations. this past few days, i do believe its SQs matured to a constant that i can give a verdict. in short, i really really am liking these K702s. stock cable & off the AU-517 with a notch (+2dB) of bass boost, these cans are anything but lean & the upper mid shrillness has now mellowed to a slight tilt that gives the occasional high pitch vocals a bit of a gnaw instead of a bite.
 
bass is remarkably deep, textured & quick whilst the highs have scrub off its initial grainy harshness. only gripes are the mid-upper bass/low mids are still slightly lean for my taste & i could do with a bit more treble refinement. but as is, its a very enjoyable headphone & provides a good contrast to my HD650 whilst still being eminently musical & fun. infact im finding the K702 as now, sharing quite a few traits with the HE5LE orthos. these are keepers & the only headscratching im doing is whether to diy a mini xlr cable (using cryo mogami) or go the full distance with a direct to drivers dual entry.
 
as far as receivers & its corresponding integrated cousins, more times than not, i find the integrateds are more refined & cleaner sounding (however slight). dont really know but maybe its cos the integrated (& for sure the full separates) brethens have a better & beefier power supply &or perhaps its better regulated - truths more likely than not a bit of both IMO. which is why i finally settled on the Pioneer SA7500 & Sansui AU517 headfi combo (both of which surprise surprise, integrateds) as sounding best to my ears atleast incomparo to its receiver counterparts. YMMV as usual.
 
glad u discover another K701/2 friendly amp in the nikko. its one of those brands that flies under the radar & hence easier to land the 'score' - i hope. heh
 
O as far as the yami CR & CA goes, the CA8x0s & up have an optional internal switch that lets the amp sing in full class A mode - albeit as a much lesser wattage output. for what its worth, the CR receivers dont have this option no matter the model.
 

 

[WarriorAnt]

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But not all vintage stuff are good!

I think eventually you soul will be at peace!! I mean everyone itches when bit by bugs, but will be at ease when time flows.

I need some sort of cream for the itch!   
 
How many people prefer the gear for the looks and how many people buy the gear for the sound?   I'm into the looks right now with the sound secondary.
 
 

 

[AuralRelations]

Is there an Audiophiles Anonymous? I think I'm ready to join. Here's my newest edition. Sounds OK with my SX-850 but VERY light on bass. Even lighter on bass than the K702! 

 
DCM Time Frame TF-500. For $40, I couldn't resist. 

 

 

[ardgedee]

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So from the technical perspective, the THD difference between integrate amp and corresponding receiver is not obvious for most people? I found the integrate amp usually has lower THD than corresponding receiver. Thanks for your kind answer!!
 

I forget the exact number, but there's a threshold below which THD isn't a meaningful number -- to the extent that it's a meaningful number anyway (tubes fans, of course, can have strong opinions about its relevance...)
 
I'll try to fill in some gaps regarding the Harmon/Kardons, since I have the HK 670 and have read up on the HK 505 in the course of things. One documented difference between the two (besides the obvious) is that the HK 505 has preamp out/amp in jacks, and that might be all. The power supplies might or might not be different, but Harmon/Kardon doesn't seem to have skimped on the PS in the receivers (it's got the biggest transformer of any of my amps!). Other than that they have the same preamp and amp circuits. Opinions on AudioKarma and some other vintage boards differ regarding audible differences between the two; some prefer the HK 505, some don't hear a difference.
 
Since examples of either unit are pushing thirty years old now, we might have to concede that the effects of age and wear are in play, and variances between the HK 505 and HK 670 might be as significant as variances between different units of the same model. Refurbishing can bring them back to numeric spec through fixes and adjustments, but once we're swapping in parts to replace worn-out ones, the amps are going to drift a little from their original factory sound simply because the parts being put in aren't from the same lots as the parts the amps were built with. At this point we're splitting fine hairs, however.

 

[ardgedee]

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DCM Time Frame TF-500. For $40, I couldn't resist. 

Nice!
 
I've been eyeing a pair of DCMs at a local shop for a couple years now; if I had room to use floor-standing speakers, these would severely tempt me.
 
Of course, if I had the opportunity to get a pair of DQ-10 for dirt-cheap, I'd make room for them. So there's that.

 

[mythless]

Oh my, this thread has sparked a tiny Audio Vintage Revolution, haha, more competition!  Jokingly: you guys better not head up North, that's my hunting grounds!

 
But, I am envious on some of the deals I hear from you guys in the USA.  Wish I was that lucky on some of the prices I hear/read.

 

[Frank I]

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Nice!
 
I've been eyeing a pair of DCMs at a local shop for a couple years now; if I had room to use floor-standing speakers, these would severely tempt me.
 
Of course, if I had the opportunity to get a pair of DQ-10 for dirt-cheap, I'd make room for them. So there's that.

The original DCM Time Windows which sadly I gave away were the best speakers DCM ever made and if I find a pair again for reasonable money I will rebuy them. I owned them for over 25 years and they were outstanding. I paid 600.00 for them in 1979
 
 

 

[sluker]

 
[size=10.0pt]Location and demographics are a huge factor in finding good deals and good condition units. I think for those that live in the Los Angeles area we have a great opportunity due to the aging demographic in places like Pasadena, Santa Monica and Palos Verdes (yo name a few). There are people here who specialize in "raiding" estate sales for electronics. You find these guys on CL and they typically have 5 to 10 items listed at any one time. If you get to know them and let them know what you are looking for, just be patient and it will come up soon. [/size]
[size=10.0pt]The guy I bought my Toshiba SA-7100 from ($100) had a room packed full of vintage gear and said he mostly sells stuff to Taiwan and HK because they pay top dollar for it. But as recently as three weeks ago he sold a Pioneer SX-1980 in the original box with the manual for $700 (which he paid $100 for).[/size]
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Oh my, this thread has sparked a tiny Audio Vintage Revolution, haha, more competition!  Jokingly: you guys better not head up North, that's my hunting grounds!

 
But, I am envious on some of the deals I hear from you guys in the USA.  Wish I was that lucky on some of the prices I hear/read.

 

 

[mythless]

I completely agree, I've had my share of decent deals but not as good as the stuff I heard in the USA.  I do have quite the "collection" of items and I have gone through quite of few amplifiers and turntables but, again nothing like what I read over on AK.  My best deal as of yet was a pair of Bose 901 IV with EQ and stands, Bose Spatial Receiver Console and Technics SL-1600mk2 w/V15 VMR broken stylus for $150 and probably (well in terms of speakers) my highest end gear, haha.  Most of the time I usually pay fair price since I tend to deal with people that I know, like my Onkyo Model 20 speakers.
 
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[size=10pt]Location and demographics are a huge factor in finding good deals and good condition units. I think for those that live in the Los Angeles area we have a great opportunity due to the aging demographic in places like Pasadena, Santa Monica and Palos Verdes (yo name a few). There are people here who specialize in "raiding" estate sales for electronics. You find these guys on CL and they typically have 5 to 10 items listed at any one time. If you get to know them and let them know what you are looking for, just be patient and it will come up soon. [/size]
[size=10pt]The guy I bought my Toshiba SA-7100 from ($100) had a room packed full of vintage gear and said he mostly sells stuff to Taiwan and HK because they pay top dollar for it. But as recently as three weeks ago he sold a Pioneer SX-1980 in the original box with the manual for $700 (which he paid $100 for).[/size]