Curious about vintage cans

[Inkmo]

So, my recent ATH-2 purchase and my current turntable shopping has sparked an interest in old cans and equipment. I got on ebay for a look around and realized there are a load of them available. Some are extremely prominent, i.e. the pioneer SE-x0 series and a few Kosses, and some are a little more arcane. i.e. Elega.

If any of you guys with vintage headphones interests and experience would pop in with your stories or recommendations, I would love to hear them.

 

[wualta]

I'll back way up and try to give a very wideview look at old 'phones from the buying side.

Never buy anything that looks like an airport employee's hearing protector. Get something with style. The Pioneer SE-x50s might do for a start (where x is 3 or 4 or maybe 5)..

...IF THEY'RE CHEAP. There's bound to be disappointments: intermittent cords, blown drivers (rubbing voicecoils or no sound at all), cockroaches, peeling earpads, old hair oil, eeesh. So no need to throw lots of money at it if you're just exploring.

Most headphones of the '70s are going to be "frownies" frequency-responsewise-- rolled off at both ends of the spectrum.

Open 'phones are going to have a better chance at sounding good than closed ones, all things being equal (and they never are).

Old Sennheisers will sound screechy but smooth and very "spatial". They're likely to be a bit more 'spensive too.

Try old electrostats, but avoid the old Koss 'stats-- they weighed about ten pounds and could render you unconscious from the sheer crushing weight....

UNLESS THEY'RE CHEAP. If they are, just dive in and have fun.

Don't forget the other isodynamic 'phones, similar to the ATH-2. They can be excellent with user intervention.

More random useless bits as they peel off the top of my random and useless head...

 

[Jahn]

Just for sheer insaneness, Larry and one other person recently picked up Quadrophonic headphones. They look ancient and monolithic. Larry snazzed them up by putting FOUR CD3K drivers in there, lol! How's that for vintage?

 

[Inkmo]

Wow, that's rad with awesome-sauce!

I got a couple of auctions on ebay that I'm watching right now based on what you told me in PM and what I read in another vintage headphones thread from a while back. I'm actually watching a couple of Koss ESP9s and I also found a Realistic H100. (I remember you were saying something about suspecting that Stax may have had something to do with their manufacture.)

Fortunately, the 'unless they're cheap' options you mentioned are mostly cheap. I foresee a bunch of curious impulse buys.

Also, I'm working on some headphones art for kicks.

 

[Jahn]

I found the thread! Yikes!

 

[Inkmo]

Da~amn~ Those look, and sound like they sound, totally rad!

What do you suppose the chances are he would build one of those for someone else? I've seen the pioneers that he modded those from on ebay before, but I'll bet CD3000 drivers can get pretty expensive.

I'll worry myself with getting quadraphonic headphones when and if I have a quadraphonic system.

 

[Claus1100xx]

are you looking into getting these ? if so I'll keep my hands off of them.
the seller also said he was going to list 2-3 similar items tonite or tomorrow.

 

[Inkmo]

What? nah. go ahead and get 'em. I wouldn't want to keep you from something you'd found on your own. Besides, my money situation won't work out till after this auction is over. (waiting for financial aid from school

)

 

[Claus1100xx]

there's also a gorgeous vintage marantz one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting
anybody know how they will sound?

 

[Inkmo]

Yeah, I was looking for documentation about it on google and here, but I couldn't find much about the Marantz... and the Maruni...

Man, there is a Koss ESP9 going for 130 bucks!! zomg...

 

[Claus1100xx]

I backed out - cause it got too high -> these koss electrostats must be sought after

 

[wualta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo Yeah, I was looking for documentation about it on google and here, but I couldn't find much about the Marantz... and the Maruni...

I doubt very very much that the Maruni is really an electrostat. [UPDATE: I was wrong-- they're just unknown in the US market... update again: Japanese company who made the KMart and Lafayette and Teledyne electrostats, elsewhere attributed to Stax] It might, however, be a magnetostat, a bigger version of your ATH-2. I'd never heard of Maruni before I saw that auction. I've sent the seller a question..

The ESP/9 was THE Koss electrostat 'phone for many years. Many were made, so watch and wait for a good price on one. It may take awhile. You probably won't like them-- they were designed to be 'stat versions of the Pro4AA. Airtight seals. Claustrophobic. Sweaty. Heavy as hell. Probably sound okay, but..

I haven't heard them, but trying to deduce the manufacturer and age from looking at the pictures, there's a possibility both the Marantz and Radio Shack 'stats are equivalent to the Stax SR-5, circa 1975, and could sound very good indeed. [UPDATE: Turns out the Marantz and Radio Shack are based on the earlier Stax SR-3.]

.

.

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inkmo Wow, that's rad with awesome-sauce!

Where'd you come across some of that awesome sauce? I ran out of mine, I used it all with my new current love:
<---

,
Abe

(Man oh man, quadraphonic CD3000's...

:!)

 

[fraseyboy]

I know this is sort of a n00b question but i gotta start sumwhere

What excatly is quadrophonic? is it like having 4-channels in one pair of headphones? like surround headphones? If so it sounds good...

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fraseyboy I know this is sort of a n00b question but i gotta start sumwhere What excatly is quadrophonic? is it like having 4-channels in one pair of headphones? like surround headphones? If so it sounds good...

Yep, that's about right, although most "surround" headphones are trying to do 5.1 channels, meaning six drivers, and I don't know where they put the bass in those things. And surround headphones suck, btw. What Larry is doing with those quadraphonics is freaking awesome in comparison, IMO.

,
Abe