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I did a little jig a few months ago when I found a nice pair of KLH speakers at a thrift shop for $30 - the "Model 5". I opened them up and see no obvious damage, and they sound fantastic! Unfortunately one of them is missing the little "KLH" insignia... but for $30 I'll live.
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Oct 29, 2014 01:40
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 23:25 |
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At a thrift store I go to that never has great electronics, I found a very mint looking Technics SA-500. Unfortunately they had it priced kind of high for that store ($50) so I left it for now. Was that dumb?
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May 26, 2015 22:57
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$50 is right at that "ehhhhh I guess" threshold, I'll go back tomorrow and see if it's still there.
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May 26, 2015 23:34
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I couldn't resist picking up a $150 pair of Klipsch KG4 speakers at a thrift store today. Pretty good deal, considering they're in fantastic shape with all the foam springy and intact!
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Feb 29, 2016 23:45
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As seen in the store: Some quick pics before I clean them up:    That white splotch seems to be a bit of latex house paint, easy enough to get rid of hopefully. These things are awesome! The bass reflecting off the wall is a cool trick, but I'm sure my neighbors hate it.
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Mar 1, 2016 00:36
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Where da new-in-box thrift store SX-1980s for $50 at? :P
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Mar 16, 2016 16:56
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It's so obvious! Brb to check.
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Mar 16, 2016 20:15
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Anyone know what a Sharp VZ-3000 might be worth (whacky vertical record player)? I haven't tested it very much but the knob cover is missing and it probably needs a new drive belt.
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Jul 1, 2016 19:29
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my turn in the barrel posted:Marantz 2440 quad adapter I spy Capsela. Gimme!
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Oct 30, 2016 00:48
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Pretty good day for vintage audio! Picked up a used Stanton STR8-80 with no dust cover for $30, looks to be in nice and working order, guess I have some testing in my future! Speaking of which, I also picked up a rackmounted Roland S-760. Nothing but the unit and a power cable. Seems to have a cracked display too, not sure if it works. It does power on, but requires a specific floppy disk to boot... this should be fun!
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Nov 1, 2016 19:32
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Picked up at perfectly working Technics RS-M44 cassette deck at a thrift store today for  So uhh yeah cassettes, how bout em
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Feb 22, 2017 20:09
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"record stores in Los Angeles" Those 5 words sound like "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" to me! Not sure what the thrifting scene for vintage audio is like in LA, could start there. If anything, the LA area will have tons of vinyl... I envy you and your Amoeba
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Mar 8, 2017 19:24
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Any recommendations on how to digitize an old and rare cassette tape? I figure it's mostly a case of clean transport and capture, as with most things analog. Are my thrift-store-special Technics M-44 and/or Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2 up to the challenge?
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May 9, 2017 17:29
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I've tested and used them both, but not super thoroughly. Is there a cleaning and/or preparation method I should go through?
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May 9, 2017 17:50
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I might be willing to sell it in a few weeks, after I test it for this tape digitization effort! The Cassette Deck 2 is probably the cheapest of those components though, definitely seen them go for under $100 on eBay. It's no Dragon 
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May 9, 2017 19:10
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pzy posted:Any recommendations on how to digitize an old and rare cassette tape? I figure it's mostly a case of clean transport and capture, as with most things analog. After some unscientific A/B testing, I feel the Nakamichi sounds best, but for some reason mine is playing tapes a little bit slow. Is there a way to tweak that, or would that be post-production?
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May 19, 2017 23:21
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I did some research, and apparently lack of lube and belt dryness is a common cause for slow playback, and also a common ailment amongst that generation of Nakamichi decks. The Cassette Deck 2 is apparently also one of the most highly regarded tape decks of all time... so that's cool. The "ultimate" one is the $1000+ Dragon. It even looks expensive. I've gotten a few quotes to get my deck completely refurbished, and it runs from $350 to $800... yikes. Good thing this is a thrift store special. There's a local place I'm going to check out this week that hopefully can do the same job for less money, and less of a wait. The guy I found online is a prolific and well-known "Nakamichi guy", but has a 4-6 month waiting list!
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May 23, 2017 03:23
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Met a guy last night with some insanely awesome equipment, and he uttered the magic phrase "My wife really wants me to get rid of this stuff" We totally bonded over music nerdery, and also mockery of how crazy high-end audio could get, especially back in the day. I drooled over his mint Yamaha CR-3020, which he isn't selling. He does however want to sell the following: Nakamichi Dragon (Been sitting unused for a decade, probably needs refurbishing) Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers with original stands (Refurbished in the early 2000s, look super fiddly but also really cool) B&K PT-3 pre-amp + B&K Reference 2220 amp He also has a wall of CDs he wants to replace with a vinyl display, and a giant 4:3 Trinitron CRT that a retro gamer might like. I mentioned in previous posts I was looking for a Dragon, which is why I contacted him. The other stuff could help me fund the refurbishment of the Dragon, or I could fall in love and keep all this enormous equipment for myself. Any opinions on quality/value? The speakers are weird. They are pretty highly regarded, but are power hungry beasts, and probably require expensive tweaking every decade or so. I'd guess they're worth maybe $400 as they sit. The B&K stuff is a little more straightforward, they're still pretty popular. My guess for the pre-amp + amp is something like $600 The Dragon.... oh lord the Dragon. Such a crazy range for value, mostly because it's recommended if you buy one used, you ship it directly to one of the few Nakamichi nerds left in the country for a refurbishment, which can approach the cost of the unit itself. $500? $1000? Who knows! If I get it cheap enough to refurb it, capture my tape, then resell it... that could be ok.
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May 25, 2017 17:15
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Man I love thrift stores
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Jun 10, 2017 19:27
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CD players are so simple, you could probably just make your own purdy case.
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Jun 15, 2017 22:33
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Picked up this Pioneer TX-7800 from someone on Facebook this week... love that wood paneling, and those adorable tuner bookmarks With bonus Nakamichi in the pic! 
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Jul 21, 2017 23:56
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The facebook marketplace (not to be confused with many thousands of different "yard sale" and "for sale" groups) is horrible to browse/search. I thought facebook might have a useful new feature on its hands when local sale groups started popping up, then they just completely hosed it up.
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Jul 22, 2017 00:09
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Facebook, letgo, Close5, 5miles, OfferUp... what am I missing? Love that App economy. Now we just need an app that aggregates all of the other apps!
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Jul 22, 2017 00:21
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New in box? Hell yeah it is
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Sep 1, 2017 02:02
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Anyone in the Boston area have a very high-end cassette deck I could borrow for a few days? I need to capture a few rare cassettes I've had fall into my lap over the past few months. Nakamichi Dragon highly preferred... mmm Dragon
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Sep 8, 2017 16:56
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Oh boy what'd I get myself into
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Nov 5, 2017 02:37
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I got a pretty great deal, but it has been sitting unused for years. It plays back alright, but definitely has some warble even on retail cassettes. It's also slow to start moving its mechanics (play, rw, ff) and is making some funky noises. The unfortunate nature of this beast is that it pretty much has to be refurbished if it's been sitting idle for more than a few years, and the cost to refurbish it approaches the value of a fully working one, which is just whacky.
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Nov 5, 2017 03:51
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Yeah... I should probably figure out what they all do. The best part is it came with the RM-20 wired remote, which is apparently stupid rare and expensive
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Nov 5, 2017 18:19
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Other broken audio components, obviously
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Mar 20, 2018 23:41
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Welcome back you beast
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Jul 23, 2018 18:13
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Wood glue if you're bold
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Dec 6, 2018 04:54
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gently caress yeah, thrift store finds!
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Jul 5, 2019 21:12
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This is the 2-channel thread, there's no need for justifications Now go drop $2k on a Nakamichi Dragon!
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Feb 6, 2020 17:01
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I don't think there's a Nakamichi deck made that would disappoint you (as long as it's working.... looking at you RX-505) Edit: I also found a Cassette Deck 2 at a thrift store years ago! Currently using a Dragon though (brag) 
pzy fucked around with this message at 18:57 on May 6, 2020 |
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May 6, 2020 18:49
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| # ¿ Apr 26, 2024 23:25 |
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The slight radioactivity from banana peels helps to keep the vinyl from becoming too brittle with age. (oh sorry this isn't the audiophile thread)
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Jul 18, 2020 21:28
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