Dan...You are lucky to have commenced your journey 45+ years ago. There have been many advances in technology along the way, many formats have come and gone and have returned. But in the same breath there are vintage systems and methodologies that continue to hold their own which do indeed outperform some of the product flavours of the year. Especially so in the analogue world which is fundamentally analogous to the way in which we receive music. You are lucky to have spent so little money for so much enjoyment when compared to those who have just embarked on their journey of appreciation of higher end Hi-Fi.
You are lucky to have lived through to enjoy many decades of music genre. The Golden Age of music from the mid to late 20th Century which was very influential in shaping our current way of life. :congrats:
I am confident that you will get many more years of continual enjoyment with your current systems as they are. Many components of which are certain to become timeless collectibles. There certainly is more to it than coveting shiny new boxes especially if the musical exhaltation is already there in your life.
Steve.......You are quite right about vintage systems and methodologies that continue to hold their own. With all the advancements in circuit designs and power boosts, it is not all that difficult to find audio components that are 40 to 50 years old that still stand up well in todays audio arena. Case in point, back in 1973 I purchased a McIntosh MA230 from a friend. He had it stored in a closet because the right channel had a frying noise in it and he had quit using it. I offered him $200.00 for the MA230 and he took it. I knew a McIntosh clinic was coming to town and about a month later the McIntosh clinic set up at a high-end audio store (Chelsea Audio) in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I carried my MA230 integrated amp into the store, met Dave O'Brien who put it on the test bench and dug into it. He replaced all the transistors in the preamp section and a couple of capacitors, threw away the old vacuum tubes and replaced them with new ones, set the bias, and ran some tests. I was a bit worried watching him pull parts out and remember asking Dave why he wasn't looking at a schematic of the amp while replacing all those parts. He chuckled and told me he knew the MA230 like the back of his hand. When he was done I received a graph showing less than 0.5% distortion 20Hz to 20KHz at 32 watts output. That was better than factory specs. Best of all, the repair and new tubes were done at no cost. I sure miss the days of the McIntosh clinics. I returned home with the MA230, connected it to my pair of Altec Valencia speakers and it sounded fabulous.
I kept the MA230 for five years before selling it for $500.00 and purchasing a new MAC1900 receiver. It did not take me long to begin regretting the sale of the MA230. As the years passed I occasionally thought of the MA230 and each time I saw one for sale I found myself considering a purchase but never made it happen. Last year I wrote a post on AA about missing my old MA230 and regretting letting it go. Member GaryProtein saw that post and sent me a PM saying he had an old MA230 that had been sitting in his basement for about 30 years that had belonged to his father. He told me if I wanted it I could have it. I was elated and accepted his offer. I ordered new shipping boxes from Audio Classics and had them shipped to Gary so he could ship me the integrated amp. When it arrived I put it on my bench, connected it to a Variac and slowly applied power. It powered up but I could not get the tubes to bias correctly. Rather than dig into it myself I decided to ship the MA230 to Terry DeWick in Tennessee for a complete refresh. Terry rebuilt the power supply, replaced some caps in the preamp, gave the MA230 a clean bill of health, and shipped it back to me. Once I received it I replaced the small signal tubes with new Gold Lion tubes. The original 7591 output tubes were still strong and in great condition. I connected the MA230 to a pair of JBL 4312A monitor speakers I have, a MR74 tuner, a Denon DVD2800 player, and began to audition the rig. I was amazed at the richness, warmth, and musicality of this vintage system. The McIntosh MA230 sounds so sweet. I was immediately transported back to the days of owning my original MA230 and was smiling ear to ear. I now spend a few hours a week enjoying this system. It never fails to bring a smile to my face. The MA230 stands up well against modern components and with the efficiency of the JBL 4312A's she can rock.
I purchased a McIntosh walnut veneer cabinet to compliment the integrated amp. To ensure the output tubes would not build up too much heat in the cabinet I installed two small fans on the rear of the chassis to draw air across the output tubes and keep things cool. The fans are 12 volts but I operate them on a 6 volt transformer so they spin slower and are dead silent. They still provide sufficient air flow and the metal grill on top of the cabinet remains cool to the touch.
Gary made a dream come true when he gave me his father's old MA230. It is such a joy for me to have the McIntosh MA230 back in my life. Not only does it sound very good but it brings back many memories of fun times when I am listening to it. There have been moments while listening to this vintage system where I thought I could be quite happy if this was the only system I owned.
So back to your comment, Steve. Yes indeed, vintage equipment can be quite competitive and viable against todays modern components. I am so pleased to own a McIntosh MA230 once again.
