Vintage Stereo

Bluetooth Connectivity, The Good There is one component that was missing from my vintage amplifier and this was Bluetooth. Well, you know, one needs Bluetooth. Connectivity with wireless devices is a great asset in our day and age. Of course there are some drawbacks, but I'll get back to that. First let talk about this little device I purchased a little while ago. Made by MPOW, it connect my amplifier to my computer or to my headphones, wirelessly. It is a rectangular piece of plastic containing a circuit that makes your vintage amplifier able to transmit or to receive. It is powered from the wall outlet, but can also hold a charge for a few days without being plugged in. I keep mine permanently plugged in. These functions can be toggled, It can either receive or transmit. Currently, I have it connected to my wireless headphones which I use all the time in the apartment. Keep in mind this is only one of such devices on the market, I just happened to get this one, the price/q...

I purchased my Yaqin tube buffer about 4 years ago from a Chinese seller on Ebay. I have used it as part of my system chain in different positions along that chain. Before the source and the amp, after the amp, etc... Recently, I decided to upgrade to different and, perhaps, better tubes....... A matched pair  of High Reliability 5654 GE 6AK5W *5-Star* tubes.  These tubes are very inexpensive. The 5654's are smaller than the original 6J1 supplied with the buffer originally. It's nice to do a rotation, and I intend to purchase other tube equivalents in the future. I have positioned the buffer in the computer chain. So, from the computer to the buffer, then from the buffer to the amplifier. This way, it warms up the digital output from the computer before it's amplified by the AM-2800.  Subjectively I find the sound a little more "musical" than the 6J1 tubes. A little fuller... Overall I recommend these tubes. They come at a good price and the performa...

I just replaced the stylus on my vintage Hitachi PS-15 turntable. I picked the Audio Technica AT-95E. I had bad luck with my previous stylus, a Shure M25C. I wanted something affordable and sturdy, yet of a good audiophile quality. The AT-95E seemed to fit the bill. It comes with a bunch of screws and nuts and was easy to install on my cartridge. Well, actually I managed to sever one of the tiny wires as I was installing it. I had to solder the wire back in. After fixing this mishap, It works perfectly. The sound is excellent. I am not a fanatic audiophile. My means and tastes are modest but serious. This stylus seems sturdier than my Shure. I set the weight at 2 grams. I always have been a Shure fanboy, changing to Audio Technica was a leap of faith. But it paid off. So far, after several months and at about two hundred vinyl sides, it performs flawlessly. I think this is a great affordable stylus for vintage turntables.

Revamping My Four (4) Large Advent Speakers Changing The Fabric On the Large Advent Speakers This year I decided to put my Advents back in full working order. I own four Original Large Advents. Two of them were in storage for over 2 years, the other two were functional in the living room. I started by cosmetics. Not only was the fabric stained and discoloured, the cats had a field day piercing little holes in them.... The result were speakers that had lost their mojo. So I decided it was time to change the old fabric on the speakers. Since I intended to restore all 4 speakers and stack them, I had to make them look good as well as making them fully functional. So, I bought fabric. I looked around and tried to find a fabric that would look good on vintage speakers. Of course this had to done without braking the bank, I could always change them again later. So, I purchased the least expensive, best looking fabric I could find. I found a good source in China . Other places asked ...

This is the amp I use these days the AKAI Am-2800, it powers my 4 Large Advents. It is rated at 80 watts per channel.

If You Own Multiple Reel-To-Reel Or Cassette Decks... Realistic Tape Control Centre - Harmony At Last A few weeks ago, I found this neat little switcher from Realistic for 7$, the Realistic Tape Control Centre. I can now hook-up 3 tape decks; listen, record from one or all three or just from the source. I have put my tube Yaqin 6J1 tube buffer in the loop. If I select tape from my Yamaha controller, I can pass the signal through the tape control centre and get amplification through the buffer. Neat. The control centre works very well, no perceivable loss of signal or interference, and now, I am not getting "hum" from the buffer. Realistic Tape Control Center Yaqin Tape Buffer with 6J1 tubes and 2 Lepai 2020+ mounted vertically by me... I can now control 3 tape decks with 1 input to the Yamaha controller.