Your Keeper List

[Socal Sam]

If you are serious about the hobby, you probably have more than one reciever or amp. If you are REALLY serious, you will have many, like I do. My numbers constantly change as I lose interest in stuff or get great deals. Right now, I'm in a selling mode, which brings me to the question at hand. What is in your KEEPER list?

[Scorpion8]

Sansui AU-717/TU-217 combo: never gonna let these go...
NAD 7155 receiver: great small setup with good tuner and lots of options.

Most of the rest are stored under a desk, out of sight, out of mind .... those above are keepers.

[dingus]

will probably never part with the Yamaha CR-2020, mostly for sentimental reasons. i've toyed with the idea of selling the Luxman R-117 but just cant seem to bring myself to pull the trigger.

[MacGyver]

i guess i must not be so serious about this hobby as i have only one receiver/amp; the PIONEER VSX-D1S that i am quite satisfied with. i kind of would like to get a VSX-95 and/or an A-91D for back-up amps when my D1S needs service. still, i don't have all the storage space in the world, especially to properly store fine jewels like those two. and besides, as beautiful as the A-91D may be, it is totally non-remote controllable. i am certain that i just couldn't live with that. my lifestyle with audio tends to keep me occupied while listening, and a manually controlled amplifier would make volume and tone adjustments on the fly VERY inconvenient...

[BroonsBane]

Well, my Yamaha CR-3020 and MX-2000 are definitely on my keeper list as are my Yamaha DSP-A1 and CR-2020. I go through a lot of gear but those will be staying.

[Acoustic]

Hmm... for me, of the items in my sig below, these will never leave me: The Yamaha CA-1000 and CT-800, the two Nak CR-5's, the Teac A3300SR and the Polk Model 10's. Mainly because these are items in my arsenal that can't be replaced easily there performance level (for what models they are) and cosmetic appearance.

[no1maestro]

The keepers in my main 2CH systems include:
ONKYO TX-850 ADS-R1
DENON DRA-335R
KYOCERA R-661
SONY STRD-2090
I am constantly changing the receivers in my HT systems so I don't have a real "keeper" there. I settled on the 2CH receivers after years of trying out all of those I pick up. My basis is more on quality of sound as opposed to pure wattage. For my use, most of these pieces are powering rather small but high quality speakers and are chosen for their natural sound and transparency.

[hakka26]

I have kept just about everything I've collected. In no hurry nor need to sell but what I did sell has paid for much of what I have. Sold a Sansui 9090DB. Then ended up buying two though one doesn't come out of protection. Just takes a while to rotate things in for an audition. I have a little more than $300 invested, far less than what I had budgeted for this hobby, so for now I have a lot of "keepers."

[Fast Forward]

Id, never part with my Nakamici 600 or my Technics SL-1700 TT just because Iv,e had them with me for over 30 years evething else I have is for sale for a price

[Rex Everything]

Always hard for me to say something is a keeper but the things I have no desire to sell at this time are the following

Accuphase seperates

Sony Seperates

Marantz 2325

toober (heavily)modded Magnavox 185 amp

McIntosh MAC1700

McIntosh MAC1900


I'd actually like to sell several other componets I have at this time as I have far too much stuff.

[Socal Sam]

I have kept just about everything I've collected. In no hurry nor need to sell but what I did sell has paid for much of what I have. Sold a Sansui 9090DB. Then ended up buying two though one doesn't come out of protection. Just takes a while to rotate things in for an audition. I have a little more than $300 invested, far less than what I had budgeted for this hobby, so for now I have a lot of "keepers."

That's the way to do it. I've wheeled and dealed to finance most of my keepers. Others I bought on opportunity without profits to back up my buy.

[Socal Sam]

Always hard for me to say something is a keeper but the things I have no desire to sell at this time are the following

Accuphase seperates

Sony Seperates

Marantz 2325

toober (heavily)modded Magnavox 185 amp

McIntosh MAC1700

McIntosh MAC1900

I'd actually like to sell several other componets I have at this time as I have far too much stuff.
All very nice stuff! My keepers list is a little longer but I just don't want to have too many pieces anymore. I'll eventually have to make some hard decisions.

[itlldue]

I have my original Sansui AU719, TU717, SE7, and SC1330 that I bought in 1980 that I will not sell.

I also have an AU/TU717 combo that I'll probably keep, too. I'm trying to find an AU 517 or smaller to go with a TU417 I have.

I have a Marantz 4240, Pioneer SX737, and Sansui 8080DB that are probably expendable, but I don't need to get rid of them, so I'll probably keep them for trading material.

[jbeckva]

I would have to keep the Yamaha R-9 I have. That and the Marantz 2230 I haven't finished dialing in (one of these days I'll get to tweaking the FM section.. needs a little help).

The Nak AV-1 I have downstairs does nicely as well. Problem is it has a noisy preamp section. I'll get to that too someday..

My Pioneer D1S comes out every now and then. One of these days I'll either get rid of the orange film and make the display blue/red or move it up as it seems to have fallen down a little bit (I'll get to that someday... those damn evil little friggin white wire connectors are a royal pain for someone in dire need of glasses *eyepop*).

yah, these aren't going to go anywhere anytime soon. Still can't ever decide what sounds best. I get exercise just about every other day tearing one down and hauling another back up.*reelspin*

[stuwee]

Both Marantz 2270's
SAE amp and preamp
Yamaha amp and preamp
Kenwood Basic amp

And of course the Pilot console

[4tified]

1) Sony EL-7 Elcaset Deck (Being a rarity and it is the closest thing I have to a reel-to-reel deck.) You'd be suprised how many people have never heard of an Elcaset deck before. Blows my mind. I get alot of "What is that?" whenever people catch sight of it.

2) Teac V-450X - (I'd have to give it away, no frills 2-head deck with Dolby B, C and DBX) But it does have a cobalt amourphous head, which makes excellent recordings.

Most of equipment I own I got for $20 or less. The exception is my JVC XL5000 CD Recorder, minidisc deck and Elcaset. Those cost $80-$100 a piece.

$20 Sony STR-DE945 Surround 5.1 Receiver - Cracked Relay Solder joints (*fixed*)

$18 Onkyo TA-2600 3 Head Cassette Deck - Snapped line input RCA jack (Left channel) (*fixed*)

$12 Sony CDP-D445 5 Disc CD Changer - Goodwill

$1 Technics M245-X Cassette Deck - Transport stuck, not playing tapes (*fixed*)

$5 Sony TC-K670 Cassette Deck (3-head) - Belt fell off inside deck, respooled, cleaned up, works nice. (*fixed*)

That's all I can remember right now...

I guess I would have a hard time giving any of these up as they are trophies of achievements and what I can do if I pay attention and have patience.

[Rat44]

The SX-1250 is a keeper.
I have grown to like the ADS L-810's also .
And the Yamaha KX -1200 will stay put.
The rest can be replaced.

[vinyldavid]

$5 Sony TC-K670 Cassette Deck (3-head) - Belt fell off inside deck, respooled, cleaned up, works nice. (*fixed*)


That's the first real cassette deck that I ever used! Mine stopped working when i was 12 (4 years ago), but I remember it fondly....

It was part of my father's stereo system.

[jbrainey]

They are all in my sig. The rest are "parts units" in the spare bedroom.

[DaveInVA]

Even though I still have about 150 r2r machines and lots of turntables, tuners etc I am trying to thin out the heard so its only the "keepers" that remain.
For speakers my keepers are my DIY electrostats (pic attached)
My Sherwood S5000 is a keeper for my office system.
As far as r2r its my 5 Tapesonic r2rs, my Studer B62, Crown CGSX 714, and a few others.
Keeper turntables - Transcriptor Hydraulic Reference, Empire 698, Marantz SLT12u, Dynavector Karat, Dynavector 23MR etc.
Tuner - Scott 333B, will be selling the other 5 tuners I have.
Receivers - My Sherwood 7700 is the keeper of my current bunch.
Cassette decks - Eumig FP1000u, Revox B215, B710. I had a Nak ZX7 but sold it last year.

Dave

[braxus]

Well I only have two systems in service, though I have enough for 3. I'd probably keep my Rotel pre and amp since its the best I have so far and has some balls to it. And I'd keep the Aiwa 9000 deck and Tandberg 3014 deck. The rest of my gear is expendable in my opinion.

[NAD613]

My Teac A-103 & my NAD 613 cassette decks. I might also have to include my Pioneer minidisc deck, too, because you can use it as a D/A converter and it has digital noise reduction. Everything else is easliy replaceable.

[stuartypoorty]

The turntable, a Pink Triangle Anniversary, probably my SME V tonearm (terrific engineering), the Nakamichi CR-7A, the Revox B215-S and the Sony Walkman Pro.

[theblackknight]

Keepers?

Setton RS-440 receiver
Setton BS-5500 amplifier

I have altec valencias, and I like them, but they are the 846A model. If I ever had the chance, I would trade these for the 846B's, because the 846B's look much better. the 846A are an eyesore but the sound quality is second to none, they sound so good. definaetly the best speakers I have ever owned. they are keepers until I find the 846B or any other significantly better speakers.

[imasoundhound]

i doubt i will ever part with:

soundcraftsmen ma-5002 power amp
soundcraftsmen pe-2217r pre-amp/eq
large original advents

[gamve]

I'm a bloody nut, once I buy something it rarely leaves. So to answer the question every bloody things a keeper. I will have to do something soon cause I can't find anywhere to sit in my stereo room to actually enjoy the sound.
If I really have to (read the other half threatens divorce)
Keepers cassette decks only (too much other shit)
Nakamichi 1000 tri tracer
Nakamichi 700 tri tracer
Nakamichi LX-5
Makamichi ZX-7 or a 9 if I can find one
Aiwa XK-S9000
Tandberg TCD440A
Marantz CP430
The other 11 will all have to go eventually
Cheers
G

[Marek]

X2

The big Soundcraftsmen's are superb.*thumbsup*

BTW They were made in the OC near several of our members/staffers.

i doubt i will ever part with:

soundcraftsmen ma-5002 power amp
soundcraftsmen pe-2217r pre-amp/eq
large original advents

[niklasthedolphin]

If you are serious about the hobby, you probably have more than one reciever or amp. If you are REALLY serious, you will have many, like I do. My numbers constantly change as I lose interest in stuff or get great deals. Right now, I'm in a selling mode, which brings me to the question at hand. What is in your KEEPER list?

I believe I am very serious about my musical hobby and enjoyment of listening to reproduced music.
I have, however, not a lot of collecting items.

Let's say: I shaved it down to only keep what you call keepers and I call the best I ever had.

So I have to disagree very much indeed with you when you say:
"If you are serious about the hobby, you probably have more than one reciever or amp. If you are REALLY serious, you will have many, like I do."

To be serious about enjoying music and having music listening and gear to reproduce the music with as a hobby does not require having a lot of each kind of item.

I admit that I have a few casstte decks extra.
It would hurt my heart to part with stuff that "I raised" and by the way, they are all active and connected, ready to use.
I also admit that I have three amps. But only because one is pre and the other two are mono power amps.

So my keepers are all of my gear.
And it will stay that way untill I come by something beating the sound quality of what I have and I save up to be able to buy it.

Maybe this will bring about an understanding of whom of us are into this for what?
1. collecting vintage hifi
2. repairing hifi
3. the pleasure of getting the best sound from the reproduced music we love

I belong to category 3 and just use those vintage components that stand unbeaten by modern equipment.

"dolph"

[Socal Sam]

Dolph:

Your disagreement isn't necessary and in some ways diminishes the fun of having more than one system.

My main system is definitely a "survivor of the fittest" with only the best staying. I now have a tube setup. And I have a modest set of gear in my home-office.

I have well over 500 CD's and about maybe 75 LP's. Some are better on my demanding system. Other recordings are so poorly mixed (popular and wall of sound), I can only enjoy them on my "sloppy" SS office system. And well recorded jazz like Diana Krall is a joy on tubes.

For me, having more than one system HELPS me to enjoy music by better matching to audio gear.

Sam.

[JaeTee]

Excluding my boombox collection, here are my home-audio keepers:

Nakamichi RX-303
Sansui TU-717 tuner (I hope I can get my AU-717 running again)
Behringer DX1000 Pro Mixer (cleanest mixer of all time for under $1k)
Technics 1200 M3D (x2)
Tannoy Proto-J monitor speakers (got them cheap, used, but WOW!)
JBL L-80T floor standing speakers (purchased during my USAF years)
Panasonic NV-F55 HiFi VHS (unbelievably awesome recorder)


I would not have a problem selling the rest of my gear.

[390FE]

My keeper list.

Realistic STA-2380
Nak 581
Nak 582 (2)
Legacy Luminance DSP
Proton 740 (4)
Proton D940 (3)
Proton AP-1000 (a few)
Proton 1100 (a few)
Proton SD-1000 (2)
Proton AA-1150 (a few)
Proton D1200 (a few, some might part with for the right $)
Proton D1200 Bridger (7)
Proton AA-2120
Optimus 45 (one pair)
Optimus Mach 2 (one pair)
Realistic Mach 2 (two pair)
Realistic STA-2000D
Realistic STA-2100
Realistic TM-152
Optimus DCT-2000
Pioneer SX-1050 (2, need work, might part with for right $)
Sony CDP-X229ES
BIC T-4M (in transit & can't wait to get)
BIC 960
Shure V15RS
TEAC AN-80 (2)
DBX 224
Realistic TR-3000 (2, one needs major pcb surgery due to shipping damage and of course it was the better of the 2)*fit**headache**crying*

And others I can't remember at the moment.

Most not in use but waiting till I get a place & can set it all up.*crying*

[Socal Sam]

You have the largest Proton collection I have seen so far. I've always thought the cosmetics were much better than the cheap looking gray NAD's.

[390FE]

You have the largest Proton collection I have seen so far. I've always thought the cosmetics were much better than the cheap looking gray NAD's.

Thanks. I agree, the Proton's were far better looking & had that look of quality that the NAD's didn't show.