We Used To Love Them! What Changed?

This week, we’re diving into some vintage stereo pieces that we once adored but might want to rethink today.

In a world filled with disposable electronics, finding someone to repair your cherished gear can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Have you considered the challenges you might face with these nostalgic relics?

In this video, we’ll cover some pitfalls that could change your perspective on those vintage pieces. Whether you’re eager to relive your childhood memories or curious about that cool thing you’ve always wanted to try, we’ve got insights that might surprise you!

What’s changed in the world of vintage audio? Tune in and find out!

We’d love to hear from you in the comments: have you faced any struggles with these classic music makers? Is there a particular piece we missed?

Enjoy!

#vintageturntable #vintagestereo #vintagereceiver
_____________________________________
Shop our store for Skylabs merch, Grado products, Advance Paris, Cambridge Audio, new vinyl records, and more!
`
Good news for our international viewers! You can now order our shirts for international shipping!

Don't miss out! Sign up for our newsletter! Our current vintage inventory is included in every edition.

Join this YouTube channel to get access to the perks:

We just started a Patreon page! You can check that out here:

___________________________________________

Some more product links below are affiliate links which means if you buy something we’ll receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

iSonic Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner (10-Records)

A1 Phono Preamp Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Turntable Pre Amp

Douk VU3 VU meter and A/B switcher

Speaker wire
Voltive 14/2 Speaker Wire

RCA cables
Audiophile 2RCA Male to 2RCA Male Stereo Audio Cable,Gold Plated | 4N Oxgen-Free Copper Core (3 Feet (1M))

_________________________________________________________

Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we’ll receive a small commission.

We have owned and used every product in the links below.

Recommended Turntables:

#vintagehifi #vinylrecords #vintagestereo

[blueribb]

I'm 73 and went through everything you discussed in this video. I have been into audio since the early 1960's and still enjoy the hobby today. I combined an electronic engineering degree with my audio knowledge and owned many makes and models of equipment over the last 6 decades. The term "audiophile" seems to have taken a turn over the years, with today's audiophiles spending 10's to 100's of thousands of dollars to impress others and themselves. You don't have to spend a fortune to put together a really decent audio system today. I really enjoyed your video, and I hit the subscribe button.

[g.k.]

There is a photo of me at age 3 leaning against the console stereo opening presents on Christmas morning back in 1967. After my parents died and we were cleaning out the house in 2018 nobody else in the family wanted it. It now sits in my living room in its full glory and I still spin my parents old albums on it and listen to frequently. Having a degree in electronics engineering and having worked on robotics and instrumentation and controls comes in handy.

[mixispid]

Grew up in an extremely conservative church that would record sermons on reel-to-reel, then edit the weekly sermons with bespoke recordings during the week and ship them off to be broadcast into Russia via Alaska. This all happened from a dinky city in Australia.

Turns out the guy recording was passionate on the technology while living the religion, just as I was as passionate about the technology but uninterested in the religion. We spent many years bonding over the technology, despite having different goals.

He had a number of soloists contract him to record their albums and brought me on to help. I spent many lunch breaks mixing takes to tease out the best track.

Reel-to-reels hold a special place in my heart, not for the hip aspect, but for the truth that I lived and shared with this man.

[wrxfrontier]

Put a smile to my face seeing DAD walk in and look at the familiar surroundings. Its no fun being hospitalized 🙏🏼

[DarrellWefel-tskr]

This is why I keep following You Kevin ! You are an upright righteous dude !!! Today honesty and integrity means a lot !!!

[Kolcobrzuch]

1:42 console stereos
5:01 Bose 901
7:42 jukeboxes
9:10 automatic turntables
11:28 qadraphonic receivers
14:42 all-in-one stereos
16:32 reel to reel

Great video, subbed!

[jjjcmo]

When I owned a small business I learned that there were some customers that I could not afford. I learned it the hard way.

[davidpowell]

I’ve been repairing vintage stereo equipment for 20 years and your list of items to NOT screw with is spot on! In fact, as I was watching this episode, i was saying to myself, , , ‘what about automatic turntables, what about reel to reels, etc’ and you each time addressed it. Good job!

[jamescosby]

I'm 73 too! Feel like 53 but hey! Kevin this was excellent! You broke it down from head to toe. Thank you my friend. The yesterday years are gone. Just my Samsung A-12 and great headphones to listen to Moody Blues, Great Jazz and now pure A.I. tunes like Sinky Beatz. We are Blessed here in 2025.
Stay well my new friend! ❤.

[paulhowes]

I have been servicing reel to reel since 1972. I have always liked working on them and during the 70s and 80s I found all the available service manuals, bought all the rubber parts, so they are still servicable in 2024. Same for B&O linear tracking tables, they can work like new today, and still turn people on to vinyl, which is magically coming back from the dead.

[thattubesound]

I am one of the lucky ones. I service antique and vintage gear from all the way back into the 1920s up to the late '60s. I agree with everything you've said. All of the equipment that you highlighted takes a ton of time to service and if you don't do your own work, you're paying a someone like me a whole bunch of cash to do it for you. I still get a lot of work ((for a one man operation), but nearly every piece that I restore is someone's sentimental heirloom. Thank you for this video. I really enjoyed it.

[wisegeorge]

I took a Marantz stereo amplifier into a vintage repair shop and he said he couldn't get the parts to fix it but I could leave it and see what turns up. Nearly three years later someone came in with a similar model and he told them he couldn't fix theirs either, because he couldn't get parts. They told him to trash it but they didn't need the same parts that I needed and theirs were in good working order. That was eighteen years ago and I'm still using it today. It works great.

[davearmuth]

So lucky to have your Dad with you daily. And, he seems like such a wonderful man and a friend. I’m so glad he’s well.

[mediascapegoat]

A few years ago out of the blue, I became an audiophile. I got a call to help remove trash from an estate, the owner, dead at 97, was a washington dc thrifter hoarder through the 1980s, I was given all the audio in the place for a low price, speakers, amps, receivers, etc. and to top top it off 100 reel to reels mostly rock and roll from 1969-1972. And you are right it was a life altering experience!!!

[goobfilmcast]

I am in my 60s now and have fond memories of going to my Grandparents house. They had a huge console with a color TV built-in. I can still feel the vinyl covered furniture and taste the slightly stale snacks from giant ceramic candy the nostalgia and the overall

[utp]

We lost our dad in 2016 and it still isn’t the same. Awesome to see you dad is healthy and back to doing what he likes! ❤️🤗🙏

[delcampbell]

Linear tracking..I inherited a few really nice vintage pieces from my uncle. One was a phase linear linear tracking tt. It hadn't been used in 25 years. When i tuned it on, the tone arm moved violently and randomly. Couldn't be played. I took it in here locally and he was able to repair it, except for the lift mechanism. So it is manually now. But i love. It is just magical. Sound and nostalgic, but better than my previous tables by far. It was about $300 to go thru, but worth it for me, and am grateful for the person who fixed it. And... It got both my sons intk vinyl too!

[TastySurrealBowl]

Ahhhh “All in Ones”. My best friend is an incredibly talented elderly radio & tv repair technician who used to be a still young, optimistic man when I was 14-15 yrs old in 1981 and had my first, prized all in one I had bought. Shortly after buying it a design flaw showed up where any time you walked across the carpet and touched the volume knob and a static shock would spark, the amp chips would blow. I’d take it up to his shop (his son was a good buddy of mine who owned an identical one that didn’t do this). He used to curse that thing out because he said it was so difficult to get at those amp chips to replace them (he said you had to suspend the thing upside down and everything was too packed together in layers to get to; it basically was not meant to be serviced). After the second time he replaced those chips for me he said he never wanted to see that thing again, so I tossed it out when it happened the next time shortly after. Decades later I’ve asked him how come he didn’t just tell me to put a rubber volume knob on it and call it good after that first repair, but I think he’s always been too much of a purist to send me away with a non-original volume knob on the outside of a unit. The man has never failed to amaze me with his internal design improvements and modifications. When we bought a house with a non functioning 1971 whole-house intercom/radio system, he not only fully restored that wall unit (and several rooms’ speakers), but he modified the dial light to an identical color & brightness LED and added a line level in for a Bluetooth receiver. The man has the patience of a saint, and I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do when the day comes that he’s not available to maintain all the beautiful stuff that has survived the decades solely because of him. Loved your video - and the gear you maintain. Please don’t ever give it up!

[lelandfranklin]

Wow...we had a Sears Quad with a joystick to bounce between the speakers! Never noticed a unique sound...but loved to "spin" around between the speakers. Until dad yelled "cut it out!!!" Miss him....

[scottspitler]

I’m 60 and dad assembled a system consisting of a Marantz 2325, Dual Automatic turntable, CrO2 Pioneer cassette deck and JBL L166 speakers. I sold the Dual at a yard sale and kept an Akai semi-automatic for which I’ve kicked myself for years, but now feel relieved.

I still have the Akai and the Marantz but the best part of this review is you and your dad! What a cool guy, your dad is! Blessings!