Thinking of trying to get some vintage gear..would like reputable sources

Here's a guy who's been restoring and selling vintage AR turntables for years. Looks like he's playing around with Thorens now too.

http://www.vinylnirvana.com/index.shtml

I bought two Kenwood KD550 turntables on eBay a few years ago. One is a backup in case the primary fails. They're built like a shick britthouse and will probably last another 20 years. I had no problem with either transaction. I had the same thought as you and wanted to own a turntable again. I decided since I was getting all nostalgic I might as well own a real piece of history rather than a new product. I looked at Linn, Dual, Thorens, Oracle, AR, and settled on the Kenwood because I found two excellent examples cheap and a friend used to own one in the 70's so it brought back memories. Have fun looking.

Are you nervous about audiogon too? There's a lot of cool stuff there.

Ron

I have not used them but I have read nothing but positive reviews from people who have.

http://www.audioclassics.com/

The owner/manager/a rep is active over at audio karma.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php is your best friend for questions about vintage audio gear.

Is it the bells and whistles you're looking for or quality of sound and performance?

I have semi-mothballed an old STA-2280. I purchased it in the mid-'80s after extensive research. I bought it for its outstanding tuner and ultra-clean 2 channel amps. ...not that I would be willing to part with it but - just curious as to your intention.

Try Saturdayaudio.com, They're in Chicago and they have a website or Paragon Audio in Madison, Wi, both have great vintage gear and are good people to deal with.

I have a Marantz 2226b that I use in a second system, great little unit. There are a few choices from the same series that would all work well for your needs, and they can be found for pretty cheap.

This looks interesting: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....cvr&1269245257

Ron

Look for seller "Cjkinpa" on Audiogon, he refurbishes and sells HH Scott, Dynaco etc tube amps. I am very pleased with a Scott 222c I picked up from him.

Also thumps up to Dave from http://www.vinylnirvana.com/index.shtml

+1

I've got a 2226 as well that I use as a turntable pre-amp. I also use the tuner a fair bit instead of the tuner in my new(er) AV receiver. I don't have any science to back it up, but I think the 2226 tuner sounds better. And with the cool tuner wheel and blue lights, it appears to sound better! I haven't used the amp section in awhile because of some controls that need cleaning, but it is an amp that gets great reviews when ever I've come across anyone who has one.
I've also got a Sansui 555A integrated amp driving a pair of PSB Silvers as my computer speaker system, and I love it. Plenty of power.
Sorry I don't have any advise on vintage dealers, I buy all of my stuff on the cheap at yardsales, Goodwill, etc. It can be a risk because alot of this stuff needs work/cleaning, but the cost is low, so the risk is low as well.

I know you said ebay is risky but what if you could pick it up in person? Have you seen this?



Sansui G9000

If you want to impress then it just doesnt get any better

Oh yeah, you want THAT one^^^! That's a nice unit. Not cheap though. That's one of the sad things about vintage, one day you buy that $700+ receiver on ebay, the next day you go to a thrift or yardsale and see one for sale at $30.And if you wanted to,you could talk them down in price by mentioning that it looks "old" or "has no remote".
I forgot to mention before, these units often need cleaning and or work, but if you buy one that others are using, like Marantz, Pioneer, Sansui, etc, it easy to find people on-line to help you out with repair techniques and parts. Another brand or "off brand" may be a great unit though, so what do I know.
Thrift stores and yard sales can be great places to find this stuff,but it takes ALOT of visits to find something good, so be patient if you are going that route.
I just look at most vintage stuff as a bit of a gamble, and if that $40 Marantz garage sale find dies, no big deal for me. $700, though, I don't think I could deal with that.