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Post by Chris on Oct 24, 2014 14:43:09 GMT
ChrisB - The component I've had longest is my Arcam 8 amp but that's not in my system. In my system the longest serving is my Sony SACD player but it's not as old as my ANKs!
Sorry about the roundabout answer!
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Post by pre65 on Oct 24, 2014 15:10:30 GMT
The oldest item I still have, but now in my office system, is a QED A240cd amp.
I used it as a pre (from the pre out phonos) for a while when I got my first valve amps (Quad 11 monoblocks) and it's still going strong.
I did have an Armstrong Audio 625 receiver which predated the QED but I gave it away some while ago. Not a good performer (by todays standards) but it had "style".
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Post by MartinT on Oct 24, 2014 18:16:26 GMT
Was it some Armstrong models that used germanium transistors, predating silicon?
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 24, 2014 18:37:55 GMT
I love the look of all the Armstrong stuff
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Post by julesd68 on Oct 25, 2014 9:45:29 GMT
The oldest item I still have, but now in my office system, is a QED A240cd amp.
I'm using one of these with my TV. It runs rather hot and the volume pot is a bit dodgy but the sound is excellent! It was a 30 quid local Gumtree purchase ...
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Post by carlsworkshop on Oct 26, 2014 23:54:49 GMT
A lenco gl 75 in various incarnations,since 1993 or there abouts !
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Post by pre65 on Oct 28, 2014 9:01:19 GMT
The oldest item I still have, but now in my office system, is a QED A240cd amp.
Almost as old as the above amp, is my Yamaha CDX-810 CD player.
It also is in my office system and was rescued from the loft a several years ago.
I saw one on Ebay the other day and it was advertised as having "a high speed DAC" , whatever that means.
Anyway, it still sounds fine to me.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 28, 2014 9:12:26 GMT
As for the actual age of kit, rather than the time I've owned it, I have a fair bit of old reasonably gear - my Radford STA15 is (I think) from 1965 and I know my Goldring G99 is because it is stamped on the underside. I have a Mk2 Leak Troughline which still has a factory tag attached dating it to 13th September 1963.
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Post by pre65 on Oct 28, 2014 9:19:35 GMT
As to actual oldest kit.
Not sure of dates
Quad 11 valve monoblock power amps.
Leak Troughline mk 2 tuner. (with more modern stereo decoder)
Garrard 401 record deck.
Ex WW2 Lancaster bomber radio valves PT15.
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Post by dvh on Oct 28, 2014 14:23:16 GMT
Oldest item still in use is AR turntable, 1981-ish. There's an Akai reel-to-reel in a cupboard somewhere that's a couple of years older, but it needs repairing.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 28, 2014 14:55:30 GMT
Ah tape decks
I have a few and they are of an age
Akai 4000, G265 Revox F, Gs and Bs forgot about them
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 22:01:08 GMT
Was it some Armstrong models that used germanium transistors, predating silicon? Yup. I have the matching tuner, also germanium, but not the amp. I am a big fan of the 625 receiver. It has a great tuner section and the amp is easily the equal of an A+R A60 in my experience.... I guess the oldest item I have apart from some valves would be an early MkI Leak Troughline tuner from about 1955. It doesn't get used though...
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Post by MartinT on Oct 28, 2014 22:39:01 GMT
Can you still get the germanium spares, Jez?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 22:47:04 GMT
Can you still get the germanium spares, Jez? Yes and no.... Only a small range is still available. I have a fair number of old ones laying about though and there wasn't really a huge range in use at the time so often you can find the same types in portable radios etc (obviously not the larger output devices...). There are also a fair number of enthusiasts that can be found on the interweb and are happy to supply a few if needed.
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Post by pre65 on Oct 28, 2014 22:47:05 GMT
A friend of mine built a power amp using NOS germanium transistors a couple of years ago.
It sounded quite good.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2014 23:02:37 GMT
The original Leak Stereo 30 (not the 30 Plus) was all germanium and can sound really good! If you get a good one.. in my experience some sound awful and some sound great.. bizarre I know! The phono section is pretty awful though. I have one which I hooked up to some Spendor BC2's about 8 years ago, mainly just to see if it A/ worked and B/ sounded as awful as I remembered... after lots of switch cleaner (to get it to work at all), my jaw nearly hit the floor when I had a proper listen!! Not sure if I have a really good one or if the Spendor's are just an ideal load for it but it from my memory of what it sounded like I would say it was better than my Stereo 20! Strangely (?!) I never have got round to rigging it up again to double check.... A friend of mine who remembers them from new and worked on lots confirmed that you get good 'un's and not so good 'un's and that the difference is not small..
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2014 21:41:08 GMT
My Amp & Turntable i bought over 30 years ago still perfect
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2014 21:41:35 GMT
Was it some Armstrong models that used germanium transistors, predating silicon? The 400 series
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Post by MartinT on Nov 5, 2014 22:18:58 GMT
Do you have one, Andr'e?
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Post by jammy on Nov 6, 2014 0:14:38 GMT
My "Rothwell Indus" Passive Pre Amp.
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