Level Up!

In my quest to better my Hi-Fi system, I’m always on the look out for some next level audio gear.

In a previous blog post I talked about thrift store finds, which is a great way to find budget priced audiophile gear. Sometimes in great condition, sometimes in need of some love an restoration.

If you’re persistent in checking in at a couple of your local thrift stores, you are bound to come across something that is awesome!

I’ve learned to be patient in this as many times I will walk in and there is nada, but every so often I come across something good or even outstanding!

Here’s a list of my audio gear thrift store finds:

Boston Acoustics A-200 speakers $10 + $150 to restore = $160 (built new bases,replaced blown tweeters and cleaned up the finish.)

Marantz SR-73 Receiver $8 (Perfect working order) Added to my office system.

Marantz CC-65 SE CD player $15 (Perfect working order) Now in the office system.

Akai GXC 750D 4 Track Reel to Reel $50 (Needed pots cleaned, In great working order other than a bulb on one of the meters is out.)

Added to my main system.

JVC KD-35 Cassette Deck $7 (Good working order, just needed cleaning) Possible flip.

Advent Legacy II speakers $10 (Great shape other than needing a re-foam) That I plan on flipping.

Monitor Audio Bronze Center Channel Speaker $4 (Added to my surround system in the living room)

If you keep your eyes peeled, you can find some great stuff! I think my two best thrift store finds on this list are the A-200’s and the Akai Reel to Reel.

Thrifting has given me the opportunity to try different gear, as well as learn how to restore and clean audio gear. (I still need to delve into replacing some electrical components, As I have a Pioneer SX-450 waiting for a recap.)

Thrifting can also be an opportunity to make a little money off of your finds by reselling if you know what to look for. Allowing you to raise cash to level up your audio gear.

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Lost in the Supermarket…

Facebook Market Place has been where I have found some fair deals, as well as some “too good to be true” finds. It’s easy to check locally for specific items as well as check surrounding areas for audio gear.

I once even made a deal in a neighboring state to get what I was looking for.

Here is some of the audio gear I’ve found on Facebook Market Place:

Klipsch Heresy Speakers $500 and a 4 hour drive… So worth it though!

Klipsch RW-12 Powered Subwoofer $100 (great shape) Added low end support for the Heresy’s

Realistic Lab-390 Turntable $20 (Cleaned dialed in and flipped for $100)

Technics SL-Q300 Turntable $10 (Cleaned dialed in and added to my collection for now)

Technics SL-2000 with Pickering Cartridge $250 (In amazing shape and added to my main system)

Yamaha NS-4 Speakers $20 (Needed a re-foam added to my daughter’s system)

TEAC CD player Cassette Deck combo $10 (brand new condition) That I now use to test other gear.

And now for some of the too good to be true Market Place finds..

I’ve told the story in a previous blog post, of some Magnapan speakers that were listed dirt cheap… That deal ended up not so true and not so good, but I didn’t let it discourage me from still responding to those “too good to be true” deals.

I mean it doesn’t hurt to say “Is this still available?” Just don’t ghost people… lol

Here are a few Facebook Market Place finds that made my day:

Rotel RCD-1072 for the absolutely silly price of $10 !!! (Perfect working order and shape, with the remote even!) I promptly added this to my main system.

Harman Kardon T60 Turntable $140 (This was a time capsule… Original box, paper work, accessories and even the purchase receipt from 1984. It just needed a belt) It looks and sounds awesome!

Pioneer DSS-E6 Speakers $100 (Needed a re-foam, I added these to my office system) Fantastic and getting all the more rare speakers!

I mean the Rotel wins for my cost to actual resale value and quality, and the Pioneer’s win for not being seen in the wild very often and sounding great! And the T60 wins for having all the stuff that makes collectors drool, plus getting it at a great price to boot!

The thing is, the deals are out their if you look for them. I live in an area where there isn’t an abundance of high end audiophile gear but it does pop up once and while.

Someone locally had a McIntosh receiver for a fair price of $1,300 but at the time it was still a bit rich for me. One day, maybe…

There were even deals that got away like:

A Sansui 7070 that someone scored for $100

A pair of JBL 4312 Speakers That someone pretending to be me…lol Bought for $300

A pair of KEF 104/2 Speakers that someone scored for $400

And a pair of Klipsch Forte’s that escaped my grasp for an unknown price.

Yet, I persevere.

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Working for a Livin…

As I’ve been learning and I’m still learning… how to clean, repair and restore audio gear and speakers… I’ve had friends reach out with speakers they needed re-foamed or repaired.

This has also helped me Level Up my audio gear by making some extra cash to add to my audio gear fund.

Between the gear I’ve flipped and gear I’ve repaired for others, I’ve been able to buy some brand new audio gear as well. Like the budget, but awesome! Schiit Audio Modi 3+ DAC and The great sounding and awesome value for the feature set…Cambridge Audio AXR-85 Receiver. (This receiver is a great pairing IMO with the Klipsch Heresy’s)

Another plus side to cleaning up and repairing other people’s audio gear, is that I get to test out some awesome equipment along the way. Like my friends Altec Lansing Santana II’s! I loved listening to Jazz on those!

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Yet another level…

I’m not sure it ends. Knowing how I’ve struggled with G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) regarding guitar gear in the past, audio gear is much the same for me. There is always something new, better, cooler looking or vintage around the corner. I have found lately that I feel pretty content with my current set up, with a couple of minor caveats. (Which I won’t get into now…) but I really enjoy listening to my system. Not tinkering or swapping things but just enjoying the music.

That’s the goal with any audio system I think.

Will I stop buying gear?…Probably not, but do I really enjoy what I have and how far my system has progressed over the last two years?

In the words of Napoleon Dynamite… “Heck Yes!”

Punkfloyd4eyes