Hello everyone. I've been an audio enthusiast since I was about 13, just before CD's became mainstream. My dad's good friend was an electrical engineer that worked as a roadie while in college, and he had a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's driven by a PL 700B and a Hafler preamp. He played Steve Winwood "Higher Love" on his Thorens TD125 with a Shure V15 cartridge. Even at 13, I knew I was listening to something extraordinary. Admittedly, I didn't have a lot to compare it to, but the music was crystal clear and seemed to be coming out of nowhere!! Up until I graduated college, I tried (and failed) to put together something that sounded even close.
Fast forward 30 years, I found a set of mirror-imaged DQ-10's with original blonde grills and a PL 400 series I. My preamp was Harmon Kardon receiver with preamp outs that I picked up at a garage sale. IeEither played CD's on a Pioneer laser disk unit or just plugged in the iPod. Good sound for occasional listening in the background.
A few years ago, I bought a PL 700 Series II off of Craigslist to replace the 400. The 700 had "Clair Brothers" on the front panel. Who were they? Found out Clair Brothers was a company located in the same town I worked - Lititz, PA in Lancaster County. My dad's buddy said something like, "Oh, Clair Brothers... They do little concerts like Live Aid!!". What a history this amp must have had!
Current system is the DQ-10's, 700 Series II (just tuned up with the help of this forum), Pioneer C90 preamp, and a recently acquired Audio Technica LP120 turntable. I was delighted to find out that I actually took pretty good care of my vinyl as a teenager! I have a Pioneer Elite Blue Ray player for CD's, but I'm concentrating on vinyl for the moment.
For the time being, I'm going to stay with the current setup and develop some critical listening skills. Then, I'll change one component at a time to see how the sound changes. I was never this patient as a kid!
I also have interest in working on the components myself, so I've been collecting test equipment as well. My dad and his buddies were Ham Radio guys that were primarily interested in bands above 3GHz, so they all built and tested their own equipment ("homebrew" in Ham-speak). Even though I have my General class license (N3DCR), I never had the knack for understanding, or troubleshooting analog circuits.
As hobbies go in general, I prefer working with vintage stuff because I'm as interested in the history as much as the technology. Just think about what scientists, engineers, and tradesmen were able to do decades ago pushing the limits of mechanical, electrical, or even chemical technology of the time. I mean look at stuff like the original systems on the Iowa class battleships, the SR-71, Apollo missions, etc. For audio, I'm a decade or so too young to have appreciated early days of Hifi. I would have loved to have seen stacks of amps at concerts, or even been in recording studios with the early consoles, decks, etc.
Anyway, sorry for the long intro. I'm looking forward to having the experts answer my dumb questions, and learning as much as I can
Fast forward 30 years, I found a set of mirror-imaged DQ-10's with original blonde grills and a PL 400 series I. My preamp was Harmon Kardon receiver with preamp outs that I picked up at a garage sale. IeEither played CD's on a Pioneer laser disk unit or just plugged in the iPod. Good sound for occasional listening in the background.
A few years ago, I bought a PL 700 Series II off of Craigslist to replace the 400. The 700 had "Clair Brothers" on the front panel. Who were they? Found out Clair Brothers was a company located in the same town I worked - Lititz, PA in Lancaster County. My dad's buddy said something like, "Oh, Clair Brothers... They do little concerts like Live Aid!!". What a history this amp must have had!
Current system is the DQ-10's, 700 Series II (just tuned up with the help of this forum), Pioneer C90 preamp, and a recently acquired Audio Technica LP120 turntable. I was delighted to find out that I actually took pretty good care of my vinyl as a teenager! I have a Pioneer Elite Blue Ray player for CD's, but I'm concentrating on vinyl for the moment.
For the time being, I'm going to stay with the current setup and develop some critical listening skills. Then, I'll change one component at a time to see how the sound changes. I was never this patient as a kid!
I also have interest in working on the components myself, so I've been collecting test equipment as well. My dad and his buddies were Ham Radio guys that were primarily interested in bands above 3GHz, so they all built and tested their own equipment ("homebrew" in Ham-speak). Even though I have my General class license (N3DCR), I never had the knack for understanding, or troubleshooting analog circuits.
As hobbies go in general, I prefer working with vintage stuff because I'm as interested in the history as much as the technology. Just think about what scientists, engineers, and tradesmen were able to do decades ago pushing the limits of mechanical, electrical, or even chemical technology of the time. I mean look at stuff like the original systems on the Iowa class battleships, the SR-71, Apollo missions, etc. For audio, I'm a decade or so too young to have appreciated early days of Hifi. I would have loved to have seen stacks of amps at concerts, or even been in recording studios with the early consoles, decks, etc.
Anyway, sorry for the long intro. I'm looking forward to having the experts answer my dumb questions, and learning as much as I can
