What’s everyone’s favorite OLD SCHOOL audio gear?

[toypaseo]

Some of my past audio gear:
Clarion cassette deck
Harmon Kardon CD head unit (junk, I think it was B-stock)
Sanyo head unit (can't remember CD or cassette)
Alpine 7840 CD head unit (upgraded to another Alpine)
Blaupunkt BEQ-65 stalk mount EQ (still have, going to sell it)
Soundstream Reference 300 (still have, but dead, going to sell it)
JVC ½ DIN crossover (still have, going to sell it)
Crutchfield amp (used to power 6x9s, Bose 301s, or sub)
Rockford Fosgate Punch 40 (traded it plus cash for a Punch 60)
Rockford Fosgate 301 amp (hooked up wrong and died, going to sell it's faux carbon fiber endcaps)
Alpine MRP-T220 amp (upgraded to another Alpine amp for more power)
Sony XM-2020(?) amp (used to power front speakers)
Clarion amp (used to power a sub)
Urban Audio Gear amp (used to power sub)
Infinity Reference speakers (separates and 6½" coaxials)
Bazooka 6" tubes
Bazooka 6½" powered tube
Bazooka 8" powered tube

Current audio gear:
Alpine CD head unit (BBE unit, bought NOS)
AudioControl THREE.1
Kicker DX350 amp (one of the last models made in USA)
Rockford Fosgate Punch 60
Infinity Kappa green series speakers (separates and 6½" coaxials)
Kicker round Solobarics (used them since they came out in 1992)
Alpine V12 MRV-100M
AudioControl LC2i

Update 1/1/18
Lanzar 10" subs (bought used for a clamshell isobaric experiment)
Ultimate truck 8" speaker boxes
Cerwin-Vega 15" DVC sub

Might update as memory allows

 

[toypaseo]

I’m currently trying to source vintage audio gear to make a system that sounds good, is loud, and is all made in the USA. I’ve got the headunit, amp for my front components so far.

I might have a Precision Power Art Series amp in my stockpile somewhere

 

[swshawaii]

oh yea baby. old school

this, with the 6x9's bump'n while wearing the bell bottoms, platform shoes, while rock'n the tie dye.

If you had Jensen 6x9 TRIAXIALS with 40 ounce magnets and a "power booster", you had the hippest system around.
Magnet gauss strength didn't matter, it just had to be big and heavy to be cool. LOL

 

[Spudhut]

Rockford Fosgate PA-1 was my favorite add-on back in the Mini-Truckin' days.

I would agree, Eclipse amps and Clarion head units were my favorite combo...I remember having a TV module on my Clarion Head Unit/Video screen in my slammed and custom 1991 Chevy Dually Xcab - I was on my way to work watching the news and 9/11 happened - I was sitting on the 10 freeway near Rancho Cucamonga....

 

[CDW6212R]

Anyone remember records? I've got an old Pioneer turntable that was cool back in the 80's, it was a drawer loading thing that could be stacked under other components. I hardly used it, got it used with the front door half broken, but it could be programmed to play songs in different orders. CD's kind of killed everything before them.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I might have a Precision Power Art Series amp in my stockpile somewhere

I was actually looking for a PPI Art 2300AM, but they aren’t bridgeable. Great amps, and super clean power.

 

[swshawaii]

Don, sold those too. Like yours, very unreliable loading drawer and too many moving parts. There was a generous "spiff" for selling them, but unfortunately a high percentage failed right out of the box. Still have over 500 LP's in storage. Something about vinyls bottom end and strings that still sounds better than CD to me, although need to tolerate the annoying surface noise, aka "rice crispies" effect of snap, crackle, and pop. LOL
pioneer pl-88fs - Google Search

Here's another "programmable" and expensive POS turntable from England we nicknamed the "Accutrash" or "boomerang" because they would come right back after something failed on it.
adc accutrac turntable - Google Search

BTW, anyone remember Zapco car amplifiers?

 

[toypaseo]

I remember Zapco. I looked at them, but I think they were quite pricey Supposedly super solid amps though.

I almost bought an Orion HCCA amp at one point that was supposed to be internally upgraded by a retired Orion technician (or something along those lines). The amp would put you in a certain power group at audio competitions, but would put out a lot more than specs.

 

[toypaseo]

Anyone remember records? I've got an old Pioneer turntable that was cool back in the 80's, it was a drawer loading thing that could be stacked under other components. I hardly used it, got it used with the front door half broken, but it could be programmed to play songs in different orders. CD's kind of killed everything before them.

I have a Yamaha P-520 direct-drive turntable from the early 80's sitting in my closet. In original box and all.

My garage tunes are provided by a vintage Sharp QT90 dual cassette ghetto blaster.

Both are from when I was a kid.

 

[CDW6212R]

Don, sold those too. Like yours, very unreliable loading drawer and too many moving parts. There was a generous "spiff" for selling them, but unfortunately a high percentage failed right out of the box. Still have over 500 LP's in storage. Something about vinyls bottom end and strings that still sounds better than CD to me, although need to tolerate the annoying surface noise, aka "rice crispies" effect of snap, crackle, and pop. LOL
pioneer pl-88fs - Google Search

...

Wow, they made a bunch of variations of them didn't they. I agree about the records too, and the crackle is tough to live with. I did buy a few LP's that cost say $15 instead of a normal $8, a better quality printing of some rare few. The best I have of those is a Paul McCartney Tug of War EPS 81485 record. That one didn't have any real back groundnoises from the vinyl, I loved listening to that clean music. Not many of the higher end records sounded that good, but I tried several of my favorite albums back then. The Tug of War Japan version was just the first one I tried, and it got me to try others.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I remember Zapco. I looked at them, but I think they were quite pricey Supposedly super solid amps though.

I almost bought an Orion HCCA amp at one point that was supposed to be internally upgraded by a retired Orion technician (or something along those lines). The amp would put you in a certain power group at audio competitions, but would put out a lot more than specs.

That was all of them. HCCA High Current Cheater Amp. Great amp to kill in the 50 watt class. It’s direct competition were the Phoenix Gold M50s. Had one of those 50 watters running 3 10s and it absolutely slammed.

 

[toypaseo]

That was all of them. HCCA High Current Cheater Amp. Great amp to kill in the 50 watt class. It’s direct competition were the Phoenix Gold M50s. Had one of those 50 watters running 3 10s and it absolutely slammed.

The one I was looking at was modified to put out even more power. I think I passed on getting one was that there was no warranty

 

[Mbrooks420]

Probably had the 75 watt MOSFETS.

 

[shucker1]

If you had Jensen 6x9 TRIAXIALS with 40 ounce magnets and a "power booster", you had the hippest system around.
Magnet gauss strength didn't matter, it just had to be big and heavy to be cool. LOL

Had those in the doors of the MG.

Damm things were heavier that the door itself!

 

[bobditts]

I might have a Precision Power Art Series amp in my stockpile somewhere

those were some amazing amps!

 

[cabbagelord]

God yes they were!

those were some amazing amps!

 

[Mbrooks420]

Also struggling with my sub setup. I’m thinking of 5.25 or 6.5 components in the upper door cutouts, and sail mounted tweeters, and making fiberglass pods and running a quality midbass in the lower door cutouts. These would be amped, and probably run 60-200hz.

As for the subs I’ve considered everything from 3 DVC 10s to a single DVC L7.