Zero's thread about the Sony TVs reminds me that we were supposed to buy a new telly about 5 years ago. We wanted a Philips 28" job, but were about to look for a new house so didn't want to buy something that was going to be too big. Ended up going for a 16" portable Toshiba for £70 that was intended to be a stop gap - and we've still got it. OK, it doesn't have the best picture or sound going, but it's been great for £70. Needless to say, we bought it at JL, who I have a lot of time for. I'm now touching wood, as the five year guarantee ran out last month...
I'm sure that five years is a relatively short time compared to some other members' possessions which were intended, when bought, to do until a more permanent replacement could be afforded or accomodated. Any examples?
|
I bought a cheap Panasonic Lumix FZ7 I picked up for £230 in the sales in Janaury 2007, I ended up having to enrol on an open university course just to learn how to use it. Three years later I still have the same camera and no plans to replace it. I bought it as I couldn't afford a proper SLR and it was only supposed to be a stop gap car.
Many years back I bought a second hand Rotel BX870 pre amp for £15 of a forum because somebody suggested it would make a good phonto stage. Ten years later I still use the Rotel as a phonto stage and for extra inputs. Its worth around £40 now on ebay.
|
Amps are a good example, Rattle - no moving parts so they seldom go wrong unless mistreated. Years ago, I went to buy a modest turntable (remember them?) and was demoed into buying a thoroughly immodest one instead. I already had some speakers but I still needed an amp to go in between. The Arcam Delta 60 I bought then (1991), because it was the best I could afford with what was left of my budget, took me until 2007 to eventually replace with something heftier. It still works, and may yet get another outing once we move and I have an extra room to fill.
Incidentally, does the Lone Ranger play his LPs through a phonto stage?
};---)
|
|
I bought a Project Debut MK2 in 2000 (with my bursery money) and still have it to this day, although I did buy it for the long term. My sister has a 1981 Pioneer amp as her main amp and it works perfectly. It was given to me as I am known to collect HIFI stuff.
|
When i was a lad of 15 i was into skip hunting and went into the skip at the local hi fi repair shop pulled out a marantz receiver no cases on analouge tunning but a lovely sound, my grandfather who used to build "wireless" got it going for me and i used it for 10 years before i upgraded to his old Kenwood that marantz had better sound quality than the kenwood!
It's still here in his garage on a shelf one day just might give it some more life!
I do think the best things in life are free.!!
|
As it happens, I have an Arcam Alpha 7 amp, circa 1997, that has started to play up. I find that a channel keeps cutting out, and have checked speakers, cables, etc for problems, and can't find anything. My local hifi outlet tells me that they'll have a 10 minute look at it, but it will probably need sending away. Apparently Arcam charge £150 before they even open it up (!). Wondering whether just to buy another from Ebay for now.
The Arcam replaced a Kenwood amp that got nicked in a burglary in the mid nineties. The Kenwood was bought with a Dual turntable and Celestion speakers, both of which are still going strong.
Any other members had this sort of problem from an amp, and does it sound expensive?
CM
|
>>>When i was a lad of 15 i was into skip hunting<<<<
I still am!
|
>> >>>When i was a lad of 15 i was into skip hunting<<<<
>>
>> I still am!
And me.
|
If you're ever passing through Bristol, I have an old Pioneer tuner that you're welcome to have. Forgotten the model number, but it's probably early 80s, built like a tank and still works perfectly.
(IN response to Rattle's message about being a hifi collector)
CM
Last edited by: Crocked Monsieur on Tue 18 May 10 at 07:58
|
You are all playing with modern stuff.
I still have my QUAD 30 - 303 that I guess must date from early 1970s ( if not late 60s). Still works, (used for occasional PA applications and for parties). I also have a Armstong 521? integrated Tuner/Amp that is installed in the lounge - lovely maintainable bit of kit - the garage contains a spare Armstrong Amp and Tuner both believed to be working - bought for spares for £5. Unfortunately they are both the transistor versions - if only I had hung on to my valve kit! There is still a Mullard 3-3 (EL84, EF86 remember those?) in the loft, I bet that it probably sounds better than the rest.
Last edited by: pmh on Tue 18 May 10 at 08:50
|
|
Someone'll come up with a Philips 'black box' soon.
|
This'll do me for the time being... - RattleandSmoke
