It's amazing what you can cobble together for pennies...



Pioneer SA-1000 amp ('71), Hitachi HT-6M turntable ('81) Grundig TK 547 R2R (about '76), Kenwood KF-6011 De-Noiser ('71) and a pair of Diatone DS-30B's ('77) along with a sprinkling of later Sony kit. I usually have a Akai GXC-38D cassette in the system as well, but its on my bench having a belt and pinch roller change.

The Pioneer amp and the Diatone speakers are the only real constants in the system, the rest get sold, exchanged or swapped out for other kit in my collection on a regular basis.

It sounds far, far better than you might imagine!

very nice looking rig. i too am a firm believer in getting the most sound for the money by capitalizing on the used market.

never heard of Daitone speakers, what can you tell us about them?

Diatone are Mitsubishi's hifi brand, best known in Japan for their loudspeakers. The vintage 'AS' range still command big prices over there (a bit like the original Tannoy models do in the UK). I was very lucky to come across the DS-30B's, as apart from a few 'Mitsubishi' branded models sold with tower systems they were never exported to the UK.

Diatone started manufacturing in 1947 with the P-62F full range driver. They have always worked closely with NHK (the Japanese National broadcaster) and the '62 evolved into the P-610 series which is very highly regarded by the full-range enthusiast. Mitsubishi still occasionally produce a limited run at outrageous prices which then go stratospheric when they hit the second hand market!

The 30B's have a 30cm paper woofer and 6cm tweeter in a very solid (20kg) cabinet. Despite the rather 'boombox' looks they actually sound detailed and accurate with just a touch of warmth. I love em...

You can read more about Diatone here:

Diatone

great info with some cool speakers, thanks!

Beautiful setup.
Like dingus, i'd never heard about Diatone speakers before.
Tanx for sharing.

The Akai GXC-38D has returned from my workbench after a full service and lube, complete with new belts and pinch roller and having been fully calibrated - so it’s ready for another 35 years service!

Introduced in late '72, it retailed at $270 (about $1225 today, allowing for inflation) and the addition of the original Dolby system (that later became known as Dolby 'B') added a premium of $50 ($245) over the otherwise identical GXC-36D. Back then Dolby noise reduction was still pretty cutting edge, and the cutting edge always costs more money!

It also features GX (Glass Crystal) heads, normal/chrome switching, full auto stop, C.L.S (an automatic recording level limiter), tape running light and inputs for stereo mikes and headphones.

This is one of my favourite decks. It may not be as cosmetically attractive as the Technics or TEAC models of the time but its built like a tank: there are still quite a few working examples about - unlike its competitors

It still sounds great and makes excellent recordings, every bit as good as my (much more recent) three head Sony TC-K415.

Very cool.
I always liked Akai decks.

I'm still drooling over that Grundig R2R. Nice and compact. I like!

It’s a cutie! It was Grundigs basic Hifi stereo deck in '76 and IMHO looks a lot more modern than the Akai 4000 series, even if the specs are not quite as good as the Japanese deck.

It's a dual speed 4-track stereo model with Philips 'Long-Life' heads (Philips weren’t lying, the deck has been used regularly and they show no wear after 32 years). The '547 is a true tape-recorder (not a tape deck) with built in 2 X 4 watt amp and stereo speakers. Its mains powered only so spends most of its life plumbed into my main system but its nice to know it can follow me around.

Only one meter as the recording level is automatic. Grundig used to make a big thing about their automatic recording circuit as being 'better than you are' at setting the levels. It certainly seems to work well - unlike most automated recording systems that just 'ride' the signal and tend to act as compressors, the Grundig initially calibrates the incoming signal for 0dB and once recording starts it only jumps in if the signal goes over-level for at least a second or so. It won't budge to boost a low signal at all. It’s a good compromise - on most material the strategy preserves the dynamic range of the original.

It’s also purely mechanical, making it a doddle to service when compared to the more expensive and failure-prone relay switched models.

Sound quality is good at 3¾ and excellent at 7½. I use it all the time and love it to bits!



It also features a handy foldaway carry handle:

very cool!

elroy has been chomping at the bit for a nice rtr deck. a friend of ours has a Teac X2000rbl deck from the early 80's that has remained in its original box in pristine condition since about 1987 or so. i am pretty sure that all he would let Todd take it on indefinite loan.

Whoo, the X2000 is in a different league. Lovely deck but 'spensive. Maybe someday...

definetely going to give a talk to gordy and see if he will let me demo it for a while. it is very possible, I have always wanted one. when I was in the service I just couldnt come up with 1k that it cost new back in the 80's. spent my money on booze and wild women. well lp's cd's and beer.

elroy

A decent R2R at high speed is still the absolute analogue reference, so its well worth investing in a deck.

And boy do they look cool running 10" spools at 1⅞ ips! Those big reels lazily turning add a superb visual element to any system - and the extra track width means you still get a performance advantage over compact cassette.