Category Archives: Hi-Fi

Music Minder Automatic Power Controller for Hi-Fi Systems

Posted on August 24, 2016 by jwk

Mixed in with some other gear I’m servicing, I found this old Music Minder power box. It’s not all that obvious what it’s for at first glance! Some digging around found an explanation in the June 1958 issue of Popular … Continue reading →

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Reviewing the Gemtune APPJ PA1501A 6AD10 Stereo Tube Amplifier

Posted on August 17, 2016 by jwk

I recently picked up an interesting little tube amp via a group buy on Massdrop, the Gemtune APPJ PA1501A stereo tube amplifier. Try saying that three times fast! It’s a cute little single-ended stereo tube amp using a pair of 6AD10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Stereo, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

“Won’t that ruin the vintage sound?”

Posted on March 16, 2016 by jwk

Audio as a hobby sits in an interesting place in the world. There are hard numbers and objective measurements made with lab equipment on one end, and on the other end you have the subjective and variable linguistic descriptions assigned … Continue reading →

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Harman-Kardon Festival D-1000 Tube Receiver Repair

Posted on November 17, 2015 by jwk

All vintage gear has a story to tell, but something really rare and interesting recently came across the bench: the Harman-Kardon Festival D-1000. While it looks somewhat unassuming, a fairly straightforward 15-tube receiver with push-pull 6L6GC outputs and an AM … Continue reading →

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Totem Acoustic ARC Digital HD Amplifier on Kickstarter

Posted on November 16, 2015 by jwk

Totem Acoustic sent me some information about a very interesting new hifi amplifier they’re launching on Kickstarter. Based out of Montreal, they’re an established brand making hifi speakers optimized for desktop and streaming applications, and are coming out with a … Continue reading →

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The Speaker Spotter – November 6th, 2015

Posted on November 6, 2015 by jwk

Today’s Speaker Spotter showing the most interesting speakers for sale on the local Craigslist has a number of rare, unusual, and high-end speakers you’re not likely to find anywhere else. As always, I’m not affiliated with any of these sellers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Collections, Commentary, Hi-Fi, Speakers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Speaker Spotter – September 30th, 2015

Posted on September 30, 2015 by jwk

It’s back! Another installment in this occasional series, “The Speaker Spotter”, picking out the most interesting speakers available on my local Craigslist. Today’s Speaker Spotter focuses on bookshelf speakers for the best sound possible in a small package. As always, … Continue reading →

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Vintage Documentary: How Stereo Turntables Work

Posted on September 2, 2015 by jwk

Documentary Tube on YouTube has digitized an excellent early video documentary discussing the newest hi-fi invention of the time: stereo! In this 4-minute video, the narrator compares mono with stereo recordings on vinyl. Worth checking out!

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Sony ST-J75 Recap and Alignment

Posted on July 31, 2015 by jwk

Cross-posted from the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: The Sony ST-J75 is a pretty well regarded, great sounding stereo FM tuner from the early ’80s. It’s one of the first forrays into digital tuning, with a frequency read-out, programmable memory, … Continue reading →

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Bose® 901 Series II #102678 Restoration

Posted on July 18, 2015 by jwk

Cross-posted from the Rain City Audio Repair Blog: Another Bose® Active Equalizer came through the shop, this one’s a Series II. The owner reported that one channel had failed and the switches were badly gummed up. Time for a rebuild! … Continue reading →

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