People who worry about someone’s hair are very strange. Better to never address people’s nonsense. Keep on crushing!🤠

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

I knew I was poking a bear, but sometimes you just have to. My skin is pretty thick at this age in life. I can handle it :)

@jalander8817

Жыл бұрын

@@skylabsaudio in regard to your quality over quantity point… maybe make some McIntosh content about what you have experience with.

@turbomustang84

Жыл бұрын

I'm 62 and have all my hair unfortunately most everything else is falling apart LoL

My biggest mistake with vintage audio gear? Not getting into it sooner! I could have saved tens of thousands of dollars!

Never once thought about your cap , this is not a channel on caps.

The greatest thing about getting to 50 is that no one looks at you so you can look however the heck you'd like!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Agreed

I agree ,audio is like food , everyone has different taste buds , go with what tastes good to you 👍 Best regards from Turkey 👍🇹🇷

@heimatliebe116

Жыл бұрын

Love Turkish food!

Kevin, my baldness started right after I got out of the Marine corps, around 84-85'ish? I was in my early 20's. My condition never discouraged the ladies! I worked outdoors all my life and had to wear hats because of the sun and to keep warm in winter. Later I still ended up having to have surgery for skin cancers though! For what it's worth, glad I wore the hats. I hate the cliche, " It is what it is " Love your channel!

Your "junk drunk" description is me to a T! I think your "buy quality not quantity" is precious advice

This video was me exactly. Yes, I got junk drunk, I did everything you said,and adjusted. The fact that you mentioned ask people if they have stuff that’s not shown is spot on. I’ve come across some real gems that the people didn’t even know they had and they either sold to be very very cheap cheap or gave it to me. I saw a house down the street from me, throwing out trash, two or three weeks in a row, I figured they were selling the house, I went to the door talked for a while they were very friendly, long story short I walked out with a real to real and a record player. That was the suitcase style, both were tubes, which are much easier to work on, for free. That has happened to me more times than you can imagine. Ring the bell and step back about 15 feet, and people usually are very welcoming, or I’m just lucky. You read my mind on this video, keep up the great work. I love my equipment and that’s all that matters. Even my 1970’s radio and record player combos. I have tubes to silver face, and reel to reel to mini-disc recorder. I LOVE MUSIC 👍🏼😎

@semperfi-1918

9 ай бұрын

I have a habbit of mostly maggies following me home. Working the fix and sell angle. But cant help the free or cheap either. Lol

Good video and good tips. I always enjoy all of your videos Kevin. Another tip I would add is: Don't be afraid of enjoying equipment that is off-brand. Just because some particular brand's equipment is not currently being drooled on in the latest audio reviews... that doesn't mean that it's 'bad'. For example, I have some Fisher speakers that sound and look great. It doesn't matter if they are not the current 'hot' item to acquire.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Great tip! You are 💯 correct

Kevin... that shiny dome is just loaded with intelligence!! Thank you for your solid common sense. I totally dig it. Keep on keepin on, for the common man and woman. Cheers!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

Great information Kevin. Really the first thing to do with an eBay items is photograph the package as received, every side to include your labels. Photograph the inside and packing and everything! Next Test, Test, Test!

As a newbie to Your channel....I Thank You for Sharing and appreciate Your words...also waiting for the weather to warm up a bit ! 😊

Dude. Your practical approach is inspiring. Never change.

Been watching these videos for a while now, this one is now my favourite, great work, Kevin! Thank you for these great tips!

@skylabsaudio

8 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

I'm really happy that KZread put your videos in my recommendations que. It warms my heart to see someone save good vintage equipment from the landfill. These pieces still have life in them (although I would recommend replacing the old electrolytic and ceramic capacitors), and apparently there are many whom would still appreciate and love them.

As usual Kevin, you're speaking the truth. Regarding the VCR's (and other tape machines), they are freaking hard to get working again. My electronics degree from the late 80's was based around VCR's and tube TV's, and I'll tell ya what, I am not interested in fixing any tape machines at all. If I need to repair one for my own system but that's it. Actually, I haven't been working on stereo gear much since last year, I had a couple of carver units that just beat me up and kinda pissed me off, LOL. One is still on the bench and I just can't figure it out, so I got discouraged and just quit (it's my unit, so I can do this) and it's still sitting there. Thanks for your down-to-earth videos.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Hard to find anyone that will open a Carver. You are brave

@KillerKlipsch

Жыл бұрын

Carvers are definitely worth fixing, You'll be super happy when the hard work pays off in a distinguished Carver sound.

@leo.girardi

Жыл бұрын

@@skylabsaudio I know a guy named Bob that might...

@JonPaul

Жыл бұрын

@@skylabsaudio Or stupid. One of those is more likely than the other.

@JonPaul

Жыл бұрын

@@KillerKlipsch Bah. Humbug. (I appreciate your optimism)

It's great to get to know about your channel. You are extremely honest. A lot of good information and advice. Thanks, Kevin.

Great Video. Don’t let others tell you what to like is great advice. I’ve now collected and worked on the 9”, 11” and 13” Technics Honeycomb Disc floor speakers with the Expanded Mica tweeters. I love these like I did in 1983. To me they sound great at reasonable volumes and look like the future with the grills off. Always will be in my 5 top speakers. Thanks for the video!

You and me both brother. You and Randy are my go to guys.

Love you’re down to earth attitude, and good tips for sure, very insightful because obviously you’ve been there. Thanks again.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate that!

The Hat - that's funny. Yeah it's COLD up there.

New subscriber and I haven't given a crap about what you were wearing. 2 weeks ago I didn't know there was 'vintage audio' except in my living room, in the 70's a few of my shipmates were caught up in the receiver wars. Making $500 a month this young sailor could only do a 35w Technics, still have it in the original box. I was happy to find out that all my Carver separates that I had in the lay-away for months in 1988 are worth more than I paid for them. My Amazing Platinum Speakers lost about 1/2 and one has a buzzy ribbon so I had to get out the back up ADS L810's. Good stuff, days before I saw your 1st vid I was wondering if anyone was still playing with the old stuff. It made me smile. Thanks.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Welcome back!

@papertrailcowboy4091

Жыл бұрын

my ADS are amazing, got for next to nothing because they are "too big"

Excellent video and advice. In the day, every time I bought a unit on Ebay, especially Marantz, they didn't work. Buying everything they have, recipe for disaster. My best stuff came from Goodwill and saint Vincent de paul. One thing I never found was McIntosh. I'm bidding on a huge auction tomorrow with a huge amount of audio. I'll probably miss out on most of it because people overbid. The preview though was absolutely amazing. This auction has over 3000 items in 5 buildings!!! Only 4 McIntosh pieces. I really enjoy your channel. Thanks.

Well done, good lighting, graphics, audio ... surprising how many otherwise good KZread videos have poor audio, yours is great.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

When the description states works great etc. I like to ask more specific questions regarding details of everything that was tested and then I examine and evaluate the sellers reply. The sellers response is a huge 'tell'. This doesn't always work but having documented questions and responses prior to ebay purchase is always a good idea.

Great advice. I’ve always shied away from buying used. The only piece of equipment I bought used was a Luxman amp. It worked great for a few years, then started to age fast.

So many great points here. Thanks Love your vidoes.

Seriously? People are commenting on your hats and whether or not you're losing hair? People just have way too much free time these days. And to those people, get a life. Love your videos Kevin, please keep up the good work!

Great advice buddy! And I think you have a very chill watchable demeanor. That makes all the difference when enduring endless KZread videos. And Iowa rocks. 👍😎

@skylabsaudio

5 ай бұрын

I appreciate that!

The very first early mistake that I made when getting into the hobby was buying lots of records with scratches (thinking they “weren’t that bad”), and overpaying on them too. Another mistake that I had made was buying a cool looking cassette deck I had wanted for my main setup that wasn’t in working condition and then taking it to a repair tech to fix, thinking it would be cheaper than buying one already working. Ended up spending more than double the marketplace amount to the tech and it wasn’t even fully fixed afterwards, will never get the money out of it that was put in if I decide to sell it. Live and learn though, have been very fortunate to have found high quality equipment at local thrift stores and Facebook, my Technics SU-8055 in my main setup was a low-price value village score and has worked for me perfectly for over a year already. Have accumulated a stack of tuners though which I don’t need ha, might eventually start culling a few. And wanted to say, as someone who also lost their hair at 20 I’m glad that it doesn’t bother you. People can be so cruel when it comes to things out of other peoples control. Love your vids anyway, the chill vibe contrasts nicely to other channels whose excitement seems over the top.

This is all true and great facts of the hobby, no nonsense, just truth.

Your advice is soo spot on. People asking about under your hat???? This is why I don’t patronize social media. Kevin, keep on keeping on.😉

I had a Nakamichi Dragon for over 10 years and still got service in Singapore they changed some Heads and belts for free!

By the time I was able to acquire equipment at will, I knew more than enough to prevent buying junk --- at least unless I Wanted the junk for some reason. And I have been pretty fortunate: most of the stuff I've bought has been functional. Of course I have an advantage over some people since I can repair most problems myself.

Thanks for the hat talk :) Love your channel.

My system is comprised entirely of used gear except for the source which is a network DAC. Had to send the vintage amp/preamp out to be reconditioned. Bought all of it off eBay before prices went nuts on all decent vintage gear. Bought a lot of stuff that just sits in the closet and thought I had a problem for a while but my lust for vintage stereo equipment has waned thankfully. I recommend buying a network streamer like a Naim or a Cambridge and pairing it with a great vintage integrated amp or separates. The combination is superb. Even with the hassle and expense of having vintage gear refurbished it's many times cheaper than buying the equivalent sounding modern gear, and the gear itself is more interesting looking and has more of a story to it.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Agree 💯

Great video, love the logical thinking.

This is good advice. Try and shoot for quality. More is just more to get rid of...Test if you can. I have a power supply in my truck and a old i-pod small amp and cheap speakers. If the owner doesn't have stuff to test with I have my own. At Goodwill or any thrift store I always find an outlet to at least turn the item on. I do this for fun and not as a business. Garage sales are so quickly picked over, asking if they have other gear is a great way to find better stuff.

Dude keep up the great work love the videos

@chrisguevara3828

3 ай бұрын

Seriously I have learned so much about vintage amplifiers that saved me from buying junk because you can easily get mislead by bad advice or info I really appreciate this channel so glad I found it

I'm the same to Kev, beany on in the house, in the winter, hahaha... Great info, thanks man!!...

As usual, you always give solid and honest advice.... I agree with everything you said 💯. And as far as your looks, wearing a hat, wondering if you're bald, etc... I never gave it a thought... Yes, I think you look great..😍

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Aww, shucks :) Thanks Karen!

Dude love the tips and advice.

The whole finish up to the balding segment had me rolling 😂😂. Touché to them!!

Indeed! Sensible advice on every point.

Great vid as always. I've also been burned. Now, I always tell the seller I'm going to "test for functionality." If they make an excuse I move on. I don't say "audition" or "hear it" because I don't want to sound like a tire-kicker. If its an amp, I bring a small speaker, cables and a Discman to test with. If it's speakers, I make it clear beforehand that I want to hear that all the drivers work. Like you said, some drivers can't be sourced.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Perfect

Great information, enjoy your videos.

You are so right about: Don't let others tell you what sounds good : I have a set of bose 601 series 1 as my rear speakers along with my Marantz 4430 quad and J BL L100 in the front . The bose sound great and I think they look beautiful as well . I am happy with them and let a few others go instead. All the other advice in your video is great too .

@elhombre2711

Жыл бұрын

My first real speakers were a set of Bose 501's. They were great.

I used to go garage saling on lunch break in the posh neighborhood where I worked and I always asked if they had records. I didn't find any grails (there was a great used record store in the neighborhood for that), but one old guy opened up a box with a nice 6" Minnesota Twins 1965 American League Champions button in it. That was a more memorable buy than the records I found by asking at garage sales.

I'm just north of you and bought a new four-pack of sleeping beanies this fall. I don't wear them at night because they fall off, but they're great during the day. Also good for bad hair-that's-left days.

I remember Jenny. She must have really gotten around. Great tips. Thank you.

Blessing and a Curse...But you are enjoying yourself in cold, wet Des Moines. Enjoyed this installment..😄😄

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

😁

Great video, keep up the good work.

Your the man keep up the great videos !

Sage advice there my good man. I live in a small town and know the woman who owns the estate sale company. I bake her chocolate chip cookies twice a year for the pre-sale calls. She loves it and I've purchased some great gear from her.

The testing advice made me think of my recent experience resurrecting my 30 year old stereo rig. When I went to use headphones with my B&K Sonata pre-amp it wouldn't work, which puzzled me but crap happens. It wasn't until later when I found the manual that the reason was because you need to turn off the pre-amp, plug in and listen to the source. Totally illogical to me and I probably went through the same experience when I first got it back then, lol.

Very nice! I still have an stock full of pretty good stuff, but not good enough.. I want to build a vintage system next to my ‘modern’ one.. (1992 Accuphase isn’t really modern), around a 1977 Luxman R-1500E. See what kind of speakers match wel with it etc. Fun! Thanks for the tips for that!

great advice! thanks for the video

Great and Honest advice... Bald but Also Bold...i enjoy your reviews.... Greetings from South Africa.

It took me over fifteen years to stop buying lesser stuff.I had about fifty black receivers albeit good ones thinking one day the black gear will come into its own.Well Im still waiting and while I have sold about fifteen-twenty I still have a ton of them.Most of my silver vintage is gone because thats what is in demand.Yes I was a hoarder but never intended to be that way.I love audio gear but after a while it becomes overwhelming. The old saying is true."too much of a good thing is not a good thing"

That my friend is solid information!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it!

I love this channel! I think I put a Sansui 2000 X on the street because I didn’t know 😮

Ask for Jenny! Good one!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Eric- the producer added that. I got to laugh too.

@snoeplau2126

Жыл бұрын

Jenny don’t change your number!

Thanks Kevin for the great tips

I found one shop in the Twin Cities that (as of a couple years ago) would still rehab a Sony 640B reel-to-reel deck. It was almost as expensive as the cost of the deck new, and they needed to have the deck for months. Good Guys Pro Audio in St. Paul.

kevin...your just fine the way you are!...great channel! thanks!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Dave!

Drank my coffee and really enjoyed your video 👍🏼😎… oh, I have a dozen hats 🎩😉

I do have some interesting vintage equipment that needs fixing. Maybe it is best to get rid of the equipment that is not working. Good stuff !

Good tip on eBay and I'll watch the other video. I like watching the build quality stuff you put out. Any tips on what goes bad or more importantly doesn't go out very often is always great. I honestly just want one solid 2 speaker stereo system, and one 5.1 theater system. I have enough hobbies eating my limited cash. Perhaps I should keep this strictly audio but... good point on the hat. I wore a hat when I had a thick head of hair in High School and College. Friends and exGFs who were jealous of the thickness said you'll loose it if you keep wearing a hat. Well...Guess they were right. I still wear hats, never did like syling my hair, and how can I be ashamed if I wore a hat before? In the summer I still wear a hat, a sun burned scalp is the worst. I am bit glad trucker hats made a bit of a comeback. Anyways you do you, listen to what you like, wear a hat or don't, everyone else is taken anyway.

Awesome video,good info, I should stop by and say hi to you. I live in west des moines. 😊👍

Note one can loose your core temperature if you are outside at 60 degrees this hats are needed indoor are out.

I went bald early too, no big deal. Actually, so many times I'm so glad I don't have to fool with washing, conditioning, brushing, combing and refixing all day long, actually everyday I grab a bar of soap then head to toe DONE! I driving my convertible no worrying with hair blowing around. I'm 64 and can't even imagine dealing with hair everyday.

Right on man thank you.

Great points! I agree 👍 I am a little short on hair as well. Lol

I am 10 years older than you, great advice for all ages. Also I used to sell audio in the late 70’s from mid fi to hi end. 👍👏 recap😂

I used to do "man with van' in the winter to earn a few quid. You wouldn't believe the stuff that people asked me to take to the dump. A sansui amp, a sansui cd player, eltax floor standing speakers, wharfdale bookshelf speakers, a rotel amp, a Ferguson turntable, and loads of other non audio stuff. 😊

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Crazy isn't it? Glad you rescued

Wearing a hat is like wearing socks. Keeps your head warm, socks help keep my feet warm. My wife and I love to find bargains. But to avoid being a hoarder, we also sell almost all of it. Before we buy an item, our first thought is always: how are we going to sell this item? If we can't come up with the answer, we don't buy. As you mentioned, if you are into thrifting and in particular garage sales, always ask. The common response is just what you mentioned "I didn't think anyone would be interested." It's how you get some really great deals. Also, don't be afraid to walk away if it is a garage sale where you can't test the equipment. My untested offer is always really low, I just assume it doesn't work.

Cool, great advice,tks👍.

I had a buddy with a pair of Bose 901 corner speakers. I thought they sounded amazing. He ended up trading them off for some garbage speakers because he listened to "experts" who said they were junk. I would have loved to have those!

Speakers are definitely a topic that gets a lot of debate and bad advice. I enjoy speakers that sound good to me and they are not always boutique types. I do have Magnepan 1.5s but also Advent Laureates or Heritages along with BIC Formula 6's and 7's and Rectilinear 3 lowboys. To me it is the type of music you listen to and without regards to a Pioneer SA-9500ii or a Yamaha CR-1000 it is your preference where the speakers seem to matter most in terms of like/dislikes. At my age and past history of work my ears are no longer 20-20k, And you still can find deals, I picked up a Kenwood 7500/7100 tuner/amp combo for 200 that the original owner sold cheap because one speaker wasn't working. Some contact cleaner fixed that problem and the added bonus each one had factory rack handles. Good advice on all parts especially quality over quantity.

Busted! Yeah that's why I watch this channel! to see what ball cap you're wearing! It doesn't have anything to do with vintage stereo equipment!

Good advice. Thank you.

You had me shaking my head , laughing, cringing because I’ve made similar mistakes and wanting to move to Des Moines IA so I can be near your shop and visit every week ! Some great advice! Maybe you can explain why you wear glasses on (pt. 2) 🙄🤣

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Lol!

@russellcardwell6502

11 ай бұрын

Hahaha

I'm with you, Kevin. It's dead protein, who the hell cares! I'm bald and I wear hats pretty much all year because in the winter it's frigging cold, when it's raining it's like Chnese water torture and in the summer if I don't wear a hat I get a miserable sunburned head. And, thankfully, there are women who actually think bald heads are sexy. Another great video with good information, by the way.

Kevin, I think there is someone in Spirit Lake IA who fixes Tape decks... Thanks for this video, I wish I watched this before I started my collecting. Would it have changed my view, probably not but maybe all it would have done was make me more selective. Why not is that we do have some impulse buys when you get a thrift store find needless to mention the standards of what we want keep going higher as the hobby takes hold of you... The thing with this hobby is that you never start out planning to be an "audio junkie", it is a buck spent here and there but as it grows on you, your desire for better things grows and before you know it you are addicted with room filled with "crap" and "gems". I think mistakes are part of the experience as one grows in the field. What I regret are the faulty units I threw away, that could have served as donor units. Tape decks that I thought I could not fix and all they needed was belts that I now can thread in.. Units that could have served as donors for lamps, knobs, feet, rectifiers, diodes, resistors, face plates ... Anyways, now I have a room filled with "Junk" and "Jewels", and it hurts to let my junk go, lol...

That last point is probably the single most important thing to learn in this hobby. Everyone's ears, and preferences are different. Anyone who says otherwise is just fooling themselves.

This video was perfect timing. Junk drunk!! That’s me!! 😂😂

I have a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10 and some Carver equipment. tuner and amp. I live in Iowa. Nice to see Iowans online.

I've made some good purchases over the years with the best being a JBL Hartsfield in mint condition for $75. Another time I found a pair of JBL D130 & 075 that was installed in end tables with a door on it. The thrift store was selling it as a piece of furniture. I also find and restore organs, mainly old Hammond B3 and A100's tube-type. Most other brands of organs are not worth trying to fix but there is a big demand for the older Hammond's. Most thrift stores will not take an old organ so people sometimes have a hard time getting rid of them. What I look for is free or low cost organs even if they do not work because sometimes an old organ may have a really good speaker system attached. I once got a 70's Rodgers 3 manual organ that did not work for free if I would haul it away but it had 2 Klipsch LaScala speakers attached. I junked the organ and kept the speakers. Many organs have JBL or EV speakers in house brand enclosures so it is worth looking into. Always fun to find one.

Well done

Great intro.

I don't know if I should share this here as it isn't vintage audio related. Back in 2004-5 I bought this JVC mini compact stereo component system made in Malaysia. It had a dual cassette deck, AM/FM radio, hold 3 cd's, bass reflex 3 way speakers and a remote. 30 watts per channel therein. Price wise, affordable. Controls were pretty user friendly. I can't remember if it came with a 3 month or one year warranty. Anyways after a year the cassette deck stop working. The tuner reception was lousy. I messed up the cd player because I put in a cd upside down from too much beer consumption and had to get it repaired. But the greatest thing about this compact unit was the sound of the bass reflex speakers. If you ever see box JVC speakers in a pond shop with blue covers, silver appearance and need a system for a work shop, check'em out !

Case in point. I have a Superrscope by Marantz CRS4000 boom box from the 80s which has a line input and 6 1/2" 2 way speakers. I love the sound if this box. Beauty is in the ears of this beholder!

My biggest mistake buying vintage audio has always been and will always be turntables. I have never had good luck buying used turntables. they're always seems to be something wrong with them ultimately and if not when I buy them then in short order. I've owned numerous vintage speakers that are 40 years old at the time of purchase and I use them before selling them on for another 3-4 years with no issues, same thing for amplifiers and receivers I bought plenty over the past decade and very rarely have I had issues. but I swear to you every time I buy a turntable a vintage one there is invariablely something wrong with it or something doesn't work right and the guy tells me what you just need to lubricate the spring for the auto return mechanism but that ain't it and anyway in my opinion vintage turntables are more trouble than their worth.

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

They can be a real pain. Avoid anything with auto functions. Easy

@MichelLinschoten

11 ай бұрын

Well I bought an pioneer pl707 , I bought it for the symbolic figure of 10 bucks. As the owner , had it sitting from his dad (very heavy smoker he was) the platter was yellow that bad. I took the entire table apart , I've had it playing for years now and absolutely love it. Well knowing it's not a super high end table . But just a cool looking solid table. It was well worth it , because it didn't cost me much at all. And it did teach me a lot more about turntables and what how to fix the issues I ran into . In short it was a project well worth doing. I bought later on a other pro ject RPM 1 carbon. For 300 bucks , I had nothing but good vibes with it so far...

Sorry you felt compelled to bust the hat nonsense. I never thought about it at all, for the record you don't look near fifty, and I think you look better without the hat, and NO I'm not gay, married 45 years with two sons. I appreciate the inside info on vintage stuff I've been into since Lafayette Radio in the late sixties, early seventies. STILL a bit heartbroken when they went belly-up around 1980. They were around over 50 years, and alot of their stuff was better than credited. Loved their inexpensive walnut veneered speaker cabinets with monster alnico magnets! woofers!

Grass never grows on a busy street!

@skylabsaudio

Жыл бұрын

Lol

@alm5693

Жыл бұрын

@@skylabsaudio It's a solar collector for a sex machine (that one is soooo old).

Plane Talk is most welcome. You're doing more to promote interest than all the so-called experts out there. ... And we've all heard them.

You nailed it!

I wear a hoodie all winter long in Omaha to keep my bald head warm. I have a lot of stuff given to me that isn't worth fixing but it is hard to find decent stuff any more locally. I did fix a CT-F700 recently for someone. I pretty much replaced the belts and restored the idler rubber. I didn't do any calibration. I just bought a Yamaha C-60 preamp for $10. It might have been a mistake to buy but it was only $10. It was dropped and the volume knob is gone, the balance knob and pot is broke. The power button cover is missing. Parts are next to impossible to find.

Last point great advice-

Best quote. Take a picture of it and let somebody else own it. 😅