Grandpa's Toys...

Atop the audio rack is an old fashioned amplifier/receiver.  I fished it out from the electronic junk heap  of GW ( short for Goodwill stores ) sometime ago. At first glance, I was reminded of the same audio model prevalent during the '70s. It is a big motherf..., measuring 21" width, 7" high and 11" deep..Nobody seemed to like it, thinking it is a worthless piece of you-know-what. But my experience with the store ( and an innate curiosity for electronic gadgets ) I had a feeling it IS still working. Two days later after I saw it, it was still there. Then one day, the store had a half price sale and the THINGY  WAS still there! I guess it is just waiting for me to pick it up. And so I did!

Once it was in my den I hooked it up to a pair of good speakers which I bought from a garage sale 2 springs ago. I connected a turntable, an open reel tape player ( see the 2nd photo )  and into a pair of auxiliary inputs I connected a Sony Walkman ( which is now displaced by the Ipod.)

The best test for a sound system is not the brand or specs . You must have a good hearing, especially to sound. And listen for the bass, mid sounds and the treble and be able to compare it with previous systems you have heard before.

I tell you, the sound is fantastic, different from the digital, Dolby, digital mish mash offered by modern day amps..Modern amplifiers are made for MOVIES, DVD's  and TV programs..I have 2 digi amps upstairs, each with 6 speakers ( 6th one is a sub ) .  I do not listen to music with these babies. I prefer the 2 channel amplifier. Especially this one that I got for a song from GW..

The turntable has good sound, but scratchy, especially the last band of the record. But there are  many vinyls that were never released in CD. And they do won't digitize these LPs  anymore because there is a waning market for these stuff. The potential customers are already in Senior Homes, convalescent hospitals or maybe 6 feet under..There are just a handful of us still walking about, looking harmless but still endowed with complete senses..

 

The Akai open reel tape recoder/tape deck. I bought this unit not from GW but from a second hand audio store along Queen street in Toronto..

I still love playing with my open reel tape player/recorder. When I was still in Asingan, I spent several hours copying music with a good buddy, Mr. Mike Acosta, another Asingan audiophile. He was married to Mrs. Fe Acosta, the late sister of the late Atty. Rustico Diaz. Yes, digital copying, downloading, digitizing burning CDs, etc. were still light years away..I am so happy I was able to fulfill this lifetime hobby when the age of computer arrived ( and my senses are still intact..) Like the machine, the human body must be constantly used and exercised to be assured of a longer life tenure. I run the  open reel tape machine at least once a week.

The best sound still comes from the Sony Walkman, of course. When I am writing my Blog,  those '50 CDs played on it keeps my mind in place while trying to compose a piece or just merely day dreaming.---#

by Victorio Costes