Old stereo magazines

[1lieutenant]

I grew up in an era when stereo equipment was burgeoning. Each month I would read Stereo Review and Audio magazine. I enjoyed the technical articles as well as equipment and music reviews. I recently found a link that allows access to these magazines! Hours of enjoyment re reading articles and finding reviews of albums I now can stream. Hope it is ok to provide these links. Enjoy!
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/HiFI-Stereo-Review.htm
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Audio-Magazine.htm

 

[Bailey28]

Julian Hirsch at Stereo Review got me to buy the best single CD player the world had ever seen, the AMC CD9 by Weltronics. It promised clarity like none other, and sound so pure it was like being there in person.

What I got was a player that never worked right and sounded worse than a cheap portable player. I eventually traded it at my local audio store for an old Thorens TD160 turntable I still use.

 

[STL_G8GT]

I was the same with mobile electronics mags, man seems like ages ago.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Nice find. Thanks for sharing!

 

[dippschtick]

Back in high school I could spends hours staring at the Polk Audio ads in these magazines
drooling over the SDA SRS flagship, trying to imagine how good my favorite songs would
sound on them.

 

[melk]

I have a Onkyo Integra TR85 that one day I will get properly refurbished. Just need a righteous set of speakers to hook it up to

 

[1lieutenant]

Julian Hirsch at Stereo Review got me to buy the best single CD player the world had ever seen, the AMC CD9 by Weltronics. It promised clarity like none other, and sound so pure it was ……

lol. As most of you know, I have a David Hafler DH 220 amp and DH 110 preamp which continues to amaze me with its sonic purity even after 40+ years. I was able to find the Julian Hirsch review of these products which he found exceptional! I found his reviews to be an objective evaluation of the data. I guess he couldn’t get it right all of the time.

 

[1lieutenant]

I enjoy looking at the prices. Using an inflation calculator, that stuff was expensive!!

 

[Patrick0525]

lol. As most of you know, I have a David Hafler DH 220 amp and DH 110 preamp which continues to amaze me with its sonic purity even after 40+ years. I was able to find the Julian Hirsch review of these products which he found exceptional! I found his reviews to be an objective evaluation of the data. I guess he couldn’t get it right all of the time.

My unit was modified in the 80’s and still working.
Which year and month is the review. Please post. Thanks.

 

[k1xv]

As a electrical engineer, I got a laugh out of some of the far out stereo publications that advocated and advertised things like "hospital grade" power cords for your equipment and "oxygen free" copper speaker wires. The power cords were hilarious to me, as they plugged into your house wiring and utility service supply that the power had to get through before it even reached your "hospital grade" power cord for the last few feet to your equipment.

 

[1lieutenant]

As a electrical engineer, I got a laugh out of some of the far out stereo publications that advocated and advertised things like "hospital grade" power cords for your equipment and "oxygen free" copper speaker wires. The power cords were hilarious to me, as they plugged into your house wiring and utility service supply that the power had to get through before it even reached your "hospital grade" power cord for the last few feet to your equipment.

I recently read an article in a “high end” magazine about 3-4 thousand dollar 1 meter interconnect cables that need to be “broken in” for hours before evaluating. Same with a thousand dollar power cord! And these were the cheap ones!

 

[k1xv]

I recently read an article in a “high end” magazine about 3-4 thousand dollar 1 meter interconnect cables that need to be “broken in” for hours before evaluating. Same with a thousand dollar power cord! And these were the cheap ones!

Yes, that carries over into amateur radio. An antenna cannot receive or transmit at peak performance until you have worked at least 50 countries with it. It then hears weaker signals much better.

 

[1lieutenant]

My unit was modified in the 80’s and still working.
Which year and month is the review. Please post. Thanks.

View attachment 346799

View attachment 346800

Both were modified by Musical Concepts in the early ‘80s

 

[researcher]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.. I was just reading the March 1989 article about recording on cassette tapes, yup I remember that article!! awesome stuff! @1lieutenant

 

[Pablo]

Julian Hirsch at Stereo Review got me to buy the best single CD player the world had ever seen, the AMC CD9 by Weltronics. It promised clarity like none other, and sound so pure it was like being there in person.

What I got was a player that never worked right and sounded worse than a cheap portable player. I eventually traded it at my local audio store for an old Thorens TD160 turntable I still use.

I loved the old days when writers were well paid by manufacturers

Now writers are unemployed and AI is just a paid service

 

[loneryder]

I grew up in an era when stereo equipment was burgeoning. Each month I would read Stereo Review and Audio magazine. I enjoyed the technical articles as well as equipment and music reviews. I recently found a link that allows access to these magazines! Hours of enjoyment re reading articles and finding reviews of albums I now can stream. Hope it is ok to provide these links. Enjoy!
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/HiFI-Stereo-Review.htm
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Audio-Magazine.htm

I had subscriptions to Stereophile and Absolute sound until they both started getting political. Every article would have the authors political opinions mentioned...always from the left side. Cancelled both.

 

[loneryder]

Both were modified by Musical Concepts in the early ‘80s

View attachment 346812

View attachment 346813

Didn't you once describe your Hafler as not audiophile equipment and I argued with you that it was? Didn't argue just debated.

 

[Brons2]

I miss the Hi-Fi era.

 

[1lieutenant]

Didn't you once describe your Hafler as not audiophile equipment and I argued with you that it was? Didn't argue just debated.

I don’t think I ever argued that the Haflers were not audiophile equipment. At least not that I remember lol. I truly think they are audiophile grade but not esoteric or extremely expensive. Remember, “back in the day” these could be had as a kit or factory assembled. Admittedly, the Musical Concepts modifications added some dollars, but reasonable.
Reading the Julian Hirsch review, he describes these as sonically pretty marvelous and robustly built (my words) but somewhat simplistic in design to aid in reliability. Stereo Review January 1980 and August 1982.
Even now when vintage equipment can be outrageous, working Haflers can be had in the 2-300 dollar range. These can be sent in and modified by Musical Concepts for a reasonable cost.

 

[loneryder]

I don’t think I ever argued that the Haflers were not audiophile equipment. At least not that I remember lol. I truly think they are audiophile grade but not esoteric or extremely expensive. Remember, “back in the day” these could be had as a kit or factory assembled. Admittedly, the Musical Concepts modifications added some dollars, but reasonable.
Reading the Julian Hirsch review, he describes these as sonically pretty marvelous and robustly built (my words) but somewhat simplistic in design to aid in reliability. Stereo Review January 1980 and August 1982.
Even now when vintage equipment can be outrageous, working Haflers can be had in the 2-300 dollar range. These can be sent in and modified by Musical Concepts for a reasonable cost.

I’ve seen used Haflers for sale on Audiogon and Stereomart in the $2-3K range. I was very surprised at that. But all used equipment is very expensive these days.